Meet the team

Shirley Popham

Managing Director & Mental Health First Aider

Jo

Foundational Team Member, General Manager, Mental First Aider, Assessor, Training Manager

Lewis

Assistant General Manager, Team Leader and Senior Colourist, Mental Health First Aider, Assessor

Summertown

Lucy

Team Leader, Wella Colour Expert, Senior Stylist and Colourist

Headington

Ella

Team Leader, Senior stylist and Colourist, Assessor, Bridal Specialist, Mental Health First Aider

Jericho

Reagan

Foundational Team member, Senior Stylist and Colourist

Summertown

Sarah

Established Team Member, Assessor, Senior Stylist and Colourist

Summertown

Nicola

Wella Colour Expert, Senior Stylist and Colourist

Jericho

Barbora

Senior Stylist and Colourist

Summertown

Molly

Established Team member, Senior Stylist and Colourist, Assessor

Headington

Jeanie

Established Team Member, Senior Stylist

Jericho

Sarah

Senior Stylist and Colourist, Assessor

Jericho

Scarlet

Senior Stylist and Colourist

Summertown

Karissa

Senior Stylist and Colourist, Wedding Specialist

Headington

Annabel

Senior Stylist and Colourist

Jericho

Mia

Senior Stylist and Colourist

Headington

Keira

Stylist and Colourist

Headington

Jess

Stylist and Colourist

Summertown

Faye

Senior Apprentice

Summertown

Kaitlyn

Apprentice

Summertown

Sophie

Apprentice

Jericho

Lilly

Apprentice

Headington

Aimee

Apprentice

Summertown

Aline

Head of Reception
Accounting Assistant

Summertown

Habibah

Reception
Head of Media & Marketing

Headington

Hannah

Front of House

Currently on Maternity Leave

Shirley, having had a bad experience with hair growing up and feeling intimidated to walk into a salon, works tirelessly with her team to ensure clients who come to Popham feel comfortable and confident and learn to love the hair they have!
A Cordon Bleu cook and teacher by trade and not a hairdresser, Shirley has spent over 30 years working in the industry.
In 2010, when her youngest son started A levels, she felt it was time to expand Popham and open the Summertown salon , and again in 2017 when Jericho presented as a redundancy sale, she felt the need to grow again. When the opportunity to expand into Headington arose this spring , she felt it too good to miss and so is delighted to be opening Popham number 4 on 22nd October 2024.

Driven by her passion for making sure people reach their potential, she spent a lot of time training to be a coach, which she now puts to good use, alongside her Mental Health First Aiding with the team.
Striving to make sure her team is well paid, motivated, and able to have a mortgage should they want one is paramount in her strategy.

As David has retired, and as a confessed workaholic, she is now in the driving seat and looking to grow and expand Popham further.

Jo started her journey as our first ever apprentice in the North Parade salon in 2003, a true example of how apprenticeships can lead to further career progression. It was evident from her first day that she was determined, enthusiastic and wanted to take on more than just her role as a hairdresser.

She progressed to General Manager in 2016, and now works closely with Shirley on all aspects of the business.

Jo’s passion is human resources, and since qualifying as a Mental Health First Aider, she spends a lot of her time supporting the teams across the salon. After a year away from actually cutting hair, she missed it too much and so now sees clients in all three salons again.

Alongside both those roles, she is also now an Assessor, continuing to contribute to our award winning training programme, assessing, teaching and organising the ever growing numbers of apprentices Popham employ.

Jo juggles a hectic family life with her husband, three children, cats, dogs, and a passion for fitness and is an invaluable member of the Popham Foundation Team.

“Brilliant haircut. My hair feels refreshed. Thank you.“

September 2026

Lewis is another example of the career progression at Popham, available for those who want it!

Having joined Popham as a 16 year old apprentice, after a tough time at school, he has grown in his confidence as well as his skills. His natural ability with people, meant we promoted him to Team Leader in the Summertown salon, managing our busiest team, before his 21st birthday. Following on from that first at Popham, we have recently promoted him yet again as our first Assistant General Manager.

Often mistaken for the youngest of the Popham sons, due to his resemblance to Shirley & David children, he takes on challenges and responsibilities within the business as if he were a Popham.

His passion for colour, makes him a superb colourist, and he has quickly developed a strong following. Now booked weeks in advance due to he is personable nature and flair for colour.

He is now also an assessor, contributing to the training programme as well as the management team, whilst managing many of our foundational stylists, and encouraging and supporting the younger team members when they first qualify. On his own continuous programme of professional development, Lewis is currently studying Customer Service NVQ Level 3.

A true prankster, with a tremendous sense of humour, when he isn’t in the salon, Lewis’s passion is travelling. You will find him off and away most weekends whether camping in the New Forest or in a European city, with an extraordinary knowledge of aeroplanes.

“Lewis always goes above and beyond to provide the best possible service.“

September 2026

Lucy joined Popham in 2019, bringing her quiet and exemplary knowledge to the salon and a very loyal following from her previous salon.

She has continued to grow her clientele through her gentle and caring nature and her passion for educating her clients during their appointment process as well as home care and maintenance.

Lucy’s main love is colouring hair, particularly focusing on enhancing natural beauty and providing soft and low-maintenance results. She completed the comprehensive Wella Colour Expert programme in 2023, developing her knowledge further to understand colouring hair at the highest level in the hairdressing world.

Despite having 12 years of experience, Lucy never shies away from continual education and expanding her knowledge; therefore in September 2024 Lucy began a new challenge, to train to become a Trichologist. She now works part time in Headington, whilst studying for her diploma in Trichology, as well as being a calm and caring Team Leader for the Headington Team.

“Absolutely love having my hair done by Lucy! 🥰 She gave me the most amazing wash and blow-dry, as always. She somehow manages to get my hair looking perfect every single time, and I always leave feeling so happy with it. Lucy is so lovely, talented, and consistently gets my hair exactly how I want it”

September 2026

Ella joined Popham as a determined, focused, and enthusiastic apprentice straight from school and qualified in record time in 2018. After spreading her wings, spending two years at other Oxfordshire salons she rejoined the Popham group in 2020.

What a joy to have her back in the salon, bringing her soft manner and excellent hairdressing skills to the shop floor.

Ella’s passion is Wedding Hair and Makeup, and you will find her all over the county, looking after brides on their special day. She now heads up our Wedding Team as well as team leading the Jericho salon, which is truly inspirational at her young age.

Never one to tire of learning , Ella is currently working on expanding her knowledge to become a Wella Colour Expert, she is loving the new in-depth knowledge she is learning about colour.

“Ella was absolutely brilliant, she took time to understand my hair and thoughts I had what I would like out of the cut. She suggested a neat idea she thought would make it more intentional, which I went with. Finished result was fabulous. Thank you Ella! A wonderful salon, who really care.” 

September 2026

Hairdressing has been Reagan’s passion for the past 23 years. She loves to create bespoke shapes and colours that suit her client’s facial shapes, styles, and lifestyles. – giving them something that looks and feels great until the next appointment.

A member of our founding team, Reagan is a home grown Popham Stylist and our longest- standing employee, celebrating 20 years with Popham in 2026. Returning after all three maternity breaks, she now juggles her three gorgeous children and her work commitments, effortlessly, and always looks the part. A consummate professional, Reagan mentors the younger team members and brings her elegance to our Summertown salon.

She says,” Popham is the perfect setting for me to produce my best work because of the generous appointment times, flawless consultation process, continuous training, and superior products we use.”

“Lovely lady. Elegant salon. I’m very happy with my haircut and will be coming again. Thank you.“

September 2026

Sarah is celebrating her 12th Anniversary with Popham this September, which in our view makes her a established team member, as well as making history as the only employee who has been at Popham for 12 years without taking a sabbatical of any kind.

Her longevity showcases her commitment to the Popham ethos, and it’s that expertise as he brings to her clients and the team, alongside her caring personality and fantastic sense of humour.

Now needing more time with her family , she has stepped away from her training Manager role, however we cannot thank her enough, as under her diligent direction as Training Manager (2015-2022), Popham won the 2018 Apprenticeship Provider of the Year award at the Oxfordshire Apprenticeship Awards.

Dynamic, vibrant and fun, Sarah is an asset to Popham.

“It made a huge difference to be made to feel so welcomed as a new customer. I felt that Sarah truly cares for her customer, even for newcomers like me. I felt that the outcome of my haircut mattered to Sarah. I also felt very relaxed and comfortable to chat to Sarah and not at all self-conscious, as some hair salon experiences have left me feeling. She is bright, friendly and intelligent as well as sensitive to the customer’s needs. She pointed out what was good about my hair structure and gave me a style that enhanced the natural attributes of my hair. Overall, I came out feeling very satisfied with the cut and valued as a person. Thank you Sarah, I will return to you again because of your skill, expertise and warm, friendly personality.“

September 2026

Recently returned from Maternity Leave, it’s great to have Nic back in the salon. A consummate professional, Nic was already in high demand when she was full time, she is now more than ever, as she is part-time, creating a work life balance for herself and her family.

Nicola joined Popham in 2018, having previously worked in the City of London before retraining as a hairdresser. She brought experience and an excellent foundation to deliver a client focussed experience. Extremely knowledgeable and professional in her approach to her craft, Nic has built a very strong following in Oxford.

The first of our Wella Colour Experts, Nic graduated in 2022, having completed it in 6 months, rather than the year it usually takes. The equivalent of a degree in colour, Nicola is our Head of Colour at Popham, working with all our team on their colour work and training our apprentices. She has inspired the others to follow in her footsteps.

“Nicola has been cutting my hair for over 3 years now. Her skills are exceptional and I have never had anyone so foot at their craft ever before.“

September 2026

The moment we met Barbora at her interview to retrain as a hairdresser, we snapped her up, as we knew her energy, enthusiasm, and lovely way of being were a perfect match for Popham. We have not been wrong, now in her 8th year at Popham, she is fundamental part of the team.

Originally from the Czech Republic, a university graduate in psychology, Barbs brings her understanding of people to her role in the salon.

She was David Popham’s last protege before he retired, and she stepped up to the plate, qualifying in record time in January 2020. Returning after the first Covid lockdown, she had no time to be scared- she was plunged into a packed schedule and never looked back.

She fell in love with the creative process, learning new techniques, and finding the individual styles that allow her clients to express themselves. However, the part of the job she enjoys the most is how much a hairstyle can change how people feel about themselves.

We are missing her so much while she enjoys her time with her gorgeous new son, and are looking forward to having her back in October, when she rejoins the Summertown team. Book quickly though as she will be part time!

“Barbora just knows what looks good on the actual person, not what they might think they might look like. I’m the kind of person who doesn’t use a hair dryer and won’t spend time fixing my hair, so it needs to wash-and-go and to work with whatever natural strengths are there. Barbora is so lovely. I always come back to her!”

September 2025

Now in her 11th year at Popham, having started from scratch after school, she is one of our established team members. Molly is always a breath of fresh air, chatty and upbeat, she brings her joy to the salon and her clients. Molly’s passion for hair is evident and from the moment she joined she has been unstoppable. Always one to jump in and help in and around the salon.

Molly is an assessor and is excellent in supporting our younger team members fulfilling their potential, She is a perfect example of how an apprenticeship can develop into an excellent and stable career, moving from full time to part time when starting a family.

“Thank you Molly! Felt very relaxed in the salon and enjoyed my appointment. Hair cut is great. Will see you again soon.”

September 2026

The company’s resident pseudo-American, Jeanie brings curiosity and dry humour to her work as a cutting specialist.

She’s perfectly content to work in silence. However, find her in the right mood and with a second coffee, and you could talk about politics, podcasts, skincare, or gardening.

Although she now specialises in haircuts, she was also one of our senior colourists in a time gone by, which lends awareness and expertise to blending shapes with the colour work of her colleagues.

“Jeanie was wonderful with my daughter and the haircut was great, just what my daughter wanted! To the point where my daughter actually wants to come back, after years of avoiding the hairdresser. Thank you!”

September 2026

When we took on the salon in Headington, Sarah came as part of that package, lucky us!

What a joy she is. Slightly deprived of training and investment, 18 months later, having completed some time at the Sassoon Academy and the Wella Studio in London, Sarah is feeling revived.

This year she is attending an advanced stylist course in London with Kevin Murphy and has moved to our Jericho salon. She was ready for a change and Sarah is loving Jericho and the new team are loving her.

Along the way she has completed her Assessors award, yet another string to her bow, and is a superb addition to the training that is delivered at Popham.

She continues to inspire her clients who adore her, making them feel wonderful from the from the moment they cross the threshold, with her skill and flair and incredibly warm nature. She is a fabulous addition to the Popham team and we are looking forward to watching her continue to grow and develop.

Getting an appointment with Sarah is like gold dust, when she isn’t at work, she loves weight training and running, although will definitely opt for fizz and high heels when offered.

“Always can rely on Sarah for a top-class cut. She is a very experienced hairdresser, totally professional and utterly reliable. I always come out of the salon looking good and feeling good.”

September 2026

Scarlet always knew she wanted to be a hairdresser and it shows. She is a natural, talented and enthusiastic, its totally clear how much she loves what she does when you see her in the salon immersed in her job. She has moved very quickly from qualifying to becoming a senior stylist, with a strong and loyal clientele.

Scarlet was a finalist in The Oxfordshire Apprentice Awards 2025, in two categories, a huge credit to her and her dedication to mastering her craft. Never one to stop learning, she has attended the Wella Academy for a colour course this year.

From a large and bustling family, Scarlet shows a maturity well beyond her years.The youngest of 6 children, she spends as much time as possible with her nieces and nephews when she isn’t working or travelling, which is her other passion.

Its a joy to see how far Scarlet has come during her time at Popham, and she is testament to fulfilling on her own dream through hard work.

” Popham Hairdressing offers such a friendly and professional service, and I’m consistently delighted by the wonderful cut delivered by Scarlet. Many thanks!”

September 2026

Karissa joined Popham in August 2024 when she came as part of the “package” in Headington, and she has been a fantastic addition to our team. Popham has been such a change for Karissa, and she continues to bring energy and brightness to the day.

She has attended courses at Sassoon Academy and Wella in London, adding to her already extensive knowledge of hairdressing, since joining Popham, and is really enjoying the Kevin Murphy brand of products. Karissa also does wedding hair.

Karissa loves the chat with her clients, whilst being the professional and skilled hairdresser she is, she has a very loyal following so book in advance!

When she is not seeing clients, you will find her surrounded by her family or walking her lovely dog Lola.

“I’m honestly over the moon with my haircut! 😊 Karissa was amazing. She took her time to really look at my hair, listen to what I wanted and understand what would work for me. I have a LOT of hair, so finding someone who knows how to work with it properly isn’t always easy, but Karissa completely got it. She worked her magic and gave my hair so much more movement and shape without taking away all the length. I absolutely love it! All the ladies were so lovely and welcoming too. Really happy with the whole experience and I’ll definitely be coming back. Thank you Karissa!”

September 2026

Annabel joined Popham in the autumn of 2023, as a qualified hairdresser, whose training had been impacted by Covid. She was keen to get her skills to an acceptable level and be in a salon where she was valued and stretched, and she has done just that.

Annabel moved to the Jericho salon a year ago and has flourished, gaining confidence in her excellent delivery of both cuts and colours. Its a total joy to see her happy and progressing through the ranks as well she should. She has attended a Sassoon Academy course as well as a Wella Colour course over the past year and is putting her skills to great use.

“Annabel absolutely smashed my cut and blow dry! Never felt more confident or relaxed. Really attentive consultation, the perfect haircut, and an incredible head massage (I think I fell asleep). Thank you, Annabel!“

September 2026

Mia began her creative journey at school, studying art, which led her seamlessly into the artistic world of Hairdressing.

Mia studied hairdressing at college and then realised with no salon experience it was really hard to get a job. When she came to Popham, she went right back to the beginning and had to unlearn a lot of what she had been taught, and re – learn the Popham way.

Six years later after a move around all the salons, she has settled now in the Headington team and is now a senior stylist. With her passion being balayage, she is at her happiest with a colour brush in her hand and transforming someones hair into a glossy beautiful balayage.

When Mia isn’t in the salon, she loves to cook and does kick boxing as a side hobby.

“I felt really well looked after and was very happy with my hair, the head massage was the best too!“

September 2026

The first time David Popham took Keira for a training session, when she started her apprenticeship at Popham, he declared she was “ the most natural hairdresser” he had ever taught, which is praise indeed, as so many of our team are like Keira, home~grown and have been taught by David over the past 23 years.

Now a qualified stylist and doing the Advanced Professional Hairdressing Level 3 qualification, she can be found in her happy place in the Headington salon, where she is crucial member of the team. This year she attended a Sassoon Academy course in London to add to her cutting knowledge.

It’s such a joy to have Keira as part of our company, and watching her gain her confidence in there chosen career has been a privilege. She is really good value right now, so book in!

“Excellent cut and styling from Kiera. I love that she listens to my styling needs and takes her time, checking things over. I have a lovely cut, which looks expertly done, just as I wanted with weight taken off. Thanks Keira, see you again!”

September 2026

Having always had a passion for hairdressing, Jess wanted to turn this passion into a career, and decided it was a clear choice to join the Popham team after researching local apprenticeship programmes. We had no doubt she would be a perfect fir for us when she came for her interview.

Now a fully fledged stylist in the Summertown branch, we were proven completely correct. She is flourishing and her calm and lovely nature is a perfect foil for the bustling busy Summertown salon.

Jess loved the Sassoon Academy course she attended in London this year, and can’t wait to go back and learn more. She is constantly looking to improve her hairdressing knowledge, and currently studying her Advanced Professional Hairdressing Level 3 qualification.

“Jess is great! I have thick, difficult hair but she manages it well and I really feel she knows it and understands how it behaves. She takes time to discuss what I want and genuinely listens. While washing and cutting my hair she is always friendly but doesn’t constantly chat, so the experience of having my hair done is restful. The mini head massage when the conditioner is on is therapeutic. Thank you!“

September 2026

Faye joined Popham in May 2025 having been let down by her previous salon during her apprenticeship. We knew from her trial day we wanted her to work with us.

Keen to qualify, Faye is a hard worker and very keen to learn, and working towards being qualified by Christmas now that she is the most senior apprentice in the team.

Outside of work, Faye loves to walk and go to the gym, and once joining Popham, she has started walking to work form the station. Her main passion apart from hairdressing is travelling to places where she can party, Ibiza being top of the list!

“Very meticulous, professional and caring salon with excellent standards and management. I really enjoyed having my haircut, thank you everyone!”

September 2026

Kaitlyn joined Popham in September 2025 and brings her feisty nature to the role. As with all the co-hort that come directly from school, its such a big change to being art full time work. Kaitlyn has settled in well, and almost on her 2nd year now.

Sparky and loving the training, she is just desperate to qualify as a hairdresser and is working hard to do just that alongside her driving lessons!

Outside of work, Kaitlyn loves boxing and keeping fit.

“I thought Kaitlin was very professional, enthusiastic and it was great to see her confident, dealing with thick hair. Great communication, she asked me a lot of questions etc. It was a great experience.”

September 2026

Sophie originally applied to be a receptionist, but during her interview Shirley discovered that her passion was hairdressing and she was heading for college. Determined not to let such a bright young woman head into a system that has no real salon training or hands on experience, Shirley persuaded her to come for a trial the next day.

The rest is history, Sophie has settled so well into Jericho and is like a sponge learning and developing under the guidance of that team. She is so popular that her colleagues votes her best Team Jericho Member of the Year 2026 ! A real accolade for anyone and especially an apprentice – congratulations Sophie.

“Thanks Sophie for a great haircut and a lovely experience at the salon today. Best of luck with your training!”

April 2026

When Lilly came for her trial shift, the team know they wanted to have her as an apprentice in their team, and offered her a job immediately. And she hasn’t disappointed us at all.

Bright, keen and so mature for her age, she is now handling the Headington team as the only apprentice and doing so well. Like all our current co-hort, we see a future for her at Popham and look forward to watching her grow as she continues her journey to be a hairdresser.

“Lilly was polite, professional and conscientious. It was a pleasant experience for me and the haircut is great. I’d be happy to recommend to others and would love to come back sometime.”

September 2026

Aimee has just joined Popham after an illustrious career in make up and hair for Film and TV, as well as working at the Harry Potter studios tours.

Keen to train as hairdresser, she is fast tracking with us as an apprentice and has a wonderful way of being within the salon.

Already extremely accomplished, she has the following awards to her name already

Priff Nominated for Best Hair and Makeup Artist 2025.
BAFTA Short Film Winner 2025.
Self Portrait hung in the Tate Art Museum, after winning an art competition, 2010.

We are excited for her journey with us.

“Aimee was charming, attentive, listened and took on board everything that I wanted. She cut my hair carefully and precisely and I was very pleased with the result. Thank you very much Aimee.”

September 2026

Aline started with Popham as a Saturday receptionist when her two boys were young. It certainly did not take long for us to realise what a fantastic asset to Popham, Aline would be, and she slowly increased her hours to 4 days a week.

Having worked on stock in the past, she now does a hybrid role for us, working in Summertown on reception and around all the salons supporting the team, as and where needed! She can do a stock take in the time it takes everyone else to even think about starting one. Also supporting Shirley, she works closely with her and the accounting team, using her attention to detail to make sure it all goes smoothly.

She is the longest standing receptionist we have ever had and its a credit to her that she continues to make the salons buzzy and busy, whilst training the newer team members, in this vital role. Alongside her role at Popham, she juggles her busy family life with two sporty and active boys, her beloved dogs, and her miniature shetland pony, Clarence, who provides her much-needed solace!

Whilst our reception team do not get reviews, one of our clients sent this in when voting for our annual awards and we couldn’t resist sharing it.

“Can I be cheeky and nominate two people? I think that both Aline and Reagan deserve my vote: Aline sets the tone when clients arrive in the Summertown salon, while Reagan gives me a superb haircut and interesting conversation.”

May 2026

Habibah joined us during her first degree at Oxford Brooke’s as a part time receptionist, and over the course of 5 years has gone from part time to full time to part time to full time… Left twice and then come back as she loves working with us too much !!


At the same time she has completed an undergraduate degree, completed a Masters Degree, had several surgeries, got married and bought a house!

Always an asset to our team, we are hoping her new role in Marketing will have her settle into Popham for the long haul, as we love working with her and besides which she can’t have any more leaving parties….

Hannah joined Popham as an apprentice and as much as she loved the training to become a hairdresser, something eluded her. We found that she came alive on the Front desk and supporting Lucy, her team leader with admin tasks and so it was a natural fit for us to redirect her career to becoming a receptionist.

Hannah has gone from strength to strength, and as her passion for customer service is as high as ever she is loving working in the new Headington salon and doing a fabulous job.

Recently engaged and now expecting their first baby , Hannah will be off on Maternity leave at Christmas.