Our Trainers

Hazel Anderson.

Founder, CEO and Lead Trainer of VIP Service School. Hazel’s yachting career has spanned 17 years, starting in St Maarten back in 1997 where her love of sailing was first ignited after being invited onto an ex-America’s Cup yacht to participate in match racing.  Her career in service started much earlier after being trained in Silver Service by a high end hotel at the tender age of 16, which was followed by a number of part-time hospitality positions in hotels and bars where her love of service was born. Hazel’s previous career saw her working in Office Administration and Human Resources within the Oil Industry for 15 years, which lead to her gaining a PG Degree in Personnel Management in 1992.  Her HR training, background in administration and management, as well as time spent as Personal Assistant to a high level CEO, have been immensely useful in her yachting career.

Hazel has a passion for management and leadership as well as a huge interest in motivation and love of inspiring others.  She is extremely willing to share her knowledge, skill and experience with others, which has been her principle drive in the founding of VIP Service School.  She has been training crew, supporting peers and encouraging others since starting in yachting, where on her first yacht she was known as “The Admiral”. Her yachting career has seen her working for a multitude of different nationalities and traveling world-wide, helping to develop her unique understanding for what it takes to give the ultimate in “personalised” service to others.

Kim Woodey of KDW Training.

Kim is a PYA GUEST Accredited Interior trainer with almost nine years’ experience working on board large motor yachts, cruising both well-known and far-flung regions of the world.  Having worked predominantly as Chief Stewardess and Purser on both private and chartered yachts, she has been involved in all aspects of the daily running of the vessels, as well as refit and new build projects thus she knows first-hand the challenges her students may face. She has trained both shore side and on board as well as in resorts. Drawing on her previous experience as a teacher, Kim is ideally suited to provide a relaxed yet focused environment helping her students gain an in-depth understanding of the highest levels of service, housekeeping and organisational skills.

Helen Brotherton of Fine Wine Works.

Helen set up Fine Wine Works in 2008 after years of experience in both the UK and France in all aspects of the world of wine (and yachting specifically for the last 10 years). After working as a professional actress during the 80’s and 90’s, Helen left the “dressing up box” behind and embarked on a career in the UK wine trade for many years, sourcing wines for major retailers and developing a specialist knowledge of Italian wines. She also had her own award-winning Restaurants in both the Cotswolds and North Yorkshire and also co-owned two Delicatessens & Wine Merchants – wine & food inextricably linked! Helen holds the WSET® (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) Diploma with Honours and as a Certified Educator for WSET® now runs the Wine Training side of FWW’s business.

A firm & impassioned supporter of the GUEST program, and believing in the importance of training & qualifications linked to experience, she expanded FWW’s training program into the field of Spirits & Cocktails. She developed and launched FWW’s PYA Accredited Bartending & Mixology courses and continues to be involved in the evolution and development of the syllabus and materials for these modules. She also, with help from the rest of the team, is “chief huntress” for the FWW Winefinder advice, sourcing and supply division, specialising in a unique bespoke wine & spirit provisioning service for Yachts.

Angie Wallace of Purser Trainer.

Angie is a PYA GUEST accredited trainer with almost ten years at sea, ranging from an 11m sailing vessel to an 85m motor yacht as Purser.

Originally a beauty therapist and hairdresser, owning her own business in Florida at the age of twenty-three she changed careers in her late thirties to become a deck/stew after experiencing nine months crossing the Pacific. Angie spent the next nine years working on motor yachts and culminated her sea career as Purser. Switching back to shore, she trained the Role of the Purser and Leadership and Management courses and has now launched her own online training course for Pursers.

In addition she is involved in the GUEST Program as a contributor to the course specifications as well as creating the Purser module.

Katy Rosales of The Galley Club.

The Chef and creator of The Galley Club, Katy Rosales, was born in Jaén Spain and has followed her passion for cooking from around the world.

Katy formed and developed her career in Barcelona, Ireland and the Basque Culinary Center in San Sebastián.  She also has extensive international experience working in exclusive restaurants and hotels all over Europe as well as spending a year in Thailand where she improved her skills in Asian cusine.

In 2007 Katy decided to combine her love of nature, the sea and sailing with her passion for fine cuisine and joined her first yacht S / Y Arrayan. Katy has crossed the Atlantic sailing 4 times, once on board the world record S / Y Mari Cha III. In addition, she spent 18 months working on board the prestigious M / Y 74m Ilona.

Now she has brought all this passion to Mallorca to create The Galley Club. A place to dream about food.

Joanna Walton of Joanna Walton Flowers.

Pandora Mathers-Lee.

An Art Historian and Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, Pandora’s career includes over 20 years at Board level in the cultural sector, focusing on business strategy, marketing and development. As VP, Global Sales at Artnet, Pandora worked extensively with galleries and auction houses in New York, Paris and London enabling them to promote their works online. As MD of Bridgeman Art Library, she brought the world’s great art collections to the commercial market for the benefit of publishers, print and digital media, educational institutions and for major licensing projects. She has worked closely with artists, galleries, private collectors, museums and auctions houses to manage copyright, licensing and collaborative art projects. Having worked closely with artists for many years placing their works as part of a digital asset management system. Her expertise includes creating taxonomies and classifications of art together with various artistic themes for designers and publishers of high end fine art prints.

Pandora has a cultural network of carefully developed resources in the arts including specialist experts, consultants in valuations, insurance, financing, art loans, technical analysis, logistics, photography, conservation, cleaning and framing. Widely travelled in the museum world globally, she has also studied in France, Germany and Italy. Pandora’s areas of interest are classical Greek & Roman art, 18th century neoclassicism in décor, early 20th century Abstraction, Expressionism and the Surrealists. Pandora holds a first-class degree in the History of Art from Manchester University and an MSt. in Ancient History from Keble College, Oxford and is a member of the Association of Art Historians and the Worshipful Company of Arts Scholars.