Biography

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=3 height=120 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000" background="099b85a3.jpg"> <div> <FONT SIZE="5" COLOR="#FFFFFF" FACE="Arial" ><B>Visiontheme</B></FONT><B>     |     </B><A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Visiontheme"><B>home</B></A></div> <div> <A HREF="business_mentoring.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Business Mentoring">Business Mentoring</A>   |   <A HREF="training.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Training">Training</A>   |   <B>Biography</B>   |   <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Writings">Writings</A>   |   <A HREF="id24.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Contact Us">Contact Us</A></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=210 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000" background="09a0c0e3.jpg"> <bR> <bR> <div> <IMG SRC="0b69cc80.jpg" border=0 width="156" height="200" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=360 width="100%" BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <I>Biography</I></div> <div> <B>Paul Tholen  </B><FONT SIZE="3" COLOR="#111111" FACE="Arial" >MW FRSA</FONT><B> </B></div> <div> A 'transplanted Yank' who has made his home in the UK for 37 years, Paul has enjoyed a varied business career, encompassing trading, manufacturing, retail, mail order and consulting.  He has worked in and with small businesses, professional practices, multi-national corporations, educational bodies and schools.  </div> <bR> <div> After a spell as an Air Force intelligence analyst, his passion for matters vinous led him into the British wine trade, where he was the second American to achieve the prestigious Master of Wine qualification.</div> <bR> <div> A growing interest in `the business of business' rather than just the business of wine saw Paul move into broader roles in purchasing, supply chain and operations management in an international consumer products company before finally entering the world of business advisory work as a consultant in a `Big-5' firm.  During his time there, he found particular fulfillment in leading a programme that helped the top teams of growing businesses to develop new strategic direction and focus whilst learning how to act more effectively as a team.    </div> <bR> <div> In 2002 Paul founded his own business advisory practice - Visiontheme - to allow him to apply his business consultancy and mentoring experience.  He works with<I> </I>the owners and managers of small and medium sized enterprises, helping them to grow and build value in their businesses, and supports leaders and teams in larger organisations in improving their effectiveness.  He has broad experience of change management and performance improvement programmes and is qualified in psychometric assessment.  He writes a monthly column for the Eastern Daily Press' 'The Business' section and is a frequent speaker and broadcaster on issues facing small business. </div> <bR> <div> Paul is a member of The Business International Partnership Ltd, a group of independent consultancy, training and development organisations working in partnership to offer clients a comprehensive series of first class business improvement services and people development programmes.</div> <bR> <div> Paul and his wife live in rural South Norfolk with a menagerie of animals and in his spare time he tries to fit in a round of golf whenever possible.  He also acts as a voluntary business mentor for the Prince's Trust and enjoys helping young people starting up their own businesses to achieve success.</div> <bR> <bR> <bR> <div>         <FONT SIZE="1" COLOR="#006666" FACE="Arial" ><B>A member of</B></FONT></div> <bR> <div> <I><IMG SRC="0718c7c0.gif" border=0 width="140" height="124" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></I></div> <div> <I> </I></div> <bR> </td> <td valign="top" width=180 BGCOLOR="#CC3333" TEXT="#080000"> <bR> </td> </tr></table></body>