Advisors and Trustees

David Alton was a Member of the House of Commons for 18 years and is today an Independent Crossbench Life Peer. He began his career as a teacher but, in 1972, he was elected to Liverpool City Council as Britain’s youngest City Councillor. Twenty five years later, in 1997, David was made a Life Peer of the House of Lords.

Adrian Pabst is Lecturer in Politics at the University of Kent. Prior to that he completed his PhD at Cambridge and held a Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship at Nottingham. He is a Visiting Professor at the Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Lille (Sciences Po) and an Associate Fellow of the Luxembourg Institute for European and International Studies. Adrian’s research is at the interstice of political theory, political economy and international relations. He also writes on religion, civil society and civic life.

His recent publications include a monograph entitled Metaphysics: The Creation of Hierarchy (Eerdmans, 2012) and an edited collection on The Crisis of Global Capitalism. Pope Benedict XVI’s social encyclical and the future of political economy (Wipf&Stock, 2011). Currently he is writing The Politics of Paradox, a book on alternatives to the logic of left/right and state/market that has been dominant since the secular settlement of the French Revolution. The argument draws on Platonist political philosophy from Plato to Kierkegaard and develops insights in the English School of IR as well as also various traditions of mutuality and reciprocity such as associative democracy, civil economy, guild socialism and Christian social teaching. The second book is provisionally entitled The European Commonwealth: pan-Europe in a world of resurgent empires. It focuses on alternative ideas for Europe beyond both Franco-German centralism and an Anglo-Saxon glorified free-trade area – a commonwealth of peoples and nations rather than a union of states and markets.

Adrian is a regular contributor to the comment pages of The International Herald Tribune, The Guardian, The National, The Moscow Times, The Huffington Post and Les Echos. His essays have also been published on OpenDemocracy, The Immanent Frame and ABC Religion & Ethics.

Adrian has a wealth of experience in the retail industry which began in 1974 when he worked part time at FW Woolworths on the Isle of Man. After he had gained his MBA from Manchester Business School in 1987 he worked for the UK defence team before he went back to his retail roots.

In 1996 he opened his first retail store and over the course of the next five years opened a total of six stores throughout Merseyside and the Wirral. Adrian joined Nisa in 2004 and in 2006 he worked closely with Nisa’s founder Dudley Ramsden and CEO Neil Turton to secure the 2006 Competition Commission inquiry into the attempted monopolisation of the UK grocery market by Tesco. 

John Inge is Bishop of Worcester. He read and then taught chemistry prior to ordination. As a priest he worked for several years in education as a chaplain, latterly at Harrow School, before becoming vicar of an inner-city parish on Tyneside. He then moved to Ely Cathedral to become Canon Missioner before becoming Bishop of Huntingdon in 2003. In 2008, he was enthroned as the 113th Bishop of Worcester in which capacity he exercises oversight of the 281 churches in the Diocese of Worcester as well as fulfilling a number of national responsibilities.

Bishop John has a long standing interest in civic life and chaired the Board for Mission and Social Responsibility in the Diocese of Newcastle. He served for several years as a Trustee of Common Purpose, an international leadership organisation dedicated to bringing together leaders from the public, private and voluntary sectors to work for the common good. He is now a Trust Protector the organisation.  

Bishop John is fascinated by international affairs and cultural variety and has taken groups to Africa (on seven occasions), India, South America, Russia and the Holy Land. He is a longstanding supporter of the World Development Movement and Amnesty International. Bishop John’s doctorate is in systematic theology and his book A Christian Theology of Place was short listed for the Michael Ramsey Prize for Theological Writing. His latest book is Living Love: In Conversation with the No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency.

He is married to Dr Denise Inge, an American, who is a writer.  They have two young daughters.

Chris White was elected as Warwick and Leamington's new MP at the 2010 General Election, having previously stood at the General Election in 2005. Before his election he worked locally in Public Relations, having previously worked at Longbridge with MG Rover. Chris lives in Warwick, and plays an active role in the local community, serving as a governor of Myton School and as a a trustee of the Warwickshire Association of Youth Clubs.

David Burrowes is Member of Parliament for Enfield Southgate and PPS to Owen Paterson as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. 

David joined Odey in 1995 initially as Chief Executive Officer and today he is Chairman focusing on business supervision and strategy and heads investment research. David joined Odey from Leopold Joseph, the UK merchant bank, where he was CEO and had worked since 1980.  David graduated from New College, Oxford, in 1980.

 

George was elected in 2010 for the new constituency of Mid Norfolk, with a majority of 14,000, after an innovative campaign (It Starts Here! ) focussed on the need for a fresh start in politics. He was appointed PPS to the Minister for Climate Change, Greg Barker MP and elected Chairman of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Science & Technology in Agriculture.  He has spoken and written widely on the potential of UK science, technology and entrepreneurship to lead a sustainable economic recovery. In July 2011 he was appointed Adviser on Life Sciences to the Minister of State for Universities and Science, Rt Hon David Willetts MP.

Greg Clark is a Minister of State in the Department for Communities and Local Government, with responsibility for overseeing decentralisation, and the Member of Parliament for Tunbridge Wells. Born in Middlesbrough in 1967, Greg attended the local St Peter's Comprehensive, South Bank. He went on to study Economics at Cambridge University and was awarded his PhD at the London School of Economics. Before entering politics, Greg worked for the Boston Consulting Group, one of the world's top business strategy firms, and was posted to the USA, Mexico, South America and Iceland, as well as working for clients in the UK. Greg was Special Advisor to the Secretary of State for Trade & Industry - the Rt Hon Ian Lang MP - from 1996 until the General Election in 1997. Subsequently, he was appointed the BBC's Controller, Commercial Policy. He entered the Shadow Cabinet in October 2008, having previously been Shadow Minister for Charities, Social Enterprise and Volunteering 2006-2008. Before becoming an MP, Greg was Director of Policy for the Conservative Party from March 2001 for three successive Leaders - William Hague, Iain Duncan Smith and Michael Howard - before being elected to Parliament in 2005. He was a Member of Public Accounts Committee from 2005-2006.

With over a decade’s experience in high profile executive positions, Hazel has operated at the most senior levels of government and commerce.   An experienced influencer and shaper of policy, she has successfully navigated important legislation across a broad canvass of important national matters including Security, Local Government and Health.

Between 2003 – 2006 Hazel was Police and Counter Terrorism Minister and she led a major culture change programme which saw the successful implementation of neighbourhood policing. The new policy was implemented across 43 police force areas, and resulted in a major shift in the way policing operates across the UK. As Minister she had to successfully develop the buy in and support of an initially skeptical police service. This period also saw her deal with the aftermath of one of the country’s largest terrorist outrages in the 7/7 and 21/7 bombs on London Underground.  She was responsible for the formulation of new counter terrorism legislation, steering it through Parliament and building relationships with the Muslim community.

From 2007 - 2009, Hazel was Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government and was responsible for the formulation of policy and legislation to meet the needs of a changing society.  During this period she had a particular focus on strengthening links between local community engagement and counter terrorism , with the implementation of the ‘prevent agenda’ to tackle radicalisation.  She also introduced the ‘Total Place’ approach, bringing together resources across health, local government and policing into Community Budgets to integrate services and maximize impact in local areas.

Hazel is currently a member of the Intelligence and Security Committee, responsible for the oversight of our intelligence agencies.  She has developed a depth of expertise in national and international security matters and has represented the UK internationally on a range of intergovernmental defence and security forums.

James Featherby has worked in the City for over 30 years. He is Chair of the Church of England Ethical Investment Advisory Group, having formerly been a corporate partner of Slaughter and May for more than 20 years.  He is the author of Of Markets and Men: reshaping finance for a new season and The White Swan Formula: rebuilding business and finance for the common good. He is  involved in a number of investment activities in the UK and Africa and is the general editor of Global Business and Human Rights.

John Hayes is Minister of State for Further Education, Skills and Lifelong Learning at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and Member of Parliament for South Holland and The Deepings. He was born in 1958 and married Susan Hopwell, who he has two sons with, in July 1997. He was educated at Colfe’s Grammar School and University of Nottingham, where he graduated with a BA Hons Politics and a PGCE in History/English. John was elected as Member of Parliament for South Holland and The Deepings in 1997, following 12 years as a Conservative Councillor in Nottinghamshire. Following his election he was appointed Secretary of the Agriculture Select Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Backbench Education Committee before becoming a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party until July 2000. Since then John has been appointed an Opposition Whip, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Shadow Minister for Local & Devolved Government, with particular responsibility for Housing and Planning and Shadow Minister for Transport. He has served as the Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, and has developed a reputation for assiduously progressing the skills and widening participation agenda. John has also been the chairman of the All Party Group on Disability, and secretary of the all party group on brain injury. In his spare time he enjoys travel, reading, history, tennis and jam-making.

Professor the Lord Kakkar is Professor of Surgery, University College London; Consultant Surgeon University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust; Chairman for Clinical Quality, University College London Partners Academic Health Sciences System and Director of the Thrombosis Research Institute, all in London, UK. 

Lord Kakkar completed his medical education at King's College Hospital Medical School, University of London, and was awarded an MBBS in 1988 and a PhD in 1998 from Imperial College London.  He was made a fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of England in 1992.

Malcolm Brown is Director of Mission and Public Affairs for the Church of England, responsible for the church's engagement with political and ethical issues in Britain and internationally. He has been an Anglican priest since 1979, working in inner city and rural parishes and as an industrial chaplain. During the 1990s he was Executive Secretary of the William Temple Foundation, a think tank within the University of Manchester working on theology, economics and urban issues, where he completed his PhD on the dialogue between Christian ethics and economics. Malcolm has taught at universities in Britain and Finland, most recently in the Cambridge Theological Federation where he was Principal of the Eastern Region Ministry Course from 2000 until taking up his present post in 2007. In addition to numerous articles and contributions to collections of essays, his books include: After the Market (Peter Lang, 2004), The Church and Economic Life (Epworth: 2006), Faith in Suburbia (Contact Monographs: 2006) and Tensions in Christian Ethics (SPCK: 2010). He lives in a village outside Cambridge.

Matthew Bowcock was until recently chair of UK Community Foundations (previously the Community Foundation Network). His background is in technology entrepreneurship, company start-up, international marketing, venture capital and company directorship. Since 2005 he has been working almost exclusively to develop a new culture of engaged philanthropy in Britain. 

Oliver Rothschild is known for philanthropy, as Patron and Promoter of the Arts and Charitable causes, and his international network of connections crosses over both the Arts and the Sciences but also embraces and promotes social enterprise. His media involvements include presenting programmes for the BBC and Channel 4 and co-production of a BBC series. Oliver is also involved with numerous charities as Patron and Ambassador and has held several key positions including Chairman of UNICEF (Appeals Committee); he is now President of ACEVO Solutions. Fluent in French, German, Spanish and Italian, Oliver is actively developing business opportunities throughout the US and Europe including the former Eastern European Block countries. Oliver has been elected The Senior Entrepreneur Fellow of Essex University and Chairs the Industry & Entrepreneurs Forum and The Sustainable Business Steering Group. He is invited as a VIP Delegate to UNECE (United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) and inaugurated The Council of Atomium Culture Conference.

John Milbank is Research Professor of Religion, Politics and Ethics and Director of the Centre of Theology and Philosophy at the University of Nottingham. Previously he held a Readership at Cambridge University and a named Chair at the University of Virginia. He is the founder of the Radical Orthodoxy Movement and the author of many books, including 'Theology and Social Theory' and 'The Future of Love.'

Stephen Howard joined Business in the Community in September 2005. Stephen brings a wealth of senior management expertise to Business in the Community acquired in the corporate sector. Stephen has held a number of different executive and non executive roles including, Chief Executive of Cookson group plc, and Chief Executive of Novar PLC.

Stephen’s ongoing commitment to helping tackle homelessness on both a national and global scale has resulted in a non-executive directorship for Habitat for Humanity Great Britain, the charity with a mission to eliminate poverty housing. Other non-executive directorships include, In Kind Direct and membership of the Veolia Advisory Board.

 

Vicky Pryce CB is an Economist and business consultant.  She was previously Director General for Economics at the Department for Business (BIS) and Joint Head of the UK Government Economics Service. Before that she was partner and Chief Economist at KPMG and previously worked in banking and the oil sector. She is a Visiting Professor at Queen Mary College, London and at Imperial College, Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford and on the Court of the London School of Economics. Vicky co-founded GoodCorporation, a company set up to promote corporate social responsibility and is the author of 'Greekonomics: The euro crisis and why politicians don't get it', published by Biteback Publishing (2012), 'Green Business, Green Value and Sustainability' (co-editor), Routledge, and co-author of the Design Commission report: ‘Restarting Britain’ Design Education and Growth (2011).

Wendy Coumantaros is an experienced international mediator and negotiator who previously worked in the Asia Pacific Hedge Fund world, and who’s responsibilities now revolve around the branding, editorial opportunities and sponsorship of Spear’s and its related events.

Six years ago she co-founded Spear’s with William Cash, the by monthly magazine for UHNW Individuals and those in the financial service industries, Hedge Funds and Private Client Law Firms. It has been called “the Bible of the banking fraternity” by GQ and “a European rival to Forbes” by the Evening Standard, and goes to 35,000 of Europe’s decision-makers and wealth-creators.

Zac Goldsmith  is the Conservative MP for Richmond Park and North Kingston.  He was the Editor of the Ecologist Magazine for 10 years and remains Director of the Ecologist. In 2005 he was asked to oversee a wide-ranging review of environmental policy for the Conservative Party. The Quality of Life Policy Review was delivered to David Cameron in September 2007. Many of the recommendations have since become Party Policy. In between his work with The Ecologist and his political campaigns, Zac raises funds for groups around the world dealing with issues ranging from agriculture and energy to conservation and climate change. In 2003 Zac was the recipient of the Beacon Prize for 'Young Philanthropist of the Year'. In 2004, he received the Global Green Award for 'International Environmental Leadership’. In September 2009, Zac’s book, 'The Constant Economy' was released. It looks at the key environmental problems we face, and provides a workable programme for action.