About us
A small, tight-knit team
Our ethos from the very beginning has been to make your life easier. It’s what drives us to find solutions and build templates and tools in Word and PowerPoint that do just that.
Our values
Working with Microsoft Word and PowerPoint is the nuts and bolts of our business. We know their intricacies and hidden depths but more than that we understand how your team uses them and the frustrations and technical challenges they face on a daily basis. Listening to our clients’ needs is paramount for us if we want to end up with happier users.
Part of our strength lies in our size; we’re a close-knit team of seven skilled individuals well-versed in both the corporate and legal fields. Major players such as United Utilities, Ordnance Survey, KPMG and some of the UK’s Top 50 law firms appreciate our approachable, flexible way of working. We don’t just go after the big fish though; projects of all sizes interest us.
Our expertise
Working with us means building close connections with our team – from the person who figures out your problem, to planning the solution, writing the code and building the set-up with templates and tools.
Our founding director Nikki’s extensive technical expertise was honed at the likes of GlaxoWellcome, Marconi and Deloitte Haskins & Sells. Thanks to her intuitive skills, finding software solutions for corporate firms is second nature to Nikki, as are the very specific requirements of legal documents.
Curious, intuitive, open-minded and adaptable…just a few words we’d use to describe ourselves. Meet our team and find out who you’ll be working with:
The team
Nikki Pike
Founding Director
The brains and driving force behind our business, Nikki oversees the development of all tools and templates in Word and PowerPoint. Heading up our more technical projects, she’s keenly attuned to clients’ needs, always devising innovative solutions to their problems.
Background
Nikki’s love of programming was sparked by a short computer science course while studying for her MSc in Palynology. She cut her programming teeth working on torpedo guidance and is a former member of the Document Excellence Group.
In a nutshell
Logical, innovative, analytical.
David Pike
Director
Our lead contact for new business and less technical projects, David looks after the general running of the business, including finance, marketing and administration.
Background
After studying for a degree in Architecture and a stint working abroad, David went on to gain an MBA from London Business School. He then spent time in corporate branding and as a partner in the design arm of Brunswick (Financial PR) before joining Brochet.
In a nutshell
Principled, thoughtful, not-corporate.
Lukas Holecy
Senior developer
Working closely with Nikki, Lukas’ extensive expertise is always put to good use – whether it’s leading the development of tools such as Brochet Paste and Cross Reference or handling the updating of our code to C# language.
Background
Originally from Slovakia, Lukas came to Brochet from the Czech Republic, where he worked in the power generation industry. Initially developing general templates, he now focuses more on law firms, integrating document management systems such as iManage 10.
In a nutshell
Curious, accomplished, up for a challenge!
Duncan Milnes
Senior Developer
Once he’s nailed the design and build of template solutions, Duncan then liaises with clients on the function and performance of those templates in pre-sales, post-sales and post-delivery situations.
Background
Duncan has a wealth of computing experience – his considerable expertise covers everything from system-level programming, through database management systems and, ultimately, he leaves no stone unturned in the exploitation of Microsoft Office.
In a nutshell
Innovative, professional, fun.
Alan Cartwright
Developer
Responsible for developing and writing the code of Word templates, Alan works closely with our internal team to refine our solutions and roll them out to clients. He also provides support on internal systems.
Background
Well-versed in IT support, Alan spent eight years working with law firms and latterly a private equity firm, before swapping his commute into London for local life with Brochet (where he’s happy to cycle to work).
In a nutshell
Calm, curious, helpful.
Kristian Bottomley
Client Support and Testing
Kristian’s role is to test templates throughout their development, implementation, and post roll-out. During the process, he works closely with clients, suggesting changes to enhance the user experience.
Background
Kristian has enjoyed a varied career; he started out in leisure centres and progressed to specialising in IT for the leisure industry. A small hiatus saw him spend time as a postman and fire alarm engineer, before returning to the IT arena with Brochet.
In a nutshell
Friendly, honest, attentive.
Lucy Urquhart
Financial controller
Lucy takes care of all billing, accounts and payroll; her two days a week at the Brochet office are busy ones!
Background
Lucy spent a number of years responsible for the administrative side of a software business, which she ran in partnership with her husband. She then went on to provide valuable accounting support to a variety of local businesses before finding her way to Brochet.
In a nutshell
Loyal, committed, jovial.