Meet the Team
Driven by a shared love of classic motoring, our team brings Great Northern Classics to life. Explore their stories below, or get in touch if you’d like to know more—or become part of the journey.
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Amanda Fletcher, Managing Director
Amanda brings over 25 years of transformational leadership across sports, stadia, leisure, hospitality, and heritage events. As Managing Director of Great Northern Classics, she leads with a rare blend of commercial acumen, cultural stewardship, and people-first purpose—shaping the venue as a living celebration of motoring heritage, community regeneration, and destination-led events.
Recognised as a Transformational Leader at the East Midlands Business Desk Awards, Amanda has steered both commercial ventures and charitable organisations through strategic growth, operational excellence, and culture change. Her leadership is instinctively collaborative and values-led—creating environments where individuals, teams, and places thrive.
Amanda’s appreciation for motorsport and motor heritage informs her strategic vision, reinforcing GNC’s identity as a venue where classic engineering, craftsmanship, and community storytelling converge.
Bradley Haywood, Operations Lead
Having been car-mad for as long as he can remember, Brad pursued an academic path that led to a degree in Mechanical Engineering at Loughborough University, before beginning his career on a graduate scheme at a world-renowned automotive engineering consultancy.
As a Development Engineer, Brad worked with manufacturers such as JLR, Bentley, and Aston Martin, while indulging his passion for classic cars by maintaining various modern classics and attending as much historic motorsport as possible. He is currently transforming an unloved Toyota HiAce into a go-anywhere adventure camper and restoring a BMW 318iS to its former glory.
At Great Northern Classics, Brad leads the operations side of the organisation, maintaining the wonderful building (where his grandmother once worked for Rolls-Royce in the Light Alloy Foundry) and supporting our tenants.
Abigail Whitt, Sales & Non-Automotive Events Lead
Abi was introduced to motorsport through her father and has always had a love for cars. Her experience includes working with race teams, launching new cars, supporting motorsport events such as Goodwood Revival, and serving as an ARDS racing instructor.
In her spare time, she can usually be found at a racetrack competing in the Classic Sports Car Club. Among the circuits she has raced at are Brands Hatch, Anglesey, and Magny-Cours, as well as completing a 24-hour race at Spa.
Abi is deeply passionate about the classic vehicle industry, recognising that the skills required to maintain these cars are sadly in decline. Discovering that Great Northern Classics was based near her home felt like an incredible opportunity, and she is delighted to contribute her expertise and enthusiasm here.
Iain Fox, Club Co-ordinator
From the age of 10, Iain has had petrol running through his veins. His first taste of combustion came via a Yamaha TY80 trials bike, sparking a journey that led to many more bikes, thrills, and spills before he switched to the road at 16.
Cars, however, remain Iain’s ultimate passion. He has driven and experienced more than 50 classic, sports, prestige, and supercars. Alongside this, he avidly collects 1:18 scale models, which proudly line the walls of his garage.
At Great Northern Classics, Iain is a highly visible presence on site, leading the operations side of the business while supporting across all areas—whether helping at events, curating displays, liaising with specialist tenants, or welcoming visitors.
Alex Downs, Marketing, Communications & Automotive Events Lead
Alex’s passion for cars stretches back to his childhood. Buying his first car at the age of 14, his path into the motor trade was set.
He has previously worked in classic car restoration as a panel beater and pursued his own ventures in automotive events, giving him experience that aligns perfectly with the ethos of Great Northern Classics.
“Great Northern Classics is exactly what we need in our area—a community hub for auto enthusiasts, businesses, and affordable vehicle storage, which was previously in short supply. I’m very proud to be part of an innovative team striving to deliver the best experience for everyone who comes to GNC.”
Jodie Willis, Office & Administration Lead
Growing up watching Formula 1 with her father and tinkering with cars at the weekend, Jodie’s passion for all things automotive began at a young age.
She has a strong interest in classic vehicles, particularly 1990s Japanese cars. Jodie currently owns two Nissan Skylines and regularly attends shows across the country.
As a Derby local, she is delighted to finally see a motoring destination on her doorstep and feels honoured to be part of the team.
At Great Northern Classics, Jodie covers all aspects of administration, welcomes visitors at reception, and supports the accounts department.
Mike Copestake, Director & Co-founder
Mike is a highly experienced corporate lawyer and former senior partner at Freeths’ Derby office. He has a keen interest in regenerating old buildings and has redeveloped several dilapidated churches for commercial use, including restaurants, student apartments, and antique centres. Outside of work, Mike enjoys tennis, cricket, skiing, and country drives around the Peak District in his recently acquired Bentley Turbo R.
As the founder of Marketing Derby and a longstanding member of the Derby business community, Mike is deeply committed to supporting local growth and opportunity. Concerned about the lack of careers education and aspiration among young people, he became involved with Great Northern Classics to help inspire the next generation. Until 2021, he served as Chair of Enterprise for Education, an organisation dedicated to bringing businesses into schools to support careers development.
Rob Jones, Director & Co-founder
Rob Jones is a qualified accountant and was formerly Group Finance Director and shareholder at VSG before its sale to Compass Group plc. He is now CFO of Europa Worldwide Group, Chairman of Turning Point Business Angels, and a non-executive director of several organisations, including Nottingham Rugby Club.
Rob and his family successfully converted an old village school into their family home, winning the 2016 East Midlands LABC Award for Best Change of Use of an Existing Building or Conversion.
A fan of British supercars, Rob is excited by the Great Northern Classics project and is passionate about the training and development of aspiring young mechanics.
Shaun Matthews, Director & Co-founder
Shaun is a time-served engineer and former Divisional Managing Director of DEB Group Ltd’s dispensing companies in the UK and North America—the company behind one of motoring’s most historic products: Swarfega.
Hands-on by nature, when not restoring his 18th-century farmhouse with his partner Sharon, Shaun can be found exercising the cars and motorcycles from his own collection.
He was fortunate to be among the last broadly trained apprentices under the post-war Industry Training Board (ITB) levy-funded system, which was abolished in the early 1980s. Its removal precipitated a chronic lack of training places for young people, leading to today’s acute skills shortages—particularly evident in the classic vehicle restoration world. In response, Shaun conceived a solution: Great Northern Classics.
Simon Woods, Director & Chair of the training school
Simon has always had an interest in all things mechanical. On leaving school, he undertook a Mechanical Apprenticeship before going on to study Engineering at Nottingham Trent Polytechnic. Over the course of his career, he has been involved in various businesses and recently sold his Educational Products Business to the employees of TecQuipment Ltd via an Employee-Owned Trust model.
Simon continues to support the business as Managing Director. His career has taken him from design to management, directorship, and ultimately ownership, with opportunities to travel the world installing, selling, and training the engineers of tomorrow. He is also the owner of a Motorcycle Frame Company and supports new business start-ups through the Turning Point Business Angel group alongside Rob and Mike.
Passionate about manufacturing, local business support, training, and classic vehicles, Simon explained his investment in and support for the Great Northern Classics project simply: “It ticks all the boxes, and I get to work with some exceptional people.”
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