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, Prospect Magazine 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 book 'Red Tory', which was published in March 2010, 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. Originally from the North East of England, he was the David Blank scholar in Law at St Catherine's College, University of Oxford, before receiving a scholarship to study for an MA in Creative Writing at the UEA. His authored or accredited publications include 'The Venture Society' (2010), 'Dynamic Benefits: Towards Welfare that Works' (2009), 'Housing Poverty: From Social Breakdown to Social Mobility' (2008) and 'The Global Political Monitor' (2007). In 2008 he was a policy aide to Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, and from 2008-10 he was a policy adviser to Nick Hurd MP, Minister for Civil Society. His research interests lie in social investment and civil society, the arts, technological and democratic innovation, and he sits on the Joseph Rowntree Foundation's Poverty Strategy Group.
Romilly Dennys, Fundraiser
romilly.dennys@respublica.org.uk
Romilly Dennys is the fundraiser at ResPublica. She has previously worked at Diabetes UK and Independent Age and has experience of facilitating African-European parliamentary dialogue and keeping Africa high on the political agenda in Europe. She is a graduate of University of Newcastle with degree in Geography, Spanish & Politics.
Sandra Gruescu, Head of the Children and Families Unit
sandra.gruescu@respublica.org.uk
Sandra Gruescu PhD is leading our work in the Children and Families Unit 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.
Angelo Erbacci, Research Assistant
angelo.erbacci@respublica.org.uk
Angelo Erbacci is a research assistant at ResPublica. He has a degree in Economics from the University of Bologna, and is currently studying towards a PhD in Public Economy at the Politecnico of Milan. He has previously worked as an intern at the Italian Antitrust Authority in Rome. Whilst at university he was involved in student politics and was a member fo the University of Bologna Board for three years. His research interests include public policy, managment of public services, local transport, liberalisation and privatisation processes and the application of subsidiarity.
David Harding, Events Assistant
david.harding@respublica.org.uk
David Harding is an events assistant at ResPublica. He has previously worked for Reform, as a parliamentary assistant and for The Liberal Democrats after graduating with a degree in Sociology from The University of Bath. His interests include identity, the internet, technology and it's social effects and social policy.
Caroline MacFarland, Business and Events Manager
caroline.macfarland@respublica.org.uk
Caroline MacFarland is the business and events manager at ResPublica. She has previously worked in communications and public relations consultancies. Caroline studied Politics and Sociology at the University of York and the University of Copenhagen, where she was actively engaged in student union politics and community engagement projects. Caroline joined ResPublica in November 2009. In her role as business and events manager she looks after our partnerships and engagement with other organisations, and manages the events programme which encompasses our public events, party conference fringe programme and private dinners.
Kim Mandeng, Researcher
Kim Mandeng is a researcher at ResPublica. She is currently contributing research to forthcoming projects on social innovation and safeguarding children, as well as public health and obesity. Kim has also worked as a researcher in parliament and as a freelance editor for policy projects on a range of criminal justice issues (prison reform, policing, courts), housing, family law and benefits reform. She is a graduate of the London School of Economics, where she obtained her MSc in Comparative Politics and her BA in Social Anthropology.
Alison Meldrum, Executive Assistant
alison.meldrum@respublica.org.uk
Alison Meldrum is the executive assistant at Res Publica. She recently returned to the UK following more than two decades living in New York, Barcelona and Auckland, where she held a variety of administrative and supervisory roles in organisations ranging from NGOs and professional associations to management consultancy and public broadcasting. She has an M.A. in History from the University of Edinburgh and qualifications in Spanish and Catalan from Barcelona’s Universitat Autònoma.
Dwayne Menezes, Research Assistant
dwayne.menezes@respublica.org.uk
Dwayne Menezes is a research assistant at ResPublica. He is also a PhD candidate in the Department of International History at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Originally from India, Dwayne graduated from the University of Mumbai with a MA in History and St. Xavier's College, Mumbai, with a Bachelor of Management Studies. Previously, he had been the founding director of a leadership and management consultancy in the UK and the director for youth development at a community development charity in India. His research interests lie in the strengthening of civil society, the protection of civil liberties, the integration of ethnic minorities, religion in the public sphere and the welfare of children and families.
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 enterprise, strategic communications, group psychology and the impact of technology and social media on the communications landscape and beyond. Samuel graduated from University College London with a Masters Degree in Modern History and Russian Literature.
Phillippa Neal, Conference Co-Ordinator
Phillippa Neal is the Conference Co-Ordinator at ResPublica. She has previously worked in events at The Oxford Union Society, and in the arts- she campaigned for Boris Johnson's mayoral election and assisted with communications and Conservative campaigns in South London during the General Election. Phillippa studied English language and Literature at Christ Church, Oxford and was actively involved in student politics- serving as Secretary of The Conservative Association.
Adam Schoenborn, Senior Researcher
adam.schoenborn@respublica.org.uk
Adam Schoenborn is a senior researcher for ResPublica and the author of 'A Force to be Reckoned With', a Centre for Social Justice report on re-establishing traditional forms of policing by consent and local policing in England and Wales. More recently, he served as lead researcher for ResPublica's flagship report on public sector reform, 'The Ownership State.' His primary research interest lies in localism and civic association as a means of delivering poverty alleviation, civic engagement and public service reform.
Jonathan West, Research Assistant
jonathan.west@respublica.org.uk
Jonathan West is a research assistant at ResPublica. He graduated with a BA (Hons.) in History from Queen Mary, University of London, concentrating primarily on the post-1945 period with specific focus on Western European left-wing traditions, as well as the evolving nature of Central Government in Britain. His interests include localism, grassroots engagement, reduction of the income inequality gap and responsible and sustainable development.
