Meet our Team

Our team are here to respond to your needs and requirements to ensure the registration process is seamless and concise for your organisation. We appreciate its important to know the people dealing with the process so please meet the team behind QAIC Packaging.

Company Directors

John Hartley
Director
John originally joined IHC Ltd in 2003, originally as Office Administrator, progressing to Office Manager in 2007, and in 2011 he became a Director of the company. When QAIC Packaging Ltd took over the duties of administering the BRC Global Standards schemes in 2015, John also became a Director of that company.
With a background in both Education and Finance, John came to the company without any experience in the auditing sector, but is now responsible for maintaining the Auditor database, as well as the Certification Management of all our registered clients. John also acts as Financial Director for the organisation.
The company has grown year on year since 2003, and in 2014, John was awarded a Business Growth Award by his peers on a Leading Growth course at Teesside University.
John's other passion is Snooker and Billiards, and is a former Chairman and Chief Executive of the English Association of Snooker and Billiards. A keen billiards player, John has travelled the world representing his country, and won the 2010 European Billiards Championship in Romania.

Peter Ainsworth
Director

Peter has been involved with the company since 1996 when it was known as Quality Assurance International, providing consultancy and training services. In 1999, the company changed its name and scope of activities becoming specialist auditors for the packaging industry. Peter's previous background before forming this company was in consultancy.
Now retired from day to day duties, Peter acts as a consultant on new projects and financial matters when needed

Brian Fowler
Director

As a Chartered Electrical and Production Engineer, Brian has enjoyed a long and varied career, designing and making electronic computers, managing light alloy, steel and iron foundries, steel forging and tool making, always at the leading edge of technology.
Since he joined QAI in 1988, he has led the team developing the company's role in certification to BRC Packaging and Storage & Distribution standards, pioneering packaging certification in China and the USA and maintaining QAI's achievement of being listed by the BRC as the number 1 packaging certification body for several years. He was also deeply involved in writing the first edition of the packaging standard and remains a constant critic of subsequent issues.
Following a long and distinguished auditing career, Brian retired from carrying out site visits in February 2016, but remains as the companies Technical Director

Operational Staff

Mark Greenacre
Quality & Technical Manager
Mark is a highly competent, qualified, experienced and motivated performance orientated high achiever with 30 years in Quality and Technical management.
He has worked with a number of high profile blue chip companies such as Body Shop, Coca Cola, Tetley, Peter Black, Proctor and Gamble and Reckitt Benckiser to name a few.
With vast experience in the BRC Food Standard, Packaging and Packaging Materials Standard and the Storage and Distribution Standard across a variety of industries, he has also implemented and maintained quality systems in line with the ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS 18001 standards.
Furthermore he has knowledge and experience in the MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency) sector, with him being the nominated responsible person and license holder in a previous role, and has implemented and maintained Ethical systems in line with Sedex and SMETA standards to meet the requirements of Body Shop and L'Oreal.
He joined the company in October 2014 and is now responsible for the day to day management of the Operations Team.

Tom Clark
Operations Engineer

With past experience in administration, Tom joined the team in 2011 as Office Administrator.  Since changing roles to Operations Engineer he now focuses on handling the day-to-day processes within the office.
Being a quick learner, Tom has enjoyed being more involved with technical aspects of the business, completing a number of training programmes and attending various courses to widen his knowledge on the various standards and courses available.
Tom’s broad role includes interfacing with all members of the Certification and Operations staff to ensure processing of client registrations, as well as supporting the administration of QAICs internal databases.

Liam Crossling-Kelly
Financial Administrator

Liam is our Financial Administrator and is the first point of contact should you have any financial queries. His role includes the day to day financial jobs such as raising invoices and quotations.
Liam has completed a two year course at the Hartlepool College of Further Education and achieved a level three certificate in Business and Administration.
Away from work, Liam is a huge Arsenal and Hartlepool United fan and also a follower of non league football. He also plays Snooker and Billiards and states his proudest moment is representing the England Billiards Team.

Catriona McGee
Administration Officer 

Cat joined the QAIC Packaging in November 2017.  With over 10 years administration experience, her role as Administration Officer will see her assisting with day to day administration tasks working where she is needed to assist the other members of the team. 
Having spent the past 15 years following her husband's career around England and Europe, Cat is very happy to have a new role that can help her progress her own career.  She has previously gained a NVQ Level 2 in Customer Services and NVQ Level 3 in Business Administration and is very keen to gain new qualifications wherever possible.
Away from work, Cat has a young family that keeps her very busy.
Audrey Hookway
Quality & Technical Administration Officer 
​Audrey joined our team in April 2018, in the role of Quality & Technical Administration Officer and is looking forward to developing her skills further within QAIC.  Until recently, she worked in the Financial Services Industry but has come back to her industrial roots, with more than 20 years’ worth of experience in the packaging industry, having worked at the biggest supplier of polythene film products in the UK at bpi Visqueen as both Sales Administrator and then Artwork Co-ordinator until the site closed in 2010.  
 
Audrey has a grown up son who has recently left home so she is enjoying looking after herself for a change!  Away from the workplace, Audrey enjoys the cinema and theatre, supporting live music and entertaining family and friends.  She also loves watching most sports with the exception of horse racing and Formula 1!
Lisa Cooper
Office Co-Ordinator/Directors PA
Lisa joined QAIC Packaging in June 2018, as the Office Co-ordinator and PA to our Managing Director.  With over 25 years administration experience, 15 of them in a senior role, including positions in the mobile phone industry as Credit Control Supervisor for Orange and on a consultancy basis in London for Vodacom.  She has also spent many years working in local primary and nursery schools as the Office Manager/Bursar.  Lisa's most recent role was that of Office Manager and PA in the financial sector, managing a small team and working alongside financial advisors setting up pensions, protection and ISA's, managing their portfolios and other aspects of wealth management.

Away from work, Lisa enjoys being outdoors, walking and running, gardening and entertaining.  She plays hockey for Bishop Auckland as a defender, and enjoys frequent visits from her two sons that are currently studying Business Management at Leeds Uni and Animal Conservation at Bristol Uni.  Any spare time after that is filled socialising with family and friends, and taking time out to visit new places. ​
Lauren Fisher
​Administration Officer
Lauren joined QAIC Packaging in October 2018, as an Administration Officer, with 6 years administration experience. Using skills she has developed in previous employments, we will see her assisting with day to day administration tasks working where she is needed to assist the other members of the team. Lauren will predominantly be working on the pre-audit side of operations, liaising with clients and auditors to ensure a smooth start to the audit preparation.
Previously, she has worked in the Retail, Financial Services and Private Healthcare Industry where she gained her NVQ level 2 & level 3 in Business Administration and AAT Level 2 in Accounting.

Away from work, Lauren enjoys visiting different places, going to the cinema and spending time with family and friends. 

Auditors

Cameron Keith

Cameron's career began in engineering, serving an apprenticeship with the National Bus Group in Preston and this continued for 17 years working at various locations within the UK. Then an opportunity arose to work in Seville, Spain looking after the engineering facility and having a bit of sunshine; due to a close family members ill health, unfortunately this post was cut short after 9 months. On returning to the UK, he moved into setting and operating packaging machinery in the paper sack & bag industry and moved through the business from senior setter operator to Quality & Health & Safety Officer then to Quality & Safety Manager. This role expanded to include Hygiene & Environmental and in 2004 he implemented systems & procedures to attain the BRC Packaging certification for the business. He was then seconded to France & Ireland to conduct gap analysis audits of the plants within the paper sack and bag division to attain BRC.
In 2006 he moved to the corrugated industry as Safety & Environmental Manager to a large box plant which entailed assisting smaller plants within the group to conduct Puwer assessments of machinery and other safety related systems. During his time at the box plant, due to long term illness of a staff member, he was requested to assist and oversee the BRC implementation at the site to maintain certification.
In December 2008 an opportunity arose to become a self employed BRC and ISO auditor and after deliberations took up the post. In October 2013 he became a staff member of QAIC Packaging auditing various certifications for the business. In his spare time Cameron enjoys going to a variety of sporting events, rummaging around antique fairs, socialising and dining out.

Dagmar Engel-MacDonald

Dagmar Engel-MacDonald studied biology at the University of Cologne. After this she worked in various activities in child and adult education,  gained experience in radio and television, Pharmaceutical Research and is the author of several textbooks on food hygiene and HACCP.
From 1994 to 1996 she managed the "training and consultancy" of the company Abli, Neuss. She then worked as a trainer and consultant for the Biotech company, Salzburg. Dagmar Engel-MacDonald is a recognised trainer of the Royal Environmental Health Institute of Scotland, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health and The Royal Society of Health.
In 1997 she founded her own company which provides training, consulting and auditing of food businesses and packaging manufacturers. This also includes hygiene training at all levels of operation, Introductory and specialised courses for professionals in microbiology, personal hygiene, industrial hygiene, pest control, hygiene audit / quality audit and HACCP training for specific target groups. A particular focus is on advising and auditing of food packaging manufacturers.
Dagmar Engel-MacDonald, inter alia, audits, on behalf of QAIC Packaging, businesses on compliance and obtaining certification of the BRC Global Standard for Packaging. In this context it also provides support for staff training and HACCP-team workshops.
She is a qualified Quality Auditor (9001:2008 Quality Lead Auditor), a registered auditor with the International Register of Certified Auditors (IRCA) and a tested "Evaluator for Packaging Technology" (EQIPT). Other audit activities include audits for TÜV Rheinland and a Witness Auditor for the DAP (German Accreditation System for Testing).
Since 1997, Dagmar Engel has worked with numerous colleges and technical institutions in Europe and Overseas. Her international activities include consulting, training, audits and conference activities in Estonia, Great Britain, Netherlands, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Romania, Poland, Slovakia, Czech Republic, Belarus, Jordan, Syria, Mauritius, Thailand and Turkey.

Brian Peckett

Brian has a long history of involvement in heavy and light industries including Foundry, Ship yard, Chemical Process, Precision Engineering, Automotive component production, Bakery production, Environmental Service and Pest control.
He is a former Senior Manager of a large plastic processing food packaging company with 6 sites in the UK and 2 abroad.
Brian keeps himself busy as an IRCA registered Principle Auditor, Fellow of the Royal Society for Public Health, Associate Member of the Institute of Quality Assurance, Associate of the Institute of Environmental Management. 
He has a specialist knowledge of Quality systems including the BRC standard for Packaging, Storage & Distribution ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OSHAS 18001.
Brian is now semi-retired and has decided to move away from audits in the Packaging sector to concentrate on Storage & Distribution clients.

Lucy Bell

Lucy became a BRC auditor in 2015 having worked in packaging for 17 years.  Her career started in packaging manufacturing then moved into Packaging Technology for 8 years in the pharmaceutical and beverage industries. 
Lucy has gained both Certificate and Diploma in Packaging Technology from the Institute of Packaging (IOM3).  Her final role in industry was working for a global food manufacturer as a Supply Chain Quality Manager working with packaging suppliers across Europe to ensure quality and compliance.
Lucy has worked with many packaging substrates for different applications in her previous roles and can currently audit to 7 of the current 8 Standard Manufacturing Categories.
Having travelled extensively both in Europe and worldwide throughout her career, Lucy is now based at home in the North East of England where she lives with her husband and Springer Spaniel who is her office buddy although he’s not great at making tea!

Jackie Jones

Jackie completed a Science degree in Ireland in 1986 and moved to London to follow a career in Quality. She was employed as a Quality Control Supervisor for a plastic packaging company, the start of a 28 year career in packaging. She moved to North Wales for a promotion to Quality Manager, supplying PET bottles and preforms to Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Whitbread, Highland Springs to name but a few customers.
A career change saw her employed as the Technical Manager for a corrugate plant and in 1996 she started her own consultancy providing quality support and training to various industries and filling the role of Group Quality Manager for Tetra Pak MPS (Moulded Packaging Systems) gaining ISO14001 and BRC Packaging across the four UK sites.
In 2013 she qualified as a BRC Packaging Auditor and today balances her diary to provide ongoing quality consultancy, training and conducting BRC Packaging Audits.

Paul Blake

Paul has 14 years’ experience of working in the packaging sector as a QA Manager, and has been working with the BRC Packaging standard since 2002, when he introduced it into the factories he looked after.
In 2015, based on his extensive experience of the packaging industry, Paul made the transition to become a full time Auditor of the BRC Global Standard for Packaging along with other quality related interests. Paul looks forward to expanding his repertoire of BRC qualifications.
In his spare time Paul is Family orientated, spending time with his wife and family, although he has been known to play golf, go fishing and go sailing and he also has an interest in radio controlled model boats. His preferred holiday is taking his caravan and family around the UK.

Ingeborg Zehetner

Ingeborg's academic background is in technical chemistry which she gained in Vienna, Austria.
Amongst others companies, throughout her career she has worked for Unilever Austria in food and packaging departments, along with the OFI - Packaging Institute.
Having audited in the food and packaging sectors for the last 15 years, Ingeborg has focussed solely on the packaging standard for the last 5 years.
Alongside auditing, Ingeborg has installed Quality and Hygiene systems with companies in the food, packaging and storage businesses throughout Europe.

Graham Rowan

​Graham has worked in the print and packaging industry for over 20 years with some of the industry’s biggest companies and during that time has fulfilled various roles in QA, Operations and Continuous Improvement. In 2013, he  became a self-employed consultant and has worked with various clients on BRC/ISO systems implementation, Lean improvement projects and auditing.  He started carrying out third party audits in 2016 against the BRC Packaging standard and more recently the BRC Storage & Distribution standard as well as ISO 9001:2015.  Away from work, Graham likes to spend time with his wife and three children and will occasionally escape to the golf course when time allows!  

Robert Herridge

Robert has worked in the Packaging Industry for almost 30 years. He started his career in packaging manufacturing – corrugate, cartons and labels, before moving to the customer side  where he was a packaging technologist in the whisky industry. He then went on to become head of International and Global Packaging functions for Revlon and Bacardi respectively. Robert holds an MSc in Packaging Technology, and is a Fellow of the Institute of Packaging. Robert writes articles for various trade publications and has been a judge on both the Starpack and UK Packaging Awards.

James Prince

James Prince is one of our associate ISO9001 and ISO14001 lead auditors. Achieving a first class honours degree in Business and Management, James initially started a senior and area management career in the retail, hospitality and catering industries until an opportunity arose to assist in his father’s business.
As a Quality and Environmental Management Advisor James assisted and supported organisations in a diverse range of industries in designing, implementing and maintaining quality and environmental management systems to be compliant with, and certified to, ISO9001 and ISO14001 respectively.
With this experience and further studying and training, James has been conducting external certification assessments for several certification bodies since 2013, and has enjoyed working with QAI as of February 2014.

Dr Laurence Powell

Laurence started his career aged 16 working as a laboratory assistant before taking more senior operational and quality roles in large corporates and smaller privately-owned companies.
His career encompassed 3 years in pharmaceuticals and flavour & fragrances companies, 18 years in food and oils & fats businesses at Unilever, ABF and Butlers Farmhouse Cheeses, 5 years in senior roles at Tyco and Chubb Fire & Security, and 14 years working as worldwide director of operations for Kodak and director positions for medium sized family owned businesses in print, packaging and printing consumables. 
He obtained a degree in chemistry, a Ph.D. in organic chemistry from the University of Liverpool, was a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Oxford and became a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry.
Throughout his career Laurence has been responsible for implementing, managing and developing quality management systems as well as all the major retailers standards.
In addition, he has implemented TQM and lean in many organisations and is a qualified Kaizen event leader.
He complemented his packaging knowledge with the EQIPT qualification and spends his time as a contract BRC Packaging Auditor and uses his wealth of industrial experience as an independent consultant.

Paul Fleming

Paul began his career as an engineer in the Chemical Engineering/Industrial Chemistry team at British Gas. Working on supply projects at outside locations he was exposed to many HS and Environmental challenges that required close management. After leaving BG, Paul's career then embraced a diverse range of industries with a technical input ie financial services, the oil and gas commodities markets and e-commerce. Whilst working for a company producing print media for products including packaging he gained valuable experience in production techniques and the importance of quality management. This ultimately led to auditing and Paul has been working as a contractor auditor since 2011.

Ivaylo Atanasov

Ivaylo studied Environmental Sciences in the Technical University of Varna, Bulgaria, successfully graduated with MSc degree in the year of 2000. After intense training in Greece, Russia, Latvia and Bulgaria, he has started his career in BVQI as ISO 9001, ISO 14001 and OHSAS auditor covering Eastern European countries - Bulgaria, Romania, Ukraine, Russia and Belorussia.
Further in 2003 as becoming a training manager and tutor for the Bulgarian office of BVQI he has generated vast experience in trainings management and performance, including organization and performing of IRCA registered Lead Auditor courses for quality and environmental management systems auditors.
In the last 17 years his professional experience as an auditor was backed up with actual managerial and operational activities in civil and infrastructure construction, chemicals manufacturing (medical devices such as high and low-level disinfectants and healthcare cleaning solutions), printing and manufacturing of packaging materials (PP/PE flexible packages and special paper products) 
Alongside auditing Ivaylo runs his own management advisory company, established in 2005, focused over implementation of management systems and performance improvement advisory services.
In his private life Ivaylo is interested in HTML/CSS development, windsurfing and books reading.