Meet the Team

Jonathan Cooper co-founded george james Ltd. in 1998 with business partner Neil Burns. Now, Jonathan’s primary focus is the delivery of sales and commercially focused training, leadership development and one to one coaching and mentoring programs. 

“I started george james ltd. because I am passionate about coaching and training. Throughout my career and now, as a coach, I see the immediate, significant and positive impact it has on people.”  

Prior to co-founding george james Ltd, Jonathan had a successful career in scientific and laboratory analytical sales. Having started as a sales rep at Perkin Elmer, Jonathan quickly gained increasingly senior positions at VG instruments culminating in a position as the Global Sales Manager. He then took his skills to Gas Measurement Instruments where he worked as the Global Sales Director and Main Board Director. 

“I received some great training and coaching during my formative years in sales and it was fundamental to my success in a very competitive environment. Having received the investment as a sales person myself I then invested heavily in my sales teams and watched the results follow from that investment.”

Pru Layton has dedicated over a decade to training, coaching and mentoring individuals and teams in the science and technology sector. Currently, she runs both the scheduled training courses and in-house tailored training programs as well as offering one-to-one coaching and mentoring. 

During and after her bachelors in chemistry, Pru worked in organic chemistry labs before moving into sales after a total of 7 years. After several years as a sales rep, Pru was promoted to her first sales management role becoming more senior as she moved around in the instrument, healthcare, manufacturing and life science sectors with companies such as Merck, Olympus and Perkin Elmer.

Having identified her skills and motivations in senior sales positions, moving into sales and commercial training was the logical next step for Pru. “I was able to spot and develop talent throughout my career and I really enjoyed watching people succeed. It’s extremely rewarding putting effort into training people and then you continue to watch people grow and develop – years or even decades later. It’s the continuation of watching people succeed that really drives me as a coach.”

As a senior trainer, Steve Vaughan runs both the scheduled training courses and tailored training programs covering all aspects of sales and sales leadership. Steve also provides one-to-one coaching. 

Before spending 30 years in sales, sales management and general management roles, Steve graduated with a bachelors in chemistry and spent several years working in the synthetic organic chemistry world. This blend of science and commercial experience allows Steve to provide unique insight into life science, analytical instruments, general laboratory equipment and precision measurement industrial sales. 

Steve has a particular interest in channel/distribution management and hybrid remote/face to face selling. In addition to his roles and responsibilities at george james ltd, Steve is a co-director of a wedding photography business, which has sparked a curiosity into the power of social selling. 

Pascal runs both the scheduled training courses and in-house tailored training programs while delivering complementary individual coaching and mentoring in both French and English.

Following a Master’s degree in biochemistry and molecular biology, and a term as an analytical methods development engineer in the pharmaceutical industry, Pascal started his commercial career as a sales representative. He went on to gain increasingly senior roles at both start-ups and global matrix organisations such as Agilent Technologies and Dako Diagnostics.

Pascal went from sales representative to sales director at EMEA level over his 24 year career, introducing and ramping up cutting edge technologies as well as managing product portfolios in mature sectors across instrumentation, automation, reagents, bioinformatics solutions, services in life sciences research, clinical and diagnostic market segments.

“While I really enjoyed growing business year on year and selling breakthrough technologies to scientists and clinicians, the most rewarding aspect of my career was building and supporting the people in my team to success and seeing those people grow in their careers.”

After immersing herself in Business Management studies, Jayne was catapulted into the world of commercial sales as an account manager, specialising in selling laboratory chemicals and consumables. Shortly after, she transitioned into capital equipment and software sales, carving herself a career in the life science, biotechnology, and bioprocessing sectors with renowned companies like Fisher Scientific and Infors HT.

As Jayne stepped into team leadership and management positions, she discovered a passion for inspiring and developing people. During this time, the excellent training she received wasn’t merely a learning curve but a catalyst that propelled a career move into training and coaching.

As a trainer and coach, Jayne takes a holistic approach that isn’t just about transferring knowledge but aims to foster a growth mindset and enable people to continually develop long after training has finished.

Christian runs both the scheduled training courses and in-house tailored training programs and delivers individual coaching and mentoring in both German and English.

Armed with a bachelor’s degree in organic chemistry, Christian initiated his commercial journey in scientific instrumentation at Mettler Toledo as an application chemist. Here, his passion for training customers and colleagues took him worldwide, supporting subsidiaries across the globe. After a four-year stint in England, juggling diverse roles in a market organization and earning an MBA at Warwick University, he ascended to head a large Strategic Business Unit. In his last assignment as VP for global sales and service for BUCHI, Christian fully grasped the significance of well-embedded sales skills and strategies for business success, paving the way for his transition to a full-time trainer and coach..

As a trainer and coach, Christian brings a unique blend of technical expertise, global exposure, and a genuine passion for nurturing talent. 

Debbie Airey has built her career around industries where steel toe caps and hard hats are just part of the job. With a natural affinity for “how it’s made” sectors, Debbie thrived in environments where she could walk factory floors alongside sales and engineering teams, understanding products and processes firsthand.

Over the years, her passion evolved beyond technical sales, honing her focus on strategy and team development.

Debbie found a career-defining home at Halma Group, where she refined her skills in an environment that embraced personal development and authenticity. It was here that she became a leader known for fostering growth and championing inclusivity within her teams.

Debbie lives in Yate, near Bristol, with her husband and their oversized ginge tomcat, Leo. Her weekends are filled with parkrun adventures. She co-organises "AireyAirways" parkrun trips that bring people together for fun and exploration, and runs the parkrun swimmers Facebook page, fostering a supportive community of like-minded enthusiasts.