Who you work with

Expertise across the full product function

We assess customer value, user experience, proposition strength, and growth opportunity together, with engineering expertise to keep the roadmap practical.

Founder, Product Engineering

Mike Bailey

Mike works across every Coppice Labs project, helping clients navigate uncertainty and decide what is worth building.

He has spent two decades as a software engineer, software architect and product leader, launching new products and scaling existing ones.

He remains a hands-on technical builder, creating prototypes and solving problems with simple, well-considered technical solutions.

He also works closely with teams through coaching and training, helping them build the confidence and capability to make better product decisions.

UX & Product Design

Brom Sulaiman

Brom brings over twenty years of experience in product design and UX, working closely with teams to identify assumptions, shape ideas, and validate them with real users before significant time is spent on build.

His background includes founding designer roles and leading UX at organisations where he built design capability from the ground up and supported the development of new digital products.

Brom focuses on the early stages where clarity matters most, helping teams move from idea to working prototype quickly, while making sure the right problems are being solved.

Product Strategy and Delivery

Mick Lock

Mick helps businesses turn ideas into clear, actionable plans and make steady progress towards delivery.

He has over twenty years of experience working on digital products, focusing on understanding business goals, identifying customer needs, and testing ideas early to see what works.

His approach is grounded in simple, practical steps. He quickly evaluates options, creates clarity around direction, and helps teams focus on the work that will have the most impact.

Mick has experience across product discovery, strategy and delivery, and has led cross-functional teams to take products from early concept through to launch.

Product Strategy and Commercial

Gareth Jones

Gareth works at the intersection of product, commercial strategy and market positioning, helping businesses clarify where to play and how to grow.

He has held senior leadership and CEO-level roles across the HR and WorkTech sector, bringing a strong understanding of how product, go-to-market and business strategy need to align.

His focus is on shaping clear value propositions, identifying where products can create meaningful differentiation, and helping teams prioritise the work that will drive growth.

Gareth also brings experience working with investors and leadership teams, providing a structured view on product direction, execution risk and the strength of a business’s overall product approach.

Product Design and Prototyping

Neil Patel

Neil is a product designer specialising in the design and prototyping of new digital and physical products, with a focus on AI-driven applications.

He works across early-stage ideas, helping turn concepts into tangible prototypes that can be tested and explored in the real world.

His background includes work across software, hardware and interface design, including smart devices, home appliances and multi-modal input systems.

Neil holds a master’s degree in Design Engineering from Imperial College London, where he focused on combining technical prototyping with design thinking. He has also worked in research and early-stage ventures, applying new technologies to real-world problems.

User Research, Design & Storytelling

Ellen Redgrave

Ellen is a product designer with a background in behavioural design, storytelling and digital product development.

They focus on understanding user needs and shaping experiences that are clear, engaging and grounded in real behaviour. Their work includes user research, prototyping and iterative design to ensure products deliver meaningful value.

Ellen has experience designing digital platforms and improving user journeys, using data and feedback to guide decisions and improve outcomes. They are particularly interested in how thoughtful design and narrative can help make complex ideas easier to understand and use.

User Research and Coach

Nathalie Sparrow

Nathalie brings the human side of AI and innovation into focus. She helps organisations build the confidence, capability and culture needed to explore new opportunities and adapt to change.

With over 12 years’ experience in learning and development, Nathalie works with leaders and teams to surface real challenges and turn them into practical action. Her approach is hands-on and grounded, helping people think differently, build new skills and make change stick.

Illustrated coppiced tree stump characters working together around a product map in a woodland clearing.

Understand your exit readiness

Bring an independent product and UX perspective to your exit readiness.

Start with a conversation about the product, its user experience, where growth could come from, and what currently feels ready or unready for buyer scrutiny.

Discuss your exit readiness