Management Team

Why the name 'Head Light Communications'? On one level a head light is forward looking, directional and illuminating. On another it describes the moment when someone suddenly 'gets it'. Our Talent® portfolio of software products combined with our consulting services is designed to help your people do just that.

The company's mission is:

• to provide 'change agents' with valuable products and services to bring about greater performance improvements in their organisation.
• to develop the capability of our people to add value to our clients' thinking and project delivery.
• to grow our business ethically and with integrity for the benefit of all of its stakeholders.

We proactively seek out others with whom we can create value-adding partnerships so that our customers an get the most out of working with us - please see our Client references for how they describe the experience. If you suspect that a partnership with our organisation would bring mutual benefit, please do contact us via our Partners page.

The leadership team

The leadership team came together with a shared vision to provide innovative software products and consulting services to HR teams that strike the optimum balance of value for money, ease of use and genuine usefulness. All of our products and services are aligned with key HR processes and we challenge ourselves to ensure that the products we develop are feature-rich yet not over-engineered and powerful yet simple for all to use. We want to help you get more from your recruitment, training and retention budgets.

Ian Lee-Emery - Managing Director

Ian’s career began in Information Technology. As a Computing Science graduate, he joined GE (USA) in research and development in 1989. A GE sponsored MBA programme, completed in 1996, guided the transition into European commercial roles. He became a Six Sigma ‘Green Belt’ leading improvements in European product performance.

In 2004 and having spent 10 years working with HR professionals to help them improve how they assess and develop their people, he founded Head Light Communications. 

He is a contributor to Human Capital Management magazine, Saffron Advance 100, the Best Practice Club and the Business Improvement Network.

Ian is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and professionally recognised as a Chartered Marketer. In his spare time Ian is a keen triathlete, musician and sports coach.

Gordon Bull - Chief Talent Management Strategist

Gordon has 30 years experience in the Talent Management field working in both the private and public sectors.

He has held senior positions including American Express (VP Training) and Vodafone (Director of Global Learning Management and Global Director of HR Systems). Gordon has served on many national and Government committees including the Learning & Skills Council.

He is currently on the Board of ASTD (American Society for Training and Development). Since 1988 he has presented at many national and international conferences on topics relating to talent development and talent technologies.

Debbie Hance - Head of Business Psychology

With 13 years' international consulting experience, Debbie has worked in both the private and public arenas, across a range of sectors including central and local government, professional services, transport and logistics, pharmaceuticals, law practices and financial services.  She specialises in assessment, personal development, training, competency modelling, 360-degree feedback and performance management.

Being a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, she is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society (BPS) and is currently on the Management Board of the Association of Business Psychologists, acting as Company Secretary and heading up the ABP's Communications and Marketing Committee.

She is qualified with the BPS to use a wide range of psychometric tests and has a particular interest in how tests can contribute to our understanding of the problems and opportunities associated with team and individual performance at work.

John Williamson - Chief Technology Officer

John's career is in the development and management of computer and networked systems. He was employed by International Computers Limited (now Fujitsu) for over 25 years.

Following that he was Technical Director of International Network Services Limited (a GE subsidiary) a market leader in on-line transaction processing systems.

John is a Fellow of the British Computer Society. He is a keen runner and swimmer.

Carl Beetham - Head of Client Relationships

Following the founding of Connections in 1988 and the management of its subsequent growth to over 40 employees and turnover in excess of £10m, Carl joins us as Head of Client Relationships.

Strong partnerships with Tier 1 companies such as IBM, HP and Oracle helped the organisation gain an unrivalled position within the field of complex IT recruitment and development.

Prior to this he gained a Business & Politics degree from Sheffield and is a Member of the Institute of Personnel Development. Interests outside of work include playing and coaching competitive squash, attempting to achieve a sub-40 10k, strumming a guitar with The Three Chord Wonders and trying (often in vain) to stay on his motorcycles.

Headlight Communications