Meet the Team
Aquilae consultants, facilitators and coaches are all highly experienced professionals, playing to their strengths in the work they do.
Following an initial discovery session with you to discuss and agree your priorities, we will introduce you to the most appropriate team members to help you achieve your specific objectives.
David Bowles
Consultant
David’s background is in the Automotive Finance industry, where he has over 30 years international experience working for Ford Motor Credit Company and Tesla Financial Services, 20 of which have been in director level roles.
David has a breadth of asset finance knowledge which is second to none. He has a natural aptitude for identifying company requirements, improving operational performance, devising robust strategies and action plans and converting these into tangible results. David’s management style is very practical and hands-on and he enjoys working with teams; guiding, motivating and supporting them to maximise their potential for the benefit of all parties.
Ian Dewsnap
Consultant, Coach and Facilitator
Ian has an executive-level background in several roles in automotive finance over 35 years, as well as 10 years consulting experience. He has operated in 27 countries covering Europe, Asia Pacific and North America as well as Saudi Arabia.
His positions have included spells as Managing Director of Ford Credit operations in Ireland, New Zealand and the Philippines, as well as Head of Operations for Mazda Bank/Mazda Finance for Europe with over $3bn of receivables. In consulting, his projects have included numerous systems projects from the development of requirements, through to vendor selection and gap analysis. He has also conducted client workshops on various topics as a facilitator and developed and delivered training projects.
Ian has completed projects for many large global auto finance captives as well as banks and leasing companies, systems vendors, automotive distributors and other specialist companies.
Dr. Peter Dry
Director of Learning, Facilitator, Coach
Peter is a thought leader in professional and organisational learning with broad experience in change management and creating innovative learning organisations across sectors and countries. He instigated and led a research team with the Harvard Graduate School of Education to examine the impact of change in the organisation.
At BMW Financial Services he led organisational and professional learning, including innovation initiatives, designed and facilitated bespoke senior leadership courses, and Ultimate Customer Experience workshops.
Peter co-founded The Simunye Project, a not-for-profit organization that develops leadership and global awareness in young people through work with underprivileged communities abroad.
Andy Follows
Consultant, Coach and Facilitator
Andy is a passionate developer of people and an experienced developer of businesses in the automotive finance industry, internationally.
During over twenty years in the automotive finance industry, Andy has played a key role in developing businesses including Alphabet UK, BMW Corporate Finance UK, BMW Financial Services Singapore, BMW Financial Services New Zealand and Tesla Financial Services UK.
He has coached individuals and delivered leadership development programmes in Australia, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Switzerland, Thailand, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and the United States.
Andy started Aquilae in 2016 to enable individual and business growth.
Amanda Philp
Director, Marketing Strategy
Amanda’s background is developing and implementing multi-channel global marketing strategies for firms such as BMW, Henley & Partners, and The Andan Foundation. Following 10 years with BMW developing Alphabet UK, she has spent 10 years working as an international marketing consultant across 26 countries.
Several of those years included work in the not-for-profit sector, creating a brand and marketing strategy for the launch of a new charitable foundation dedicated to improving refugees' lives and futures. Amanda also completed a UN Mission to Jordan to work in the Syrian Refugee Camps.
Amanda leads the marketing strategy development and brings together the broader campaign requirements.
Chris Stears
General Counsel
Chris is a solicitor and regulatory consultant specialising in financial services regulation, legal risk management, corporate finance, as well as company commercial matters and private acquisitions.
Chris trained and practised with a leading city law firm and latterly led the regulatory strategy and authorisations practice at Elixirr and Medius Consulting advising clients on regulated business propositions principally in the investment, payments (& e-money), home finance and consumer credit sectors. Chris also acts as a legal consultant to DLA Piper.
Chris is a chartered fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment, holding the Institute’s Professional Level 6 Diploma in Investment Compliance. He has an LL.B in business and finance law, an LL.M in financial regulation & compliance, and is a Candidate for PhD (on the legal risk profile of discretionary asset management mandates and the efficacy of fiduciary duties).