People
- Staff
- Fellows
- Advisory Board
Phillip Blond, Director
phillip.blond@respublica.org.uk
Phillip Blond is director of ResPublica, and a research fellow at NESTA. Phillip is an internationally recognised political thinker, and economic and cultural commentator. He has recently published a number of comment and analysis pieces in The Financial Times, The Independent, The Guardian and The Sunday Times. His work has attracted considerable attention as an advocate of a radical, progressive Toryism. Prospect named him as the British thinker to watch in 2009, and The Times called his forthcoming book 'Red Tory' one of the highlights of the year to come.
Asheem Singh, Deputy Director
asheem.singh@respublica.org.uk
Asheem Singh is deputy director of ResPublica and is an advisor within the Shadow Cabinet Office. He has worked in a variety of policy-making and political environments, including roles as the senior researcher on critically-acclaimed reports on dynamic benefit reform and housing policy at the Centre for Social Justice think tank (2009); as a policy aide to Boris Johnson, Mayor of London (2008); and as lead author of 'The Global Political Monitor' for the Policy Exchange think tank (2007). Originally from the North East of England, Asheem graduated from St Catherine's College, University of Oxford, where he was the David Blank scholar in Law, before taking an MA in Creative Writing from the UEA. His research interests include social investment and the voluntary sector, the arts, technological and political innovation, and he sits on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's Poverty Strategy Group.
Joshua Glinert, Research Assistant
joshua.glinert@respulica.org.uk
Joshua Glinert is a research assistant at ResPublica. His previous research has focused on a range of issues, in particular, mechanisms to strengthen accountability towards the community in the provision of services. He has worked as a researcher for Kumi Naidoo, recently appointed director of Greenpeace International and contributed research to Overseas Development Institute, Jubilee Debt Campaign and Community and Family Services International in the Philippines. His interests lie in strengthening community assets and the advancement of conscientious citizen participation.
Sandra Gruescu, Senior Researcher
sandra.gruescu@respublica.org.uk
Sandra Gruescu PhD is a senior researcher at ResPublica. She previously worked as a senior research fellow at the Social Market Foundation. Before that, Sandra worked extensively in public policy research and consultancy, especially in the areas of pension policy and family policy for the German government. The ground-breaking new set of family policy provisions introduced in Germany in January 2007 is based on a report that Sandra co-authored with the then Chairman of the German Council of Economic Experts, Prof. Dr. Bert Rürup. Sandra’s research interests cover a wide range of social policy areas such as social capital, behavioural economics in social policy, pensions and savings behaviour, and family-friendly policies.
Caroline MacFarland, External Relations Officer
caroline.macfarland@respublica.org.uk
Caroline MacFarland is the external relations officer at ResPublica. She has previously worked in communications and public relations consultancies. Caroline studied Politics and Sociology at the Universities of York and Copenhagen, where she was actively engaged in student union politics and community engagement projects.
Kim Mandeng, External Relations Manager
Kim Mandeng is the external relations manager for ResPublica. Previously, Kim has worked as the northern Europe editor for the citizen-journalism website Demotix and the deputy director of The Next Step Foundation. She has also worked as a Parliamentary Assistant and as a graduate trainee for PoliticsHome. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics, where she obtained her MSc in Comparative Politics and her BA in Social Anthropology.
Simon McMahon, Research Assistant
simon.mcmahon@respublica.org.uk
Simon McMahon is a research assistant at ResPublica. He is a PhD candidate at the Centre for European Studies at King's College, London and has a MA in Democracy and Government at the Autonomous University of Madrid, Spain. He has previously worked in community development and empowerment projects in Guadalajara, Mexico, and as a researcher at The Big Opportunity, based at London Civic Forum, and is interested in migration, political competition, social capital and community empowerment.
Samuel Middleton, Researcher
samuel.middleton@respublica.org.uk
Samuel Middleton is a researcher at ResPublica and organised its launch event in Whitehall in November 2009. His interests lie in social finance, blended value investing, and the built environment. Samuel graduated from University College London with a Masters Degree in Modern History and Russian Literature.
