Patron 1965-2022 Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II
Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was our patron from 1965 to 2022. Here she is shown meeting CF John Cowie during our 50th anniversary reception at Buckingham Palace.
Our Trustees
Our Trustees
Introduction
Our Board of Trustees is responsible for setting our strategic direction and overseeing the delivery of it. They oversee all aspects of the charity's management and finances. The Board is composed of leading figures from many sectors and includes a number of Fellows.
The charity was set up in 1965 as the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, in memory of Sir Winston Churchill. In 2021 we adopted the operating name of the Churchill Fellowship.
Patron
Trustees
Chair The Hon Jeremy Soames
Jeremy Soames is the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill and has spent most of his career in investment management and banking, mainly with the N M Rothschild Group, where he was a director of operating companies in Europe, Asia and the USA. He is an experienced Chair and Non-executive Director with former roles including Chairman of the National Pension Fund for Nurses, Trustee of the Royal Opera House Trust and the Burdett Trust.
Vice-Chair James Williams DL CVO
James Williams DL CVO has worked in international asset management since the early 1970s. His interests include the arts, education and rural matters in his home county of Cornwall.
Trustee Simon Bevan
Simon Bevan is a non-executive director and adviser for a portfolio of commercial and not-for-profit organisations. He has held client-facing, leadership and governance roles as a partner in two large audit and advisory firms.
Trustee Bharatti Crack
Bharatti Crack is a diversity and inclusion expert specialising in socio-economic diversity. She is also an Ambassador for Leaders As Change Agents. She has 30 years’ experience of leading HR departments in corporate and investment banking and telecommunications.
Trustee Maria Iredale CF
Maria Iredale is a Churchill Fellow and Executive Director of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Great Britain, a membership association for individuals in the sub-surface energy industries.
Trustee Lucy Parker CF
Lucy Parker is a Churchill Fellow and Chair of the Advisory Council for the Churchill Fellowship. She is a senior advisor at the Brunswick Group and co-lead of the firm’s global Business & Society practice.
Trustee Jacob Polny
Jacob Polny is Chief Investment Officer at Telemos Capital and has extensive private equity investment experience across Europe in large and medium sized companies.
Trustee David Taylor-Smith MBE
David Taylor-Smith is an international business leader who has held senior roles at PHS Group, VPS Group, G4S plc, Aggreko Plc and Jardine Matheson. David has also served in the British Army and United Nations and has held many charitable roles.
Trustee Joanne Thompson
Joanne Thompson is a Crown Representative to HMG, as well as holding non-executive directorships. Prior to this, she held a range of leadership roles in the software and telecoms industries.
“I am very proud to see the enormous contribution made by the Churchill Fellowship in all areas of our national life.” – Jeremy Soames, Chairman.