BJA - Who We Are - Successful Operators Who Can Make a Difference
BJA was established in April 2005:
Bryn Jones
'We have real passion and belief in what we do and a commitment to helping our clients achieve their goals.'
Bryn Jones is the Founding Director of BJA and has a wide range of experience in running visitor, tourist and leisure operations of various sizes from community level to world class venues. Bryn has improved the financial performance of all the operations he has been involved with.
As the Head of Visitor Services at the Science Museum in London, he was an integral part of the management team that turned around the operation in the 1990s to become known as setting the benchmark for customer service within the heritage industry. It was during this period the Museum won the ETB's 'Visitor Attraction of the Year Award,' two customer charter marks, the Design Week Annual Awards and he improved the commercial performance of the areas he led by over 60%. Bryn went onto project lead all the commercial and customer service elements of the Wellcome Wing, a £50m extension to the Science Museum.
Bryn then became the Commercial Director of the Lowry Centre in Greater Manchester. The Lowry Centre was National Millennium Landmark project for the arts costing nearly £100m and was a major performing arts venue as well as holding the LS Lowry Collection and major conference and exhibiton spaces. He was part of a new senior management team that was brought in to turn the operation around. Within eighteen months he had improved the bottom line of the operation by over £500k.
Bryn was approached and went on to become the Commercial Director of the Alnwick Garden where he led the management and operation of the £45m Garden through key stages of this development in Northumberland, including the set up and launch of the £3.3m world's largest tree house, including a 100 cover indoor restaurant, and the commercial and visitor management strategies behind the £12m visitor centre and pavilion.
Prior to the Science Museum Bryn had a major senior management background in sports and leisure management. His most notable achievements included as the Leisure Contracts Manager for Swansea Leisure Services turning around the in-house operation and improving the bottom line by over £500k in twelve months and winning the leisure management contract against strong private compeitition, in a period before TUPE regulations applied. Prior to this Bryn spent a long period in a variety of maangement roles for York Leisure Services managing leisure and community centres and working on the client side preparing management contracts. During this period he was integral to the department and its facilities winning several major regional and national sports management awards.
Bryn qualifications and experience includes:
- A Masters Degree in Commercial Sport Administration from Kent State University, Ohio
- A BA Hons degree in Leisure Management from St John's College. York
- Attended the Disney Quality Management Training Course in 'Disney World' Florida
- Is a Companion Member of the Institute of Customer Service
Graham Stratfold
'I like to think we understand where our clients are coming from and that we can help them to find the strategies and ways to solve the problems they face.'
Graham has been with BJA since it started. As well as working for BJA, Graham also works part time as the Head of Visitor Services for the Museum of London Group, which includes both the Museum of London and the Museum in Docklands. Graham has been integral to establishing much more of a commercial and customer service culture and leading all elements of the visitor experience in terms of day to day delivery and strategically in terms of the way the service is being taken forward across both museums including major capital projects looking at the front of house, customer service, operational and commercial aspects.
Prior to this he was the Head of Visitor Services at the National Railway Museum in York for eleven years where he generated a £4.6m net profit, excluding admissions. He set up and ran the highly successful Flying Scotsman train service and was an integral part of the management team that led the Museum to win the 'European Museum of the Year Award in 2001.'
For two of these years Graham was the Head of Visitor Services for both the National Railway Museum and the National Museum of Photography Film & Television.
Prior to this he worked in sports and leisure management including being the Project Manager for the Barbican Entertainments Complex in York, the CCT Project Manager and Contract Manager for York Leisure Services. Within eighteen months of opening, as the Manager of Oaklands Sport Centre in York, a dual use centre, he led the team to become joint runner up of the 'UK's Sports Management of the Year Award.
Graham's original background and training was in Hotel and Catering.
Stuart Graham
Stuart specialises in supporting and enabling heritage and leisure organisations with their quest to deliver excellent customer service. During the past twenty years he has built up a deep understanding of the issues surrounding operational, management and customer service development and designs and delivers training programmes that have been specifcally designed to work with this sector.
He has developed particularly strong links with museums and galleries from major nationals to small independent operators. This means that he is experienced in the complex relationship and multiple objectives of arts, historical and educational institutions, which are also vitally dependent on welcoming and servicing a wide range of customers. His recent clients include: The Royal Festival Hall, the Museum of London Group, Tate Modern and Britain, Sandown Park, Somerset Hous, The Royal Albert Hall and The National Trust.
John Moran
Prior to BJA, John had his own busines consultancy providing support to a range of businesses including visitor attractions. Most recently John completed a major review of York University's sports provision. He was then retained to complete further related work including providing interim general management, becoming an integral part of the organisation driving the change needed while also reviewing staffing structures, budgeting and financial management, membership schemes, sports programming and development.
John is a former Chief Officer and Head of Leisure and Recreation for the East Riding of Yorkshire Council leading nine diverse areas including, education, libraries and leisure including golf courses, parks and open spaces, sports facilities, children's play and countryside recreation.
John's other experience included being the General Manager of the 'Leisure Services Organisation,' leading the leisure management contract for Beverley Borough Council, which included five sports and leisure centres. John brought much more of a commercial and customer focus turning the operation around to deliver an increasing trading surplus in each year of the contract.
Prior to this John was the Principal Recreation Officer for York City Council. John was instrumental in transforming the City's leisure provision including indoor swimming provision, building and developing new venues from small community recreation centres to the £10m Barbican entertainments complex. During this period he increased swimming pool attendances by 250,000, won regional and national management awards and significantly improved the financial performance of the City's leisure provision.