Mark has spent the majority of his career to date in the Health & Social Care industry, formerly running Claimar Care Group PLC, on of the UK’s largest social care providers.

In 2010, Mark co-founded Optimo Care Group with Richard Walker. Over the past 10 years Optimo has gone from strength to strength, becoming a market leading regional care provider delivering over 25,000 hours of care every week to service users in the community.

Ryan has worked within the Health & Social Care arena for around 20 years, largely delivering specialist care & support services across England. In more recent years he has held Senior Operational Management & Executive positions supporting individuals with Autism, Learning Disabilities, Mental Health needs & Acquired Brain Injury to live more independent lives.

Ryan is passionate about delivering services that are shaped and designed by the people we support; that deliver meaningful outcomes; and support each person to achieve their individual potential.

I’ve worked in HR for over 10 years, in a variety of sectors, including telecommunications and manufacturing. I studied during this period to obtain my professional HR qualification through the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development and then went on to achieve my Masters in HR.

I joined Optimo Care in 2014 once I’d completed my studies and felt ready for a new challenge within one of the most rewarding sectors, Health & Social Care.

The HR Team has a department of 4, supporting all employees based across our Group and we aim to uphold the Company vision, to deliver a service that we’re proud of.

Richard has over 25 years experience of the health and social care sector and believes strongly in the benefits of care and support in the community and at home. In July 2010 Richard co-founded Optimo Care Group Ltd, which has gone on to be a market leading regional care provider. Multiple acquisitions and strong organic growth has ensured that Optimo continues to go from strength to strength. Richard specialities include: mergers and acquisition, operational and strategic leadership, financial and operational management, supported living, older people, learning disabilities and domiciliary care.

Sally started working with the Group in 2000 and joined part time to complete care work alongside her other job in a residential home. From this Sally has grown from strength to strengthen and is now the Group Operations Manager. Sally supported both Regional Directors across the Group on a day to day basis along with the branch operational teams.

Ceri joined the Optimo Care Group in 2015 as Group Finance Manager and took over the role of Group Financial Controller in 2017 before being made Group Finance Director in 2021. Ceri brings extensive experience in financial management gained in numerous roles across the private and not for profit sectors during her career. As Group Financial Controller, Ceri is responsible for to providing a comprehensive, effective and efficient shared finance service for the Group with responsibilities including business planning, financial management, financial reporting and statutory compliance.

In addition to Ceri's role at Optimo Care Group, she is a trustee of two local charities whose aims are to build a stronger community and enrich lives by supporting individuals and organisations in need. This work complements her role at Optimo Care Group and enables her to make a real and tangible difference to the local community.

In 1992 after returning from working abroad I took a job working in a Recruitment Agency based in Rotherham, at the time I didn’t really understand the concept of Recruitment Agencies. However, shortly after starting there I fell in love with the job. It was hard work, hectic but great fun. After 6 months I was promoted to Branch Manager, my team and I grew the business to become one of the top fee earning branches within the Group. 5 years later the current owners decided to sell their successful business to a major High Street Agency and so I decided to move on.

From 1997 to 2015 I worked for 3 other Recruitment Agencies within different sectors of the market, from Commercial, Driving, Logistic, and Manufacturing and latterly within the Retail sector. I worked with Blue chip retailers to recruit and supply National Merchandising Managers and Team Installation Staff.

Although I still loved the all-encompassing role in 2015 I decided to look for a career within a Company rather than a Recruitment Agency. I was delighted to be offered the position as Group Recruitment Manager for the Optimocare Group of Companies.

Having no previous experience working within the Care sector I found the role a real challenge for the first few months however, the other Senior Managers, Registered Managers, Operations and wider Teams were so supportive. I soon settled in and now five years later I feel like I have been part of the Group forever. My current role includes the delivery of a first class recruitment service to all areas of the business, working with Care Service Managers to ensure that we have healthy pipelines of quality candidates for each area. Also that all recruitment activity is conducted in line with best practice and regulatory requirement including sector specific CQC.

Ben is the Group Project Director and heads up the Groups M&A and Business Development functions of the business. Focusing on commercial development, acquisitions, marketing, highlighting and reducing inefficiencies in existing business processes, and mobilising new technologies into the business to drive Optimo forward.

Ben has led the groups growth and diversification via acquisitions having led on the refinance of the group in 2022 followed by the successful completion of seven acquisitions over the past 12 months.

As the Group Finance Manager, my role is to manage the Group Finance function and support the Group Financial Controller to deliver accurate and timely Company financial information.
As a qualified bookkeeper and having worked for large international companies and smaller SMEs and charities, I have a broad range of experience in finance as well as customer service and facilities management. Outside work, I am a volunteer with the local community support group.