Our directors

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Our directors are a group of individuals with a shared passion for excellence and innovation.

They have different backgrounds and areas of expertise but they all share a common goal – to provide guidance and strategic direction to make Storm Skills Training as successful and as impactful as possible.

Their responsibilities include:

Providing a clear vision and direction for the organisation

Making sure the organisation operates in line with its vision, mission and values and that it continues to deliver a high-quality training package

Working collaboratively with the Storm Skills Training team to make sure their needs are met and that they have the resources and support needed to carry out their roles effectively so that they can deliver the best possible training experience to you – our customers.

Meet our directors

Our directors are not just inspiring leaders, they are also approachable, empathetic, and invested in the success of Storm Skills Training both from a team perspective and also from the perspective of our community. They take the time to listen, offer guidance, and celebrate the success of Storm Skills Training. This has helped to create a culture of trust, support, openness, and empowerment.

Our directors are the backbone of our organisation, and we’re pleased to introduce you to them…

Bianca Romanyk

CEO

My Story

Alf Hill

Non-executive Director (Chair)

My Story

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Keith Waters

Non-executive Director

My Story

Bianca's Story

Meet Bianca Romanyk: CEO

In my early career as a probationary psychologist working in community mental health, I can remember thinking that I’d like to one day have a role that could influence and impact the lives of many who were in distress. I recall meeting the CEO of the mental health service and being inspired by her and the compassion and empathy she showed those experiencing mental health issues.

Being in a small town in rural Australia I had the privilege of my role spanning across several areas of mental health, including working in an ongoing way with people with severe mental illness and crisis assessment (and being on call). I enjoyed all of it - I loved working with people, building trusting relationships, and working alongside them. I developed a special interest in working with younger adults with complex trauma and was lucky enough to train and be part of the Dialectical Behavioural Team for a short while. All of these experiences in my early career have driven my passion to make a difference for those in distress. I believe it is the quality of the connection that we make with people that makes a difference.

My career took me away from the frontline but rooted deeply in mental health and creating positive change. I found myself sat in a Storm Skills Training session as a trainee facilitator in 2013, Gill was delivering the course. I’d started in a brand-new role, working with schools in Australia to support their communities impacted by suicide. I recall vividly the anxiety of being on film in front of my new colleagues and the relief, value, and benefit the experience gave me. I left the training session feeling so empowered – I knew this course would help teachers and others working in schools to have conversations that made a difference to young people in significant distress. I wanted everyone to have Storm Skills Training!

Life presented itself with an opportunity to move to the UK. In 2014, before I left, Gill returned to Australia, we agreed to meet and talk about the opportunity to work together when I arrived. I arrived in the UK, with my two dogs, on the 7th of August 2015 and started work with Storm Skills Training on World Suicide Prevention Day the next month.

I haven’t looked back, my life here in the UK is lovely! When I’m not working, you’ll find me on my local common with my dogs, Derek and Doris, enjoying the view and nature. Or in my garden having a chat to the plants. I enjoy all things creative. More recently I have become a foster carer and am looking forward to this new life challenge and making a difference to the lives of young people.

I love the Storm Skills Training team, our consultants, and community and am always thinking about how to build and improve on the work we do, to have a positive impact on the world. I know that between us all we can make a real difference to people in distress. That’s what I am most excited about.

I believe passionately that Storm Skills Training helps to save lives. My vision for the future of Storm Skills Training, and our community, is to strive toward a more collaborative, empowering, and person-centred approach to self-harm and suicide prevention. A world where distress is met with compassion, everyone feels empowered to help and the support offered is tailored to the unique needs of people and their stories.