About us

Emma Dutton MBE

Co-Founder & CEO

Emma served as an Engineer Officer in the RAF before transitioning to the influence capability of Military Intelligence. Emma led teams to collect life-saving information over five tours of Afghanistan and was honoured with an MBE in 2015. After a realisation that the same skills and methodology used to influence the Taliban were just as effective with the politicians and military commanders involved in the campaigns, Emma co-founded the Applied Influence Group. The goal was for others to benefit from everything learned influencing stakeholders under such unique and extreme conditions. Emma is a keen skydiver and although the pinnacle of military fitness has long been forgotten, tries to keep moving.

Dan Connors

Co-Founder & Chief Influence Officer

As Chief Influence Officer, Dan leads on solving the toughest influence challenges faced by our clients. He also drives our innovation function and continually refines and adapts our Elite Influence methodology. Dan developed his understanding and practice of influence over a 22 year career in specialist military intelligence roles and has been applying and adapting that knowledge to the toughest of business challenges since co-founding the Applied Influence Group. In his spare time Dan volunteers with a number of conservation groups, is studying for an MSc in Countryside Management and runs ultramarathons.

Lynette Pearce

Associate Consultant

Lynette joined AIG after a 30-year career in the Police Service, which included significant experience in Hostage and Crisis negotiation. She led many national and international operations including counter terrorism and kidnap situations, where she was at the centre of influencing multiple international government organisations to avoid loss of life. She finished her career as Director of Training for the UK’s Hostage and Crisis capability, which included training 200 negotiators per year and upskilling her Japanese counterparts ahead of the 2020 Olympics. Lynette lectures in behaviour change and public health, is learning to play the drums and has a penchant for a cycling a very long way.

Dr Suzanne Harkins

Associate Consultant

Suzanne has a varied career history with a common theme: understanding people to solve business and sales problems, and to create win-win solutions. After completing a PhD in Sociology, Suzanne specialised in strategic bid development, working in Ireland, Germany, and the UK. In recent years she has focused on technology innovation, connecting the dots between inventors, the technology, customers, and broader market forces. Suzanne volunteers her time as a Board Member of an environmental initiative, which has her doing everything from developing theories of change to organising parade floats. Occasionally she swims long distances across lakes and the sea.

Jake Sweet

Associate Consultant

Jake served 13 years as a Royal Marines Commando, operating on the front line in the highest threat environments in the world. Drawn to Military Intelligence, he transitioned to the influence capability and completed multiple tours of Afghanistan. He returned to the UK to select and train future influence specialists, becoming instrumental in advancing how the military develops its influence operators. He now brings his diverse range of skills and operational experience to the Applied Influence Group. Outside of work, Jake is a parent of two and plays various sports including rugby and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Jake’s real passions are food and scouring the South West coast for uncrowded surf.

Abigail Ireland

Associate Consultant

Abigail spent over 10 years in banking, working internationally in private equity, acquisition finance, strategy and business management. She has sat on senior leadership teams and served as a Board Advisor. Influencing skills were crucial to success, when advising C-suite executives on strategic direction, as well as in engaging diverse stakeholders to execute on projects whilst exercising indirect authority. Abigail integrates her corporate and coaching skills, applying psychology and tools such as NLP, to enable teams and executives to perform at their best.

Emma Quinn

Associate Consultant

Emma, formerly an Intensive Care Nurse, is a multi-business owner and mental health advocate. She is currently studying MSc Positive Coaching Psychology, researching how community dynamics influence emotional flourishing. Her interests lie in the psychology of influence and the use of integrated cognitive behavioural coaching methods to improve performance and wellbeing in the workplace.

Richard Smith

Associate Consultant

Richard spent 11 years in the Armed Forces in which he was mobilised on tours of both Iraq and Afghanistan. His military background focused on surveillance and human intelligence gathering and he honed these skills on his final tour as an influence operator. Having left the Armed Forces, he continues to use these skills in the public sector where the need to actively listen, understand and effectively communicate with the people he interacts with, is key to influencing these relationships in high stakes environments.

Steff Booth

Executive Assistant

Starting her career with 11 years in front line retailing, Steff was responsible for changing behaviours and improving performance by writing and managing incentive programmes, followed by over ten years in event management. After spending seven years working in marketing for a global performance improvement business, Steff moved on to become a Virtual Assistant and now supports the leadership team at the Applied Influence Group as Executive Assistant.

Helena Mofflin

Head of Finance

Helena has spent her career working in office management and finance, using her skills to implement efficiency and financial savings in her roles. After several years focusing on accountancy roles, she now supports the Applied Influence Group as the Head of Finance.

Joanne Hawkins

Contract Manager

Joanne has spent the majority of her working career in a variety of office environments perfecting her business acumen and office management skills. Having developed a keen eye for detail and the art of negotiation, Joanne now supports the team at Applied Influence Group as Contract Manager.

Kyle Hughes

Co-Founder & Advisor

Kyle spent 12 years in the British Army honing his intelligence skills in the most demanding of operational environments. After serving across the globe as an Intelligence Analyst, he transitioned to the influence capability and led highly sensitive operations over multiple tours in Afghanistan, before becoming lead instructor for the influence capability at the Defence School of Intelligence.

Kyle left the military to co-found Applied Influence Group, growing the business, service offerings and operational capability over the five years he spent with the organisation. He remains a close advisor of the company, bringing his extensive experience in developing Elite Influence Practitioners with a particular interest in emotional intelligence and the influence factors affecting strategic business decisions.

Graham Drew

Advisor

Graham’s role is to define and implement our strategy which includes a focus on growing our own business by creating a sustainable, competitive advantage for our clients through Elite Influence. He has extensive experience as Chief Procurement Officer, Sales Director, Commercial Director and Head of Consulting for global companies in Technology, Fin-Tech, Learning & Development and Business Consulting sectors. Graham also retains a number of other positions including his role as Managing Director of Infinite Advantage Group.

Sarah Long

Advisor

Sarah is a highly experienced, senior business leader with specialisms in business development, strategic change and commercial operations. She has held senior positions in a variety of public IT and Tech companies and is now Chief People Officer at Computacenter, a FTSE 250 IT services organisation which operates globally.

Dr Jamie Dow

Advisor

Following a career in the commercial world, including time spent as a PwC consultant Jamie returned to his passions, Philosophy and the Classics, as an academic. He is currently the Development Director of the Inter-Disciplinary Ethics Applied Centre at the University of Leeds where he is helping to grow the centre’s research-based consulting practice. He also teaches on the Centre’s online MA in Applied and Professional Ethics, as well as on Masters programmes in the Business School. His research focuses on the ethics of leadership and influence. Jamie advises the Applied Influence Group on the ethical issues arising from the application of their influence methodology.

David Hawkings

Non-Exec Director

David brings over 25 years of leadership experience building a number of high growth, scale-up enterprises with-in the Advanced AI Predictive Analytics, Software and Consulting sectors. He has worked with Retail, Consumer Products, Manufacturers, Media, Brands and Hospitality focused companies during his career. David has a portfolio of NED roles and helps Applied Influence Group to further develop it’s growth and business strategy. David participates in track days, enjoys motorsport and classic cars although taxi-ing his teenage daughters around takes much of his spare time.