Who we are

Loyd has a long association with the arts and heritage sectors. He is currently a patron of the Association for Heritage Interpretation and Heritage Open Days, is the President of The Arts Society (NADFAS) and since 2009 has been the Chairman of the Heritage Alliance - the UK membership organisation that represents more than 100 leading non-governmental organisations across the heritage sector.

He has served on the Boards of a number of cultural institutions including English Heritage, the Museums and Galleries Commission and the Public Monuments and Sculpture Association. He has also been a former Commissioner for the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England and has just completed nine years as Chairman of the Churches Conservation Trust.

In 2015, Loyd was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for services to heritage.

Nickie is currently Leader of Westminster City Council, and before this her roles covered children and young people, parking, community protection and premises management. She has also been responsible for the introduction of the council’s successful ‘Your Choice’ programme which resulted in a significant decrease in serious youth and gang violence throughout Westminster, as well as the launch of ‘Breaking the Silence’, Westminster’s domestic abuse strategy.

Prior to starting her young family, Nickie was Head of Group PR at Bradford and Bingley and a former Press Officer to the Rt Hon William Hague MP.

As well as The Royal Parks Board, her portfolio area also includes city policy and corporate strategy, oversight of Westminster City Council’s transformation programme, communications, government relations and public affairs, sustainability and Transformation Plan and West End Partnership.

Ruth is a chartered accountant and a non-executive director of three UK quoted companies, Ocado Group plc, Travis Perkins plc and Coats Group plc. She is also a Trustee of the youth charity, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. Prior to her non-executive career, Ruth was a Partner of the accounting firm KPMG where she worked for 33 years, from joining as a student accountant in 1976 to retiring in 2009 when she was a Partner and Vice-Chairman of the UK firm. Ruth was a Board Member for the The Royal Parks Agency from 2008 to 2016.

Heather is currently Chief Executive Officer at the lifestyle clothing brand Finisterre. She has worked in retail for 30 years and worked at a variety of high street names and premium brands, including Laura Ashley, Fat Face and more recently Managing Director at Hotel Chocolat. Starting in buying and merchandising, then multi-channel retailing, Heather has a vast experience of strategy and commercial planning centred around the customer. She is currently also a Non-Executive Director for Line Life Ltd, Jimmy Hooves and R Chocolate of London.

Lieutenant Colonel Sir Andrew Ford is the Comptroller, Lord Chamberlain's Office and Head of one of the five Departments in the Royal Household. The Lord Chamberlain's Office is responsible for all ceremonial events attended by The Queen, which include events such as State Visits, State Opening of Parliament, Investitures, Garden Parties and other Church and Military events. He has held this appointment for six years.

Prior to joining the Royal Household he served in the Grenadier Guards and completed 25 years service. His last significant appointment was Commanding Officer, 1st Battalion Welsh Guards, a Regiment he re-badged in order to command.

Bronwyn joined the civil service in 1988 and worked on transport strategy and policy and as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Secretary of State. She led work on transport for the 2012 Olympics, Crossrail and the sale of the UK’s first high speed rail line. As Permanent Secretary at the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) from 2011 to 2015, Bronwyn led significant organisational change and reform across the Defra network to support the economy and the environment, including through digital innovation.

Bronwyn is a Non Executive Director at the Office for Nuclear Regulation and a member of the Court of the University of Greenwich. A keen rower, she is Chair of Globe Rowing Club in Greenwich. Bronwyn was awarded the CBE for services to transport in 2001.

Wesley is a broadcaster, journalist, historian, horticulturist and curator. He has worked on numerous BBC television and radio programmes, including Nationwide, Newsnight, Panorama, Holiday, Watchdog Healthcheck, Value for Money and the various daily news outlets. Wesley has worked in 40 countries and has written for many national newspapers and journals. He is a previous member of the RHS Show Gardens Panel and former Chairman of the Heritage Lottery Fund Committee for London. Wesley was a Board Member for The Royal Parks Agency from 2013 to 2016. He is currently Vice-President of the Metropolitan Public Gardens Association. Wesley was awarded an OBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in 2015 for services to heritage.

Jeff is the chief officer of the Greater London Authority, and is responsible to the Mayor and London Assembly. Jeff was previously Chief Executive of the Government Olympic Executive at the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) where he led the government team which helped win London the 2012 Olympic bid and delivered the organisational arrangements to carry construction forward.

On joining the GLA in 2007, Jeff was a Senior Adviser in the Mayor’s Office and subsequently became the Director of Transition after the election in May 2008.

Jeff’s previous roles include Director General (Children, Young People and Communities) at the DCMS and Executive Director of Policy and Partnerships at the GLA. Prior to that he had 20 years experience as a senior civil servant. Among his more recent roles are as Director of Town and County Planning in the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions, and Principal Private Secretary to John Prescott, the former Deputy Prime Minister.

Georgia was appointed Leader of Camden Council in May 2017 and has served as a Councillor for Kentish Town Ward since 2010.

Born and Bred in Camden, Georgia studied at Camden School for Girls and has lived in the Borough for most of her adult life. Interested in politics at a young age Georgia, went on to study Politics and History at Oxford, and then graduated with a master's degree in global politics from the London School of Economics.

At the age of 24 she was elected a Labour councillor for the Kentish Town ward of Camden in 2010. It was not long before she made her way into Cabinet positions serving as both portfolio holder for Young People and Adult social care.

Georgia has a particular interest in youth politics and published a book called Wasted: How Misunderstanding Young Britain Threatens Our Future. It draws on two years spent travelling around the UK interviewing young people about why they weren’t engaged in politics.

Georgia helped found Camden’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) Commission, designed to understand the future skills market and link them strongly with schools and Further Education, guaranteeing opportunities for young people to make sure they can meet with their talent and creativity.

Outside of her Council work Georgia is an avid QPR fan.

Richard is Director, Digital Land Strategy Programme at Ordnance Survey, prior to which he was Director of Strategy at the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills. He began his career at Barclays where he spent ten years, followed by eight years at KPMG.

Richard has variously been Strategy Advisor to the British Council, Business in the Community and The Prince’s Charities. He was an elected local authority member (Dartford Borough Council) from 1998 until 2003, and a non-executive Director of Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust from 2003 until 2007. He holds an MBA from the University of Oxford.

On 23 May 2018, Councillor Danny Thorpe became Leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich.  He has been a Councillor in the Royal Borough of Greenwich since July 2004.  Danny grew up in the Borough and now represents the Shooters Hill ward. He was appointed to the Royal Borough’s Cabinet as Lead Member for Regeneration and Transport in 2014.  He became Deputy Leader of the Council in 2016 and held the Cabinet portfolio for Regeneration and Sustainability.  Danny continues to work as a teacher at a local primary school.