Repatriation Specialists

Staff Profiles
 

 

Michael A. Gill (Export Repatriation).  Michael has been a key member of Kenyon's since 1985, taking over the mantle of head of export repatriation department in 1994.  He was the former Kenyon Air Transportation Quality and Service Manager.  Michael was ultimately responsible for securing the Ministry of Defence repatriation contract which included export and import repatriation, overseas and domestic burials and cremations for both MoD and civilian personnel.  This was awarded in 2001.  Michael also speaks Thai.

 

 

Edita Petraityte (Export Department).  Edita joined Kenyon Christopher Henley having worked as a translator for a company of solicitors. Prior to this however, Edita worked in the Consular department of the Embassy of Lithuania, in London.  Originally interviewed by Christopher Henley, Edita has now already progressed through the import department to support Michael in export repatriation.  With the gift of speaking Lithuanian, Russian, Ukraine, Spanish, Portuguese and Italian fluently, support is ultimately given to both departments.


Graham R. Cook (Manager, Import / Export Repatriation). Graham joined Kenyon’s in 1987 studying initially under Desmond C. Henley in the embalming department and then advancing through funeral directing into international repatriation where he was actively involved in major incidents such as the ‘Marchioness river boat disaster’. At the tender age of 17 Graham was one of the youngest candidates to sit the National Association of Funeral Directors Diploma in Funeral Directing.
In 1990 Graham took advantage to further develop his career and left Kenyon’s for the UK’s largest funeral director where he continued to develop his funeral directing and repatriation skills; as a result he was appointed assistant area manager for the Home Counties region responsible for organising and controlling in excess of 2000 funerals per annum. During this time he also qualified as a BTEC assessor which enabled other within the funeral and repatriation industry to in turn develop their skills. Graham was headhunted and joined Kenyon Christopher Henley in February 2004 as a repatriation specialist. Since joining he has overseen the Ministry of Defence contract which has resulted in working extensively in Iraq.

 


Sue Knight (Operations Manager). Sue began her funeral directing career over 20 years ago with Howard Hodgson of Hodgson Holdings fame where she learnt all aspect of funeral service from administration to management. A keen eye for "procedures" caught the eye of Howard Hodgson and subsequently given the task of overseeing the smooth transition of acquisitions of Howard's companies throughout the United Kingdom. Sue quickly advanced into management where her responsibilities included organising and administering funeral companies in Berkhamsted, Watford, Bedford, High Wycombe and the tiny hamlet of Tring.
1n 1990 Sue was head hunted by Kenyon Air Transportation with a view to overseeing the repatriation's import department whilst working under the tutelage of Christopher Henley who's knowledge Sue say's, " was an immense inspiration and to this day he has given me tremendous support within this changing world". As a result of a change in management Sue sought the quieter life and initially took up a position with a local funeral director in Aylesbury where she stayed for 5 years. It wasn't long before the call of management came knocking and with it a senior management position within Oxford, Swindon and Gloucester Co Operative Wholesale Society. This also included assisting with the setup of the groups information pack for international repatriation's.
In 2003 fate once again struck and the opportunity to work with Christopher Henley at Kenyon Christopher Henley was too good to pass up. Sue applied for a position and was duly appointed as Team KCH's Operations Manager overseeing the import, export and book keeping departments. Sue passed the National Association of Funeral Director's Diploma in Funeral Directing in 1990.
Hobbies include her family, yoga, speaking Spanish and toastmaster, for which she has gained her Competent Toastmaster Certificate for public speaking.