Business is a Team Sport!


The Collective Core Team—Grace, Jennifer, Susanne Lou and Nathan—leverages the expertise of seasoned athletes and a team-first approach. With vast global experience and a competitive drive, we get everyone working together and bring fresh perspectives to tackle challenges.

We hand-select specialists for best-in-class expertise when needed. At The Collective, our success is your success. We lead from the front, stay in the game from start to finish, guide every play and celebrate our shared wins.

Meet The Collective Core Team

The Collective harnesses the power of diverse minds to work efficiently, offering speed, agility and impact.

Grace McNamara
Founder, Chief Executive, Board Director, Speaker, DEI Advocate, Investor.

With over 20 years of leadership experience in health, fitness, and technology, Grace is dedicated to driving impact in population health through partnerships with lifestyle medicine and technology solutions. Her career is built on values of impact, learning, and mentorship, which she embodies both personally and professionally. Grace spent 12 years at Apple, where she led all health and fitness initiatives for employees across EMEIA, before leading Apple’s Health and Fitness Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships in the region. Most recently, she served as CEO of EXI, a MedTech company focused on exercise for people with sedentary lifestyles and chronic conditions.

As CEO, Grace oversees the strategic vision, drives business growth, and builds partnerships that shape the future of health and fitness. Her time is now split between Ireland, Europe, and the US, where she supports Boards working towards a healthier world, including the US Physical Activity Alliance and Europe Active. Grace holds a Chartered Directorship, an Executive MBA, a Master’s degree in Public Health and Epidemiology, and a BSc in Health, Fitness, and Physiology. Her commitment to population health drives her continuous learning and strategic leadership in the health and wellness sector.

Jennifer Halsall
Founder, Chief Commercial & Marketing, Board Director, Speaker, Range Thinker.

With over two decades of experience, Jennifer specialises in team culture development, scaling, and digitalisation for global fitness chains. She has built in-person and digital fitness experience departments for four of the largest fitness chains worldwide, including a key role at Basic-Fit, where she was part of the core team that took the company public. She also set revenue records with her teams at GoodLife and Bally Total Fitness.

Jennifer holds a Bachelor of Arts degree and over 30 certifications in Personal Training, Nutrition, and Coaching. She brings a proven, iterative approach to goal setting, combining creative and strategic skills to deliver innovative solutions that give her clients a competitive edge. Her ability to adapt and integrate into teams allows her to build trust and lead effectively.

Jennifer works with startups, scale-ups, and enterprise companies to launch innovations, integrate new leaders, and explore new markets. She co-created the LEAD programme (Leadership through Elevation, Awareness, and Discovery), which has helped hundreds connect with their purpose and potential. ACE, NASM, and CanFit Pro have awarded the programme CECs. A Canadian living in the Netherlands, Jennifer is fluent in English and proficient in Dutch and Spanish. As the Collective’s CCO, Jennifer is responsible for business development, commercial strategy and customer engagement.

Susanne de Schepper
Founder, Chief Operations, Board Director, Cross-Cultural Leader, Connector

With over 20 years of experience in health, fitness, and customer service, Susanne is dedicated to developing leaders and helping companies grow and scale in new markets. She holds a degree in Sports Economics from Applied Sciences and has deep expertise in customer service, member engagement, project management, market expansion, sales, and operations.

Susanne held several strategic roles at Basic-Fit, establishing the Centralised International Customer Care department, designing the first member communication journey, and developing the international internal communication platform for millions of members and thousands of employees across Europe. Most recently, she served as Managing Director of France at Basic-Fit, overseeing the expansion to 800 fitness clubs, leading a team of 3,000, and helping position Basic-Fit as the largest operator in the European market.

Susanne is known for navigating complex challenges, creating clear paths forward, and inspiring others to align with her vision through empathy and strong relationships. A Dutch native now residing in France, Susanne is fluent in Dutch, English, and French. Her lifelong passion for team sports and people continues to guide her professionally and personally. As the Collective’s COO, Susanne is responsible for business growth and expansion, resource management, team development and operational strategy.

Dr. Lou Atkinson

Chief Scientific, Board Director, Behavioural Scientist, Researcher, Educator

With a career spanning over 25 years in Public Health, Fitness, Academia, and MedTech, Lou is a recognised leader in applying health psychology. She has dedicated her career to building and disseminating the scientific and translational evidence needed to create real-world change in physical activity, obesity, chronic conditions and women's health.

At The Collective, Lou oversees the curriculum development for leadership programmes and workshops and spearheading research into female consumer behaviour. She applies her deep understanding of human behaviour, motivation, and team dynamics to foster collaboration and evidence-based decision-making.

Lou has led and co-authored over 80 research papers and white papers, presenting her work at major global conferences such as the American College of Sports Medicine, the European Health Psychology Society, and the Association for the Study of Obesity. She is also a sought-after speaker and expert panellist, having been featured at international industry events, including FIBO and Elevate, as well as multiple podcasts, webinars, and fitness industry publications.

As a passionate advocate for gender equality, Lou co-founded a non-profit organisation that drives evidence-based change through pioneering research in the fitness sector. She also serves on the Scientific Advisory Board of The Active Pregnancy Foundation, which promotes the benefits of physical activity during and after pregnancy.
Lou’s commitment to excellence and impact shapes every aspect of her work. She is dedicated to creating inclusive, empowering environments that encourage original thought and inspire collaboration, ensuring The Collective delivers lasting positive change for its clients and the wider industry.

Nathan Hyland

Chief Business Officer, Strategist, Longevity Expert, Coach, Athlete

With a global track record in health, fitness, sports medicine, and biotech, Nathan is a leader in business strategy and the future of wellness. As Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Lapaix Hyland Global Business Consultants, he works with multinational organisations and early-stage companies to accelerate innovation, unlock growth opportunities, and bring transformative solutions to underserved communities worldwide.

At The Collective, Nathan leads business development and strategic partnerships, supporting clients in navigating complex growth challenges and aligning commercial vision with long-term impact. He brings a cross-sector perspective shaped by work in over 60 countries and a strong belief in the power of movement, mindset, and mission-driven leadership.

Nathan’s diverse achievements include receiving NASM & CalU’s Pursuit of Excellence Award, being named Health & Fitness Association’s Rising Star, and being an executive producer for Rage in the Cage, a nationally syndicated MMA television series. He is also a lifelong athlete and three-time IBJJF American National Champion in Brazilian jiu-jitsu.

He holds an MBA, an MS in Exercise Science, and over twenty business and fitness credentials, including NASM CPT, PES, CNC, and a Pharmaceutical Management Executive Diploma from Rutgers Business School. He is currently expanding his knowledge through the NCSF Certified Strength Coach programme.

Nathan’s drive, curiosity, and collaborative style help connect ideas to execution—creating real-world results for purpose-driven businesses and the communities they serve.

Meet Our Specialist Crew

Vetted experts that we love to work with!

  • Andie Boyd | #projectmanagement #sixthsigma

    With over a decade of experience across various industries, Andie has honed a versatile skill set focused on project management, leadership development, and customer service. Andie excels in leading and overseeing projects from inception to completion, ensuring timely delivery and adherence to quality standards. Andie excels at cultivating sincere and insightful partnerships with clients, guiding them towards realizing their professional potential. She is equipped with a robust skill set in project management, leadership development, and customer-centric operations.

  • Andy Brees | #strategy #gotomarket #operations

    Andy Brees is a dynamic leader known for creating challenging, interactive, and creative work environments. With over 25 years of experience at SportCity/FitForFree, including roles as Chief Operating Officer and General Manager, Andy has honed his skills in strategy, operations, and customer loyalty. Currently, he is the founder of Brees Consulting, where he supports startups, entrepreneurs, and established businesses with their Go-To-Market strategies and emphasizes the balance of People, Planet, and Profit. Andy's extensive experience and motivational approach drive teams to exceed their goals and achieve success.

  • Ashley Brown | #artdirector #brandstrategy #design

    Ashley is an ardent creative with an exceptional eye for design and a passion for her craft. With over two decades of experience in art direction, design, and creative consulting, she has worked with top brands like Nike, Adidas and Li-Ning, as well as multi-brand stalwarts Procter & Gamble. Ashley's expertise lies in strategic design direction, creating immersive branded experiences, and innovative corporate identities. Her innate love of design coupled with a collaborative mindset leads her to transform creative ideas into visually stunning functional realities.

  • Beau de Leeuw | #weightliftingcoach #inclusion #lgbtqia+ #transexpert

    Beau de Leeuw is a distinguished non-binary weightlifter and coach with extensive experience in the sports industry. Currently working with the Dutch Olympic Committee and the John Blankenstein Foundation on the Erasmus+ project All-In & Win, Beau focuses on diversity and inclusion within sports. Their unique perspective, blending personal and professional experiences, enables them to create safe and inclusive environments for all athletes. Beau’s commitment to fostering equality and support in sports makes them an invaluable advocate for diversity and inclusion.

  • Sarah-Jane Threipland | #communications #creative #brandstrategy #campaigns

    Descrarah-Jane (SJ) is a brand and communications specialist with a passion for heartfelt, inspiring strategy at its core. She delivers the ideal creative comms for many international clients, layered with industry and audience-led insight. SJ has rebranded the H’art Museum Amsterdam, as they launched a new collaboration with world-famous museum partners. She helped craft comms for a new sub-brand of Gen Z-focused lingerie for Hunkemoller. And she has consulted on many campaign/ brand strategies for other clients like Adidas, Ikea, Body&Fit, Asics, and citizenM hotel. She loves both conceptual creativity and multi-channel writing itself.iption goes here