Welcome to Red Vanilla

Peak District

Welcome

Red Vanilla is a learning and development business, based in Sheffield and formed by Jon Colman in 2003. This year (2024) the company celebrates its 21st birthday.

How we work

Red Vanilla is a flexible, customer-focused home-office based company. Low overheads mean clients receive cost-effective learning and development programmes.   Jon works with small businesses in the private sector as well as large public sector organisations with 1000’s of employees.

Our work varies from a one-off two-hour workshop for a team of 5 or 6 people to organisation-wide programmes lasting two or more years and involving hundreds of employees.

Going Digital 

Like many other learning and development providers we have designed bespoke, fully-featured E-learning programmes. During the Covid-19 pandemic we adapted some of our courses to be delivered virtually.

Our Consultants

Almost all of Red Vanilla’s work is designed and delivered by Jon Colman.

For larger projects Jon is able to call on a small team of other experienced learning and development professionals to help design and deliver our learning and development programmes.

Our Clients

Red Vanilla clients in 2022 to 2024 include:

  • NHS South Yorkshire Integrated Care Board
  • Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
  • Sheffield Health and Social Care NHS Foundation Trust
  • South Yorkshire Pensions Authority
  • University Hospitals Bristol NHS Foundation Trust
  • University of Sheffield

About Jon Colman – Director

Jon Colman

Jon Colman – Director

Jon is a Chartered Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and has been delivering highly engaging training and development workshops for nearly 30 years.

Equally as comfortable working with Directors and Heads of Departments as with front line staff, Jon is able to quickly build rapport with a wide range of people.

Jon spent 5 years working in Local Government at Chesterfield Borough Council before working as an accredited Investors in People Adviser with Sheffield Training and Enterprise Council for five years, helping small and medium sized organisations in Sheffield develop their people strategies.

Jon spent two years employed as a management consultant before establishing Red Vanilla.

University Lecturing Roles

In addition to running Red Vanilla,  Jon is an Associate Lecturer at Sheffield Hallam University and teaches on a variety of HR, Business and Management modules within the Business School.  Jon has also been a Guest Lecturer at the University of Sheffield Management School.

And Lastly…

In his spare time Jon is a keen road cyclist and enjoys exploring the peak district by bicycle, at a leisurely pace.