Our team of Purplistas, drawn from senior roles across hospitality, retail, and beyond, are all hand-picked and excel at bringing our programmes to life with unparalleled expertise and passion.
Karen Turton
CEO and Founder
KT is fearless and brilliant with over 30 years in hospitality. She’s a sci-fi fan and secretly wishes to be Seven of Nine. A true leader, she founded Purple Story to transform businesses and people alike.
Craig
Wells
With 20 years in hospitality, Craig is all about operational excellence and people-first leadership. A theatre lover and escape room enthusiast, he’s always ready to strategise and connect with people.
Brian Bagnall
Brian brings a wealth of leadership experience from retail and hospitality, with a passion for developing talent. He enjoys great beer, good wine, and an Indian curry, and lives in Bramhall with his wife and two sons.
Jody Bennett
With 25+ years in HR and operations, Jody is all about putting people first. A master in career development, she enjoys hiking in the Welsh countryside and is studying to be an NLP Practitioner.
Louise Harris
A straight-talking senior operator and problem solver with 23+ years experience, Lou has a knack for building real relationships and finding solutions others miss. A proud mum, she brings energy, perspective and a sense of fun to every challenge.
Amy
Depuis
Amy keeps Team Purple on track with her expertise in operational excellence and client relations. Outside work, she’s embarrassing her kids with loud Tina Turner songs in the car. She’s the solid foundation holding Purple Story up!
Andy Goram
With a background in senior marketing roles, Andy brings a love for people development and a wicked sense of humour to Team Purple. He’s all about aligning brand, employees, and customers.
Angharad
Gray
Angharad joined Purple HQ in 2023 and quietly provides invaluable support to the team, clients, and suppliers. An animal lover and dog groomer, she’s passionate about books and rescuing ex-battery hens. A real-life Dr Doolittle
Bella Hacking
Bella's background in recruitment, hospitality, telesales, and finance means she knows how to spot gaps, ask the awkward-but-right questions, and help businesses actually move the needle.
Craig
Nicholls
Craig brings 35+ years of leadership experience in a variety of hospitality roles from chef to operations director. He has a hands-on approach to delivering exceptional experiences. A passionate sports fan, he loves golf and football, embracing competitive spirit both on and off the field.
David Howatson
Starting in Scotland’s hospitality world, David helps teams grow sharper, braver, and more connected. He brings big energy to his work—and unwinds with holidays, new adventures, and the occasional bit of disco.
Emma
Shaw
For 20+ years, Emma has supported founders, teams, and change-makers to cut through the fluff, face what’s not working, and build cultures people actually want to show up to. She brings fierce, nurturing mischief to every room.
Glenn
Turner
Hospitality L&D pro turned personal trainer, Glenn brings wellbeing expertise, leadership know-how, and a passion for helping people be their very best to Team Purple.
Joe Stileman
After enjoying a career in hospitality Joe moved on to find a new purpose; helping teams build future-fit cultures. He’s long held the ‘outlandish’ belief that work should be fun. Joe loves a gig, board games, and, of course, time with his family.
Kai
Hepworth
An energising operations leader passionate about people development, high-performance culture, and padel! Always positive, practical, and focused on what really moves the dial.
Richard
Tudor-Thomas
A calming presence with Royal Navy, Waitrose, and National Trust experience, RTT shares his love for operational excellence through storytelling. Rugby and family are his passions.
Verity
Milns
Verity lives for those lightbulb moments! A rugby fan and keen swimmer, she loves helping people fly and sharing her coaching skills. She’s passionate about bringing out the best in others.
"Every day we are seeing visible signs that behaviours are changing."
Phil Cavanagh, Head of Learning and Development
Betfred
"Don’t hesitate! Purple Story delivers impactful, transformative programs tailored to your unique challenges, ensuring real, lasting results."
Mike Smith, UK Sales Director
Global Brands
"Their programme delivery has captured the hearts and minds of our partners, thanks to both the compelling content and the passion and energy of their facilitators."
James Ince, Strategic Project Lead
Starbucks