John West – CEO

For over 30 years, John is recognised as a leading entrepreneur in the health & fitness club, spa and leisure Industry.

Since establishing the ground breaking St Albans Health & Racquet Club in 1991, he has been responsible for the finance, development and operation of a number of high profile club groups and hotel spa developments including;

⁃ In 1992 he was founder of the Brooklands Racquet & Healthtrack Group, that in the late “90’s, as a group of six clubs, was sold to the David Lloyd Group.

⁃ In 1998, John established the Odyssey Group of Health Clubs. He remained as a main Board Director at Odyssey Holdings Ltd until he sold his shares in 2018.

⁃ The Wildmoor Spa at Stratford upon Avon was awarded Day Spa of the Year 2007, while under Odyssey’s management, was later sold to the Bannatyne  Group.

⁃ More recently, as charity Trustee, he was instrumental, alongside the Chairman Jim Park, in raising £600k of charitable donations from Sport England, the local community and businesses, to construct a new clubhouse for the John Clements Sports Centre in Hertfordshire. The charity team received an “Award for Services to Sport” from the Hertfordshire Sports Partnership.

John, along with MD Mike Adams, established Touchstone Active Ltd with the vision to assist companies in providing wellbeing solutions for companies employees.

Michael Adams – Managing Director

Michael is an internationally respected marketing consultant, business growth strategist and human behaviour specialist. In a career that spans 30 plus years, he has consulted for both American Express and British Airways at global strategy level, been a Board Director for The Grenada Board of tourism, Marketing Director for Recruitment Solutions Group (now Hays Recruitment) Medical, Teaching and Social Work Recruitment (4 International offices) and a National Football Coach for the Caribbean island, Grenada.

As an ex professional football player, Michael has always put health and wellbeing at the top of his agenda. He has paid particular interest to the habits of the elite athlete and the common man, recognising both the synergies and differences in their needs.

Michael leads our delivery teams and is responsible for the creation of our client solutions, new product and service development and network relationships.

Christopher Laing OBE DL – Director

Chris was active in the family group of John Laing from 1971 to 2002; he was a director of John Laing Construction Plc from 1986 to 2001.

Christopher was Chairman of the National Playing Fields Association from 1993 to 2000.

President of the Chartered Institute of Building Benevolent Fund Ltd and Director of Eskmuir Properties Plc 1990 (Chairman from 2005).

Christopher was Vice President of the Chartered Institute of Building 1989 to 1992 acting as President from 1992 to 2001.

He was High Sheriff of Hertfordshire in 2001-02 and as a Liveryman was Master of the Worshipful Company of Paviors 2008 to 2009.

Neil Parry – Director

Neil was Managing Director of RBS NatWest Leisure & Hotel Team, overseeing a portfolio of customers comprising successful sector names, such as Pret a Manger, Nandos, Duncan Bannatyne Spa Hotels, The FA and The RFU (funding the redevelopment of Twickenham).

Previous roles at Barclays included National Head of Hospitality & Leisure, Head of Business Services and Healthcare Sectors and Regional Credit Director.

In between his time at Barclays and RBS, Neil developed his own corporate advisory business, based on his extensive experience and relationships in the SME segment, advising on BD, debt, risk management and Treasury strategy. 

Neil has a passion for supporting start-ups, entrepreneurs and fast growth SMEs and since leaving banking, has been able to develop this passion into helping many businesses. Having extensive leadership experience and holding a variety of coaching mastery qualifications, Neil is now enjoying mentoring, coaching and advising a number of young fast growth businesses. Neil was a Founding Partner of London Business School’s Foundation for Entrepreneurial Management and having an MBA from Henley Management College is ideally placed to assist these exciting businesses.