About Us

James joined the Activate Group Board following Elysian Capital’s investment in the business in 2024.

He joined Elysian in 2010 following extensive international operational and acquisition experience. Before joining Elysian, he was involved in 19 acquisitions, including of family-owned companies and non-core businesses, and specialised in post-acquisition management and business development.

He holds a degree from the University of Cambridge and a MBA from Harvard Business School.

MA and MAAT
Appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer in 2018, Hannah has a strong track record in financial management and has led Activate Group’s growth with a clear focus on people, service, and technology.

With accounting qualifications in CIMA and AAT, Hannah has an intimate knowledge of financial control standards within both private and stock market listed company environments.

ACA
Lucy was appointed to the Activate Group Board in 2019 to lead the financial management of the Group, including tracking cash flow, financial reporting and managing financial risks.

Lucy is ACA qualified and has more than 11 years’ experience working in financial roles at Manchester City Football Club and at accountancy and consultancy firm, Grant Thornton.

Phil joined the Activate Group Board following Elysian Capital’s investment in the business in 2024.

Phil joined Elysian in 2008 and is based in Yorkshire. Before Elysian, Phil was a Manchester-based director at UK private equity firm 3i Group from 1999, where he was responsible for sourcing and executing transactions outside of London and throughout the UK. He began his career in 1995 with NM Rothschild & Sons’ acquisition finance team in Leeds. Phil holds a master’s in economics from the University of Cambridge.

Mark joined the Activate Group Board following Elysian Capital’s investment in the business in 2024.

Mark joined Elysian in 2017. He previously worked as an associate director at KPMG, providing due diligence and advice to management teams, investors and corporates. He started his career with advisory firm BDO in London, qualifying as a chartered accountant in the audit department before moving to the corporate finance team and transferring to New York. Mark holds a degree in English and history of art from Lancaster University, and a master’s in English from the University of Oxford.

CIPD
Danielle leads the People and Marketing functions and is also responsible for driving the business’ ESG commitments.

She is passionate about building team member engagement, developing talent and building sustainable business practices that drive growth.

With a masters-level CIPD qualification, Danielle has extensive experience in senior roles across the insurance, automotive, media and consumer sectors.

Callum began his career at sopp+sopp, Activate Group’s fleet specialist, in 2010 and has been instrumental in driving the business’ success.

Having worked his way up through the company, Callum has a detailed understanding of both accident management and fleet priorities.

Callum was promoted to his current role as Managing Director in 2023, and is responsible for the business’s strategic growth plans and the development of its service offering.

As Managing Director, Mark leads the strategic growth of Avant Group, overseeing its expanding portfolio across automotive repair and bodyshop management technology.

Following the acquisition of Avant Group by Activate Group, Mark joined the Activate Group Executive Team, where he plays a key role in driving the integration of the two businesses and shaping a broader accident management proposition.

Known for his strategic vision and collaborative leadership style, Mark brings extensive experience in delivering high‑value projects, building strong partnerships, & championing service excellen

Rob is responsible for the strategic direction and performance of Activate Group’s owned repair and parts operations and sits on the Group Board and Executive Team.
Rob brings extensive automotive leadership experience, having most recently been Commercial Director at Volvo UK, where he oversaw a national retail and aftersales network. His career also includes senior roles at Harley‑Davidson, JATO Dynamics and Jaguar Land Rover, where he spent four years in China developing product strategy for the Chinese market.

Having worked at Activate Group since 2017, Daniel has played a key role in building the business’ technology strategy. As IT Director, he leads a highly-experienced team, responsible for IT infrastructure, security, support and software development.

Daniel has a strong track-record in leveraging technology to achieve business goals, and is a multi-skilled IT professional with accreditations including ITIL, PRINCE2 and Microsoft.