Our consultants combine backgrounds in professional acting, journalism, diplomacy, education, sport, and organisational psychology, giving Laughton Scott a unique breadth of expertise. Every trainer on our team has deep practical experience in their field, not just in the training room.
Hugo set up Laughton Scott to create a one stop shop that would cater for companies’ entire communication needs.
He saw that in all elements of corporate communications, businesses were losing ground by failing to articulate a simple, coherent message, and forgetting that good content is useless without effective delivery.
Hugo trained as an actor and worked for five years in TV, film, and theatre, before setting up an events company working in 20 different countries. With this background he is no stranger to performing under pressure, and knows how to pitch for – and win – business.
He now works with clients from all sectors of business, improving the communications skills of staff from senior executives to junior managers.
Ben has been in the business of communication all his life. In his 12 year stint as a geography teacher and Assistant Headteacher, he spent every working hour building rapport with staff and pupils, motivating overworked colleagues and inspiring children to set aside adolescent pre-occupations and learn about plate tectonics.
He has spent the past decade using his gift to motivate, enthuse and inspire in the world of business, working with a wide range of clients across all sectors – from recent graduates to senior executives.
His knowledge, enthusiasm and energy empowers the most experienced writers and speakers alike, making an extraordinary difference in just a day.
Ben continues to use his years of experience in education too, providing INSET training for senior school staff and group workshops for students about to embark into the wider world.
A key player in brokering $5 billion to rebuild Bosnia after the Dayton Peace accords, a role in shaping a post-Communist Soviet Union, and 21 years in Public Affairs at the World Bank, there really is no-one better qualified than Tim Cullen to teach the delicate art of negotiation.
He is Director of the Oxford Programme on Negotiation at the Said Business School at Oxford University, where he teaches vital diplomacy and mediation skills to large corporations, government bodies, and military organisations from around the world. During his career at the World Bank he served both as Chief Spokesman and Director of Information and Public Affairs.
His knowledge and diplomacy have helped shape the modern world – and Tim harnesses all this experience and insight to create cutting edge, tailored simulations to test then radically improve the negotiating power of his clients.
Caron combines a successful track record in business with a natural sensitivity and warmth for others, the ingredients for an ideal Executive Coach.
Living in London since moving from Trinidad as a child, he forged a successful career in sales and marketing. As National Sales Manager at JVC he led a 13 strong team that increased sales by 27%.
He has since trained as an actor, and uses the skills he gained to help others project themselves with confidence, clarity, and warmth. Never lecturing or presenting easy solutions, he empowers clients to find their own answers to the toughest business problems.
Kate is a fantastic actor, able to slip into uncannily realistic impersonations of your worst business nightmares with consummate ease. From negative employees to stubborn clients, she uses her training and experience in theatre and television to create realistic, challenging scenarios.
She also has 10 years’ experience working in the corporate sector as a role player and facilitator, not just creating the drama, but enabling the participants to practice different responses, and providing feedback in and out of character to get the best out of her clients.
Her dynamic sessions produce dramatic improvements in communication skills, personal impact, interviewing techniques, team building, and leadership. She can also provide coaching in voice work, projection, posture, and overall body language.
Over a 23 year career in communications, Sam has established himself as a crisis and reputation management expert. He advised and represented the board of University of East Anglia following its servers being hacked during what became known as Climategate and prepared the senior spokespeople before a Parliamentary Select Committee.
He advised the board of EMI during its acquisition by Universal Music and was the spokesperson for Express Newspapers during the Leveson Enquiry. He advised and acted on behalf of Indesit Company during the closure of its factory in Stoke with the loss of over 800 jobs and was part of a select reputation management team for Naomi Campbell during the war crimes trial of former President of Liberia, Charles Taylor.
Theo worked as a professional actor for more than 20 years in Hollywood, the UK and his native South Africa – having trained at the prestigious LAMDA – before bringing his performance craft to the corporate world. Since then, he has gained extensive experience of the motor industry, advertising, hospitality, healthcare and financial services.
Theo brings his acting skills and energy into his training and helps clients become receptive listeners, more confident and charismatic personalities that present well under pressure. From formal writing, speaking and presenting to their daily conversations with colleagues, friends and family Theo helps his clients improve all aspects of their communications.
Theo is a passionate advocate for learning and believes everyone can build upon their skills to become a more persuasive communicator. As an enthusiastic self-starter, Theo invests in his continuous improvement bringing in the latest research and development to his training.
Brought up between London and Johannesburg, Theo has also lived in Los Angeles, New York and Paris which has given him a deep understanding of different cultures, languages and human interaction.
John is a passionate advocate for the power of experiential learning to transform individuals, holding a Masters in Outdoor Education. Most recently he was Head of People at a rapidly expanding tech company, Head of Leadership Development at a 40,000 strong transport organisation, and a leadership consultant and facilitator. As a Chartered Engineer he’s often working in partnership with technical teams and organisations, developing individuals and shifting organisational culture.
After winning a scholarship to the prestigious Mountview Theatre School, Rainer has enjoyed a distinguished career on stage and screen, gracing theatres across the globe and starring in over 50 TV commercials.
He is also a published author, has won a number of screenplay commissions, and is currently developing a new sit-com with Channel 4.
Rainer is passionate about passing on his craft and experience.
It began when a director of QVC TV needed help dealing with nerves prior to a Town Hall meeting with his US contemporaries.
Since then, he has enjoyed coaching everyone from the political elite at the World Economic Forum to primary school students.
He has also loved being part of the Laughton Scott comms team for the past five years.
He firmly believes that communication skills are the most important tools we will need heading into the future.
Dr. Beatrice Herrmann holds a PhD in Business Administration (Dr. rer. oec.) from the University of Berne, Switzerland.
She is an Accredited Associate Mediator of the Singapore Mediation Centre, with an additional appointment to the SMC’s Family Panel of Mediators. She is also an accredited member of the Swiss umbrella organisation for Mediation (FSM) and the Swiss Chamber of Commercial Mediation (SCCM). In addition, she is a Certified Executive Coach (ICF ACC).
Further, she is co-heading SCCM’s B2B practice group and the Competence Center for Commercial Mediation in Switzerland (commercialmediation.ch).
Beatrice is a tutor and coach at the Programme on Negotiation at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and teaches at the Small Countries Financial Management Programme, taking place in Oxford and on the Isle of Man. She holds workshops at the Institute for Systemic Development and Further Education in Zurich and is a mentor at the University of St. Gallen’s Aiming Higher Women’s Leadership Programme.
She also acts as an expert assessor and judge at the ICC Paris Mediation Competition and at the Consensual Dispute Resolution Competition in Vienna.
Beatrice is a very experienced consultant and advisor, with her own companies in Switzerland and previously in Singapore. Over the last 25 years, she has worked across multiple jurisdictions, cultures, and industries. She works closely with senior management and intercultural, diverse teams and has proven her ability to help clients navigate transformations and develop their businesses.
She has managed projects for insurance companies, wealth management advisors, corporate and institutional banking providers, as well as for the retail and hospitality industries. Before founding and managing her company in Singapore, Beatrice worked for Accenture in the financial services industry across Europe.
She regularly holds workshops and webinars on negotiation, conflict management, difficult conversations, psychological safety, intercultural leadership, corporate culture, and related leadership development topics—helping clients enhance their negotiation and conflict resolution skills while improving organizational culture.
Beatrice coaches a diverse group of individual clients, enabling their personal growth and supporting the development of their businesses. She also acts as a mediator in conflict situations, helping parties find the best possible path forward.
One of her passions is coaching and supporting expats—whether they are new to a country or returning home after an extended stay abroad.
She speaks English and German fluently, and is able to communicate in French and Spanish. She also understands and speaks some Italian and Mandarin.
Ashleigh brings the science of our evolved brain, emotions, and motivations to understand what happens to us when under pressure—and what to do about it.
She specialises in Compassion Focused Coaching (CFC), emotional intelligence, resilience, psychological safety, and compassionate leadership.
Ashleigh coaches for improved self-awareness, focus, confidence, and capability in top talent.
Adam Smith is one of the most established, knowledgeable, and successful sports broadcasters in the industry.
He has a portfolio of fascinating projects, including lead commentating for DAZN, hosting a show on TalkSport, writing for The Ring, and running a growing channel — The Voice of Boxing.
Adam enjoyed three decades at Sky Sports as their former Head of Boxing and long-time broadcaster — where his iconic line “Lift off for AJ” still echoes through their corridors and in the homes of sports lovers everywhere.
A hugely popular TV presenter, commentator, author, and television leader, Adam is a Broadcast Award and RTS Award winner. He has also been nominated for a BAFTA, SJA, and The Sports Book Awards for his acclaimed debut book, Beautiful Brutality.
Adam is also the former Chairman of The Boxing Writers’ Club.
Chris holds a core belief in the power of communication to make businesses more efficient, people and processes more effective, and purpose more widely understood.
With three decades of experience in commercial and consumer-focused environments, he is adept at turning complex issues into simple, compelling messages — both verbally and in writing.
His deep experience in sport — working with athletes, executives, broadcasters, brands, and high-performance teams — has honed his ability to deploy the right words and messages at the right time, with winning effect, even in high-profile, high-pressure moments.
Over 24 years at Sky, he served as Director of Communications for Sky Sports, Sky News, and Team Sky. He was part of Sky’s Leadership Team and a senior member of the Corporate Affairs Group, which included Internal Communications, Investor Relations, and Public Affairs.
In five years as a core member of the Executive Team at England Cricket, he redefined the role and remit of communications, delivered a range of new projects, and managed numerous reputational challenges under intense scrutiny and across diverse cultures.
Now working as a consultant for the past five years, he specialises in Crisis Communications, Strategic Communications Planning, and shaping, refining, and delivering impactful messaging.
Diana Hogbin-Mills is a practitioner in organisational psychology specialising in cultural change, leadership, and team development. She works with leaders and teams to navigate complex systems and behavioural dynamics, enabling sustainable, people-centred change.
Diana draws on a range of experiences across private and public industries, often in engineering, technical and complex transformation programme environments where there can be high levels of uncertainty and multiple stakeholders and outcomes to satisfy. She supports organisations in aligning purpose, culture, and capability. Her approach combines academic rigour with practical insight drawn from cross-sector experience, underpinned by a strong belief in the power of collaboration. Diana provides leadership development, behavioural change, systematic team coaching and executive coaching, supported by certifications in development tools, and executive and team coach training.