Governors of the Ashridge (Bonar Law Memorial) Trust

Professor Michael Clarke CBE

Appointed Governor in July 2010.

Born in Yorkshire, he started his academic career at the University of Edinburgh as Director of Studies prior to joining Lothian Regional Council in 1975, later becoming Deputy Director, Policy Planning. Moving South in 1981, he headed the Local Government Management Board and advised a number of parliamentary Select Committees.

He has been a member of the Church of England General Synod since 1990 and chairs the Dioceses since Autumn 2008. Among a range of other interests, he chairs the Birmingham Royal Ballet.

Professor Dame Sally Davies

Appointed Governor in April 2006.

Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser for the Department of Health and NHS.

Dame Sally was appointed Chief Medical Officer in 2011 and she continues her Research leadership role. She set up and leads the National Institute for Health Research. Sally led the UK delegations to the WHO Ministerial Summit in November 2004 and November 2008, and is on the WHO Advisory Committee on Health Research, and chaired the external advisory group to the WHO on their Research Strategy Development.

In the 2009 New Year's Honours List, Sally was awarded a DBE for Services to Medicine.

Mrs Karen Jones CBE

Appointed Governor in July 2005.

Chairman, Food and Fuel Ltd; Non-executive Director, HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland) and Royal National Theatre Enterprises. Karen also chairs the Remuneration Committee of HBOS and the Rebuilding Childhoods Board of the NSPCC.

Previously: Chief Executive of Spirit Group Ltd, a 2000 strong pub and restaurant group. Karen is a very successful retailer with a strong track record of growing and managing businesses. She founded and developed both Café Rouge and the Pelican Group plc.

Previous Non-Executive Director roles include Gondola Holdings plc and Emap plc.

Lord Jordan of Bournville

Appointed Governor in 1992.

President of the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents.

Chairman of the Housing and Communities Agency

Formally General Secretary, International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (1995-2001); President, Amalgamated Engineering & Electrical Union (1986-95); Member: TUC General Council and major committees (1986-95), National Economic Development Council (NEDC) (1986-92), Engineering Training Authority (1991-95), English Partnerships 1993-2003; Governor, London School of Economics 1987-2002, Manchester Business School (1987-92) and BBC (1988-98); Member Court of Governors, Henley College.

Ms Julia Unwin CBE

Appointed Governor in November 2011.

Chief Executive, Joseph Rowntree Foundation and Joseph Rowntree Housing Trust

Julia was a member of the Housing Corporation Board for 10 years and a Charity Commissioner from 1998-2003. Julia was also Deputy Chair of the Food Standards Agency and worked as an independent consultant operating within government and the voluntary and corporate sectors. In that role, she focused on the development of services and in particular the governance and funding of voluntary organisations. Julia has researched and written extensively on the role, governance and funding of the voluntary sector.

She has previoulsy held a position as chair of the Refugee Council from 1995 until 1998 and is a member of the University of York's Council.

Mr Charles Pugh

Appointed Governor in November 2012.

Curator and Consultancy Manager, National Trust.

Charles Pugh has over twenty years of experience working within the historic environment,. He is closely involved with a wide range of properties including the Ashridge Estate and Stowe House.

Charles graduated from King’s College, University of London with a BA in History. At the National Trust, he has worked as both an operational manager and as a curator in Wales and across the London & South East Region. More recently, he was seconded to help design and roll out the National Trust’s current internal consultancy model as part of its “Going Local” strategy.

Charles attended the University of East Anglia’s Museum Leaders Programme in 2011/12 and is a Trustee of the Booker Woods and Commons Protection Society, a community based local charity.