Abbie Cooke
Ayd Instone
Diana Theodores
Martin Boroson
Toby Wilsher

Abbie Cooke

Do you want to inspire the employees in your company to step up as leaders? Is it time to increase creativity, innovation and enterprise? Are you ready to discover new ways to 'create a difference' and get onboard with corporate responsibility? If so, Abbie can help you.

Abbie is a motivational inspirational speaker, social entrepreneur and co-founder of Gig-Arts. She is a British Female Inventor/Innovator of the Year award winner, a former British Territorial Army captain and Britain's only female ships' figurehead carver. Abbie's unique style of performance art presentation has inspired her audiences in Europe, North America and even mid-Atlantic onboard the QE2.

Abbie studied Creative Leadership at the Creative Education Foundation in New York State. She holds a BA Honours in Design History and gained a distinction for her MSc in Entrepreneurship at BCU Business School where her research paper on 'entrepreneurial learning' won her open invitations to pursue a PhD. Abbie was also recognised for her academic achievements when she won the UK Association of Business Schools Award for Corporate Social Responsibility.

Abbie worked in marketing for Price Waterhouse Coopers and leading shipping accountants Moore Stephens before starting her first business as an international artists' agent in 1999. Through her Company of Carvers Abbie brought together a global network of artists. Spotting a niche in the art market, Abbie innovatively targeted the cruise ship industry. The highlight of her artistic entrepreneurship came in 2003 when she became Britain's largest supplier of artwork to the largest cruise ship in the world, Cunard's Queen Mary 2.

Back in 1991, Abbie attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst where she gained her commission in the British Territorial Army (TA). She served as an infantry platoon commander in Manchester Officer Training Corps before becoming, at one stage, the only female cavalry officer in the TA. Taking an unusual leadership role for a woman, she became a troop leader. Abbie later joined the elite Media Operations Group (V) where she served in numerous locations including Salisbury Plain, Germany, Cyprus and the Oman Desert. In 2000 she was awarded the Prothero Trophy at the RMA Sandhurst for her outstanding service to the Group. As a captain in the TA, Abbie escorted a BBC Television film crew across the desert of Oman for three days to film the series Guns and Roses. She also battled monsoon rainfall in the jungle of Brunei as the presenter of a documentary for the Ministry of Defence. Abbie resigned her commission in 2003 to pursue her philanthropic interests.

In 1996 Abbie studied woodcarving and gilding at the Kennington School of Art and is known for her portrait carving of the late Sir Roger Cork, former Lord Mayor of London. The following year, Abbie became the artist-in-residence for Taylor Woodrow Property Developers and later for the museum battleship cruiser HMS Belfast where she had use of a studio onboard the ship for five years. Abbie's unusual carving career gained wide media interest and the rare title of Britain's only female ships' figurehead carver. In 2002 TV personality Lloyd Grossman and Captain Warwick of the QE2 were amongst the celebrities who unveiled sculptures at her Figurehead Festival onboard HMS Belfast. The event was also featured on GMTV.

All of Abbie's innovations embrace creativity. Her fun-loving persona is a refreshing approach to business and she weaves her academic knowledge and entrepreneurial experience into entertaining educational events.