About Us
The Company and Team
Optimal Performance Limited (OPL), established in 1996, provides research and consultancy services to improve health and performance in physically demanding occupations, across Defence, Emergency Services, CBRN, Transport and Industrial markets. The Company’s outstanding reputation in the UK Defence and Security sectors has lead to success in winning international contracts in Defence and Security in the United States of America, Australia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).
The Company’s highly experienced and dedicated personnel deliver an exceptional standard of service while building strong long-term relationships with clients. OPL has offices and staff based in the UK (Bristol) and in the UAE (Abu Dhabi). Through collaborative agreements with leading academic institutions such as the University of Birmingham, Loughborough University and University of Bath, and via our commercial partners we are able to provide further access to information and technical facilities.
In 2008 the Company supported the opening of a Health and Sports Medicine Centre at a Military High School in the UAE, providing the health specialists to lead the multi-disciplinary teams. A team of 25 Emirati and international staff now work together to improve the health, fitness, physical performance and wellbeing of students through education and consultancy in the areas of physical training, nutrition and dietetics, health, and sports medicine.
OPL is an Institute of Ergonomics & Human Factors Registered Consultancy with a Quality System approved to BS EN ISO9001-2000 and an approved supplier to the MOD, holding a number of enabling contracts including the Framework Agreement for Technical Services (FATS) and is a member of the Haldane Spearman Consortium (H-SC). The Company is a member of the Aerospace, Defence and Security (A|D|S) trade organisation and CBRN UK.
OPL have recently won the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in International Trade for our outstanding achievement in growing its overseas sales over nine-fold in three years.
Back Row: Mark Rayson, James Carter, David Wilkinson, Kirstie Lawton, Sam Blacker, Bart Pepper
Front Row: Gareth Picknell, Graham Nicholson, Lisa Scullion, Victoria Richmond, Deborah Allen, Fleur Horner, Tom Loney
The Team
Dr Mark Rayson is Managing Director. He has a PhD from the University of Birmingham and 25 years of experience in providing research and consultancy in applied physiology in both the public and private sectors. He has experience of managing large projects, delivering on time and to budget. He is a member of the Institute of Directors, the Ergonomics Society, the American College of Sports Medicine and the British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES).
Mrs Gill Dixon has a BSc and MSc and is a business consultant with 16 years of experience working with clients to develop peoples potential & measure business performance. Gill is experienced in managing projects in the fields of change management, personal development, and business redesign.
Dr David Wilkinson has a PhD from University College Chichester and has 20 years experience in research and consultancy in Occupational Physiology and Sport and Exercise Science. David provides the Technical Lead on many of OPL’s projects. He is a British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES) accredited physiologist (Support).
Dr James Carter completed both his BSc and PhD at the University of Birmingham’s School of Sport and Exercise Sciences. His area of expertise includes thermal physiology and sports nutrition. James has worked as a consultant to the British Army, RAF, Department of Health and the Fire and Police Services. He is currently posted with OPL in the United Arab Emirates, where he is the Deputy Department Head of a Military Health and Sports Medicine Centre.
Dr Sam Blacker completed his BSc in Biological Sciences at the University of Brighton and his PhD at the University of Chichester, investigating the effects of load carriage on neuromuscular function. Sam has conducted projects with the British Army, RAF, Department of Health and Fire and Police services. He was lead investigator during a series of audits examining the Fitness, Health and Nutritional status of Officer Cadets in the UAE Armed Forces and is currently the Principle Investigator of a study to re-validate the current British Army physical selection tests for basic recruit training.
Mrs Victoria Richmond completed her BSc in Sport and Exercise Science with Biology at Nottingham Trent University and her MSc in Exercise Physiology at Loughborough University. She has worked with the British Army, Fire and Police Services and the Department of Health over the past 6 years. Victoria is currently undertaking her PhD, investigating technology for the measurement of core body temperature.
Miss Fleur Horner completed her BSc in Sport and Exercise Science at Bath University with a research placement year at Nottingham Trent. Since joining OPL she has worked on Army and Emergency Services projects.
Miss Kirstie Lawton has a BSc in Public Health Nutrition and is currently writing up her PhD thesis. She worked for five years managing projects in the fields of community development and nutrition education in Edinburgh before joining Optimal Performance as the Nutrition Section Chief in the Health and Sports Medicine Centre in the in the United Arab Emirates.
Miss Deborah Allen completed her BSc in Sport Science and Biology at the University of Surrey, followed by an MSc in Human Nutrition from the University of Ulster. She has since become a registered Dietician (University of Wales Institute Cardiff ). Deborah has worked internationally, conducting nutrition based research, before joining Optimal Performance in 2008.
Dr Tom Loney completed his BSc in Sport and Exercise Science at the University of Bath and completed his PhD at the same institute. His research examines various issues pertaining to physical activity and exercise across a variety of populations in both laboratory and field based settings. Tom is the Data Manager and a Health Education and Research Section Chief in the Health & Sports Medicine Centre, based in the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Gareth Picknell completed his BSc in Sport and Exercise Psychology at University of Glamorgan, MSc Sport Psychology at University of Wales Institute, Cardiff and PGCE at Cardiff University. He is currently undertaking his PhD, investigating the benefits of reflective practice for developing psychological skills and behaviour change. Gareth joined Optimal Performance in 2010 as a Health Education Specialist and is based in the Health & Sports Medicine Centre in the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Bart Pepper completed his BPhEd and MSc at the University of Otago, and his PGDipBA at Massey University. His main areas of research are thermoregulation and human performance. Since finishing university he has mainly undertaken managerial roles in New Zealand and the United Kingdom, including working as National Manager of Sport and Exercise Science New Zealand. Bart is now Physical Education Chief at the Health & Sports Medicine Centre in the United Arab Emirates.
Mr Graham Nicholson gained his BSc in Sports Science at Portsmouth University then completed an MSc in Sport and Exercise Physiology at the University of Chichester. Graham joined Optimal Performance in 2008 and is now based in the Health & Sports Medicine Centre in the United Arab Emirates.
External Consultants
In addition to the team detailed above, OPL work with a number of associates in academia and industry, who are each specialists providing expert advice and further access to information and technical facilities. Click below to learn more about the wide range of consultants who work with OPL.
