Dr Carol Sweetenham (Chair of Trustees) Expand Dr Sweetenham is a founder member of Aspire, and has been Chair of Trustees since 2014. She is a senior civil servant with a long track record in government and experience in local government, the voluntary sector and the European Commission.
Richard Dick Expand Richard Dick is the Chairman and CEO of Lucy Group Ltd, which was established in 1812 as an iron founder and now has 1500 employees with a turnover of just under £200 million. Richard joined Aspire's board of trustees in 2018 and brings considerable commercial experience, local business contacts and a passion to tackle homelessness.
Mick Blowfield Expand Mick has four decades of experience in international development, much of which has involved helping build, fund and manage socially and environmentally oriented enterprises in poorer countries. He has a wide range of geographical and sectoral experience as well as first-hand knowledge of the different governance and organisational structures that help social enterprises thrive. He brings a mixture of theoretical and practical experience having helped develop types of social enterprise, and also being a senior academic at the Universities of Oxford and Cambridge, and was Professor of Corporate Responsibility at Wolverhampton University. He is a published author on the role of business in society, and has advised a number of large companies in Europe and North America. For Mick, Aspire is the kind of organisation that can not only draw on his experience, but one that addresses his concerns about how to assist disadvantaged people. He has a special interest in tackling issues faced by people who experience mental illness, homelessness and special educational needs, and how these can be addressed through effective organisational strategies.
Paul Staines Expand Paul has recently joint the Board of Trustees and will play a role as our housing specialist, assisting us as we expand our role in this important area. Paul has worked in housing for local authorities in Oxfordshire for over 25 years covering both homelessness, housing advice and affordable housing development. He is currently the lead officer for delivering both accelerating planned housing development and additional affordable housing as part of a Deal between Oxfordshire councils and Government.
Catherine Rowe Expand Catherine has 25 years of business experience, working within the private retail, education, travel, hospitality and automotive sectors. As a senior marketing leader she brings a wealth of experience in shaping marketing, PR and brand strategies and developing customer propositions and experiences. With a speciality in digital customer touchpoints and CRM, she has extensive experience of leading and developing large teams and driving commercial outcomes.This is Catherine's first Trustee position, although she has been involved with Aspire for several years having sat as a Director on the trading company Board since December 2019. She is passionate about being able to share her expertise to enable Aspire to help even more vulnerable individuals and to ensure the sustainable future of the organisation.
Hugh Richardson Expand After training as an accountant with PwC and a spell with the International Accounting Standards Board, Hugh spent 20 years in investment banking and general management with S.G. Warburg before becoming a bursar at an Oxford college and then director of finance at a leading school. He has been a trustee of many charities including those involved with the arts, urban regeneration, international development, sport, men’s health, survivors of human rights violations, and grant-giving, and remains engaged in a range of voluntary activities.
William Powlett Smith Expand William Powlett Smith is a Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland, retiring in 2008 from Ernst & Young LLP after 25 years as a partner where he led the Anglo-German business development practice and subsequently the health sciences team. He then held two non-executive appointments with private companies and taught on the undergraduate programme at St Clare’s, Oxford and Oxford Brookes University. For fifteen years (including five years as Chairman) he served as a trustee of Cecily’s Fund, which helps educate orphans and vulnerable children in Zambia. He was a founding trustee of Charity Mentors, Oxfordshire which provides strategy mentoring for non-profit making organisations. In September 2016 he was appointed Chair of Northern House School Academy Trust, and currently he is Deputy Chair of Prior’s Court Foundation, a residential provision for young people with complex autism.
Chris Blackburn Expand Chris Blackburn recently retired as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of Oxford Brookes University Business School where he had spent three decades in a variety of academic and managerial roles. Prior to his career in Higher Education, Chris worked in marketing communications and advertising with major organisational clients such as Unilever, Colgate Palmolive and Associated Newspapers, covering a range of well-known brands from breakfast cereal through beer to banking. One of his early clients was the housing charity, Shelter. In addition to his role at Aspire, Chris also acts as a review panel chair and institutional mentor for the European Foundation for Management Development which accredits international university business schools. He is also a qualified personal development coach.