Team

With over 35 years of experience working within the catering industry, and most of that time spent at ifse, Julia’s indispensable amount of knowledge and experience in managing successful projects has seen her progress through the ranks from her humble beginning as PA to the previous Managing Director, all the way to her recent appointment as the company’s Group Managing Director. 

So it’s no surprise she was voted the ‘most organised’ In ifse at the 2022 company awards.

Adam joined the ifse team as the company’s lone Marketing Executive straight out of University. 

After 7 years of working his way up our business, his impressive efforts were recognised, leading to his progression to Marketing Director in 2021, before becoming responsible for the entire Sales and Marketing department in his most recent promotion to Commercial Director in 2023. 

A master of fashion, he was also voted the ‘best-dressed man’ in the company.

John’s career started in the Royal Airforce to become a qualified Engineer to a degree level. It’s this understanding of the nuts-and-bolts profession that led him to a long career within the commercial catering and restaurant design industry, which now spans over thirty years. 

John joined the team at ifse in 1995 and has continued to push the company into new markets and new sectors, with hundreds of projects under his belt across the country, leading him to earn the title of ‘highest carbon footprint’ in ifse!

Rohan’s financial expertise was refined and enhanced during his tenure working within the construction industry, including large-scale projects such as the London Olympic Parks contract at the time of his employment with Balfour Beatty. His keen eye for the finer details has made Rohan a perfect fit for ifse, becoming our newest director in 2018.

As an expert in Finance, it’s not a shock that Rohan was voted the ‘most likely to be the next millionaire’!

Jeremy started his career as a Design Apprentice for a London design consultancy, specialising in commercial interior design within the food and beverage industry, focusing on major hotel chains such as the Hilton. 

Jeremy’s understanding of practical and efficient restaurant design was enhanced when his career expanded into Project Management to cover full turnkey packages.  

As a result of Jeremy’s commitment to the industry, he is now one of ifse’s key directors.

Originally beginning her career as a designer in ifse’s Croydon office, the team quickly recognised Sally’s creative flair and eye for detail in the visuals she produces for clients, leading to a progression to ‘Head of Design’ before her recent promotion to our company’s very own ‘Creative Director’. 

‘The best-dressed woman’ in ifse, Sally’s impressive designs continue to ‘wow’ clients and our own team alike, 

Recently appointed as ifse’s first Food & Beverage (F&B) Director in 2023, Steven’s vast experience within the catering industry spans over 27 years, beginning his career as a Catering Manager for several smaller companies before graduating to Operations Manager at a large hospitality company in 2016. 

In 2018 Steven joined the ifse team where his previous hands-on experience helped him to land contract agreements with large clients such as CH&Co, M&S and Campus Reading. 

He was also voted the company’s ‘funniest man’ and ‘biggest coffee addict’,

With a a BSc in Product Design from Bournemouth University and a CFSP qualification to boot, David has spent the vast majority of his career within the catering industry.

Following his time at university, David joined Nelson Catering Equipment for 6 years as a Lead Designer before another 6 year stint at ABDA as a Senior Catering Designer, then progressing his way to his current position of Design Office Manager at ifse in November 2023.

His new role involves working closely with Creative Director Sally to oversee and support our talented team of designers, ensuring our team deliver the best possible designs on time and on brief.

Having been born in Bulgaria before studying Architecture and Design at London’s infamous South Bank University, Elain refined her ability to design interior spaces from initial concept to completion at Catering supplier Berkeley Projects before being responsible for some of our clients’ favourite ever designs after joining our team in 2018. 

Elain has spearheaded the design process for Disney, Leadenhall Market, Olympia London, University of Reading and AXA. 

With a degree in Architecture from Cairo University and experience in a variety of design roles across the UK and Germany, Rania began putting her strong creative skills to good use at ifse in February 2022. 

As an integral member of our current 7-strong design team, Rania is now using her vast background in design helping to shape our clients’ future restaurants, cafés , and commercial kitchen spaces.

Dom has a longstanding history within the design industry, with a degree in Design and prior experience as a Designer across a variety of companies.

After joining the team in February 2020 as our dedicated Commercial Kitchen Designer, Dom’s put his skills and knowledge honed from his extensive background in design to good use, expanding from kitchens to impressive front-of-house plans, and more.

Dominic’s previous work includes designing for spaces at Williams F1, LSBU, Fennies and Three.

Having previously worked as both a Freelance and Retail Designer, producing impressive designs for Adidas and Starbucks, Kuwait-born Maria joined our team of dedicated designers in August 2022. 

Since joining ifse, Maria has played a pivotal role in the development of our team’s designs for a wide variety of clients.

Kate is no newbie to the world of design, with a degree and business diploma in Interior Design which she earned during her time in Australia.

She put these skills to great use after being appointed as the lead designer for a multi-residential unit in Whistler and successfully turning the project around, ensuring it was delivered on-time and on-budget.

Combined with over 10 years’ experience working within bars and restaurants across the UK, Canada and Australia, Kate is delighted to be able to combine her design and catering passions at her new Junior Designer role at ifse.

Working closely alongside Creative Director Sally and Design Office Manager David, Kate will also be collaborating closely with all members from our now 6-strong sales team, ensuring we develop designs that delight and accurately reflect the needs of our clients.

Laurence, ifse’s most recent addition to the sales team, is no stranger to the catering industry, having worked for alcoholic beverage giant Bacardi, as well as catering retailers Nisbets and Lockhart Catering Equipment. 

So, it’s with great pleasure that we welcomed Lawrence to ifse in July 2023, who is now responsible for transforming our client’s ideas into a reality with the wider team. 

Lawrence has lead our fit out for projects at Nottingham University and Citi.

Richard’s long career within the design sector began in 2009, when he worked as an Interior Design Assistant for Vastu Design, following a 3-year degree in 3D Design at the University of Plymouth. 

Having worked a number of catering-related roles since, including Kitchen Sales Design at Howdens, Richard’s substantial history and expertise have been put to good use after joining the ifse team as a Sales Manager in 2018. 

Richard’s latest projects include Infinium, Reading Town Hall Pantry Restaurant, Fennies and Folded Pizza. 

A previous employee of ifse decades ago, Paul recently joined the team again in April 2023 as the company’s ‘Head of Projects’. 

Paul’s responsible for overseeing the project management team, ensuring that our project managers are working hard to deliver results for clients promptly and to a very high standard.

Paul’s expertise include leading the projects for Anglia Ruskin University, Oxford Science Park, AXA and Squires Garden Centres.

Joshua Lewis joined ifse as a Trainee Estimator in March 2024. Despite being new to estimating, he is learning under the mentorship of Jess. His role involves working closely with the sales and design teams to provide accurate quotes for client projects.

Josh previously spent four years teaching in Brisbane, Australia, and five years at a burger joint, giving him insight into catering operations. He is also pursuing an online Construction Management course to support his new role.

He is proud of raising £10k through Movember and enjoys brewing his own beer. Outside of work, he is a craft beer enthusiast and a Liverpool FC fan. Josh appreciates the supportive environment at ifse and the opportunities for learning and development.

With a background working in a similar role for a British manufacturer and retailer of home furnishings, Jess’s familiarity with interior décor and pricing has helped to facilitate a smooth transition to our company’s Estimating department. 

A recent hire to the company in 2022, Jess’s attention to detail and willingness to go the extra mile have not gone unnoticed by both clients and our internal team, winning the ’most helpful’ award at our Christmas party!

Neil kicked off his ifse career in 2020 as a Project Manager before being promoted to Head of Construction at ifse in 2023. 

Neil is now responsible for overseeing the entire construction site, including managing the build team and liaising with the client, ultimately ensuring that the deadline and budget are accurately set out and met. 

Neil’s experience includes leading the construction elements on Karpincha, Anglia Ruskin University, Campus Reading and many more. 

Tony is a friendly-face and longstanding ifse member who works closely with our in-house build and engineering team to help finish projects. 

When he’s not working at the ifse Croydon HQ, you’ll often find him on-site, ensuring that all installations are carried out to the highest possible standard for our clients.  

Working in conjunction with Rohan, the company’s Financial Director, Denese plays a critical role in ifse’s accounting process, ensuring staff and suppliers are paid correctly and on time, and making sure that our customers are invoiced correctly to maintain a reliable cash flow across the business.

Bernie has been an integral member of the ifse team for many years. 

As the company’s lone Compliance Manager, Bernie has played a crucial role in ensuring that our projects and employees abide by all relevant regulations and specifications, on and off-site. As well as being responsible for our health, safety and ethical policies, Bernie also ensures that our team comply with any environmental, legal and quality standards. 

With a friendly and composed attitude, she’s also the company’s no.1 choice to be stuck on a desert island with.

Croydon-local Harry, the youngest and most recent addition to the company’s build team joined ifse as Building Works Coordinator. 

Kicking off his career in the construction and building sector after initially working as a carpenter for a renovation firm, Harry now works closely with Neil to assist with the supervision and management of our in-house building teams and contractors.

One of ifse’s youngest members, Kai Parry was welcomed to our Build team in October 2023 as the company’s first ever Architectural Technician and has been a valued member of the team ever since.

Despite his young age, Kai has a strong background within the world of Construction and Architecture, having earned a degree in Architectural Technology from LSBU before joining our team.

This follows an extended level 3 diploma from London South East Colleges in Construction and the Built Environment and employment at Wates Group and Alsford Timber as a Labourer and Construction Assistant.

Having worked at ifse ever since the Olympics were held in London back in 2012, Colin has over a decade of experience working with the ifse team as our Purchasing Manager, making him an invaluable expert and addition to the company. 

Colin continues to help us procure the best equipment and supplies at the best possible rate for the benefit of our clients. 

Welcomed to the team late in 2023 as Project Manager, Jamie plays an important role, acting as the first point of contact for clients from the moment we step on site.

Jamie has a proven track record of delivering high-quality catering services on time and within budget, with over half a decade of experience manging commercial kitchen installations shared across Shine Food Machinery Ltd., Catering Projects Ltd. and S.O.S Catering Equipment.

Responsible for delivering the project on time and to the best of our ability, Jamie now works closely with our internal sales and build teams to oversee a range of our current projects on a day-to-day basis.

Lee is a seasoned Project Manager having worked in this role across a handful of organisations within his lifetime, rejoining the ifse team in 2021 after over a year previously at the company from 2018 to 2019. 

This, combined with his expansive background within the catering industry has made him an ideal hire to the projects team at ifse.

Noel began work within the catering and design industry back in 1986, so it’s no surprise that he knows all the in’s and out’s of the trade.

Joining the team in 2017 following a similar role for a catering equipment company, Noel has put his decades of experience within the sector to great use, helping to deliver projects on schedule and to the best possible quality.

Working alongside Purchasing Manager, Colin Chislett, is our Logistics Operative, Elliot Hall, who restructures our busy warehouse and carrying out deliveries on behalf of the company, ensuring that all equipment and fabrication makes it on site at the appropriate time for installation.

With an existing background within the building and construction industry, Elliot studied carpentry in college before working for Alsford Timber as a delivery and forklift driver, also assisting the team with stock management and general maintenance of the yard.

One of the many projects Elliot has been proud to deliver includes an impressive bathroom refurbishment which he helped to deliver during his time working for a construction company focused on creating beautiful bespoke bathrooms.

One of ifse’s longest-standing team members, Hazel has played an integral role in the organisation, tracking and logistics of the company, being responsible for renewing company files, implementing new procedures, acting as the first point of contact for new enquiries, in addition to a wide variety of other critical tasks.