senior leadership team
Our executive leadership team is responsible for the strategy and direction of caboodle
Managing Director
Catherine Bennett
With a Masters in HR Management and a Post Grad in Personnel Development, Catherine spent the early years of her career in HR management, igniting a passion for the employee benefits industry. She identified a gap in the market where there was little support for SMEs as competitors were only interested in bigger businesses. As a result, Catherine used her experience to found caboodle in 2009 and has continued to shape it to meet the needs of clients of all shapes and sizes.
Catherine has been an active member of the CIPD for many years and is also part of the EY Entrepreneurial Winning Women program.
Whilst her work life is extremely busy she still manages quality time with her husband and 2 children. In her ‘me time’, Catherine indulges in her passion for horses, competing at events whenever she can, on her horse Simply Blits, AKA Norman! And if that’s not enough, she’s a keen cyclist too, and has taken on various charity events including London2Paris to raise money for Cure Leukaemia.
Product, Development & Security Director
Dave Gunning
As one of our co-founder directors and with around 30 years’ experience in software development and project management, Dave heads up the caboodle Development and Implementation teams.
Dave is responsible for the continual development and improvement of our technology platforms as well as the ongoing security management and improvement of our already robust systems..
In his spare time he’s kept busy by his twins and enjoys an outdoor lifestyle which includes mountain biking, surfing and skiing.
Finance Director
Guy Thomas
Guy’s finance career spans over 30 years, working at a number of organisations in a senior leadership role including part of a successful management buyout team. He brings a wealth of experience, expertise and knowledge to caboodle.
In his spare time Guy enjoys playing golf, running and the occasional game of cricket. He’s also a keen skier and likes to take on an annual walking challenge.
Head of Operations
Emma Lomax
Emma heads up our customer service teams who look after our clients and the needs of their employees. With Emma’s vast customer service experience, she ensures the teams deliver a service to our clients that is second to none.
Apart from spending time with her family, Emma enjoys going to festivals and concerts. She used to sing in a band and this is something she would like to get back into. X factor here she comes!
Head of Sales & Marketing
Dan Harrison
Head of Sales & Marketing
With over 9 years’ experience in the employee benefits industry, Dan joined caboodle in 2019 and looks after the sales and marketing teams. He’s responsible for growing the caboodle client base and ensuring existing clients are well looked after and kept informed of industry developments.
When he’s not running his under-appreciated ‘Dads taxi’ service Dan enjoys walking with his dogs and as a glutton for punishment, he’s also a Manchester Utd fan.
other key personnel
At caboodle we have a fantastic team of individuals, meet some of our key personnel
Marketing Manager
Adele Pyatt
Adele has over 25 years marketing communications expertise and holds a Post Grad CIM Diploma in marketing. She joined caboodle in 2011 and is responsible for managing the company’s marketing initiatives and showcasing the caboodle brand. Adele also takes care of the management, production and delivery of client employee communications.
In her spare time, Adele loves nothing more than being stood at the side of a football pitch cheering on her son, walking her dog Stella or sampling the latest beer!
HR Manager
Anne Wade
A qualified HR generalist, Anne joined caboodle in 2013 and takes care of everything HR. She also oversees the office management and health and safety within caboodle.
Anne is an avid cyclist and has competed in many charity events. When she is not in the saddle her other passion (apart from gin!) is travelling with 2 of her most favourite places being Goa and Madrid.
Accounts Manager
Annie Farrington
Annie joined caboodle in 2013 and is responsible for the day to day management of our accounts department, looking after the accounts team and of course ensuring our caboodle finances are up to date and well managed.
She loves nothing more than eating out and spending time with family and friends, and as a health and keep fit enthusiast, Annie spends lots of her free time time at the gym. When she’s not working out herself, she enjoys shopping and giving her own finances a thorough workout at the same time!
Data Security & Quality Compliance Manager
Mick Hillman
With over 28 years’ experience in Military Policing and MOD Information Security. Mick joined us in 2018 and has taken on responsibility for Data Security and Compliance, ensuring we maintain our UKAS ISO 27001 accreditation.
When he’s not keeping us all ship shape in the office, Mick puts some of the team through their paces at the gym in true military fashion! Mick is also a keen motorcyclist and fisherman and enjoys hill walking and being part of the great outdoors.
Senior Graphic Designer
Sarah Siddle
Sarah gained her degree in Graphic Design at The University of Northumbria. She joined caboodle in 2011 and is responsible for overseeing the design team as well as designing the visuals for our Salary Extras benefit and communication platform. Her experience in the benefits industry, together with her design expertise means that Sarah delivers great client branding designs for our clients’ bespoke platforms and any other marketing we throw her way!
In her spare time keeping fit is at the top of the list followed by travelling across Europe for annual holidays and spending any left-over time at home with the challenges of DIY.
Implementation Team Leader
Nick Pace
With a degree in Psychology, Nick joined the caboodle team in 2012 and has worked in a number of roles, giving him a sound knowledge of the business.
He’s spent the past 5 years as part of our Implementation team. As our Implementation team leader, Nick manages the team to ensure the efficient delivery of projects by understanding the needs of customers and ensuring client requirements are fully scoped and delivered.
Nick’s caboodle’s answer to Tim Vine trying out his repertoire of cheesy jokes to keep us entertained. He’s a keen football fan, a Stoke City season ticket holder attending home matches and away fixtures whenever he can. He claims to be a bit obsessed with fitness and loves spending time at the gym or an overly competitive game of squash!
External Systems - Team Leader
Ramith Dayaratne
Ram joined our Development team in 2011, with both a BSc and a Masters in Information Technology. As a highly experienced developer, with a keen eye for continuous improvement, Ram manages his team to focus on the management, security and development of bespoke external web systems for clients with complex needs.
With a passion for travel and sightseeing Ram and has travelled extensively around the world where he indulges in his other passion for photography. When he’s not off on his travels, Ram enjoys cooking and delights the team when he brings in tasters of Sri Lankan cuisine.
Internal Systems - Team Leader
Sharfaz Sairaz
With a BSc in Computer Science and Business Management, Sharfaz has over 10 years’ experience in software development. He joined us in 2015 and manages his team to ensure the continual development of our Salary Extras platform to maintain security and meet the changing needs of the industry.
Sharfaz is a bit of a foodie and loves cooking as well as baking yummy cakes which he brings in to keep the team sweet! When he’s not in the kitchen, Sharfaz loves travelling and spending as much spare time as he can with family and friends.
Client Services Manager
Michael Smith
Michael joined the caboodle team in March 2019 and has over 11 years’ experience in the employee benefits industry in both sales and client services.
He looks after our client services team and is very proactive in looking for ways to continually improve our processes and procedures to ensure all our clients enjoy excellent service.
Outside of work, Michael loves nothing more than country walks with his two Jack Russells – Poppy and Jack. He admits to being slightly embarrassed about being a Birmingham City fan and gets rid of his frustration by getting his hands dirty doing a bit of DIY whenever he gets the chance.
join the team!
We’re always looking for new talent to join our team. So, if you’re into customer service, sales, web development, project management, accounting or design and marketing, we’d love to hear from you.