Our Mentors

Currently Chair of Low Carbon Hub, Oxford North Community Renewables and Low Carbon Oxford North, Wildlife Fundraising Company and Soil Association Standards Board. Trustee of Charity Mentors. Previously Chair of New Economics Foundation, Friends of the Earth, Stop Climate Chaos, Ethical property Company plc, CEO of Oxfordshire MIND and World University Service, Fundraising Director, Oxfam.

Chartered accountant. Previously senior partner and now consultant with Critchleys LLP Accountants. Non-executive director of two local companies and a number of different voluntary roles.

A management consultant who has worked with Gemini Consultants as VP for Analysis and Design in Northern Europe and, currently, with EML Partners as Director of Consulting. Over the last 30 years she has worked with the leadership teams of major organisations, in the private, public and charity sectors in the UK and across the world.  A  trustee of Padworth College and has worked as an expert coach in senior client engagements.

An IT professional, who co-founded Freeman Clarke, providing IT directors to industry; co-founded On3, assisting large corporates with their talent management strategy; and was part of founding team of “Pennies” a social enterprise where purchasers can round-up the purchase price to give to charities. Was previously Chief Information Officer, BBC Worldwide, from 2002 until 2010; non-executive director of BBC Audiobooks from 2007 – 2010; and Chief Operating Officer of ABS (better known as “tradesimple”) from 1995 to 2002.

Currently a part time management consultant and leadership coach, having spent over 30 years in the market research industry, primarily with Nielsen where he held a number of leadership roles including UK Managing Director, European Client Service and Marketing Director and Senior Vice President of Global Clients. Recent consulting assignments with Millward Brown and Valid International include advising business leaders on commercial strategy, organizational development and personal coaching of senior executives. A trustee of Emmaus Oxford and OXSRAD.

Recently retired as Deputy Chief Knowledge Officer for Public Health England where she provided professional leadership and advice in public health and strategic oversight for a wide range of products and programmes, such as the local authority health profiles and the obesity intelligence network. Prior to this, she was managing director of NHS Solutions for Public Health, which she built into a £6mn NHS business unit with 80 staff, providing evidence-based resources for the NHS and local authorities. Alison has a Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring from Oxford Brookes University and is on the Faculty of LeaderShape, an Oxfordshire based leadership development company. She was a board member of Cycling England, and is currently trustee of Relate Oxfordshire, Charity Mentors Oxfordshire and treasurer of Low Carbon North Oxford

Career teacher in the state school system, spending final 19 years as Head of two secondary schools, including Cherwell in Oxford.  Last 3 years working as an education consultant, particularly on matters concerning school improvement, leadership, governance and head teacher appointments (for Association of School and College Leaders). Former Brookes Governor, current Board of Oxford Playhouse.

Recently CEO for the Berks, Bucks and Oxfordshire Wildlife Trust, and before that, Oxfam’s Fundraising Manager. Trustee of Plantlife, Garden Organic and Grantscape, formerly a director of WREN and chair of the WREN Oxfordshire County Panel. Also a director of Wildlife Fundraising Central Ltd which she set up in February 2013.

Currently the Secretary General of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award; Chair of Trustees of Oxfordshire Scouts; National trustee of Marine Society & Sea Cadets; Advisory Board member, University of Surrey Business School; Visiting lecturer, Oxford Brookes University. Previously Chief Executive of Young Enterprise and Career Academies UK; Director of Community Campaigning at Business in the Community; former headteacher and youth worker. Previous non-executive roles include Vice Chair of the World Organization of the Scout Movement; National Board member of UNICEF UK; Founding board member of Teach First.

Chief Executive of Family Links from 1997 – 2015. She introduced the ‘Nurturing Programme’ (promoting emotional literacy & mental health) to the UK in 1992 and led the Family Links team in adapting the programme for parent groups in the UK and for schools, for prison, for Muslim parents and for parents of teenagers. Annette developed a national training programme for practitioners working with parents and children in education, health and the community. She has written an ante-natal Nuturing Programme which is now being rolled out nationally. Received an MBE for her work in 2002

Following a career in Investment Banking as a Managing Director at JP Morgan, Elizabeth has experience as Chair and Board member on public and not-for-profit boards at national, regional and local levels. She is an Associate Fellow at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. A focus on women and entrepreneurship includes roles with Oxford, Goldman Sachs and The World Bank, as well as teaching women entrepreneurs from China to W.Africa. She also continues to work as a consultant with investment banks on projects in UK, Asia and Zurich.

Associate Fellow and Sector Consultant at the Said Business School, providing careers support to students in the commercial banking and strategic marketing sectors.  Formerly with Barclays Banking Group as Caribbean Director and Director of Communications and Training for the Group’s Euro programme. He has helped to finance and build two orphanages and a school in Nepal. Former Chair of SMART, The Art Room and the Oxfordshire Common Purpose Advisory group.

William retired from Ernst & Young in 2008 after 25 years as a partner in London and Reading. Since then he has held several business, teaching and charity appointments and is chair for Northern House School Academy Trust which educates and nurtures children with emotional and social difficulties. He is also a trustee of Prior’s Court Foundation which is a residential support centre for young people affected by autism and is a founding trustee of Charity Mentors. (Photo of William by Patrick Marks)

Background as a senior leader in the public and voluntary sectors. She has been Chief Executive of a national charity and two local authorities including Oxfordshire County Council (2005-2015). She has a professional background in housing and regeneration. Previously Chair of Governors Oxford Brookes and Advisory Group member Oxfordshire Common Purpose. Other past roles include Non-Exec. Director Govt. Office for the SE and Notting Hill Housing Trust. Currently trustee of Shelter and BBOWT and Programme Chair with the Windsor Leadership Trust. Qualified coach. 

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CEO of the Austrian based international plastics and petrochemical company Borealis AG, until his retirement in December 2007. Previously, CEO of British Nuclear Fuels PLC. Also worked at Exxon Chemical for 26 years in the UK, Belgium and the USA.  Today he is Chair of Oxfordshire Community Foundation, Vice Chair of The Friends of Dorchester Abbey, a trustee of Response Organisation, trustee of Charity Mentors and trustee of Employment Action Group.

Director of Oxford Economics, a leading international economic research and consultancy firm.  Formerly worked in investment banking and Executive Director of Oxford Analytica. Trustee of the International Institute of Strategic Studies, Council member and ex-Trustee and Chair of finance committee of Atlantic College, fundraising committee Oxford Playhouse, trustee of Charity Mentors Oxfordshire; external member of the Audit, Risk and Remuneration committee of St Peter’s College, Oxford. Former trustee of Hackney Business Ventures in London, and former trustee of the Oxford School of Drama.