Meet the team
Peter Brooks -Centre Manager
Peter has been the Howard Centre Manager for 6 years, having previously managed a shopping centre in London. In his current role Peter’s main responsibilities are business planning and development, plus managing the service charge budget, financial controls and coordinating the activities of other team members. He also takes a keen interest in what is going on in the town and is Chair of the Welwyn Hatfield Chamber of Commerce and on the board of the Town Centre Partnership. He has been in the Shopping Centre industry for 20 years and previously held Regional and General Manager positions with major retailers. In his spare time he plays tennis, and collects vintage cigarette lighters. He also enjoys walking, an interest he shares with his wife Jenny, as well as spending time with two grown up daughters and two grandchildren.
Shirley Harper -Marketing Manager
Shirley joined The Howard Centre in July 1998 as PA/Marketing Assistant to the Centre Manager and was promoted to Marketing Manager in 2006. She previously worked as a marketing executive for Redland Aggregates and Bay Trading Company at their head office in Welham Green, and before that, ran a successful catering company also based in Welwyn Garden City. Shirley lives in Welwyn Garden City and is married to John and has one son. In her spare time, she enjoys walking, cycling, reading and taking foreign holidays, as much as annual leave allows. She also likes to keep the Centre’s retailers in business and claims her job to be an occupational hazard!
Kevin Wilkins - Technical Services Manager
Kevin joined the Howard Centre team in 2006 as Technical Services Manager. His principle responsibilities are day-to-day maintenance and repair of the centre’s mechanical and electrical services and structural fabric and the control of contractors working in the centre.
He has a lengthy career history in the design, installation and maintenance of building services, working for BT, where he achieved a City & Guilds in electrical installation and an HNC in building services engineering. More recently he was a regional facilities manager for several major retail companies. In his spare time he is a keen photographer and an ardent steam enthusiast.
Mick Jones - Operations Manager
Mick has been at the centre since 1990 when the centre first opened. His main responsibilities include management of the car park, cleaning standards, recycling and monitoring security policies and procedures. He was a founder member of Welwyn Garden City Watch.
He is a keen coarse angler and often competes in matches. Free time at weekends he likes to walk his dog.
Alison Vaughan- Centre Administrator &
Website Co-ordinator
Alison has been part of the management team since 2006 and she is the key point of contact at the Howard Centre. Alison is the centre's receptionist and administrator, dealing with all the company's purchase orders and invoices on a day to day basis. She also manages the company's website keeping it up to date for all our customers. She has two lively daughters who keep her very busy and when she has some spare time she enjoys having fun with her children, bike riding, listening to music, and shopping!
THE HOWARD CENTRE SERVICE PROVIDERS TEAM
The Howard Centre has contracts with two service partners OCS and Inviron who provide cleaning, security and maintenance services and work to a specification written and quality controlled by the Centre Management. Their staff are trained in first aid, fire safety, health and safety and emergency procedures, so that any situation can be dealt with in a professional and efficient manner. The key staff employed by our service partners are:
Adrian Rutland - OCS Security Manager
Adrian joined the Howard Centre Security Team in 2001 as a security guard and has since worked his way up to Security Manager. His main responsibilities are to manage the security team on a day to day basis and implement all the appropriate security policies and procedures. The security team are SIA licensed and have won several awards including two from the Hertfordshire Police Constabulary.
Davina Armstrong - OCS Cleaning Manager
Davina is the Cleaning Manager for the centre. Her main duties are to ensure that all cleaners are trained to a high standard, on duty at the appropriate times and following the specified processes and procedures.
She recruits and develops her staff and trains new starters on the cleaning methods required to achieve high standards, for which the team have won several awards.
Bryan Gwilliam - Inviron Limited Maintenance Operative
Bryan joined the Howard Centre team in 1998. He is mainly responsible for the day to day maintenance and repair tasks throughout the centre. In his spare time, Bryan is a keen fisherman and enjoys relaxing at his static caravan.
Alistair Laing - Inviron Limited Maintenance Operative
Alistair joined the Howard Centre team in 2000. He is also responsible for the day to day running of maintenance and repairs throughout the centre. In his spare time, Alistair enjoys looking after the family's animals of horses, chickens and rabbits.
