Norfolk Country Cottages Staff
The Team
Here at Norfolk Country Cottages our staff are our most valuable asset - they are real people, not just telephone operators in a faceless call centre. They all work incredibly hard to find the right cottage to suit your needs. As every cottage has been personally inspected by our staff, when you call us you will be able to talk to someone who has seen the property and can (hopefully!) answer all your questions. It is important to us to provide a quality service and we are always happy to hear from our visitors with ideas or ways to improve our service. Here are all the lovely people who work at Norfolk Country Cottages. Click on people’s names and find out why they love living in Norfolk so much.
Management Team
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Richard Ellis - Managing Director
Richard Ellis started Norfolk Country Cottages in January 1992 with his wife, Lesley Ellis in a room at their cottage in Reepham. Having trained as an accountant and worked in large companies, Richard wanted to develop his own business based on a strong set of personal values about quality of service, attention to detail, valuing and respecting people as well as playing an active and responsible role in the community and environment in which we are based.
Richard and his team between them are very active in local community affairs with the belief that "you can't have a business without a community and you can't have a community without business". Richard himself is involved as a trustee or board member of the Norwich Theatre Royal, The Forum Trust, The Prince's Trust in the East of England, as well as being the Chair of Governors of the Earlham Early Years Centre and a member of Norwich Cathedral's "Inspiration for the Future" Campaign Executive.
Richard has been involved in many other local organisations such as Business in the Community and their Market Town Regeneration initiatives as well as chairing the Broadland Business Forum and the East of England Sustainable Development Round Table and Arts & Business East. In December 2003 he was appointed Chairman of the East of England Development Agency.
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Lesley Ellis - Director
Lesley, with husband Richard, was involved in the early days when Norfolk Country Cottages was created in the family home at Reepham. She, at that time, was also working as an Occupational Therapist in the NHS and caring for a small child! When Hannah was born and the office moved to Carlton House in Reepham she decided to step back and be a full time mother.
More recently, with the decision to open an office in Holt, she has overseen the renovation of The Old Crab Shop and has taken on the role of managing the new office and the creation of a base for the development of the Guardian Angel property management service.
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Irene Alexander - Operations Director
Irene moved from Scotland to Norfolk in the late eighties and joined Norfolk Country Cottages in 1996. Initially Operations Manager and later a Director of NCC, she held various management posts in other service industries before joining the company.
She sits on the Executive of the Norfolk Tourism Partnership and is marketing portfolio holder for that organisation, and is also chair of the Norfolk Holiday Cottage Association. As well as recruiting new properties, Irene's responsibilities include ensuring the day-to-day operational activities of the business run smoothly. |
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James Ellis - Marketing and IT Director
James joined the company in December 2002 as the company's Marketing and IT Manager and was made a Director in January 2005. He joined NCC having previously worked in the field of IT & Computing and later moving into Sales & Marketing roles.
As well as overseeing the Marketing and Advertising within the business, James also looks after the IT systems development. In his time here, James has designed & developed a new booking and administration system for NCC to help the company maximise the use of IT and websites and to maintain the excellent level of service that both our customers and homeowners have come to expect.
James is active in various local business organisations and sits on the Norwich Chamber of Commerce Council, as well as being an active member of the Marketing Committee for VisitNorwich. |
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David Court - Liaison Board Member
David Court joined the company in February 1996. Formerly Managing Director of Blakes Holidays and Chairman of the East Anglia Tourist Board from 1990 - 1996, David brings a wealth of experience within the holiday industry to NCC. |
IT & Marketing Team
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Nicky Leaver - Marketing Manager
Nicky is a recent addition to the team, joining in October 2007. She comes from a Marketing and Events background, including working for Tottenham Hotspur FC and a Norfolk Farmer turned Vintner whose vineyard is in South Africa! Nicky also has a keen interest in properties, she spent two years doing up a cottage that hadn't been lived in for 25 years, don’t say the words clay and lump to her!
Nicky has taken over from Lucy Downing, previous Marketing Manager as Lucy has now moved to Brand Manager within the company. Both Lucy and Nicky work very closely to ensure the branding and marketing of the company is second to none. Nicky’s position involves planning and implementing the marketing for the company which covers all aspects of Marketing and PR mix. She is very much looking forward to her time ahead with the company. |
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Lucy Downing - Brand Manager
Lucy Downing joined the company as Marketing Manager in 2006. Before this she held the same position working for local independent department store Jarrolds. Lucy also has a real interest in property, having recently project managed her own barn conversion (which involved almost two year’s hard graft!). Her position at NCC involves planning and overseeing the brand of the company, incorporating the development of our brochure and other printed and visual materials. |
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Jonathan Beverley - IT Manager
Jon joined the company in 2003 after graduating from Leeds University with a BEng in Electrical engineering. Since then he has aided and guided the company with all things “IT” related. His current achievements amongst many others include co-producing the website and writing “CHUMS”, the business management software used by the company. As our in-house IT expert, he deals with anything computer orientated in the business, and always with a smile! |
The Homeowner Team
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Heather McCraith - Homeowner Liaison Manager
Heather McCraith joined NCC in 1997 as Accounts Administrator having moved to Norfolk from Bournemouth. She had previously worked in accounts for a variety of organisations in other areas of the country. After a few years dealing with the accounts at NCC, she was ready for a change of direction and moved to a new position within the Homeowner Liaison and Recruitment section of the company. In 2006, after showing real flair she was promoted to Homeowner Liaison Manager and has been responsible for recruiting many of our new properties. |
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Liz O'Niell - Homeowner Liaison Officer
Liz joined Norfolk Country Cottages in November 2007after moving to the county from Essex. Looking for a complete career change she has joined the homeowner liaison team and will work between Carlton House in Reepham and the Old Crab Shop in Holt. |
The Accounts Team
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Julie Bartrum-Lang - Accounts Manager
Julie joined NCC as Head of Finance in July 2007 having previously worked for Norfolk College of Further Education, Porvair plc and Reeve Flooring all based in Norfolk. Born in the County, she spent 3 years studying Microbiology at Plymouth Polytechnic and a year working as a Virologist in London before her husband brought her back home where she moved into accountancy.
Taking over from Heather in looking after the accounts team, Julie is also working with the management team to streamline the accounting function and develop a Business Continuity Plan.
When not attached to a spreadsheet Julie works as a volunteer with Girlguiding Norfolk, Chairing their Finance Committee among other roles and treasurer for the West Anglia Outdoor Group.
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The Sales Team
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Lynn Betts (Sales team co-ordinator)
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