About Modus Operandi Business Development Consultancy

Modus Operandi undertake projects across the UK, Europe and worldwide. Our business has two strands Business Development and People Development.

Modus Operandi was founded in 1999 by Ursuline Edwards-Sutton. Ursuline works firmly in the business and is the first point of contact for any project. Whilst she likes to retain overall control she recognises her own talents and limitations and has a small but select team of trusted Associates who she is happy to call on when complimentary or additional skills are required. Ursuline's expertise includes:

• Marketing
• Sales
• Customer Experience
• Corporate Image
• Soft skills training
• NLP (Neuro-Linguistic Programming)

and her team of Associates can provide specialist support in these additional areas:

• Revenue Development
• Property Management systems
• Management Development
• Psychometric Testing 
• Development Coaching

Lead Consultant - Ursuline Edwards-Sutton

based in Hertfordshire

Ursuline is a:

• Chartered Marketer
• Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing
• Fellow of the Institute of Direct Marketing
• Member of the Marketing Society

She holds the following qualifications:

• BSc (Hons) Management Sciences and Marketing
• Diploma of the Institute of Sales Promotion
• NLP Master Practitioner
• Certified NLP Trainer
• Trained Image Consultant

Ursuline began her working life in the public sector before venturing off to University to study marketing, which would provide her with a career that has so far spanned over twenty-five years. She supplemented her student grant by working in catering and telephone sales. 

As a graduate she worked in Market Research for the 'Marketing Consultancy & Research Services of the University of Lancaster'.

A short spell in the construction industry as a Marketing Executive followed by a Marketing Management appointment in travel and tourism ensured that Ursuline cut her marketing teeth at the sharp end. She then made the switch to a Creative Marketing Communications and Promotions Agency achieving the grand title of Senior Account Manager before once again moving client side to work in head office marketing for several national retailers including Mothercare and Debenhams where she worked alongside financial service organisations like Amex and GE Capital. Ursuline held the following specialist marketing roles: Promotions Manager, Direct Marketing Manager and Special Projects Manager. A highly competent project manager she was often asked to manage large cross functional projects and supplemented her marketing skills with sales and customer service.  

Leaving the world of retail she entered the world of hotels with Hilton UK and Ireland and was immediately tasked with developing and re-launching a national meetings and conference product across 43 properties. Following her appointment as Director of Meeting 2000 she was promoted to Director of Conference & Business Travel Marketing before being appointed Marketing Director for Hilton U.K. and Ireland. During her time in marketing Ursuline was awarded eight hospitality and marketing awards in recognition of her own and her team’s contribution. Finally Ursuline was appointed Director of Commercial Development reporting into the Managing Director for Hilton UK & Ireland.

Leaving Hilton Hotels UK & Ireland in 1999 Ursuline set up Modus Operandi and focused on building a marketing and sales consultancy business specialising in the hospitality industry. Since then she has built an enviable client list (see client testimonials and case studies) both within the hospitality sector and with other service industries including publishing, financial and professional services. Ursuline and her team of associates are hospitality experts but have undertaken projects across other service industries that utilise their expertise.

Ursuline has added to her experience and skill base by investing in her own personal development training over a number of years. She is a Corporate Image Consultant and authoritative public speaker and trainer on the subjects of: Corporate Image, Professional Image Management, Executive Image and Personal Branding. She firmly believes that people are at the heart of every business and every employee given the right training is a potential Brand Ambassador.

She is also an NLP Master Practitioner and one of only a handful of certified Pegasus NLP Trainers. NLP is at the heart of Ursuline's business and she walks her talk on a daily basis. Her training particularly her NLP training is described as lively, engaging and challenging, but most of all, fun.

Ursuline is an active mentor for the Chartered Institute of Marketing and has been mentoring for over six years. Ursuline has a natural ability to simplify matters and get to the root of a problem. To look at business challenges both strategically and tactically, seeing them from different perspectives. She really does love a challenge and relishes the chance to take on those projects most people run away from. Determined and focused, highly professional, naturally positive and fiercely loyal, this is one person you want on the inside looking out for you, not the other way around.

Modus Operandi Associates

Associate Consultant Paulette based in the Midlands

Paulette and Ursuline were colleagues at Hilton UK & Ireland and launched the award winning Meeting 2000 and Hilton Direct both of which won a series of industry awards and accolades. Since leaving Hilton their friendship and working relationship has flourished and as a long standing Associate Paulette has collaborated on a number of Modus Operandi’s hospitality projects. Although very different characters and personalities, with different experiences and skill sets, they complement each other perfectly.

Paulette is a very experienced hospitality professional having gained both front line and operational management skills during a twenty-five year career in the hotel industry. For the majority of this career Paulette specialised in both revenue management and revenue development within Front Office, Reservations & Conference & Banqueting sales.

For over six years Paulette held the position of Director of Conference and Banqueting Sales Development for Hilton UK & Ireland. During her last year with Hilton she was Director of Training & Development for UK Revenue with responsibility for designing and implementing effective sales and revenue management training programmes for UK Revenue.

Paulette has a wealth of experience of the various hotel property management systems and interfaces and ensures that systems are enabling rather than disabling using them as a tool to provide insight, measurement and metrics. Her particular skill is extracting meaningful and usable information for strategic and tactical management. She quite literally makes the system come alive and shows the user how to use the system to enable them to do their job more effectively. Her other talent is simplifying the whole subject of Revenue Management so that everyone can absorb and understand.

She is an excellent communicator with a strong leadership & motivational qualities. Her gentle and personable manner means that she is highly approachable and her unassuming nature belies her wealth of experience.

Associate Consultant Lizzi based in the South West

Lizzi and Ursuline met while undertaking their NLP training and formed an instant bond and a shared passion for this enlightening, empowering and enabling subject. Lizzi is also a Certified NLP Trainer and Master Practitioner and a freelance business and personal transformation coach.

Lizzi began her career in sports therapy where she first developed a keen interest in mind-body connection linked to health and wellbeing.  Spending over fourteen years in the service industry she moved from commercial operations management to specialising in learning and development consultancy. Most recently Lizzi headed up Stores Learning and Development at W H Smith responsible for learning and development of all personnel in all stores including management development and succession planning.

She is particularly adept at maximising team and individual potential following large scale acquisitions. Lizzi’s specialist areas include interpersonal impact, team dynamics, facilitation, remote leadership and stakeholder relationship management.  She has worked with junior managers through to board directors in these fields. 

A member of the British Psychological Society she has a wealth of familiarity with a variety of psychometric testing methods but she now favours the flexibility that NLP offers. 

An exceptionally warm and approachable individual with a genuine and unquenchable interest in others. Lizzi is a valued Modus Operandi Associate.