Our Trustees and Patrons

Rachel Sandby-Thomas CB has been Registrar at the University of Warwick since September 2016. Broadly speaking, this means she is responsible for the professional services of the University. Prior to that, she spent 23 years in Central Government, the last 8 of which were  as a Director General in the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills where she covered legal, corporate services and policy (skills, regulation, large and small businesses, local growth). She joined the Civil Service as a lawyer from Linklaters.

Outside HE, she is Chair of The Whitehall and Industry Group (“WIG”), a Trustee of the EY Foundation, a Governor of the Warwick Schools Foundation and of Warwick School. She is a an Assistant of the Goldsmiths Company, and a member of its Membership Committee. She is on the Policy Oversight Committee at the Institute of Engineering and Technology (“IET”) and on the Advisory Board of the Office of Public Safety and Standards.

She was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 2012, was named in the 2016 FTSE 100 "Women to Watch" and the Times 100 "Most Influential Lawyers", 2012. She is Companion at the CMI and an RSA Fellow. 

Multicultural executive with +20 years in life sciences covering access, global
strategy, operations, and clinical program development across multiple geographies
including Europe, Latin America, United States, and the Middle East for some of the
world’s most recognizable healthcare organisations. Most recently, was heading the
Vaccines and Pharmaceutical business for GSK in the UK.

In 2020 joined Google as EMEA Head for Healthcare and Life sciences with the goal
of solving some of the toughest problems that affect human health by harnessing the
power of data and technology.

His experience in working with governments, industry associations, payers, patient
groups, media, and consumers have focused on achieving the quadruple aim of
improving healthcare outcomes, enhancing the patient and clinician experience,
whilst supporting affordability goals. Some recent examples include recognition by
Forbes as one of the 50 most influential leaders in the Middle East and more recently
co-leading on behalf of pharma a 5 year deal with the National Health Service (NHS)
delivering medicine innovation and access for UK patients.

Barbara Bennett was appointed Chief Executive and Director General, Jobs and Careers Service Operations in March 2025. Prior to that she was Director General, Operations.

Barbara has had a career in both the public and private sectors, leading, advising and delivering services for many Whitehall departments. She started her career at IBM before moving to Serco to run service delivery activities for the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. Her most recent role before joining the department was as the Public Services Partner for PA Consulting. This wide-ranging role included providing critical support for Test and Trace during the pandemic. 

Her previous roles include:

• Director General, Work and Health Services
• Partner, Public Services, PA Consulting
• Head of Operations for Genomics COVID-19 response at the Department of Health and Social Care
• various positions including Managing Director, Citizen Services and Government Services Director, Central Government Division, Serco Group plc
• Transformation Leader, Home Office
• Global Account Director, IBM UK plc

Barbara lives in Winchester with her partner and two children.  

Jasvinder Deo is the Head of Internal Audit and Risk at Marks & Spencer, having joined the business in June 2025. In her role, Jasvinder is responsible for leading the company’s Internal Audit and Risk function, working closely with the Board and Executive Leadership to strengthen risk management, enhance internal controls, and support M&S’s strategy for sustainable growth and transformation

Jasvinder is a Chartered Accountant, having originally trained and qualified in Australia with PricewaterhouseCoopers. She brings significant retail and consumer goods experience, having spent 13 years at Tesco in senior leadership roles including Group Audit Director and Group Risk & Transformation Director, where she shaped the company’s approach to risk management, supporting the business to navigate through key challenges impacting the retail industry.  

Jasvinder’s dedication and passion for fostering diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace saw her serve as Head Office Director Sponsor for Tesco’s Race and Ethnicity Network, actively contributing to the implementation of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Strategy. Her contributions in this area, led to her being recognised as one of the Top 10 EMpower Ethnic Executive Minority Role Models in 2021.

Most recently, she served as Global Audit and Risk Director at PZ Cussons, overseeing risk and internal controls across the company’s diverse international footprint, spanning Africa, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and North America.

Kate is an experienced charity CEO and trustee passionate about the entrepreneurial and dynamic role the charity sector has to play in creating a better society.

Kate is currently CEO of Chance to Shine, the UK cricket charity that exists to ensure all young people have the opportunity to play, learn and develop through cricket.  By 2028, Chance to Shine wants to help 1 million young people each year to have a brighter future and fulfil their potential.

Prior to that, Kate was the founding CEO of Smart Works, the women’s employment charity, for 10 years, overseeing its growth from 1 to 11 centres, helping 10,000 women each year succeed at job interviews and transform their lives. Smart Works was named Social Action Charity of the Year in 2017 and was honoured to announce the patronage of the Duchess of Sussex in 2019.

Kate spent the first part of her career in consultancy, and she has served as Trustee, Vice Chair and then Chair of a leading family charity.

Mel is Chief Executive of MTVH (Metropolitan Thames Valley Housing) one of the UK’s leading providers of affordable homes to rent and buy. 

Mel has extensive experience in local government, housing and regeneration. Prior to joining MTVH Mel was Chief Executive at Nottingham City Council where he provided leadership to the council’s 6,000 staff delivering vital public services on behalf of one of the UK’s Core Cities, securing economic growth and improving life chances.  He also collaborated with others to rapidly deliver the East Midlands devolution deal and oversaw the elections for the first ever East Midlands regional mayor. 

Mel has a successful track record in the management of large-scale customer facing services, organisational change and transformation initiatives, and working in partnership to deliver large-scale regeneration and development projects.

From 2015 to 2020 Mel was Chief Executive of Basingstoke & Deane Borough Council where he guided officers and elected members during the conclusion of a £1.2bn Joint Venture for the 3,500 home first phase of Manydown, a new Garden Community.

Mel holds a BSc (Hons) in Land Management, an MBA from City University Business School, London and is a member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. 

He was previously a Commissioner on the Commission for Creating Healthy Cities established by Kellogg College, University of Oxford, in partnership with The Prince’s Foundation.  

Sir Alex Chisholm became Permanent Secretary at the Cabinet Office and Chief Operating Officer for the Civil Service in April 2020. He was previously Permanent Secretary for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) and prior to that he was Joint Permanent Secretary for BEIS. 

His previous career highlights include:

Permanent Secretary for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC), Chief Executive of the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), Chairperson and Commissioner of Ireland’s communications regulatory agency, ComReg and Chair of the Economic Regulators Network in Ireland. He also held senior executive positions in the media, technology and e-commerce industries, with Pearson plc, Financial Times Group, eCountries Inc and Ecceleration Ltd. 

Gareth Davies is Permanent Secretary at the Home Office. Previously he has served as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Business and Trade and Permanent Secretary at the Department for International Trade.

Gareth has also been the Second Permanent Secretary and a Director General in the Department for Transport. His responsibilities included decarbonising transport, technology, international and security.

Earlier in his career he was a Director General in the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. He has led the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and was a Private Secretary in Downing Street.

Gareth started his career in PricewaterhouseCoopers working across Central and Eastern Europe and has worked for AIA, the life insurance company based in Hong Kong.

Penny is a Senior Non-Executive Director at Hargreaves Lansdown. She is also a Non
Executive Director at QBE Insurance Group Limited and Mitie Group Plc.

Penny has a wealth of executive expertise in the financial services industry with over 30
years’ experience, including roles as Chief Financial Officer and then Chief Executive Officer
at Direct Line, Group Chief Risk Officer at Prudential, Group Chief Financial Officer at
Omega Insurance and Chief Financial Officer for Zurich’s UK General Insurance.
Penny has held leadership roles in relation to businesses in General Insurance, Life
Assurance, Wealth Management and Asset Management at scale and across US, Asia and
Europe.

Penny Co-Chairs of the FTSE Women Leaders Review. She has recently been Chair for the
FCA Practitioner Panel and Board member for the Association of British Insurers.

Cat started her career at the accountancy firm PwC, dedicated to Government and Public Sector finances, mainly working in assurance roles. Over more than a decade, Cat worked with clients across Health, Local Government, Higher Education and Central Government sectors.

Cat joined the Civil Service in 2013 first at the Legal Aid Agency where she worked on the digitisation of civil legal aid, and removing the long standing financial accounts qualification as the Director of Finance and Digital.

Cat went on to become the Group Finance Director at the Ministry of Justice overseeing all aspects of financial management and supporting prison reform, courts reform and transformation programmes. In 2017, Cat joined the Board of the Ministry of Defence as Director General Finance. Cat led the oversight of the Defence portfolio, and was the Race Champion for the Department.

Cat joined HM Treasury in 2020 as Director General Public Spending. She took on the role of Acting Permanent Secretary in September 2022, and in October 2022 was appointed to Second Permanent Secretary. 

Lord Mark Sedwill was Cabinet Secretary from April 2018 to September 2020 and National Security Advisor from April 2017 to Sept 2020. He is currently the Chair of the Atlantic Future Forum and the G7 Panel on Global Economic Resilience

Prior to this, Mark was the Permanent Secretary at the Home Office (2013-17), FCO Political Director (2012-13), NATO Senior Civilian Representative in Afghanistan (2010-11), HM Ambassador to Afghanistan (2009-10) and Director of UKvisas (2006-8). He joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office in 1989, serving in Egypt, Iraq, Cyprus and Pakistan.

Clare is Chief Executive of Citizens Advice and leads the national charity and network of local Citizens Advice charities across England & Wales. Through 1:1 advice, online support and advocacy, Citizens Advice gives individuals the knowledge and confidence they need to find their way forward and speaks up on their behalf to bring about wider change. Clare was previously a civil servant for 35 years, latterly as Permanent Secretary of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2015 to 2019, and of the Department for Exiting the EU until its closure in January 2020.  After leaving the Civil Service, Clare chaired the Health Foundation’s Covid-19 impact inquiry before joining Citizens Advice in 2021. 

She is the senior independent member of Westminster Abbey’s Board, a trustee of the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and Treasurer of the History of Parliament Trust.