Meet The Team

Giles Semper

Giles joins the BID from Place Making Consultancy, the means and has a wealth of experience in planning, setting up and running BIDs. He has led placemaking projects in more than 50 UK neighbourhoods, towns and cities, always with an emphasis on innovation and creativity. He has also worked overseas, and is a founding member of the European BIDs Network.

Rebecca Handley

Rebecca has a wealth of experience within the BID industry. Initially working for Kingstonfirst, the UK's first Business Improvement District leading the Shaping Kingston theme to transform the town centre and latterly as Deputy CEO of Basingstoke Together BID. She joins the team as Operations Director, leading the Great City Centre Experience area of work. To achieve this she works closely with a number of key partners, including Southampton City Council to deliver improvements to the city centre.

Gemma Nichols

Gemma joins the BID with a diverse partnerships and events background. Originating from the North West, Gemma was part of the team that delivered Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture celebrations in 2008, focusing on the commercial partnership acquisition and delivery for the city. She then moved to the South Coast initially as Global Partnerships Manager for Clipper Round the World Yacht Race, managing global partnerships and events across the race schedule. Her role at the BID is to develop long standing commercial partnerships and an engaging events that deliver significant economic impact to the area.

Tom Madge

Tom brings a wealth of experience and an impressive portfolio of brands - not least well-known Southampton business, Red Funnel, where he was Head of Marketing and a member of the marketing panel for Visit Isle of Wight.

He has previously held positions at Ageas Insurance, and Christchurch and East Dorset Councils, as well as undertaking various roles at Bournemouth Borough Council / BH Live, predominantly within the events marketing team for the Bournemouth International Centre (BIC) and Bournemouth Pavilion.

Aryana Neo

Aryana has a business banking background from Natwest, as a Business Growth Enabler, looking after SMES’s, in parts of the South. She has substantial business & financial knowledge, working with senior officials & key stake holders improving business health & economy. Aryana’s strategic growth experience & work across city developmental & community projects, gives her a wide range of skills & contacts. Also a BBC Solent producer, enhancing her partnerships. She brings with her, relationship management skills, business & media contacts, strong project management & BD skills. Aryana joins the BID to build engaging relationships & also to create long standing partnerships.

Gemma Pratt

Before joining our team, Gemma worked as the Office Manager within an IT Recruitment company. Her organisation skills were also strengthened by her years as Personal Assistant at Southampton City Council for senior managers within the Education sector. As a proud Southampton resident, she is passionate about helping towards the GoSo mission.

Flo Bevis

Flo joined the team after finishing her Masters degree at Solent University in Journalism and Multimedia Communications. During her time in education she worked as an intern with GO! Southampton primarily working on the marketing and execution of the SO What? magazine. Prior to this Flo completed her undergraduate degree in Multimedia Journalism at Solent and therefore holds strong written and communication skills. She has lived in the city for six years and has worked in the hospitality sector in Southampton as well as working for Solent Creatives.

Martin Conlan

Martin has recently retired after 30 years with the Hampshire Constabulary, his last 14 spent managing the Southampton City Centre police team in the day and night time economies. He brings with him a wealth of relevant knowledge and experience to assist with the challenge of reducing business crime in our BID area

Carol Bowers

Carol has lived in Southampton all her life recently retiring from Hampshire Constabulary after 17 years as a Police Constable serving in Southampton. Carol has a wealth of experience of the city centre where she served as a local Neighbourhood Beat Officer for the day and night time economies until 2017. Carols last three years of service was based in the Resolution Centre Business Crime Team. With this knowledge and recent experience within the Business Crime team Carol assists with the challenges in reducing business crime for the day and night time economies.

Gabriela Moise

Gabriela has lived in Southampton since May 2018 and is originally from Romania. She is continually discovering Southampton’s hidden heritage with connections to Jane Austen, the Titanic and other historical events such as the Mayflower 400 that make Southampton a perfect destination for visitors.

Debbi Martin

Debbie is Southampton based and has gained over 17 years of Customer Service experience in both the retail and hospitality sectors. Her role as a Street Ranger is both diverse and rewarding, from reporting environmental issues to welcoming and directing tourists. No 2 days are ever the same! She hopes to make a real difference to the City so that Southampton is an even better place to work, live and visit.