Meet The Team

Kirk McGrath is the Director and Co-Founder of Teesside LGV Training Ltd, trading as NTT Group.

With more than 25 years of experience in the transport industry, Kirk started his career in 1999 as a long-distance LGV driver, before founding Teesside LGV Training in 2004, alongside his parents Colin and Barbara McGrath. What started as a family-run business has grown significantly over the years, but that family feel and customer focus remains an important part of the business today.

As Director, Kirk is always looking ahead to the next opportunity for NTT Group, but he’s very much a people person at heart. He prefers being out and about, speaking to customers, meeting people face-to-face and spending time with the team rather than sitting behind a desk. Ask him to sit down for a face-to-face meeting and he’ll happily make the time – send him a long email… and you might be better off just giving him a call!

He takes immense pride in supporting staff, helping people develop and ensuring all staff feel valued, involved and part of the business’ future direction. Kirk also believes that a strong team should enjoy themselves together, he’s usually the first to suggest a race day, black-tie event, city trip or team night out — and occasionally all of the above!

More than two decades after starting the company, Kirk remains passionate about its future and proud of the people who have helped build it.

His approach is pretty simple: look after your people, look after your customers, keep moving forward — and don’t expect an essay back by email.

Dave has been a proud member of the team since 2009 and has built his career around transport, training, compliance and professional development. Having worked as an LGV driver and Transport Manager before moving into training and consultancy, Dave brings practical, real-world industry experience to his current role as Lead Trainer and Compliance Manager.

Dave is also a DVSA Earned Recognition Auditor for both LGV and PCV operators and a qualified Dangerous Goods Safety Adviser, these roles allow him to work closely with professional drivers, transport managers and operators, providing specialist training, auditing, compliance support and practical guidance, designed to help individuals and businesses achieve and maintain the highest professional standards.

For Dave, effective training and compliance support is about much more than simply meeting a requirement – it is about understanding the individual or the business, identifying where improvements can be made and providing clear, practical solutions that create lasting results. Whether Dave is helping someone achieve a new qualification, developing the knowledge and confidence of a transport manager, or supporting an operator to strengthen their compliance systems, seeing that progress is one of the most rewarding aspects of his role.

“I am extremely proud to represent NTT Group and play a key role in the continued development of the business. Our reputation has been built on knowledge, experience and a commitment to doing things properly. As we continue to grow, our focus remains firmly on raising standards across the transport industry and providing our customers with training, compliance and consultancy services they can have complete confidence in.”

Away from the serious side of training and compliance, Dave also believes a great team should enjoy what they do, and he’s usually more than happy to provide the entertainment when required!

Sue joined the team in September 2015, bringing with her a wealth of experience and knowledge. As Business Manager, Sue looks after customer contracts, accreditations, qualifications and compliance, alongside helping keep the business running smoothly.

Having been part of the business for over 10 years, Sue has seen it grow from Teesside LGV Training into NTT Group and is proud to have been part of that journey. Sue loves being part of a team that genuinely cares about its customers, enjoys seeing candidates succeed and takes pride in the great feedback we receive as a business.

“What I love most about working for NTT Group is the people. We genuinely feel like a team, and I love being part of the business, seeing it grow and helping to shape what comes next.”

Outside of keeping the business organised, Sue is also the one making sure nobody’s birthday is forgotten — especially when there’s a cake involved!

John is the Senior Instructor at NTT Group, joining the team in 2013 after starting his career in the driver training industry back in 2002. With over 20 years of experience, John brings a wealth of knowledge and a genuine passion for helping others succeed, he takes real pride in his work and loves seeing students build their confidence, develop their skills and reach the high standards needed to become great drivers. John is always happy to adapt, keeping up with changes and making sure every student gets the support they need.

“What I like most about being part of the NTT Group is the strong team spirit and hardworking attitude, everyone pulls together, celebrates each others successes, and supports the students every step of the way. The friendly banter and genuine care across the team make it a great place to work.”

John is also known as the work magpie, if anything is missing, he will always know where it is and find it!

Martin became part of the NTT Group team in 2019, bringing with him valuable experience from his time in the military and a long career in instruction. Now, as an LGV instructor, Martin enjoys sharing his knowledge and skills with the next generation of drivers, helping them build the confidence and skills to become safe and capable on the road.

“I really enjoy the environment here – it’s supportive, engaging, and no two days are the same. One of the most rewarding parts of the job is guiding students through the entire learning journey, from day one right through to qualification. It’s a challenge, but a fulfilling one. Working at NTT Group feels like being part of a family, and that sense of community really comes through in the way the team supports each other and our learners.”

Marty is known by his colleagues as “tech” for the way he surprises us with his lack of expertise when new technology is introduced! He simply says he has a different way of using it, or not using it at all!

Chris joined the team in 2021. Starting out in the army at 18, Chris then spent over 30 years driving trucks all over Europe and North America, along the way, he built up a wealth of experience, knowledge and stories from life on the road, giving him a real understanding of what it takes to be driver. After a career on the road, Chris brought his skills and experience to NTT Group, where he now helps train and assess the next generation of drivers.

“What I enjoy most about working at NTT Group is the friendly, family-like atmosphere, the team work closely together and support each other both on the job and outside of work.”

Chris is hard on the outside but fluffy on the inside, although he travels to work on his motorbike, his favourite programme is Strictly Come Dancing and he’s always ready to show off his best moves on a work night out!

Jamie joined the NTT Group team in 2024, bringing with him 16 years of experience from the Army, with valuable knowledge, discipline and a strong work ethic. Jamie is passionate about helping people and takes pride in delivering training that is not only professional, but engaging and enjoyable, creating a friendly environment where candidates can build their skills and confidence, while still maintaining the high standards needed to achieve the best possible results.

“I like the team cohesion and the great work/life balance. Everyone helps each other out when needed and I enjoy the variety of training.”

Jamie is a big coffee fan, although he somehow manages to misplace his coffee flask daily! You will see Jamie regularly retracing his steps or asking around to track it down, usually while already holding another coffee! Jamie also has a special talent for using the kettle and somehow leaving it completely empty for the next person…

Mick joined the team in 2021, bringing with him extensive experience within the logistics and transport sectors. Throughout his career, Mick has continued to develop his knowledge and expertise, while maintaining high standards of quality and performance. Mick takes pride in sharing his knowledge in a professional yet approachable way, helping candidates build the skills and confidence to get the best results possible.

Calm on the outside, thrill seeker on the inside – that’s Mick! With 800 skydives under his belt, wing-walking, a love for rugby league and Planet Rock being his go to music station, Mick’s idea of excitement is definitely different, but for all the thrills, nothing beats his true passion… cake!

“My continued support for this well-regarded company is driven by my respect for their unwavering standards, their dedication to quality, and the family-run culture that defines their ethos. My alignment with their principles and my appreciation for the collaborative environment they foster reaffirm my enthusiasm to play a role in their continued success.”

Elena has been part of NTT Group since 2017, joining the team as an apprentice and completing her Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship. Over the years, Elena’s role has grown to cover both business administration and accounts, making her a key part of the day-to-day running of the business. From managing accounts, invoices and payments, to organising bookings, paperwork and general administration, Elena helps keep everything in order behind the scenes, alongside supporting customers and colleagues wherever needed, helping to keep the business running smoothly.

“My favourite thing about working here is the rewarding feeling of seeing our customers achieve their goals, from dealing with them from their first interaction with us, to getting the results they need to better their life and career. I have loved watching the business grow and develop over the years and am very proud to be part of the NTT Group family.”

Known around the office as “Chaser”, Elena has a memory that could put a filing cabinet to shame! She somehow remembers everything – names, dates, paperwork and answers to questions nobody else can remember asking. If it happened, Elena probably remembers it and if she doesn’t, she’ll probably remind you anyway!

Rhiann joined the team in 2023 as an apprentice, successfully completing her Level 3 Business Administration Apprenticeship. Rhiann now supports the team with bookings and customer care, helping to keep everything running smoothly while providing a friendly and helpful service. More recently, Rhiann completed an Internal Auditing course, further developing her knowledge of ISO 9001 and strengthening her skills within her role.

“My favourite thing about working at NTT Group is being part of such a close-knit team, where everyone is always willing to help each other out. I enjoy the variety of MY role and working alongside such a supportive team.”

Rhiann is the paperwork detective of the team, checking instructor paperwork and spotting the little mistakes that slip through, but her favourite target is Chris – she takes great pleasure in correcting his paperwork, although we’re not entirely convinced it’s about the paperwork anymore!

Sam is the newest member of NTT Group, joining the team in 2026. With a background in education and business ownership, Sam brings a strong mix of professional skills and a passion for helping others develop their confidence and abilities. Her experience in education provides a strong foundation for delivering clear, supportive and effective driver training, helping candidates build both their skills and confidence behind the wheel.

“What I love most about NTT Group is the fact you get to meet new people every week and share the joy when they succeed. I love nothing more than hearing ‘I am very pleased to inform you that you have passed’ and I can celebrate with them. We are a close knit team and I genuinely believe that our passion and love for what we do sets us apart.”

Sam doesn’t do sitting still! When she’s not at work, she’s busy with her horses, jumping fences and enjoying every minute at the yard, rallying, or transporting supercars. With a love of anything fast or four-legged, she’s always got something going on!

Nala, our Dogue de Bordeaux, is calm, quiet and very much the office’s chief cuddler. She takes her role seriously, making sure there is always time for a fuss and the occasional custard cream. You’ll rarely find her worrying about deadlines or paperwork – Nala is here for the cuddles, not the workload!