meet our team
Collection Pot owes much of its success to it's leadership team, board and advisors. Our team is a diverse group of professionals, all experts in their chosen field. We are committed to advancing the development and success of Collection Pot for all our customers and strategic partners.
leadership team
Wendy Carter
Wendy Carter
Spending over fifteen successful years in the Publishing & Advertising industry I credit that time for equipping me with solid business acumen and good people skills. Additionally, always working to a deadline is a good discipline that I have continued throughout my career.
Having managed teams I have witnessed countless times the ‘secret’ brown envelope being circulated around the office. Tech and time have moved on, we are increasingly a cashless society, add in remote working and you can see how the collection envelope days are long gone.
When we developed Collection Pot we had no idea that its original inception would be so well received, we now see the platform being used for leavers collections, charity & community projects, to thank teachers, along with the lifetime celebrations we all enjoy. The platform is attracting attention on a global scale and we are very proud to be integrated with Microsoft Teams and VISA Direct.
I am very fortunate to live near the beautiful New Forest, so after walking the dog, my morning coffee time is spent reading many of the wonderful and amusing messages left by contributors to collections, a very motivating way to start the day!
Adam Stevens
Adam Stevens
My role at Collection Pot brings together my passions for innovation, positive disruption and working with a great team - knitting them all together has enabled us to achieve a huge amount in a short time.
I bring to the business the consistent thread of being focused on the customer, delivering great service, with an open, honest and ethical approach. I truly believe that a key element of growing any business is the strength of relationships - with colleagues, clients and strategic partners, all built on mutual trust and honesty.
Around ten years ago, I was given the opportunity to join a start-up software business where I discovered a love for the ever-changing challenges of building an innovative and ground breaking new business, disrupting the status quo and picking yourself up from the inevitable disappointments.
I think ‘roller coaster ride’ is probably the most used analogy when describing life in a start-up and rapidly growing business.
I’m really proud of the great team we have at Collection Pot, we have fantastic dynamic and a shared belief in what we can build and achieve – we’re at the start of an amazing journey and the best bit is that our destiny is in our own hands. You can’t beat that feeling.
Richard Crump
Richard Crump
As the Head of Platform and Product at Collection Pot, I am responsible for the team developing and running the platform as well as owning and delivering the future product roadmap. The role is the culmination of 23 years of experience in designing, building, implementing and selling technology solutions and managing the associated business change. During my tech career I have worked for a Capgemini UK, within the UK Government and most recently for a scale-up technology business. I also have 5+ years experience in hospitality, including working for one of the top five-star hotels in the United States.
Collection Pot is the perfect fit for my dual passions of great customer service and the power of tech to enable positive change. I am very excited to have joined the Collection Pot team during an exciting period of growth!
Outside of work, I enjoy family time and am a passionate open water swimmer along the beautiful Dorset coastline.
Nick Coles
Nick Coles
I joined Collection Pot in the role of Marketing and Community Engagement Manager, where I oversee the digital marketing efforts for the company as well as managing online engagement with customers to understand their money collecting needs and wants.
Within my career, I have been fortunate enough to get stuck into a variety of projects. I have worked alongside some great brands ensuring they have maximised their effectiveness within the social media and influencer marketing space. Including sectors such as gaming, sport, lifestyle, entertainment, and charity.
I believe this experience really supports the strengthening of Collection Pot’s online presence. Progressive brands are constantly searching for new ways to engage with customers to truly understand their needs. The combination of my experience and innovative thinking will help Collection Pot be a leader in customer understanding.
I am a keen traveller with a love for sports, gaming and movies - especially Marvel!
board & advisors
Kevin Coles
Kevin Coles
As an experienced executive from the financial services and payments world, I have worked for Barclays and Lloyds Banks, consulted for a number of others, including AIB, Bank of Ireland, CBA and NAB in Australia, Visa and MasterCard.
I have worked extensively internationally and specifically in Africa, Caribbean, USA and Australia. Leading the initial meetings and agreeing the deal with LOCOG, IOC and Visa to provide the payments infrastructure for the London 2012 Olympics.
Heavily involved in the developing fintech world since 2005, I’ve been chairman of an energy management and payments company. Identifying, developing and deploying concepts is in my DNA having been involved in creating new innovative products, services and markets for many years, along with helping new companies with great ideas to successfully ‘get to market’.
Additionally, I advise one of the leading global payments consultancies, helping them to roll out their new fintech platform as well as providing insight to various VC and PE companies.
From a personal perspective I’m a family man who enjoys sharing family experiences including sport, travel and live entertainment as well as social cycling. As a qualified rugby coach, I can be found on the touchline coaching minis and juniors for my local team.
Supporting a variety of worthy causes and raising funds is also important to me. Taking on the role of mentoring young people entering their working life and/or moving forward with business ideas and concepts I also find very rewarding.
Alex Evans
Alex Evans
Most of my career has been spent in the publishing and printing sectors holding senior management roles. Being a strategic and commercially minded thinker, I have managed several successful intercompany change programmes to protect P/L objectives, whilst minimising employee disruption and maintaining customer loyalty.
Latterly involved in consultancy and Non-Executive positions, providing creative and business initiatives, to support progressive companies in their quest for market growth and continued investment.
Collection Pot is ideally placed with employers to maintain staff morale and recognition in the recent challenging climate people now live in. Additionally the recent introduction to work closely with charities in raising awareness and much needed financial support reinforces my personal beliefs in promoting good causes at a time when companies and people are actively rediscovering themselves in a new modern culture of sharing and greater collaboration instead of self- importance.
My involvement in Collection Pot is one of continued support and adding value to the management team in future strategy whilst developing commercial opportunities from my broad business network.
My personal interests include a round of golf or a few miles bike ride to keep healthy, whilst getting on a plane to travel to new places in the sun always keeps a smile on the face. When at home I do enjoy entertaining and cooking for friends and family when in my Masterchef mindset!!
Mark Brown
Mark Brown
An experienced Managing Director with a demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Offering a wealth of knowledge and expertise in diverse areas as Sports Advisory, Channel Partnerships, Counter Fraud, Cyber Security and Risk, where he has held a number of executive positions.
My most recent role was at KPMG, as Global Head of the Personal Development Programme for Athletes. During this period I worked with sporting bodies, elite athletes and player associations to support and educate athletes, with the focus on personal development, on-field performance, career transition, welfare and overall well-being.
I hold a MSc Degree in Counter Fraud & Counter Corruption Studies from the Institute of Criminal Justice Studies (ICJS), University of Portsmouth where my research focused on the Global effects of Cyber Warfare and Cyber Crime. Attending the University of Cambridge, I was a member of the Wolfson Course, a globally recognised Management & Leadership Development Programme.
Over the last 20 years I have worked within and advised fast growth and innovative businesses, as well as global corporations and FTSE 100 companies where his clients have included the likes of Microsoft, IBM, HP, Balfour Beatty Plc, Virgin, Britannic Assurance Plc and Channel 5.
Amongst others I have been a guest speaker to the Master’s Degree Course in Cyber Security Management at the University of Warwick, the Maritime Security Industry Conference and Cargo Security Intelligence seminars, Barclays Bank and CIPFA, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy.
In my spare time, in addition to watching and enjoying his children play sport, I am a Lead Coach for Greater Birmingham County Men’s Rugby Team and a selector for the Midlands U18 Counties Rugby, which forms part of the England RFU Talent Pathway.
Dave Wills
Dave Wills
An experienced executive in the Fintech, Financial Services, Payments and eCommerce industries, having undertaking senior leadership roles over the past 20 years, working for Global Payments, Lloyds Banking Group and Barclays. Most recently I have been a Sales Consultant for Valitor helping their UK and Ireland SMB Solutions business.
I have a wide range of expertise within the payments industry, specifically Merchant Acquiring, eCommerce payment solutions and Commercial Card issuing, within the UK, across Europe, Asia and North America. I have lead and built new sales and relationship teams across numerous divisions within the above organisations, focused on all B2B and B2C segments from start ups to International and Multinational organisations.
Joining the Collection Pot Advisory Board in June 2020, I will be helping the business with its growth in general and specifically with the strategic partners, both current and future. That help will assist Collection Pot to achieve its ambitious plans as the product and proposition evolves.
Bernie Hollywood OBE
Bernie Hollywood OBE
Bernie Hollywood has over three decades of experience within the charitable and corporate sector. His belief is that more than ever humanity depends on philanthropy and by working together we can make things change for the better.
Bernie advises the Collection Pot team on extending their group collecting platform to the global charitable sector.
Over the past 35 years he has raised over £42 million for UK and overseas charities, achieved through creative corporate partnerships recognised, celebrated & awarded throughout the third sector.
Working across the entire philanthropic landscape he provides organisational & personal development, governance, management expertise, tailored to each charity, non-profit, community interest company, social enterprises, and other voluntary sector organisations.
