Charles Thomas

E: charles.thomas@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7796 211778

Charles is one of the co-founders of Up Connect and is excited to embark on this new venture with his former colleague and now business partner, Scott Curtis.

Charles has over 20 years’ experience in the property industry focusing on commercial agency and estate management in the infrastructure and telecoms sectors. He provides specialist advice in the field of property & land acquisition, expertise in estate management and negotiation of wayleave agreements on behalf of infrastructure providers and/or their customers.

Away from the office, Charles is a fan of Norwich City FC and International Rugby, however, nowadays, he is kept busy running around after his 3 young daughters.

Scott Curtis

E: scott.curtis@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0)7973 503461

Scott is one of the founding Directors of Up Connect along with Charles Thomas. During the past 9 years he has spent this time working alongside Charles, where together they established an unrivalled partnership and are now excited for the new challenge of growing their own business together.

Scott has over 15 years’ experience working as a surveyor within the telecommunications and infrastructure industry. Throughout this period, he has built up a proven track record working on and managing various challenging acquisition and planning, estate management and wayleave delivery projects for all the major MNO’s and leading fixed line operators in the UK. His sound business acumen and consultative nature have allowed Scott to become a trusted partner to all infrastructure firms of all shapes and sizes.

Outside of the office, Scott enjoys many sports, particularly football, cricket and golf, but reluctantly admits that his playing days are now behind him. He loves to travel and explore at any possible opportunity.

Kerri Stapleton

E: kerri.stapleton@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7548 829877

Kerri is an enthusiastic and motivated individual with vast experience and knowledge in commercial property, attained by over 29 years in Financial Services. She brings a proactive and conscientious approach to working with our clients and is committed to achieving the highest standards, always with a smile on her face.

Kerri possesses excellent interpersonal skills which are used to great effect when dealing with both clients and colleagues. She has a proven track record in wayleave delivery Coordination, project management, property portfolio management, land and property acquisitions and lease negotiations.

Away from the office, Kerri enjoys cooking and baking for her family and neighbours. When she isn’t running around after her 3 dogs, she is a keen volunteer and trustee of a local Wildlife Rescue Centre.

Harry Scott

E: harry.scott@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7548 829876

Harry joined Up-Connect in October 2022 after working in the property industry for 8 years prior to this. He graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Real Estate from the University of Westminster in 2019 and has experience working with land & property agency, valuation and Estate management across the commercial, rural and marine sectors. He is also a qualified UAV (Drone) pilot providing aerial photography services to clients.

Outside of work, Harry has a passionate interest in sport, and regularly attends England fixtures in cricket, rugby and football. During the summer months, he enjoys playing in the local cricket league, growing vegetables and undertaking wild camping expeditions whilst the winter months are spent honing his baking and cooking skills.

Leigh Cole

E: leigh.cole@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7512 302718

Leigh Cole is a highly experienced Wayleave Surveyor. With a background in wayleave management, Leigh brings a wealth of knowledge in negotiating access agreements and ensuring smooth fibre deployment operations. Prior to joining Up Connect, Leigh spent almost two years as a Wayleave Officer at AllPoints Fibre, where she honed skills in securing permissions for infrastructure projects. Having worked in office management at Harvey Nash for over seven years and in local government support before that, she has a strong foundation in administrative operations, project support and customer service. Leigh’s experience across different sectors enables her to navigate complex wayleave processes effectively, providing valuable support to the fibre deployment projects within Up Connect.

Ashley Kavanagh

E: ashley.kavanagh@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7512 302717

Ashley graduated University in 2014 with a Bachelors (Hons) in Business Management and in early 2015. He began his Career on a Management Development Programme. After 4 Years, Ashley moved into the world of Telecommunications as a Wayleave Officer, and over the course of a 4-year period became a Portfolio Manager, managing Telecommunications projects for some of the UK’s largest Landlords and Network Operators. In March 2023, Ashley joined Up Connect as a Surveyor.

Ashley is an avid ‘Monster’ Fish keeper, with a ‘Monster’ aquarium, home to a Stingray among other Large species. Ashley is a lover of the outdoors, and a keen explorer of new places and cultures (principally for the food!).

Abby Davies

E: abby.davies@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7842 415110

Abby joined Up-Connect in May 2023 as a Wayleave Officer. Her previous experience included working for a fibre infrastructure company working on Metro BAU connections for various clients such as Vivienne Westwood, Mango and Skoda together with Public Sector Network Projects raising a total revenue of £3 million. In 2021 she was also awarded “Outstanding Woman in Engineering” with a view to encouraging more young women to join the Telecoms sector. She graduated with a Law Degree in 2016 before working for 4 years in Conveyancing which provided transferable skills when she switched career paths into Wayleaves in 2020.

Outside of the office, Abby enjoys golf, gardening (specifically growing vegetables in her kitchen garden).

Andrew Thompson

E: andrew.thompson@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7842 421733

Andrew joins Up Connect with 13 years experience of Business Wayleaves for a Major Telecoms Provider, particularly dealing with Mobile Mast installations for several Operators.

Outside of work, Andrew spends most of his time with his family but when not required for Paternal duties is often found riding Motorbikes or Mountain Bikes or in the garage working on and repairing anything with two wheels

Rosie Wood

E: rosie.wood@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7955 284935

Rosie is a Property Administrator at Up Connect. With a career rooted in finance and sales, she has held key positions, including as Product Manager for EMEA Credit E-Trading at Bloomberg. Whilst there she was responsible for product management and customer relationship management, gaining expertise in the financial services industry. Prior to that, Rosie worked in fixed-income sales at Liquidnet and TP ICAP, where she excelled in managing client relationships and driving sales strategies. Her background equips her with the skills to manage property-related operations with precision and insight here at Up Connect.

Lauren Goddard

E: lauren.goddard@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7955 286747

Lauren Goddard recently joined the Up Connect team as a Wayleaves Surveyor, bringing over six years of industry experience from her time at Gigaclear. Throughout her career, Lauren has honed her skills in network access and wayleave negotiations, making her a valuable addition to our growing team.
At Gigaclear, Lauren held various roles, including Network Access Officer, where she played a crucial part in securing access agreements to enable fibre rollout across the UK. Her strong negotiation skills and in-depth understanding of wayleave processes will support our clients in navigating the complexities of fibre deployment across multiple counties.
We’re excited to have Lauren on board as we continue to expand our services, helping to advance connectivity and deliver seamless wayleave support for our clients.

John Caley

E: john.caley@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7955 293718

With over 35 years at BT Openreach and a decade of specialised experience in wayleaves, John Caley is a seasoned professional in the telecoms industry. At Openreach, John held roles as Operations Manager, Fibre Operations Manager, and Fibre Designer, where he honed his expertise in route planning and wayleave management. During his time there, eight years were dedicated to navigating the complexities of wayleaves—a key focus of his current role at Up Connect.
John further expanded his expertise with two years at Gigaclear, taking his total wayleave experience to 10 years. Today, he supports fibre rollout projects across the South of England, playing a critical role in ensuring efficient and effective delivery for our clients.

Elle Riseborough

E: elle.riseborough@up-connect.com
T: +44 (0) 7955 735665

As a Property Administrator at Up Connect, Elle Riseborough brings a versatile skill set to managing property-related operations. Elle supports clients across the fibre, leisure, and utilities sectors, ensuring seamless coordination and efficient project delivery.