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Melanie is an experienced and successful sales and marketing professional, drawing on her direct commercial experience for inspiration. Completing her Education Degree in 1992, she moved from teaching into the blue chip sales arena. After running her own business she, in recent years, combined this knowledge and her commercial experience to coach teams from individuals to large groups. She is currently head of the Innovation Support team at the award winning Sussex Innovation Centre. One of her main roles there involves helping the young companies to acquire that elusive first customer in a new high-tech market.

Client accounts she has won and worked with include Thames Water, TeleWest (ntl), Toyota, QANTAS, Saks Hair & Beauty, Specialist Holidays Group, the postal services and more. Areas on which she has consulted for these clients include leadership, customer service, sales and operational efficiency. Geographically, this work has taken her from Australia to New Zealand, Singapore, the UK and EU.

Melanie has a series of sales and marketing certificates, a Bachelor of Teaching and is completing a Masters in Management of Marketing for Innovation.

In her spare time, she loves kung fu, street dance, and playing guitar at friends parties with or without their consent but usually with.

How to pick a good idea from a bad one

The underestimated importance and power of intution in picking a winning idea.

Shout your greatness from the rooftops!

We are really pleased to see the recent launch of the www.iawards.org.uk by the Government to encourage UK innovation.