Meet the Team

Choosing the correct partner to work with you on your CSI/Syteline implementation, upgrade or project is an important consideration. You need to be confident that they have the right blend of business background and knowledge, industry experience and most importantly, people skills.

These qualities are vital to the success of your project.

At Gradient, we have those skills. Underpinned by professional qualifications. We are flexible, agile and yet focused whilst always putting the client at the centre of everything we do. Working closely with your team, we will add real value.

Stephanie Snaith
Stephanie SnaithDirector
A qualified CIMA accountant with a passion for troubleshooting, Stephanie created Gradient Consulting 23 years ago, when told she was unemployable!

Experienced in all aspects of delivery, including specification, selection, project management and gap analysis, Stephanie is now more focused on Gradient’s strategic direction & growing the business for the future, but still gets involved with projects that involved complex global financials & her particular favourite – costing!

Stephanie now divides her time between the UK & Spain, where she has recently purchased a large farmhouse & land, that requires a lot of renovation.  So, when not working, she focuses on plans for the house, learning Spanish, travel & photography.

Mike Smith
Mike SmithDirector
Graduating in Economics and then Psychology many years ago, Mike started his career in finance in the City.  This was at the time of the start of the universal use of electronic-based systems to bring efficiencies into the workplace and create competitive advantage, interest in manufacturing created the opportunity to switch into this world.

Over the years work brought opportunities to be part of the creation of and education in using the concepts of reliability centred maintenance as a force to increase availability on the shop floor.  During this period also involved in the creation and running of a company writing specialist warehouse management software.  (Also took the opportunity to study for an MBA).

Subsequently started working with Stephanie and Gradient and over the past five years been working together to create a process and methodology (APEX©) to help companies (particularly manufacturing) to use the implementations of ERP as a catalyst for change and business transformation.

Over the past three years has also bought into and is also growing a small (but growing) MSP in Doncaster – Twenty Four IT Services.

He enjoys music of all types, singing (Bass), and used to play golf when he had time.

Lesley Gardner
Lesley GardnerDirector
Lesley started her life within ERP Consultancy over twenty years ago, she has worked within a variety of software houses in an array of positions, including Consultant, Project Manager, Programme Manager and Consulting Manager.

As well as a wealth of experience within the consultancy world, Lesley has also worked within a wide range of industries, such as timber, distribution, manufacturing and aerospace, leading her to be full of knowledge to the gain of our consultants and clients.

In her spare time Lesley enjoys travelling, sailing in the ocean and finding new white water areas she can go canoeing in, she also practices yoga every week.

Eva Maniega de la Torre
Eva Maniega de la TorreSyteLine Lead Consultant
Eva came to the UK in 2000 from Spain after qualifying to become a solicitor. She aimed to learn English and gain business experience in the UK. Since migrating, Eva has worked in various roles at companies such as Boots, General Motors, Kellogg’s and James Walker Group in roles such as Business Analyst and IT Solutions Consultant. Eva has also been involved in numerous implementations concerning Infor Syteline ERP software.

Eva has excellent soft skills in helping users to change the way they work during implementations, excellent troubleshooting skills and a good understanding of business processes.

Outside work, Eva enjoys her time with her family, especially when being a taxi driver for their little daughter. She also loves going back to Spain and South Africa to visit family every time she can. And she is always looking forward to her next Safari trip!

Guy Wyn-Jones
Guy Wyn-JonesConsultant
Having initially been educated linguistically, a shortage of suitable positions resulted in Guy’s main career being over 30 years within the aviation/aerospace sector covering a wide range of roles, including management, customer-facing, complaints resolution, project management (APMP Qual) and operational.

Most recently in this industry, focusing on manufacturing within aerospace and all surrounding this regarding compliance, an opening was presented to Guy which presented the world of ERP systems.  Four years later and this sector continues to offer a steep but rewarding learning curve as things move very dynamically. Working knowledge of the aerospace sector and its ‘subtle idiosyncrasies’ have also allowed for previous experience here to be put to good use.

Having been client-focused, Guy has always tried to put the client first where there has been a shortfall in service, quality or process and this is no different in the ERP sector.  Gradient’s ethos of working with and for the client has been easy to adopt and Guy hopes to be able to continue to assist clients in finding the right system for their business.

Outside of work, Guy has been blessed with 3 children who take up the majority of his time!  Having been sporty all of his life (all racquet sports, golf, cricket, American Football) when possible Guy likes to watch NFL – and other sports – and still tries to partake in sports where his knees allow.

A good film is also enjoyed, and the odd glass of wine once the ‘Dad’s Taxi’ gloves have been taken off for the night.

Erika Di Santillo
Erika Di SantilloProject Manager
Erika moved to the UK from Italy in 2015, looking for an opportunity. Her IT background helped her find a place as Project Coordinator for International Car Wash Group. She was heavily involved in their ERP implementation and worked closely with Gradient Consulting, who managed the project.

Since joining Gradient Consulting in 2019, Erika has gained experience in managing resources and information, assisting and planning project activities. She is currently working on obtaining a Project Management qualification.

Outside of work, Erika enjoys travelling and exploring new places with her friends and family. She also loves to go to the cinema and watch the latest movie.

Mark McArdle
Mark McArdleTechnical Consultant
Mark started his business career as a trainee chartered accountant, eventually migrating to the role of Senior Auditor in the practice. In the early 1990s, he embarked on a career change and did a degree in management followed by a Masters degree in information management. This led to a career in IT in the aerospace manufacturing industry, where he worked on providing solutions to business problems, building reporting systems, integrating systems and improving business processes and productivity.

Mark enjoys the problem-solving aspects of business and IT and finding elegant solutions is the ultimate reward. The more difficult or messy the problem, the more of a challenge it is.

Outside of work, Mark loves to travel and sample different cultures and cuisines. He also enjoys the cinema, reading, dabbles with some writing, plays squash and tries to tame his garden. He has recently started learning to grow chilli plants, as another hobby is cooking, especially blazingly hot curries.

Ana Subias
Ana SubiasConsultant
Ana came to the UK more than 20 years after graduating with a Degree in Business Administration. Once in the UK, she achieved her CIMA qualification working for an FMCG multinational, where she gained extensive experience in many functions including costing and manufacturing, financial planning and reporting, sales and marketing, ERP implementations and process improvement projects.

After 14 years, Ana took a career break to start a family and while she was looking after her small children, she also worked for herself providing financial consultancy to tech start-up and not-for-profit companies, helping them to set up their financial systems.

Now Ana is looking forward to helping other business to find the right ERP solution that best meets their needs and supports their strategy.

In her free time, Ana enjoys visiting family and friends abroad. She also likes going for family walks and a good pub lunch. When weather and children allow for it, Ana tries to do a bit of TLC of her garden and vegetable allotment.

Iwona Malicka-Shepherd
Iwona Malicka-ShepherdConsultant
A maths graduate, Iwona followed her heart and future husband and in 2001 left Poland for the UK. While working for CAV Aerospace in Procurement, Iwona got involved in their ERP implementation and met Stephanie who managed the project.

Following a move to Lancashire, Iwona was invited to work for Gradient. Since then, she has been involved in a few CSI implementations and has been studying towards AAT Professional Diploma in Accounting, to better understand the financial side of ERP. Her patience and attention to detail make her a good problem solver. Recently she has also been involved in the implementation of Gradient’s Help Desk.

In her spare time Iwona ‘tries’ to learn the piano and combines her love of art and nature with walking and photography.

Adam Jones
Adam JonesConsultant
Adam has spent the last 12 years working for Airline Services Interiors – an aerospace manufacturing business based in Manchester.
While working for Airline Services Interiors, Adam played a key role in the implementation of the Infor Syteline ERP system working closely with both Stephanie and Iwona.

After the implementation, he continued to support a number of key initiatives linked to the optimisation of the system and enhancing some of the functionality.

His current role with Gradient builds on his experience and extensive knowledge of ERP systems and related core business processes.

He has a keen eye for detail and strong analytical problem solving skills.

Outside of work, Adam enjoys spending time with his young family, encouraging them in their sporting endeavours. He is also involved in the management of the local U12s football team. He is a keen runner and enjoys music and reading.

Jon Easman
Jon EasmanApprentice Technical Consultant
Jon began his career in web design before moving to a more software development focused role upon joining Gradient’s technical team in 2022, where his 10 plus years of programming experience have helped expand Gradient’s capabilities.

He enjoys the puzzle-like problem solving of software development and likes to research and learn new things.

Outside of work, Jon enjoys narrative and storytelling in its many formats: novels, films, video games, etc. He is also a hobbyist game developer, occasionally taking part in game jams.

David Murray
David MurrayHead of Operations
Working in a commercial environment for over 20 years with substantial project management experience, making a significant contribution to increased company turnover from £6 million to £12 million. Introducing new quality management systems and best practice policies/procedures to improve operations. Extensive experience in managing substantial contracts, budgets and staff within a fast-paced and technically detailed business sector.

With a wealth of IT knowledge which enabled him to develop company websites and improve its reputation and branding. Implementations of business systems include bespoke Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software to establish sales leads and ultimately provide opportunities for new business. The implementation of Sage 50 cloud accounts, cleansing historical data from a previous legacy system and the interfacing of the accounts package with a bespoke PSA system optimised to suit the company’s specific requirements for time and expense management.

My experience, knowledge and proven track record demonstrate a diverse skillset and adaptability to all business processes; making me a valuable asset to any team, but also with the ability to lead teams to achieve success.

In his spare time, David likes to spend most of his time with family and friends, he is a keen sportsman, enjoys building computers, exploring new cultures and tasting new cuisines.

Sarah Steinhoefel
Sarah SteinhoefelMarketing Manager
Sarah started her career in Sheffield working in a warehouse. Whilst working here, she was asked to help implement barcode assisted warehousing. In 1999 she moved to Manchester, working as a warehousing support analyst for the company whose software she’d help to put in place.

She has fond memories of working over the millennium, though nothing much went wrong!

Sarah spent 18 years at Infor. The last 6 as a technical support analyst supporting SyteLine customers. She often worked with customers, development and management on highly escalated issues, progressing them to resolution.

In 2017 she decided she needed a change. She became self-employed as a web designer and digital marketer. A LinkedIn conversation with Stephanie led to Sarah working with Gradient as a freelance marketer. She’s now part of the team and looking forward to new challenges.

In her spare time, Sarah enjoys learning new skills and is an avid reader. She is also an ICF accredited coach.

Lyndon Royall
Lyndon RoyallBusiness Development Manager
Lyndon started his career at 16 as an engineering apprentice with the Ministry of Defence, later becoming a Technical Sales Engineer designing storage and logistic solutions for blue-chip companies. Before joining Gradients team, he gained many years of experience in production, management and supply of to the sub-contract parts to Aerospace, Scientific, Medical and general manufacturing marketplaces.

Lyndon has first-hand knowledge of related systems, including Sales, ERP, CRM and accreditation such as BS9001 & AS9100.

His years of experience in warehousing solutions, fabrication & precision machining shows a true understanding of the practical side of creating and supplying systems & solutions in these environments.

Outside of work, Lyndon and his family have been foster carers for over 13 years, he also enjoys walking the dogs and cycling through local woodland around North Staffordshire.

Our Associates

To support our clients throughout their ERP journey, we occasionally rely on the trusted expertise of other colleagues. Although not a part of our team, they are a part of the Gradient family. We choose to work with our associates to further enhance our support offering to you.

TwentyFour IT Services LTD
TwentyFour IT Services LTDIT Services
TwentyFour IT Services Ltd is a specialist Managed Service Provider with a dedicated team containing decades of experience. Specialising in IT Security, Backup and Disaster Recovery, IT Support, Networks, VoIP, Broadband and Leased Lines as well as Cloud Services including Office 365, and Hosted IaaS.
Copley Consulting Group
Copley Consulting GroupERP Consultants
Founded in 1989, The Copley Consulting Group is a software solution provider with hundreds of successful ERP implementations. They work with manufacturers to modernize and grow their business, aided by a nationwide team of consultants.
Alison Blackhurst
Alison BlackhurstDirector, Blackhurst HR
Alison provides a full range of HR services to a range of small to medium sized businesses, across all sectors.

Get the right help for you and your business.

Contact us or call now on: +44 (0)1282 463 710