Trustees

Mike was born in in Somerset to a services family and regularly moved around the UK until settling in Hertfordshire for his secondary school education. He studied Business / Law at Newcastle before a career in the energy industry.

Mike is an experienced senior executive with a background covering a range of corporate services. He spent 31 years with Shell plc, during which time he headed, at various times, their global Procurement, Real Estate, Shared Services and Corporate Communications divisions. He also has more than fifteen years’ experience as a non- executive director in the UK.

Having lived and worked in a number of countries across five continents, Mike eventually settled on the Gloucestershire / Wiltshire border in 1996, before moving to Cheltenham in 2019. He is married with two grown-up sons, both of whom went to school in Cheltenham.

Mike is a keen sportsman, although more as a spectator than participant in recent years! He runs, plays golf badly and has not yet retired from cricket. He is a keen supporter of Gloucester County Cricket Club and Gloucester Rugby.

Lisa is an experienced senior leader with over 30 years’ experience in marketing, communications and business transformation. After graduating from Leeds University, she worked in a variety of industries including music, FMCG, financial services and most recently in retail where she was Chief Marketing Officer at Dreams and Group Marketing Director at Halfords, being instrumental in the transformation and success of both businesses.

After leaving Halfords, Lisa took up a consultancy position at Variety, the Children’s Charity as Marketing and Digital Director and then interim CEO.

Lisa has lived in Cheltenham since 2018 and as well as her volunteering work, enjoys actively participating in all of the art and cultural experiences the town has to offer.

Julia Goldsworthy is Head of Social Impact Investment at Legal and General. She drives strategic partnerships with local leaders and experts that deliver transformational projects and support the real economy, as part of Legal & General’s long-term commitment to invest society’s capital for society’s benefit.

A former Executive Director for Strategy and Economy at the West Midlands Combined Authority, Julia led negotiations on the region’s second devolution deal and Local Industrial Strategy, after 3 years at PwC focusing on the market response to the emerging devolution agenda. Julia has also served as an MP and Treasury Special Adviser in the coalition, with work spanning a broad range of issues, though often with as place based, inclusive growth focus. Julia also holds non-executive position and has just completed a 7-year term as Trustee for the homelessness charity Crisis.

Originally from the Northwest, Jane Martin started her professional life in academia at The University of Birmingham where her research focused on citizen-state relations and public accountability, particularly in the education sector. In a career across the public sector, she has developed particular expertise in local government: working as a consultant for The Improvement & Development Agency for Local Government; as the first executive director of The Centre for Public Scrutiny; and a director of The Local Better Regulation Office.

As the Local Government Ombudsman for England between 2010 and 2017 she managed the modernisation of the organisation under the coalition government. She is a former member of the Committee for Standards in Public Life where she led on reports on local government ethics and government standards and has wide experience of governance and strategy as a non-executive board member supporting local and national public bodies, including most recently The Office for Legal Complaints and the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales.

Jane has had connections in Cheltenham for several years and now lives in the town with her husband where she is a great enthusiast for all forms of the arts on offer.

Clive was born in Cheltenham living in Bishops Cleeve in his formative years. He is a barrister at Doughty Street Chambers in London practising public and administrative law for over 20 years. He is nationally recognised as a leading expert in education law having previously been a teacher and education officer. He advises and represents private individuals, companies, local and national government, voluntary sector organisations and charities. He has developed a particular expertise in promoting the rights of young people with disabilities and/or special educational needs.

Clive has held leadership positions for over 35 years including roles on the senior leadership team of schools, local authorities, chambers management teams, private companies, and voluntary organisations. He is presently active in the sport industry as director of 4 Corners Sports Management; arranging sporting opportunities for young boys and girls as the chairman of a large local youth football club in Hertfordshire; and is an advisory team member of private company The Leadership High.

Daniel is an experienced business leader and a Chartered Director with the Institute of Directors. Formally the CEO of one of Europe’s largest procurement and cost management consultancies within the hospitality sector, Daniel now runs his own company which supports businesses across Europe with growth and expansion.

Outside of work and family, Daniel likes to spend his time focusing on making Cheltenham an even better place to live and visit.

Julie graduated as a mature student with a BSc in Natural Sciences, MBA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development. She started her early career in the NHS and has over 30 years experience in Human Resources at a senior level. Working in both the private and public sector, Julie led a large number of strategic organisational change programmes, specialising in mergers and acquisitions. She worked as a business consultant, advising organisations on their people strategy, winning a number of awards for innovation and best practice.

Julie moved to Cheltenham in 2019 and qualified as an Interior Design Consultant. Outside work, she is passionate about travel, art and culture, is estained glass enthusiast and an active member of the WI.

Liz is a senior executive at Babcock International who has worked extensively throughout the group for the last 24 years. An accountant with extensive commercial, financial and business development experience, as well as the raising of associated funding in both the project and corporate markets. She has sat on a number joint venture boards in defence, education and support services and hopes to bring her wide experience to the board to assist the Trust in serving the local community.

Liz is from the north of Scotland, initially settling in Cheltenham in 1986 before a spell on the south coast for seven years and then returning to Cheltenham 17 years ago.

Gary has over 25 years’ experience in the tourism, leisure and hospitality industry. He has a strong commercial, marketing and visitor experience background from his earlier career as Cruise Director for P&O Cruises and as the Entertainment and Business Manager for Cheltenham Borough Council.  He is currently General Manager for WWT Slimbridge. A global charity in the heart of Gloucestershire that conserves, restores and creates wetlands, saves wetland wildlife, and inspires everyone to value the amazing things healthy wetlands achieve for people and nature.

In between being a cook, cleaner and taxi service for his family, He is an active member of the Cheltenham Operatic and Dramatic Society and regularly treads the boards at the Everyman Theatre and Cheltenham Playhouse. He was instrumental in creating the Cheltenham Community Choir which now has over 70 active members and he organised the Guinness World Record for the largest ‘Street Jive’ on Cheltenham Promenade.

Kate is an experienced senior leader within a range of contexts, from not-for-profit to corporate. Currently Development Director for Oxford Playhouse, she was formerly Fundraising Director at the National Trust and, over the years, has undertaken consultancy for leading national performing arts organisations.

Kate has held a number of Governor and Trustee positions in the arts, heritage and education sectors, drawing on her experience as a former actor, trained teacher and in designing and leading participation and outreach programmes.

Having been London-based for over 20 years, she made the move west just over 5 years ago and is now happily settled in Cheltenham with her family.

Sue is an experienced marketer and has held senior leadership positions for many years, working in both medium and large sized marketing agencies. Her experience spans developing database marketing operational teams, leading B2B business development teams and general business management.

When Sue is not working or volunteering, you will find her either on a yoga mat or on her road bike. Accomplished in neither but loving both, this reflects Sue’s favourite value – optimism.

Ben is a chartered accountant and a Fellow of the ICAEW having trained with PWC in London. His early career was working in the lead advisory M&A team, helping clients with fundraising and buy and sell side transactions. His career since leaving practice has been working for consumer brands such as Wyevale and Audley Travel, often involved in strategy setting, long term financial planning, capital investment and fundraising. He has recently joined Yoto, a screen-free audio platform for kids, as CFO. The area Ben finds most interesting is communicating progress to all stakeholders including investors, employees and the wider community.

Ben has played tennis since he was young at various levels and qualified as a coach to lead junior tennis summer camps. He now enjoys competing at East Glos Tennis club and The Wimbledon Club when he gets a chance in London. Ben is always keen to venture out in the Forest of Dean on two wheels with his wife and two young boys.

Gemma is a Chartered Marketer and Chartered Manager with leadership experience gained from a range of industries.

After living in Cheltenham when studying for her degree, Gemma returned to Cheltenham over ten years ago after starting her marketing career in London, where she first worked in publishing and then the housing industry. Upon returning to Cheltenham Gemma worked in IT distribution before taking her current role with Spirax-Sarco Engineering.

In addition to her current role, Gemma also holds the voluntary role of UK Community Engagement Champion at Spirax-Sarco Engineering which she has held since 2016.

Barbara Clark left school and joined Unilever plc as an admin assistant before moving to Brussels in 1972 where she worked for Monsanto SA.

She lived in Brussels for 13 years before returning to London where she was recruited as Studio Manager for Pentagram Design Ltd, at the time the most prestigious multi-disciplinary design company in the world.

In 1995 Barbara joined Pierre Vermeir to run the celebrated design company HGV London Limited where she worked for 13 years. The agency won many prestigious design awards for clients including Barclays, The Almeida Theatre, V&A, The Wallace Collection, Royal Mail for stamp design, Bailhache Labesse law firm, Essex Court Chambers and coming full circle, Unilever plc, a long-standing client.

After living in Bangkok for 2 years, Barbara worked for Straightedge Design as a Project Manager then Fernando Guitterez, a distinguished London-based designer specialising in beautiful art books.

In 2011 she graduated from the Open University with a BSc in Politics and Economics and is now halfway towards a degree in French. Now retired, Barbara was recently elected as Councillor for All Saints Ward.