Our Team

Elisabeth is the driving force behind The Recess College, an initiative she launched more than 35 years. The concept was founded on her own adventure of taking a sabbatical in The Netherlands.

Elisabeth's extensive experience stems from her role as a lead consultant on major change projects. She founded the college to cater to her clients' needs worldwide. Her background as an adult psychotherapist at the Tavistock Institute adds a unique dimension to her expertise.

What inspires Elisabeth is the belief that when people grow personally, it can create a spark that transforms not just lives, but futures.

Perdita Hunt is a passionate arts and heritage enthusiast with extensive expertise in consulting within that industry. As Museum CEO she led a multi-million-pound restoration creating a centre of national importance.

Senior facilitator at The Recess College and a Leadership Insight Consultant.

She was awarded the OBE in 2015 for outstanding service to the arts, and an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Surrey in 2018 for contributions to arts and philanthropy.

With huge experience in Human Resources, Cheryl is a leading development specialist in both the public and private sectors. She’s the go-to person for organisational change, working closely with people from all walks of professional life, especially the dedicated leaders and teams the National Health Service.

As a Leadership Insight Consultant and Director, she's a key player on the Recess College team, since 2014 supporting and facilitating a range of residential and online programmes including ‘Difficult Conversations’.

Eppo is an advisor to the Dutch government on science, technology, and innovation. He has two decades of experience in science funding and management and was a Member of Parliament from 2015 until 2021.

As Executive Director of The Dutch Technology Foundation (STW), Eppo attended The Recess College for his own professional and organisational development in 2010. Since with multiple roles he has played a pivotal part in launching and nurturing the Our Future Leaders programme in the Netherlands.

Willem is a high-level strategy and innovation consultant helping high-tech clients navigate their way to success. With a background in AI and tech management, he helps organisations to tackle future challenges head-on.

In 2008 he participated in the Recess College continued by Leadership Insight and more recently the Master Facilitation Programme

Willem spearheads "Our Future Leaders" and "Living Labs programmme, and our vibrant community of OFL-Alumni. He's passionate about positive growth and pioneering development initiatives.

Mark specialises in the turn-around of distressed companies of large-scale national and international enterprises located in Poland. As a highly experienced, executive coach he brings a wealth of senior management experience to entrepreneurs and leaders of multi-national corporations.

Mark has over 30 years of experience in the Central European market in a variety of roles, fluent in Polish. Since attending The Recess College in 2007, he now a Lead Trainer for our Leadership Insight and Future Leaders programmes.

Rita is a healthcare and community leader with over two decades of experience in Health and Social Care. She is an active community volunteer and a newly elected Borough Councillor in Worthing, leading Culture and Leisure.

Rita is also a pivotal figure at The Recess College, facilitating Sabbatical Programmes, and is a Leadership Insight Consultant and Director. Rita's life of dedication and innovation, motivates all around her to become a best version of themselves working in and with community values.

Maninee is a seasoned entrepreneur and senior executive with over two decades of experience in the environment and non-profit sector. She's been an innovator in waste management, contributing to shaping India's ecosystem.

Since 2015, her remarkable journey of personal and professional development includes the Women’s Sabbatical, Our Future Leaders, and the Master Facilitation Training. Maninee’s management skills, expertise, and passion for bringing people together define her as a key contributor to both India's entrepreneurial landscape, and The Recess College community.

Niels is the Founder Director of Eurekon Strategy Development Partners, Rotterdam. He is a consultant who gains his energy from solving complex issues – both in business strategy and in human relationships.

He combines the analytical and quantitative approach with a keen eye for people development. He joined the Recess College in 2001 to further develop his ‘soft’ side that was undernourished in ordinary business life. He trained as a Leadership Insight consultant and is a skilled Group Facilitator.

Saskia, a TU Delft-trained Electrical Engineer, is a versatile IT professional within the Volkswagen Group, specialising in change management. With a passion for teamwork and community involvement, she actively engages in her church, delivering sermons and participating in community projects.

Saskia is also an accredited Group Facilitator and is core to the Follow-on programmes, the Our Future Leaders and Sabbatical programmes, while herself on the Master Facilitation Programme, and Accelerated Leadership Insight Training for Consultants.

Blanche is an accomplished researcher and professor in the field of Experimental Cardiology at a leading university in the Netherlands.

Blanche has been with The Recess College since 2017 and is a graduate of the Master Facilitation Programme and actively participates in the Accelerated Leadership Insight Training for Consultants programme.

Arnout is a product manager at SURF, a non-profit IT organisation for research and education in The Netherlands. He is also midway through a PhD in IT privacy and design.

After joining the Our Future Leaders programme in 2019, he continued with Leadership Insight and then joined the OFL Peer Facilitation Training programme. In his downtime, Arnout loves nothing better than a good book, going for long hikes, and listening to music - though not always at the same time!

David lives in Amsterdam with his wife and son. He is a professor in Human-Robot Interaction at Delft University of Technology. He is the scientific director of the transdisciplinary research and innovation centre FRAIM – uniting academics, innovators, and organisations to jointly shape a meaningful future of work, with and for workers.

He completed the Recess College Sabbatical in 2016, and in the Master Facilitation Programme in 2021-2023.

Rebecca transitioned from corporate marketing and public health to pursue a career in Sports Massage and Therapy at St Mary's University College in 2011.

She provides sports massage support for various endurance events, including the Maserati Tour de Yorkshire Ride, Fox Ultra, ITU Vitality World Triathlon Series, and the London Marathon, as well as Recess College Sabbaticals. She introduces the value of Pilates and individual massage to our Sabbatical events.

Monty, is a leading personal trainer, specialising in flexibility, coordination, and strength training. With black and purple belts in martial arts, he's not only an accomplished fitness professional but also an educator for fitness. Monty's expertise extends to pain management, rehabilitation, and training for both active men aged 25 to 45 and elderly populations.

He supports the Men’s Sabbaticals and innovative Recess College Wellness Programmes integrating emotional and physical approaches.