Nigel Baird MBA FIMI
Managing Director
Nigel can draw upon over 25 years of experience in business administration and marketing management. Previously, his expertise has been successfully employed in such areas as: the prestige sector of the automotive industry, customer services, the financial services industry, government public sector, and academia.
Nigel spent 12 years in project management and business development, working under contract for AAFES-EUR (United States Government, Department of Defence) where he provided bespoke customer services for the United States Armed Forces.
During this period, he created and implemented a ‘Quality and Service’ culture, which resulted in a considerable increase in sales, customer satisfaction and employee retention. This was recognised by Major General Jeffrey D. Kahla, Commander, AAFES, when on May 2, 1990, Nigel accepted on behalf of his team an Award of Merit “for commitment to excellence.”
For 6 years Nigel excelled in business management within the prestige sector of the automotive industry. A great deal of work was required within the industry to convince existing staff of the need to change policies, processes and practices. Not only did Nigel excel at changing hearts and minds, but also generated a significant amount of extra income at the same time.
Nigel is both an experienced practitioner and academic. Over the years, Nigel has earned the reputation of possessing an astute ability to develop effective and sustainable marketing strategies. More recently, he worked in academia, both in a marketing role and as a part-time Lecturer for the Centre for Business and Management.
Nigel graduated as a Master of Business Administration with a major in Marketing (Distinction), and as a Bachelor of Business Administration with a major in Management (Distinction). He also received an honorary doctorate degree from Regent University. As an acknowledgment of his industry-related achievements, Nigel was elected a Fellow of the Institute of the Motor Industry.
Gulyalek Baird Dip. Econ
Company Secretary
Although Gulya is of ethnic Russian origin, she is a native of Turkmenistan, formerly residing at the capital, Ashgabat, which until independence in 1991 was part of the former Soviet Union. She has travelled extensively on business throughout Central Asia, Turkey, the Middle East, India and the Russian Federation. She has relatives in both Moscow and St. Petersburg. Until recently, her cousin was the Mayor of Gatchina, Leningrad Region.
By profession, Gulya is a bookkeeper. In her most recent assignment she spent 3 years in diplomatic service at the Embassy of Turkmenistan. She also has extensive expertise in import/export and trade and commerce. Her qualifications include: Diplomas in Trade and Commerce, Economics, Accountancy and a management qualification in Quality Control.
As an Import/Export Manager during the 1990s, Gulya was responsible for identifying and sourcing foreign goods most likely of achieving a strong presence in her domestic market. These included high quality clothing, footwear, jewellery, rugs and furniture. In addition, she sought international markets and potential enterprises to market domestic goods. 
For over 11 years Gulya worked for a government department responsible for quality assurance. She travelled extensively tasked with the quality control of a wide range of goods produced within the former Soviet Union. Following certification of quality assurance, Gulya subsequently negotiated acquisition contracts and the terms controlling product orders.
Gulya is multilingual; her languages include: Turkmen, Russian, English and Turkish.
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