Alistair Morrison who, as managing director of learning content producer Skillchange Systems, was one of the leaders of the UK’s embryonic e-learning industry in the 1990s, has joined the consultancy-led publishing house, Echelon –  echelonlearning.co.uk - as a non-executive director.

Morrison, previously an operational board director at defence and space specialists Vega plc and later marketing director at the specialist research and training company, Lorien Customer Focus (LCF), part of Lorien plc, will be making his industry contacts and considerable marketing experience available to Echelon.

“Echelon focuses on helping organisations to develop to their full potential,” said Echelon director David Hill, “In particular, we do this through e-publishing, notably in enabling companies to make best use of their knowledge and information by using professional publishing techniques to store, display and enable search for this material on a just-in-time basis on the intranet and by supporting this resource with selected learning from Echelon’s own virtual library learningmatters.com.

Our publishing services include content managing the production of specialist materials and on-line tracking tools so that professional bodies can offer CPD resources and an electronic log to their worldwide membership via the web.,” he added. “We are looking to Alistair to help us to cement our working relationships with our existing clients and help us to forge links with new customers too.”

In addition, Echelon’s learning design consultancy division has been working with London and Continental Railways (LCR) to recruit, select and train the numbers and calibre of station staff necessary to help build an impressive reputation for customer service and care. Echelon with the support of actors from Characters Drama Based Learning Ltd assessed the 1,570 job applicants, recruited the successful ones and helped train them in customer care techniques.

Morrison commented: “Echelon’s broad range of publishing and consultancy services makes it unique in today’s marketplace. With access to appropriate knowledge - and the management of that knowledge - so important in terms of attaining a competitive advantage, Echelon has a highly valuable business proposition.

“I’m looking forward to the challenge of helping Echelon attain its rightful pre-eminent position in the UK’s corporate learning and development sector,” he added.