The Team
Meet the Phonely Team
We're not just colleagues, we're family. As an employee-owned company, we're united in making home phones safe for all. But who's behind our phones?
We've asked our team some quirky questions to help you get to know us a little better. Discover what makes each Phonely member unique, from spirit animals to office snacks! You might just find out who wanted to be an astronaut, who's an origami master, and who is our resident Trivial Pursuit champion!
Hannah Hood, AKA Han
As the Digital PR Executive, Han chats to the press and spreads the Phonely word on social media. When she's not in the office, you might see her at a rock or indie gig or strutting her muddy stuff in wellies at festivals such as Glastonbury.
What's your spirit animal?
“My spirit animal is the hedgehog: small, protective, driven by curiosity and intuition. A calm yet prickly nature when provoked, underscoring its resilience and endurance.”
What's your favourite office snack? “As a foodie, I believe all snacks are good snacks! Right now, I'm tucking into a delicious pumpkin-spiced doughnut!”
What's your favourite part of your job? “Telling the world about Phonely, sharing our innovations, and seeing the impact our work can have.”
Kelly, AKA Kel
Kel loves the variety that her job as Partnerships Manager brings to her day. “One moment I can be speaking with an Executive Producer at the BBC and the next, I'll be chatting to one of our lovely customers about setting up their telephone!”
What's your pet peeve?
“Lateness!”
What's your favourite board game and why?
“Trivial Pursuit because my family are terrible at it!”
What's your desk mascot?
“A photo of my partner and daughter, which helps to keep me focused, happy and sane even on the most stressful of days!”
Katie McSweeney, AKA Sweeney Todd
As a person, Katie is worlds apart from the demon barber of Fleet Street nickname that her surname has given play to! In fact, you may already know this having already had the pleasure of chatting with Katie for customer support. And she loves her role, “I love the feeling of resolving questions and queries and knowing that a customer is perfectly set up for what they need!”
What's your secret passion?
“I love being outdoors! I fish, shoot, kayak and forage. But hate camping and sleeping outside, so when it gets dark, I'm tucked up at home with a hot chocolate!”
What did child you want to be when they grew up?
“Until the age of 13, I wanted to be a Marine Biologist. However, I get very seasick and am rubbish at scuba diving!”
What's one thing you can't live without at work?
“I am a big stationary lover and can't live without my favourite pens and to-do notepads!”
Sebastian, AKA Seb
Seb is one of our technical team who works as a Front-End Developer, and when asked exactly what he does, he told us: “A Front-End developer is like a magician who makes websites look pretty and fun. They use special tools to build the parts of a website that you can see and click on, like buttons and pictures. They make sure everything works well and looks nice when you visit a website.” We think you'll agree, he's doing a spot-on job!
What did child you want to be when they grew up?
“A Pilot.”
What's your favourite board game?
“Monopoly.”
What's your favourite office snack?
“Chicory coffee.”
Mike Knights
Motivated by coffee, Mike, our Senior Software Engineer is the jack of all technological trades. When we asked him to describe to us what he does, he explained how he develops our engine to keep the ship moving and ensures all the bolts are tightened – in the tech department.
What did child you want to be when you grew up?
“An Astronaut.”
What is your desk mascot?
“A rubber duck.”
What's one thing you can't live without at work?
“Coffee.”
Laura Thornton , AKA Laura Dora the Explorer
Working in Customer Support, you won't find Laura backpacking with a monkey and saying it ‘2-ways' as her nickname suggests. However, you might find her in her family's pub, chatting with the locals and sipping something sugar-free and fizzy.
What's your secret passion?
“Tropic Skincare. I've been an ambassador for just over 5 years and don't use anything else.”
What's one thing you can't live without at work?
“My 4-colour pen, love the PaperMate Inkjoy!”
What's your favourite office snack?
“Anything Slimming World-friendly, mostly fruit and rice cakes!”
Ben Regan
As part of the technical team, Ben manages phone number imports, fulfils orders and helps to develop new features and tools for Phonely customers. There's always something new and exciting for Ben to work on.
What did child you want to be when they grew up?
“I wanted to make video games.”
What's your secret passion?
“I'm a hobbyist photographer and keen bird watcher.”
What's the one thing you can't live without at work?
“Snacks! To keep me powered throughout the day!”
Steve O'Leary , AKA App Master
As a Senior Software Developer, Steve has truly earned his nickname. Powered by coffee, lots of coffee, he spends his days coding and computing to make the Phonely website and apps work like a dream.
What's your spirit animal?
“A hedgehog!”
What did child you want to be when they grew up?
“A film director.”
What's your favourite part of your job?
“Building cool stuff!”
Sharon, AKA Shazza
As part of the sales team, Sharon embraces her inner spirit animal, the deer. With a determined yet gentle approach, Sharon shares Phonely's benefits with potential customers, letting them make informed decisions without the hard sell.
What is your pet peeve?
“People who don't listen and talk over you.”
What is your favourite part of your job?
“Closing the sale and thanking the customer for joining us.”
What's the one thing you can't live without at work?
“Coffee!”
Bryn, AKA Brine or Bryn Diesel
Heading up the marketing team, Bryn leads the way in making sure everyone knows about Phonely. And while you won't find him on a movie set like his moniker suggests, you can see him behind the mic on the Phonely podcasts.
What's your hidden talent?
“Not a talent per se, but I was on Blue Peter once and still have the badge to prove it.”
What's your secret passion?
“I am a keen home baker.”
What's your favourite office snack?
“Normally anything savoury but I do love a ginger biscuit!”
George Chrisovelides, AKA Jorgé
Marketer and Digital Content Creator Jorgé is the man behind Phonely's videos and audio content. You can find his handy work on our website, social channels and YouTube channel.
What's your secret passion?
“I love bouldering! It's basically indoor rock climbing but with no ropes!”
What's your best customer story?
“I once helped a customer keep their parent's landline number they had had since the 70s. It was so old it only had 10 digits rather than the usual 11!”
What's your favourite office snack?
“Falafel sandwiches, you can't beat them!”
Christopher Venables, AKA Chrissy
As our CTO (Chief Technology Officer) you can find Chris among the technical team brewing up some new ideas and making sure the work gets done. And he's not completely satisfied until he sees his visions being used in the wild and benefitting our customers.
What's your hidden talent?
“Diablo, the well-known circus prop - not the video game!”
What's your secret passion?
“I love the theatre, especially musicals!”
What's your favourite office snack?
“Coffee, lots of coffee. And the occasional Jammy Dodger!”
Rebecca, AKA Bex
Being a whizz with the numbers, Bex our Finance Director is constantly at one with her spreadsheets and makes sure that we all get paid. She also makes sure we all get fed too, with her inexhaustible supply of snacks and goodies - no one is left hangry!
What's your spirit animal?
“The honeybee. I'm organised, focused, productive and I mean business! I also love working with my team too.”
What's your pet peeve?
“People not keeping the staff kitchen clean and tidy. I mean, it takes seconds to put your cup in the dishwasher, right?”
What's your unofficial job title?
“The Feeder!”
Zoe, AKA Zo
Zo's passion for customer support can be seen time and time again in our Trustpilot reviews. She goes above and beyond for our customers and is motivated by that happy feeling she gets when resolving problems for people.
What's your secret passion?
“Camping. I love exploring the outdoors and getting close to nature with my loved ones and pet Whippet Coco!”
What are you most likely to be found doing?
“Taking long walks with my husband, daughter and doggo.”
What's your desk mascot?
“A photo of my lovely family.”
Sarah Butler, AKA Butler
Working hard in the sales department, Sarah is far from anyone's dogsbody (butler)! She likes to channel her inner wolf, being strong and determined to complete her tasks. But don't be mistaken, there are no pushy sales tactics from this woman. Just honest information to help people make up their own minds.
What are you most likely to be found doing?
“Getting stuck into a good Netflix series.”
What's one thing you can't live without at work?
“Coffee, and lots of it!”
What's your favourite part of your job?
“Helping customers and spending time with my team.”
Mark Brightman
With his chair parked between sales and business development, Mark spends his days on the phone helping people understand digital voice and its necessity. With a cuppa in one hand and an apple on his desk reminding him of his new healthy eating regime, he guides customers in their move from analogue phones in a simple and stress-free way.
What is your hidden talent?
“I used to be able to trick ski (on water), which means turning around and skiing backwards!”
What did child you want to be when they grew up?
“A racing driver, so I could scare the pants out of my mum!”
What's your unofficial job title?
“Sweetie sharer-er!”
Blogs & Updates
The latest news, updates and guides from Phonely.
Can I Keep My Landline Number With Full Fibre? The Complete Guide
How to Check If a Phone Number Is Spam: Your Complete Guide to Avoiding Nuisance Calls
Annual Scam Call Report 2025: Unmasking the Surge in Nuisance Calls
