Col (Retd) David Radford-Wilson MBE

Director

David has spent over 30 years developing and leading high performing teams around the world, as an engineer, adventurer, Mt Everest mountaineer, special forces officer and businessman.

He originally trained as a Production Engineer, with a Bachelor of Technology (Honours) from Loughborough University and worked for Marley Buildings Ltd. He then sailed a square-rigged sailing ship across the South Atlantic and explored some of the more remote parts of South America before joining the British Army. He served as an Engineer and Special Forces officer, was a leader of the Army Mount Everest West Ridge Expedition and was an operational Regimental Commander; twice being awarded Queens Commendations for Valuable Service.

He gained a Masters’ degree in Military Studies with a Diploma in Strategic Leadership and was a senior instructor at the United Kingdom’s Defence Academy before being selected to be the senior UK advisor to the United States Homeland Defence Headquarters in Colorado Springs, USA. Concurrently, he was also the senior UK Engineer Liaison Officer to the US Army overseeing all current and future interoperability; portfolios that spanned the tactical, operational and strategic national linkages. On return to the UK he was hand-picked to be Director of the Chief of Defence Staff’s Special Projects Liaison Staff within the Ministry of Defence, providing liaison, advice, coordination and military support (both overt and discreet) across all UK Government and Other Government Departments. He was made a Member of the British Empire for his services to the United Kingdom.

On leaving the Army he set up Radford Wilson Ltd to pursue his passion for getting the best out of people and organisations by delivering leadership coaching, organisational development, consultancy and risk management advice. He was approached to set up and run a Medical Company in the Middle East and then went on to join AECOM as Director for Management Services Middle East, developing and managing business in the Middle East Government, Defence and Humanitarian Aid markets. After three years living in the Middle East he returned to the UK as head of AECOM’s UK International Development Business. He returned to running Radford Wilson as his full-time passion in 2018.

In his spare-time he enjoys physical and mental challenges – in 2016 he ran the Marathon des Sables to raise money for wounded veterans. He is currently raising money for Kennedy’s Disease UK. He is married with three children.

Sophia Radford

Director

Sophia Radford is an HR and Employment Law consultant with over 20 years’ experience as a practising solicitor, CIPD lecturer and freelance consultant.

Sophia gained a Bachelors’ degree in Law and Anthropology from the London School of Economics before qualifying as a Solicitor from the London College of Law in 1996. Whilst living in the United Kingdom, the United States and the Middle East, she has worked within law firms (including Linklaters, Stones, Slee Blackwell and Gabb & Co), set up and run an employment law department, been in-house counsel and latterly operated as a freelance HR and Employment Law Consultant.

Sophia has been a member of a number of working parties including developing national discrimination law policies. She is also a key member of several employment lawyer groups that provide regular seminars and up to date case analysis across all sectors.

As a freelance HR and Employment Law specialist Sophia advises on a broad range of HR and Employment Law issues including recruitment processes, redundancy programs, performance policies and Employment Law Health Checks to review company policies and procedures and advise / amend as required. Most recently, to keep abreast of European regulations and the GDPR she has trained in EU Data Protection Regulation Compliance in order to provide practical advice to her clients.

Sophia’s passion for law has led her to lecture law to Higher Education students and deliver CIPD courses to HR Managers. She is a strong believer in delivering information in a clear and concise manner to spread equality and best practice in all working areas.

Sophia undertakes voluntary work wherever possible as she strongly believes in both giving back and helping people develop new skills. She has worked in Law Centres and taken pro bono cases in matters of discrimination and unfair dismissal.

Sophia hugely enjoys the legal challenges and human interaction that HR and Employment Law provides and strives to deliver best practices for employers and employees.