Declaration of interests

Council and Executive Board members

A full declaration of the interests of Council and Executive Board members.

Council Members

Sir Michael Bichard (Chairman)

Current Main Occupation: Institute for Government  – Director
Other current employment: Solace – Editor Solace Foundation Imprint
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: Design Council – Chairman
Charitable appointments or memberships: Film Club – Chairman; Edutrust – Advisor; Langley Academy – Vice Chairman; River and Rowing Museum – Trustee; Globe Theatre – Trustee
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: none
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Sir Michael Bichard's profile page

Professor Alan Livingston CBE

Current Main Occupation: University College Falmouth – Rector
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: Eden Projects – Trustee; Royal Mail – Member of Stamp Advisory Committee
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: Chartered Society of Designers – Fellow
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Alan Livingstone's profile page

Bonnie Dean

Current Main Occupation: Dana Strand – Director
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: OISE plc – Director; Quantum Property Partnership, Ltd – Senior Advisor, Bristol & Bath Science Park; AIM Financial Consulting, Ltd – Director; 13 Brock Street Management Ltd – Director
Public body appointments or memberships: Design Council – Member of Audit Committee, Chair of Designing Demand Advisory Board; BER – NEBM, Business & Enterprise Group; SWRDA – Member of SW Design Programme Committee; South West Science and Industry Council – Member
Charitable appointments or memberships: Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts, Science and Manufacture – Fellow; Harvard Business School Club – Member; Stanford University Club – Member
Trade association appointments or memberships: EEF – Chair of Economic Policy Committee
Professional body appointments or memberships: Institute of Directors
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Bonnie Dean's profile page 

Chris Wise

Current Main Occupation: Expedition Engineering Ltd  – Director
Other current employment: Useful Simple Ltd – Director
Directorship or company appointments: Useful Simple Ltd – Director
Public body appointments or memberships: RSA Faculty of Royal Designers – Master of Faculty
Charitable appointments or memberships: Useful Simple Trust Limited (Employee Benefit Trust) – Member
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: FICE; FREng; HonFRIBA; MIStructE; RDI
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Chris Wise's profile page 

Eddie Obeng

Current Main Occupation: Pentacle Ltd – Director of Learning
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: none
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: Henley Business School and The University of Reading – Visiting Executive Professor in the School of Growth, Innovation and Enterprise
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: Executor of a will (for a work colleague)
Significant shareholdings: none
Other: Design Council workshop – facilitation and coaching

See Eddie Obeng's profile page 

Geoff Kirk

Current Main Occupation: retired
Other current employment: University of Nottingham, Queen Mary University of London and Cambridge – RAEng Visiting Professor
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: 1851 Commission Engineering Committee; MADE
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: RAEng; IMechE; RAeS; IED; RSA
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Geoff Kirk's profile page

Janet Walker

Current Main Occupation: Commercial & Finance Director – Ascot Racecourse Limited
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: Ascot Authority (Holdings) Ltd; Ascot Racecourse Ltd; Ascot Racecourse Estates Ltd; Ascot Racecourse Estates (Property Development) Ltd; Royal Ascot Hotel Ltd; Hendersons High Income Trust Plc
Public body appointments or memberships: Royal Holloway College – Council Member
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales – Member; Institute of Directors – Fellow
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Janet Walker's profile page

Jeremy Myerson

Current Main Occupation: Royal College of Art – Director, Helen Hamlyn Centre
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: British Council – Design Advisory Group
Charitable appointments or memberships: Gordon Russel Trust – Trustee; Audi Design Foundation – Trustee
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: RSA London – Fellow
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Jeremy Myerson's profile page

Joe Ferry

Current Main Occupation: Virgin Atlantic Airways – Head of Design
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: Parliamentary Design Group – Member
Charitable appointments or memberships: D&AD – Member
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: DMI; IDSA
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Joe Ferry's profile page

Jonathan Kestenbaum

Current Main Occupation: NESTA – Chief Executive
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: Technology Strategy Board – Board Member; Royal Shakespeare Company – Board Member; Profero – Board Member; Rowley Lane Maccabi Sports Association – Board Member
Public body appointments or memberships:  none
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships:
none
Professional body appointments or memberships: none
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Jonathan Kestenbaum's profile page 

Jonathan Sands

Current Main Occupation: Elmwood Design Ltd – Chairman 
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: Elmwood Design Ltd; Policy Connect (NFI)
Public body appointments or memberships: none
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: D&AD – Member; RSA – Fellow; Design Business Association – Member
Professional body appointments or memberships: none
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: Elmwood Design Ltd

See Jonathan Sands's profile page

Martin Temple

Current Main Occupation: EEF – Chairman 
Other current employment: 600 Group Plc – Chairman
Directorship or company appointments: Vertry Court Ltd – Board Member; NANTEC Ltd – Board Member
Public body appointments or memberships: none
Charitable appointments or memberships: CEEMET – Supervisory Group
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: none
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: 600 Group Plc; other minority shareholdings
Other: EEF Pension fund – Trustee; EEF Investment Committee – Chair

See Martin Temple's profile page

Peter Williams

Current Main Occupation: JJB Sports Plc – Executive Director
Other current employment: ASOS Plc – Non-executive Director; Cineworld Group Plc – Non-executive Director
Directorship or company appointments: none 
Public body appointments or memberships: none
Charitable appointments or memberships: Global Charities – Trustee; Comic Relief – Advisory Board
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: Cineworld Group Plc; ASOS Plc

See Peter Williams's profile page

Richard Williams

Current Main Occupation: Williams Murray Hamm – Director
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: none
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: RSA – Fellow
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: Loewy Group; other minority shareholdings

See Richard Williams's profile page

Sebastian Conran

Current Main Occupation: Studio Conran (Conran & Partners Ltd) – Managing Director
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: Markerblock Ltd – Director
Public body appointments or memberships: Design & Technology Alliance – Leader
Charitable appointments or memberships: Design Museum – Trustee; Conran Foundation – Trustee; D&AD – Executive Member
Trade association appointments or memberships: Chartered Society of Designers – Fellow; Institute of Packaging – Fellow; Royal Society of Arts – Fellow
Professional body appointments or memberships: Royal College of Art – Honorary Fellow
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: Aviva Plc; Conran Holdings Ltd; Markerblock Ltd; Conran & Partners Ltd 

See Sebastian Conran's profile page

Sophie Thomas

Current Main Occupation: thomas.matthews Ltd – Director
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: Tmesis Property Investments LLP – Director; Three Trees Don't Make A Forest Ltd – Director
Public body appointments or memberships: none
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: Royal Society of Arts – FRSA
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none
Other: Design Council Swingtag Project – Consultant

See Sophie Thomas's profile page 

Executive Board

David Kester

Current Main Occupation: Design Council – Chief Executive
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: Dott Cornwall – Director, Social Enterprise Venture
Public body appointments or memberships: Design and Technology Alliance – Member (Home Office)
Charitable appointments or memberships: Royal Society of Arts – Council Member; Royal College of Art – Member; Kingston Theatre Trust – Trustee
Trade association appointments or memberships: Design Business Association – Special Advisor
Professional body appointments or memberships: none
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none
Other: The Hospital – Member

See David Kester's profile page

David Godber

Current Main Occupation: Design Council – Deputy Chief Executive
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: private limited company – Director
Public body appointments or memberships: NESTA’s Innovation Index Advisory Board
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: Institute of Directors – Associate
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: executor of parental will
Significant shareholdings: private limited company 99%

See David Godber's profile page 

Anna Thame

Current Main Occupation: Design Council – Head of Marketing
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: none
Charitable appointments or memberships: Education Action – Member of Advisory Board
Trade association appointments or memberships: Chartered Institute of Marketing – Member (CIM); Royal Society of Arts – FRSA
Professional body appointments or memberships: none
Declared political activity: Liberal Democrat Party – Member
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Anna Thame's profile page 

Ellie Runcie

Current Main Occupation: Design Council – National Programme Director, Designing Demand
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: none
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: none
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: none
Significant shareholdings: none

See Ellie Runcie's profile page  

Ruth Hasnip

Current Main Occupation: National Director of Dott, Design Council
Other current employment: none
Directorship or company appointments: none
Public body appointments or memberships: none
Charitable appointments or memberships: none
Trade association appointments or memberships: none
Professional body appointments or memberships: none
Declared political activity: none
Fiduciary appointments: yes
Significant shareholdings: none

See Ruth Hasnip's profile page

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