The Team

Our team includes PhD psychology experts in their field, helping to create not only the online training and awareness modules but also self-help systems and links to relevant support organisations

Bruce Brooker

CEO/Founder

Bruce brings a wealth of leadership, commercial and cross-functional experience gained across a range of complex and challenging sectors. With a passion for working with like-minded people, he thrives on the challenge of delivering exciting and rewarding projects that benefit all parties involved. Soteria represents his real passion and ultimate vision to build a business that positively transform lives.

Bruce loves his sport, especially rugby, and still has visions of playing for the All Blacks! In addition he loves training which he attributes to needing to run after his 4 young children!

Professor Simon Dymond

Professor of Psychology and Behaviour Analysis

Professor Dymond is Professor of Psychology and Behaviour Analysis at Swansea University, Director of the Gambling Research, Education and Treatment (GREAT) Network, co-Director of the Experimental Psychopathology Lab, and Visiting Professor at Reykjavik University, Iceland. He received his undergraduate training and PhD from University College Cork, Ireland, and is a proud Munster rugby fan.

His research interests include better understanding the risk and protective factors for gambling-related harm in vulnerable populations, particularly members of the Armed Forces community, evidence-based treatment for harmful gambling, and experimental analyses of gambling behaviour. In recent years, he has received funding from a diverse range of funders, including Health and Care Research Wales, Office for Veterans’ Affairs, Armed Forces Covenant Fund Trust, Forces in Mind Trust, RAF Benevolent Fund, and Greo.

Michael J Christian

Director

Michael is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with a diverse background in offshore diamond mining, base metal trading, and heading a London-based private office. He is skilled at establishing repeatable systems, removing obstacles, and leveraging resources to drive growth and success in his ventures.

With a focus on sharing insights and strategies gained from his extensive experience, Michael helps Soteria achieve its goals through smart and effective approaches with a strategic and purposeful mindset. At the heart of his approach is the belief that “Connecting People has Real Value,” which drives his commitment to creating meaningful connections and building lasting relationships in business and beyond.

David Hunter

Brand & Digital Director

David is a ‘seasoned’ creative director with over 25 years’ experience working in the creative industries. He has built award-winning teams in London and the South West, and been fortunate to work with many exceptionally talented people both agency and client side. While he has a personal focus on brand creation and the integration of brand with experience, he also has an extensive and broad background in marketing, from print to digital, advertising and training modules for the web

Recently he has completed work for clients ranging from tech start-ups to global giants, from leading Russell Group Education establishments to renewable energy and Health Care organisations as well as developing the training modules for Soteria. David’s team employ different methodologies depending on the program and scope, from quick tactical design strategies to full digital transformations for interactive e-learning programs

Justyn Larcombe

Ambassador/Speaker

Justyn Larcombe served for over 10 years in the armed forces. A Sandhurst Sword of Honour winner, he left the Army at the rank of Major for a well-rewarded career in the City. He lost it all through an addiction to online gambling, losing three quarters of a million pounds in three years as well as his home, his job and his family.

Having found recovery in 2012, Justyn is now an author and public speaker on the issues of problem gambling and addiction in general. He has successfully campaigned for changes in the laws relating to gambling. He is the founder and CEO of a charity offering recovery courses to those suffering from addictions of all kinds. He is a member of The Royal Society for Public Health’s Gambling Harm Steering Committee and a regular medial contributor on the issue. Justyn also leads gambling education, awareness and prevention training courses within the armed forces, professional sports clubs, schools, prisons, gambling operators and financial organisations. When not working in the field of gambling harm, Justyn is a consultant delivering e-learning content and live workshops to the financial industry. Justyn has three sons and is a keen open water swimmer, having successfully swam the English Channel solo in 2014 and the Mediterranean in 2019.