Governance

Bert has a background of being a Chair of Trustee for other Charities working with children and young people, having previously been on the Board of Trustees at St. Christopher’s Fellowship (SCF). During his time on the Board at SCF, Bert served as Vice Chair until 2018, before becoming Chair of Trustees from 2018 until he stood down in 2022. SCF is a national charity that works with children and young people in care or on the edge of care.

Bert spent 32 years working for the 3M company with assignments based in Ireland, UK, US, Belgium, Hungary and India, he retired in 2013. During these assignments he ran substantial businesses in several industries across Europe, Asia and the United States.

Since 2017, Bert has also sat as a Magistrate in the adult criminal courts in Surrey. He also sits as a committee member of the Surrey Magistrates Association and as a member of the Justices’ Training, Approvals, Authorisations and Appraisals Committee for Surrey and Sussex.

In late 2023 Bert joined the board of Paper Boat, a charity working with children and young people from marginalised communities in India.

Bert has a certification, diploma and post-graduate diploma in Marketing and a degree in Social Science.

Michael is based in Norfolk and has a background in the NHS. Michael began his career at the frontline as a Care worker with adults with a Learning Disability before becoming qualified as a Social Worker. He was an NHS Chief Executive for almost 20 years with a track record of delivering performance and improvement in provider trusts and commissioning organisations. He has held national roles in the Department of Health Modernisation Agency and subsequently led the Agency. Michael is also a trustee for a residential community for adults with learning disabilities .

With almost 20 years experience in corporate, regulatory and change communication, Lisa J Waterman currently runs employee communication across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, for all lines of business at Bloomberg LP, alongside leading global Diversity & Inclusion Communication at Bloomberg.

Lisa’s educational background is economic policy and she has also served on other trustee boards, including educational and community organisations.

Lisa also serves as trustee on other boards of trustees – a secondary school, a children, youth and community organisation – and festival director for an annual central London community festival.

Paul Anderson was the first recipient of the YMCA Peace Medallion in Toronto, Canada for his community service. He has worked as a Frontline Social Worker for twenty years with Children and Family’s Team in Canada and England. He supported the merger of three Local Authorities Adoption and Fostering service, in 2011, before opening a Drug and Alcohol Rehabilitation Centre in London.

He continues to work as a Fostering and Permanency Panel Advisor and is the link to the Adopt London South, Regional Adoption Agency. He has joined The Adolescent and Children’s Trust in 2020; with a commitment to better the outcomes of children and young people who are care experienced, by supporting the foster families who have generously opened their homes to those in need.

Jennifer brings experience both as a lawyer and as an executive search professional.  She currently leads the European Legal, Regulatory and Compliance Practice at Russell Reynolds Associates and also works closely with the Board & CEO Advisory Partners Sector on a range of senior-level assignments.

Before joining Russell Reynolds, Jennifer spent six years at Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, advising clients on legal issues related to mergers and acquisitions, securities transactions and corporate governance matters.

Jennifer studied Law with German at the University of Birmingham. She is a qualified solicitor.

Tom, who is based in Rutland, has over 25 years’ experience as a communication and reputation management professional.

He has worked in the UK and abroad for a variety of commercial organisations such as Accenture, Diageo and the BGL Group and is currently the Communications Director for St Andrew’s Healthcare, a specialist mental healthcare charity that looks after 1,500 people with complex mental health disorders and conditions.