Author Name: Matthew Channell
Job Title: Commercial Learning & Development Director
Since joining TSW in 2009, Matthew Channell has been instrumental in driving our organisation’s strategic and operational success.
Previously holding a management role with a global manufacturer, Matthew brought a wealth of experience in operations and planning and quickly established himself as a valuable leader within TSW.
His journey here has seen him take on pivotal roles, including Head of Operations and, since 2015, Operations and Commercial Director. Matthew is a part owner of TSW Training Group along with his business partners Sian McKenna, Stuart Davies, and Gareth Harris.
Today, Matthew leads a dedicated team of learning and development experts at TSW, focusing on delivering tailored learning and development solutions to our commercial clients.
Known for his willingness to get into the weeds, Matthew often personally diagnoses client challenges, ensuring each training programme is performance-focused and deeply aligned with client goals.
His approach to training design, learnt from his study of learning transfer mechanisms, uses a value chain approach to prioritise desired outcomes and craft training that facilitates real behaviour change and tangible business results.
In addition to leading TSW’s overall commercial strategy, Matthew plays a crucial role in our quality assurance processes, continually improving our systems, processes and training programmes to ensure they meet the highest standards.
With a strong working Health and Safety background and a NEBOSH General Certificate, Matthew has been pivotal in positioning TSW as a leading Health and Safety training provider in the UK.
His and his team’s efforts led to TSW achieving NEBOSH GOLD Learning Partner Status—a prestigious recognition that underscores our commitment to excellence in Health and Safety training.
Though he’s now focused on leadership, Matthew utilises his experience delivering training on leadership, management, and personal effectiveness to continuously develop our approaches to learner support and maximise client return on investment.
While he may have “hung up his delivery shoes,” his past hands-on training experience enriches his strategic approach to organisational development.
An innovative and practical thinker, Matthew also took on the challenge of designing, building, and maintaining TSW’s website during the COVID-19 lockdowns. This project reflects his commitment to keeping TSW agile and adaptive.
Though he is not an e-learning specialist, Matthew occasionally develops new e-learning resources with tools like Articulate Storyline and Rise, adding fresh elements to our digital offerings as we continue to expand.
Matthew’s thought leadership has become a trusted resource for those seeking practical management and skills development insights.
On the TSW blog, he unpacks complex people management theories, offering actionable advice and examples that make these ideas work in the real world.
With an MSc in Management from the University of Glamorgan, he anchors his approach to training and development in contemporary leadership and management principles.
Matthew’s articles are invaluable for those looking to build stronger teams or develop their own skills—consider him a distance learning coach.
Not sure where to start? We recommend some of his most popular pieces:
Connect with Matthew on LinkedIn.
Each article provides Matthew’s signature balance of insight and practicality, equipping you with tools and perspectives that can be applied immediately in your work.
I have known Matthew Channell for over a decade and consider him the consummate professional. He is highly trained and well qualified and brings integrity and dedication to providing training and development solutions. Matthew is always considerate of people, even when focused on organisational development.
He has demonstrated the ability to focus on fine detail while never losing sight of the big picture, as is so often the case with others that I have encountered working in organisational development.
Bringing micro and macro approaches together is essential if maximum benefits are to be achieved through continuous improvement, and Matthew does this very well. I have every confidence in his ability to provide this recommendation.
– Dr Alan Dowler (Consultant and Former Director of Learning and Development at Cardiff University)
I have known Matthew for some time and have seen how he has contributed to the current success and future development of TSW.
As a client, I found him extremely easy to work with; he is meticulous about understanding requirements and creates detailed briefs. His ideas are thoughtful and innovative but also commercial and stretching.
I particularly like the fact that he isn’t a “Yes” person – he challenged my thinking and his solutions were innovative and always backed up with a comprehensive business proposal beforehand and a comprehensive review after the event.
We have gone on to develop what I believe to be a mutually supportive relationship where we can explore ideas and swap experiences. To add depth to his experience, he has invested in his own development through both study and commercial involvement, most recently as a board member.
Matthew is a gem and one of my key business connections; I would unreservedly recommend him and TSW to any organisation looking for a commercially minded and well-connected learning and development partner.
– Jayne Jones (Business and HR Consultant and Former Head of Learning & Development at Hafod)
