The team

The Exchange Supplies team has been steadily growing since 2001 – from humble beginnings with Andrew Preston working from home in Dorchester, and Jon Derricott in his attic in Liverpool – to the organisation and team we are now...

Introducing the
Exchange Supplies team

Firstly, there’s Helen Phillips, who organises just about everything and does too much to fit it into a sensible job title. Helen’s been around since the first citric orders started to come in... She left her previous job with our printers because she believed in the project, thought it would be interesting (it was!), and liked (and still likes!) our customers much better than the people ordering print. Helen’s multiplied as well – she was pregnant when moved to the unit, and is now mum to (gorgeous, and rapidly growing) George.

Nick Wilson is our development manager, his road to Exchange Supplies began with an 'apprenticeship' as a frontline CPN in a drug team in Watford, before moving to manage the drug service (and Andrew!) in Dorchester from 1989 to 1998. In '98 he left NHS management to work in the pharmaceutical industry, but kept in touch with Andrew, offering help and advice to the fledgling Exchange Supplies on an ever more regular basis.

By the summer of 2004 it was clear we needed his guidance on a daily basis, and Nick came back to work in harm reduction joining Exchange Supplies in June 2004. Nick Wilson has brought much needed strategy, organisation, planning, and sales skills, to Exchange Supplies, and is very happy to be out of the corporate world of big pharma, and making a difference again.

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Sometimes, we talk to Frank... Our finance manager is Frank Akerman, who combines invaluable financial experience gained over many years working for firms of accountants in the South West with sleepless nights, to accurately calculate exactly how financially risky whatever the latest venture we’re planning is… before we go ahead and do it.

Joking apart, managing the finances of a rapidly growing and diverse organisation is a highly complex business. – It's thanks to Frank's watchful eye, and implementation of the necessary systems and controls, that we've been able to continue to grow, develop and build the relationships with our bank and suppliers that have been an essential prerequisite for investing heavily in new innovative resources to reduce blood borne virus transmission and other drug related harms.

Other full-time staff are Lisa Smith who is known by all our customers as the cheery voice that answers our new hi-tech phone system, as well as sending out information packs to people who join the mailing list, checking orders and chasing up our couriers etc. etc. etc.; Belinda who registers delegates for the conferences, and raises orders on the computer system; Jacqui who helps frank with the book keeping and raises orders, and Scott who packs the orders and drives the fork lift truck.

We’ve also got Stuart, Jane, Jennie, Sally who work on a part-time basis helping out with all the tasks involved in sending out publications, syringes, paraphernalia, running conferences, and sending out mailings.

Based elsewhere, but working closely with us through the miracle of modern communications, are freelancers Mark Bunegar at Fluke Design who (obviously) does all the graphic designing, Monique Tomlinson who does the huge amount of behind the scenes conference venue, sponsor, speaker liaison and planning that makes our conferences such a success, as well as looking after our cutomers in the London area; and Martin Sissons at Small Business Web Hosting who (guess what?) maintains the website.