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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Following 11 years of distinguished service in the Army Air Corps, Sam transitioned into the private sector, founding Incendium, a real estate, sustainability & workplace advisory firm, where he now leads the business as Managing Director having been acquired by IWG. With experience in disciplined leadership, strategic planning, and operational execution, Sam brings a unique perspective to the Trust’s board. Sam grew up in Monmouthshire and returned to the area in 2019 from London. Sam has 4 children, all at school in the local area, and is committed to supporting the cultural, leisure and heritage mission of The Cheltenham Trust.

Rob brings a wealth of experience in accounting, auditing, corporate advisory, and financial analysis. He began his professional journey as a Chartered Accountant with EY, later transitioning into a role as a Financial Analyst at S&P Global, where he honed his expertise in financial markets and strategic analysis.

Now retired, Rob remains deeply engaged in community and environmental initiatives. He serves as a volunteer director with both the Big Solar Co-op and the Gloucestershire Community Energy Co-op, organisations dedicated to installing solar panels on community and commercial buildings to promote sustainable energy. He is also a trustee of The Gyde Charity, which provides grants to support young people in need.

Rob lives in the picturesque village of Sheepscombe with his wife. They have four children and four grandchildren. Outside of his professional and volunteer commitments, Rob enjoys cycling, playing guitar, watching rugby, gardening, and attending theatre and film events. He especially appreciates being close to Cheltenham, relishing its vibrant cultural scene—particularly during Festival season.

Harry is a seasoned civil servant and communications specialist with over 13 years of experience spanning energy, immigration, health, and both devolved and central government sectors. His expertise lies in media management, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement, where he has consistently driven impactful initiatives across complex public service environments.

Harry recently collaborated with the University of Birmingham on research exploring the use of artificial intelligence in the public sector. This work reflects his deep interest in how emerging technologies can enhance organisational effectiveness and foster cross-sector collaboration.

Originally from Oxford and raised in Cheltenham, Harry’s career has taken him from London to a five-year tenure in India, enriching his global perspective. Now back in his hometown, he continues to contribute to his community as Chair of the Board of Trustees for the Cheltenham Housing Aid Centre and as an independent co-opted member of Cheltenham Borough Council’s Overview and Scrutiny Committee.

Belinda Wilson is a business leader with over 30 years’ experience in Cheltenham, where she founded and was Managing Director the GlosJobs.co.uk and www.glos.info websites for 25 years.

She has previous governance experience through her trustee role at Cheltenham Playhouse. She was a founder member of the community group Cheltenham Connect and was on the steering group for 15 years.

She is keen on community building, such that she has fundraised and worked with several local charities over recent years to personally raise over £20,000.

Belinda swims every morning and is never happier than when she is doing a few lengths.