Meet Lorraine Hopkins, Programme Manager, Bangor

In our latest blog, we find out more about Lorraine Hopkins, the new Programme Manager for our Bangor team.

Lorraine manages the ION leadership team, based at Bangor University Business School, and has joined having been the Learning Manager for a leadership programme.

Her career began as a researcher within a multidisciplinary team of economists and psychologists commissioned by the Health & Safety Executive to identify a statistical value of life. Specialising in mixing qualitative and quantitative research methods, Lorraine began to notice a theme of investigating ‘unlikely bedfellows’. Psychology and Economics, at the time, were not the most obvious of partners - one being concerned with the human mind and behaviour, the other of resources, production and wealth. Mixing research methods to understand the ‘value of life’ was also a first at the time, blending statistical analysis with interviews and peoples talk, to build a picture of how people make decisions when faced with risk.

This theme of unlikely bedfellows continued as Lorraine turned her hand to establishing the first North Wales regional office of the charity of Arts & Business Cymru, an organisation that partners business with the arts for mutual benefit. At face value, it's not obvious why a business would work with the arts, but the regional business community quickly realised how commissions, sponsorship and skills transfer projects could impact their bottom line. This role developed a deep appreciation of the arts in Wales and Lorraine continues to provide coaching and mentoring to artists who wish to develop their business acumen. She is also a non-executive trustee of the arts organisation Articulture who promote outdoor arts in the creative economy.

In 2011, Lorraine joined the family business in Home Improvements based on Anglesey, with responsibility for finance and HR. As Co-Director she was responsible for a team of 25 who developed a high growth company that became a market leader in its field. Spurred by her interest in property, she also implemented the communications strategy for a new housing initiative specialising in green developments. Joining at a crucial time in business diversification, her skills and knowledge in home improvements helped establish a change in organisational culture from B2B to the domestic market. Today Lorraine owns a small property development company in which she can indulge her interest in renovating.

Throughout her varied career, Lorraine has continued to teach adults returning to learning at night school and most recently consolidated her experience, qualifying as an Executive Coach. It was her passion as an Educator that returned her to academia and to take a post with the ION leadership team at Bangor University.

“I’m thrilled to be able to apply my combined experience in the public and private sector within this new role. As a business owner, I was a delegate myself engaging in leadership training on a programme called LEAD, so I have a deep understanding of what it means to run a business and take part in a programme such as ION. Leadership training was a turning point for me in my career and I’m privileged to now be able to help others realise true business impact through their learning on the ION programme”.

Welcome to the team Lorraine.