Crystal Umbrella

Alan has a wealth of experience in contracting; systems analyst by trade and qualification, and with unsurpassed experience within the IT and Telecommunications industry. Alongside Colin he also assumes the responsibility for both the strategic direction and smooth running of the business. He oversees the Client services, Information Technology and Marketing functions of the business.

As a former contractor himself Alan is dedicated to ensuring that the needs of contractors are always at the forefront of everything Crystal Umbrella does, and he takes an active part in the management of the Service Delivery and Customer service elements of the business.

As an expert in customer service and understanding his customers expectations Alan demands the best from his employees and always strives to develop new internal initiatives to ensure that they hold the same ethos and principles.

Colin started the company, originally No Longer Limited, in 2001 along with Alan. He is a qualified accountant and initially comes from a practice background, so has a wealth of experience in financial management and tax expertise. He is jointly responsible for the strategic direction and running of the company and oversees the Finance, Sales and Compliance functions of the business.

When originally starting No Longer Limited, Colin did so with the consciousness that freelancer contractors needed a more transparent and compliant accountancy service, which would meet the need of all types of contractors, and Crystal, strives to achieve this.

As experts on how legislation affects the contracting industry, we are proud to say that we are a Founder affiliate member of the Association of Employment Management Companies (AEMC).

David is the newest member to Crystal Umbrellas Management Team. His ambition to drive corporate growth, deploy cutting-edge high-tech products, leading start-up operations and coordinate business development is coupled with his outstanding experience in expanding revenue, profit margins, financial accountability, and customer satisfaction levels, making David a valued asset to the board.

A qualified Chartered Accountant and joining Crystal after ten years in industry, with a twelve year stint at Deloitte within Forensic Services, David will oversee all aspects of the finance department and will contribute to the strategic direction of the company

Phil joined the company in 2005 and initially ran the accounting and finance functions of the business. Coming from his own practice to help set-up the financial operating side of No Longer Limited, he has a broad range of experiences that cover audit, accounting, tax and corporate finance.

Phil currently plays a major strategic role within the business alongside the other Directors, ensuring that Crystal is always at the forefront of contractor payment processing, along with maintaining its compliance with HMRC at all times, with specifically tailored transparent solutions.

He is a fully qualified Accountant and seen as the company “expert” in all we do.

Tim joined Crystal in summer 2009 as the Director of Sales and Marketing. Arriving with seven years umbrella experience and over fifteen years strong history in sales management within the Co-op group of companies; Tim’s remit is to design, build and implement a robust sales and marketing strategy, which will push the business forward to the next level of growth. Tim will lead Crystal’s dedicated team of sales and agency service professionals and provide sales focus across all departments.

Tim’s role within Crystal is vital to its success - seeing continued growth throughout an economically challenging time. Crystal is continually focused on sustaining its status as being one of the UK’s leading Umbrella Companies, both financially and by reputation, Tim’s focus will only assist in achieving this.

Helen started working originally with No Longer Limited as an external consultant in 2005. She joined as Head of Human Resources shortly after in 2006. Helen has overall responsibility for all aspects of HR and provides help and advice for both Crystal’s internal and external employees.

As a chartered CIPD she has over fifteen years of experience, and is committed to developing family friendly policies for contractors and working with agencies in partnership to assist them in making sure business runs smoothly without jeopardising employer obligations.

Crystal encourages and practices equal opportunities and diversity throughout our Client Contact and new business centres and company as a whole at all times.

Scott joined Crystal in 2007 to head up the service delivery functions of Crystal Umbrella. With focus in service support, customer retention and sales & marketing, Scott brings a wealth of knowledge with him. His twelve years experience managing operational, customer support and sales departments within the Umbrella and financial services sector, including Norwich Union, Santander and Citi Bank, mean he’s a great asset to the Crystal Umbrella team.

Scott’s role within Crystal is to head up the overall operations functions, having responsibility for the whole contractor and agency lifecycle at Crystal. Being a frontline member of the team, dedicated to 1st class customer service and support for contractors and agencies alike; Scott leads enthusiastic, dedicated Client Services and Operational Support teams, who are focused on delivering only the highest levels of customer service, support systems and information to every member of our workforce.

Ewan joined Crystal in 2011 and heads up all three areas within the Client Services function: Account Management & Customer Service; being the first point of call for Contractor/Agency and client queries, Compliancy & Administration; dealing with all set-up and documentation and ensuring that each new Contractor follows the correct process, keeping them legal and compliant and finally Direct Sales and New Business sign ups.

Ewan has over 16 years management experience across virtually every customer service and contact centre function, predominately in financial services and telecommunications. He has built a fantastic team ready to face any challenge presented to them; ensuring they provide our customers with first class customer service and that personal touch which Crystal Umbrella prides itself on. Ewan has used his extensive knowledge and experience to augment the skills brought by individual team members to make them the face and driving force of Crystal Umbrella success.