Swindon Chamber Council members

The 2009 – 2010 Council is:

President – Nick Beaumont-Jones, Cost Management Consultant (Auditel)
Background: Nick Beaumont-Jones is a seasoned retail property professional with many years of experience in working with well-known high street brands throughout the UK and overseas. He was director of The Brunel Shopping Centre in Swindon for 11 years, during which time he worked with a wide range of stakeholders towards the improvement of Swindon’s retail offering. Nick was also joint chairman of Swindon Initiative and, more recently deputy chairman of inSwindon. Nick continues to have a passion for Swindon and takes a great interest in the continuing regeneration of the town centre. His prime activity at Auditel is assisting small to medium size enterprises in maximising their profits throughout the Thames Valley area, including Swindon and its environs.

Jo Bobbin, Operations Director (In-house Research & Training Ltd)
Background: Jo has spent the past 18 years in marketing communications and market research and has extensive experience in account management, new business development and conference speaking.
In-house Research & Training Ltd specialising specialises in offering mail, web, face to face and telephone research, which gives their clients the opportunity to choose the right research methodology backed with the support and knowledge that In-house can provide on the customer journey. A recent highlight was being voted Wiltshire Small Business of the Year at an awards dinner in February 2009. Jo has always lived and worked in the Swindon area and seen a lot of its growth. She has a teenager who’s studying for GCSE’s, so education in the town is of high importance to Jo.

Iain Black, Relationship Partner (Monahans Chartered Accountants)
Background: Monahans Chartered Accountants specialises in advising businesses and individuals on Audit, Management Accounting and Tax. As well as being a Swindon Chamber of Commerce Board Member Iain also represent Monahans on the Swindon Old Town Business and Professional Association. He joined Monahans in January 2008 after spending 17 years working in the Assurance Practice of PricewaterhouseCoopers in the South West and in Brisbane, Australia. During that time he gained a breadth of experience dealing with clients from small owner managed business through to large public and private companies, and large multinationals and across a wide variety of sectors. Outside of work he regularly risks his life and limb off-road on a mountain bike and have been known to hit the golf course now and then.

Christine Pratt (FCIPD FCMI), CEO and Founder (National Bullying Helpline Charity)
Background: The National Bullying Helpline Charity is Swindon’s first national charity – and the only UK helpline assisting both adults and children with conflict issues. The Helpline was awarded Charity status early 2007 and boasts two celebrity Patron’s plus Professor Cooper CBE and Ann Widdecombe MP. The Charity has been endorsed by David Cameron. Christine and David Pratt are also founders of HR & Diversity Management Ltd (HR&DM). HR&DM provides a number of management development services across the Public Sector including Training, Investigations and Mediation (T.I.M).

David Plunkett, Membership Sales Executive (Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce Group)
Background: David joined the Chamber of Commerce in November 2008 and is responsible for growing the membership in Swindon and West Berkshire. He lived in Calne for all of his adult life and has worked in the Swindon area for the majority of that time, from working in procurement for BT when he first left school in ’98, through to an area sales manager in the FMCG sector, to recruitment and now with the Chamber of Commerce. He enjoys meeting the wide array of businesses that have an interest in the Chamber, listening to their needs, and then letting them know the available services offered to help the business community. He also really enjoys representing an organisation and service that he firmly believes presents great benefits to businesses of all sizes and sectors. In his personal life, David enjoys football, music, good food and good friends.

Lisa Williams, Private Partner (Clydesdale Banking Group)
Background: Lisa re-located to Swindon in 2001 after living in the North of England from birth. She has worked for the Clydesdale Banking Group for over 25 years and during this time Lisa gained experience in all aspects of banking including: business development, managing branches & head office functions. Lisa now specialises in private banking, managing all aspects of her private clients’ financial requirements. The geographical area that she covers includes Bath, Swindon and the surrounding areas.
Lisa has originally become a member of the Chamber of Commerce a few years ago to learn more about the surrounding area. Earlier this year she became a Council Member so that she could become more involved with the local issues that effect her home town.

Leslie Michael Durrant, Managing Director (DPDS Consulting)
Background: As the group chairman and managing director of DPDS Consulting, Les is responsible for overall financial and management control of the Consulting Group with offices across the UK and specific responsibility for leading major individual projects. Formerly planning and development director of EH Bradley Planning Services, his extensive 40 years of experience also includes 15 years in the public sector with a County Council, two London Boroughs and principal planning officer with Horsham District Council, West Sussex. Specialist areas of expertise include major development applications, planning appeals, and formulation and management of large development projects, with specialist application in the commercial sector and town expansion projects.

Dean Mason, Category Trading Manager (The Midcounties Co-operative)
Background:Midcounties Co-operative is a regional Co-operative Society that has been serving the residents of Swindon since the formation of the Swindon Co-operative Society in 1853. Today they have 20 food stores in and around the Swindon area. Dean has lived in Swindon for seven years and is passionate about helping deliver a sustainable environment for the business community to flourish and grow. As one of the newest members of the Swindon Chamber of Commerce, Dean is excited about having the opportunity to make a real difference for the residents and business community of Swindon.

Joanne Taylor-Stagg, General Manager (Swindon Marriott Hotel)
Background: Joanne returned to Swindon in 2007 as the general manager of the Swindon Marriott Hotel, having started her career with Marriott at this very hotel 10 years earlier. Her experience began in South Africa at the five star Carlton Hotel in Johannesburg in 1992. She was part of the team that hosted Nelson Mandela during his inauguration as President of the new South Africa. During her tenure with Marriott, she has also held management positions in Preston, Leeds, Liverpool and the Goodwood Park Hotel & Country Club. In June 2009, Joanne was one of only four UK students to be accepted to the General Managers Programme at Cornell University, an Ivy League school renowned as the leader in hotel administration. She intends to use the insights gained to help the SCC & the SSEP shape Swindon’s future.

Mike Godfrey, Senior Manager & Chief Engineer Environment (Honda UK Manufacturing Limited)
Background: Mike Godfrey has always been in the Automotive Industry and now works for Honda in Swindon. Assignments have included manufacturing manager, quality manager, and has now responsibility for Safety and Environment coordination for not only the Swindon site, but also Honda’s other manufacturing operations in Europe, as senior manager and chief engineer. Under the Environmental role, work has expanded to include external liaison, and as well as positions with the car industry trade body, SMMT, he also represents Honda on the CBI Manufacturing Council, and local organisations in the Swindon area.

John Davies, Corporate, Commercial and Brands Law Partner (Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons)
Background: John joined Thring Townsend Lee & Pembertons in 1997 deals with acquisitions and disposals of businesses, MBOs and joint ventures, and corporate restructuring. He is also heavily involved in negotiating and drafting substantial commercial agreements. Acting for a variety of clients ranging from SMEs to global multi-nationals, John prides himself on taking a commercial approach to problem solving, giving clear and common sense business advice and taking a genuine interest in his clients’ businesses. As well as his position on the Chamber Council, John has a particular interest in the fabric of the business community and sits on the management board of the Swindon Strategic Economic Partnership. A former rugby player and a proud Welshman, John now enjoys squash, tennis, food and travel.

David Latham, Project Leader (Mindful Employer)
Background: As project leader, David is delighted by the interest displayed by local businesses for the Swindon Mindful Employer Network. Regular meetings on wellbeing and mental health at work are popular with employers big and small and David has been instrumental in planning annual conferences in Swindon. He has a long term interest and involvement in the media and became a freelance broadcaster and producer with BBC local radio and Chairman of a local commercial radio company. David is a past chair of Hospital Radio Swindon, former trustee of the Charities Information Bureau and BBC Children In Need coordinator in Wiltshire between 2000 – 2004.

Graham Taylor, Principal and Chief Executive (New College Swindon)
Background: New College Swindon is a top performing Further Education College with approximately 13,000 learners, excellent success rates and outstanding/ good OFSTED grades. Graham has a background in market research and corporate planning in three multinational companies and over 25 years experience in further and higher education across six Colleges. Graham worked his way up the lecturing ranks, teaching business studies, accounting and Information Technology and served as head of business studies and assistant principal, marketing and enterprise. An author of ten best selling books he also serves on the AoC Strategic Quality Group and 13-19 Funding Strategy Group. Interests include football and guitar.