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Meet the Team
Passionate professionals driving transformation and growth for our clients.
Our story
It's a question we get asked a lot. And while we'd love to tell you there's a grand origin myth - a safari epiphany, perhaps, or a midnight flash of inspiration - the truth is both simpler and more human than that.
Ten years ago, Elaine and her husband Toby were both working as self-employed consultants when Blue Gnu was incorporated. On the advice of their accountant, they needed a single business name to sit above two very different practices. Toby worked in health economics, helping pharmaceutical products navigate their route to market. Elaine worked in learning and development with a specialism in developing leaders. One name had to cover both worlds without belonging too firmly to either.
They did what any sensible person does in this situation: they asked their friends on Facebook. Could a Brangelina-style mashup of their names work?
What about something incorporating their surname, Gosden? The internet and friends and family weighed in. Nothing quite landed.
What they did have was colour. Through Elaine's ongoing work with Insights Discovery, they knew that blue was Toby's defining lead preference, and yellow was Elaine's. Whatever the name, it needed to carry both. But when they searched Companies House, most of the compelling yellow-based names were already taken.
So they turned to blue - and started playing.
Pick a colour. Pick an animal. Check Companies House. Repeat.
Then: Blue Gnu.
It had something. It was memorable. It raised an eyebrow and invited a question - which, as it turns out, is not a bad thing for a business name to do.
They went with it.
(And if you look closely at the logo, you'll notice the word blue is written in yellow, and gnu in blue — a quiet nod to the two-colour energies behind the name.)
Toby has been in and out of Blue Gnu over the years - as an active consultant at the start, then back in the pharmaceutical industry, then returning as Finance Director for three years, before leaving in late 2025 to pursue his career as a health economist once again.
Blue Gnu is now entirely Elaine's - a full-service leadership development and learning and development consultancy. The gnu is still blue. The yellow is still there if you know where to look.
And yes, people still ask where the name came from.
Founder & CEO
Elaine Gosden
Elaine is a highly gifted and experienced facilitator. A high proportion of her work is with CEO and Executive Teams in a diverse range of sectors - she has experience in Health Care, FMCG, Elite Sports and Pharmaceuticals. Her background is in Learning and Development focusing on Leadership and Management.
Business Development & Marketing Manager
Claire Trotman
Claire supports Elaine and the team from her home on the West Sussex coast. As Business Development & Marketing Manager, she focuses on business development, event management, workshop logistics, and marketing. Claire is also a licensed Insights Discovery®
Practitioner and occasionally delivers workshops.
Finance & Events Manager
Mary Hutson
Mary is an experienced and dedicated professional with a strong focus on delivering exceptional support and personalised service. She works closely with clients to understand their needs, helping to create smooth, well-organised experiences with a friendly and approachable manner. Her attention to detail and commitment to quality make her a valued part of the team.
Operations Manager
Lucy Boullé
Lucy is an organised and detail-oriented Operations Manager who plays a key role in keeping projects, logistics and day-to-day operations running smoothly. With a proactive and supportive approach, she works closely with both clients and the wider team to ensure everything is delivered efficiently, professionally and to the highest standard.
Senior Partner
Nicola Blackmore
Nicola is an experienced and passionate Learning & Development professional, specialising in Management Development. She has worked in the L&D field for almost twenty years with a variety of organisations and was an operational manager before that, enabling her to truly understand what it takes to be a great manager – and how tough it can be!
Senior Partner
Stephen Fortune
Stephen Fortune offers coach facilitation for many of the world’s leading organisations. With a focus on leadership capability, mindset and culture change, his approach is challenging, pragmatic and personal, providing clarity and enabling executives and their teams to exceed their personal and business goals.
Senior Partner
Steve Brunt
Steve is an experienced Learning and Development professional who builds trusting relationships to deliver tailored support. He specialises in leadership and management development, personal effectiveness, team dynamics, and workplace relationships.
Senior Partner
Briony Lawton
Briony typically focuses on coaching for human centred leaders, who are seeking space to think, create work-life harmony and are keen to align to their values / what matters where they are. She incorporates Insights Discovery® profiling to support self-discovery, relationship building and strategies for resilience and work-life harmony.
Get in Touch
Ready to explore what’s possible? Get in touch with our team.