Russell Willcox, Chairman

Russell started his career as a Mechanical Engineer before crossing into Electronics and Micro-processor engineering.  An early start in Aerospace and Automotive industries, has led to a life long career in the electronics/technology sector.  Moving from Engineering to Marketing, then General Management, his focus has been on strategy, in whichever business he has been involved.  Currently Chairman of Box Technologies, an IT and services business involved in customer interface solutions, Russell also Chairs NNT, a software solutions company active in the IT security and compliance arena and is a Non Executive Director of another Software business.  With 20 years experience in the Retail, Banking, Postal and Hospitality markets, he is involved in technology strategy scoping exercises with a number of UK and International businesses.

Outside of this career, Russell has numerous interests, including his role as Chairman of Demand, He maintains an active participating interest in Skiing, cycling and Motorsport, as well as a taste for travel, languages and the arts.

Katherine White

Katherine spent ten years of her career working as a management consultant in the USA and EMEA. Her first job was with Andersen Consulting and then after attending Business School in Chicago with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG). At BCG she focused primarily on Health Care and R&D.  She left BCG in 2003 and continued her work in Health Care working with a range of foundations and governments including The Gates Foundation, Rockefeller and the UK’s Department for International Development with a focus on public and private partnerships working on drug development for diseases of poverty.

After becoming increasingly interested in the people agendas of many of her clients she made a decision in 2005 to change the focus of her career to HR.  Her first HR role brought her back to BCG, where she became Head of HR for Central Europe working in Poland, the Czech Republic, Hungary and Russia. She is currently the Senior Manager for BCG’s EMEA People Team based in London.

An Engineer by training, Katherine has an undergraduate degree in Engineering (BA Engineering, University of Cambridge) and also completed The Advanced Course in Design Manufacturing and Management (University of Cambridge). She also holds an MBA from the University Of Chicago’s Business School with a concentration in Finance.  Most recently she completed studies in Organisational Behaviour (Brikbeck College, University of London).

Katherine joined DEMAND as a Trustee in January 2012

Bob Mankin

Bob is a Chartered Accountant and Management Consultant and became a Trustee  of DEMAND in July 2011.

In recent years Bob has been an active Independent Non-Executive Chairman or Director of a portfolio of several small/medium-sized private companies with particular interest in financial planning and strategic growth development.

Bob was formerly Managing Director of Brewhurst Health Foods, the largest UK distributor of health foods and related products, Group Finance Director of Bridport plc, a listed company engaged in the manufacture and worldwide distribution of specialist textiles and a Financial Adviser with 3i, the private equity provider.

Previously Bob was a Management Consultant with Inbucon, an international management consultancy, and an Auditor with Price Waterhouse.

Bob has lived and worked in the UK, France, Germany and Switzerland.   He brings business acumen gained from wide-ranging experience in many situations over many years.   He works actively with executive management in creating controlled growth within a sound and stable financial base.

Bob enjoys playing golf, exploring genealogy, experimenting with oriental cuisine and time with his family.

Lady Hermione Frances Grimston

Hermione is the second daughter of The 6th Earl of Verulam, God-Daughter and Niece of DEMAND founders Lord and Lady Renton.

She is a founder Trustee of DEMAND, per Lord and Lady Renton’s request (only continuous standing Trustee since founding over 30 years ago)

Educated at Cranbourn Chase School, Hermione has spent time in Barcelona learning Spanish, 1957 and Paris learning French, 1958.

Moscow, British Trade Fair, Translator, 1960

New York City, Customer Support, Transworld Airlines, 1961-1965

Hermione was also a Trustee of The Ministering Children’s League, a Grimston family charity (subsequently closed with assets transferred to DEMAND)

The Hon. Clare Renton

Clare is the daughter of the founder of DEMAND, she is a lawyer, Mencap volunteer worker and has three grown up children.

Clare’s professional practice includes Family Law including international child abduction, matrimonial finance, including international jurisdictional issues and practice, inheritance.

She is an author, lecturer and regular contributor to legal journals.

In 2011 she became a  Fellow  of  International Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers.

Anthony Soothill

Anthony is a communications engineer by trade (M.Eng (hons) Communications Engineering, University of London).  He is currently the Head of the CEO’s Office at Telefónica UK Limited (the parent company of O2) where he is also Head Business Architect and also sits on the Tesco Mobile Board Audit Committee.

In the last twenty years he has held a wide range of operational and strategic positions across the O2 business including: Head of IT, Head of Finance Operations, Head of Wholesale (set up Tesco Mobile), Head of Corporate Customer Service and VP Group Strategy.  As a result, he has a broad strategic perspective, holds key commercial experience and is driven by results.

Anthony has been a Trustee of DEMAND since 2005 and since 2010 has been the Chairman of DEMAND SRM, the trading arm of the charity.

Anthony lives in Sarratt, near the Abbott’s Langley branch of DEMAND, with his wife and young son.

Jane Whiteley

Jane is a graduate from Reading University (Food Technology, BSc Hons). She has worked in Head Office operations in both retailing (Marks and Spencer) and manufacturing (Rowntree Mackintosh) and subsequently developed her career in research at the food industry’s leading research body, IGD.  Her work has been published and she is an accomplished presenter and trainer.

Jane moved into Marketing and PR in 1999 and in 2001 was promoted to Head of Corporate Communications. She is a communications specialist with expertise in PR, Event Management, Branding, Marketing, Website Development, Sponsorship, Including influencing and working with CEOs and Directors of FMCG companies across the food industry (including Tesco, M&S, Sainsbury, Asda, Procter & Gamble, Mars, Kelloggs).

Jane is mother to three young children and her interests include walking, reading, food, travel , art and sculpture. Jane became a Trustee of Demand in 2009.

Gary Evans, Chief Executive

Gary graduated in Mechanical Engineering from University College Cardiff in 1984 and after putting his knowledge and skill to good use in the aerospace and high performance optics industries, has spent most of his career in operational and leadership roles encompassing sales, business development and service with some of the world’s largest global high technology companies.

Following a stint in Eastern Europe, and for three years before joining DEMAND, Gary took some time out from corporate life to set up and run his own business coaching practice which focused on helping small businesses develop and grow.

Gary hails from West Wales and now lives in Harpenden with his wife, three brilliant children and a very bossy dog. Outside work you’ll often find him tinkering in the darker regions of computers, enjoying fine food, and walking under big skies.

Martin Brown

Martin is a mechanical design engineer who entered the disability market 27 years ago. Since then he has been senior operations management for 3 of the largest and oldest companies in the sector. Responsibilities have included overseeing the design and production of hundreds of iterations of disability products in 4 countries with operational responsibility for staff and facilities whilst managing quality and sales support in 21 countries.

Martin’s personal focus has always been customer service with a history of achievements that include the Queens Award for Contribution to Industry for the development of mobility products for disability and recent completion of his MBA

In his spare time Martin is a keen sailor qualified to RYA yacht masters and an importer and restorer of vintage American vehicles.

Fran Evans

Fran began her career working as a field archaeologist, gaining her first degree at Sheffield University in Prehistory and Archaeology, before changing direction, and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant.  Fran’s experience spans electronic component manufacture and distribution, real estate, joinery and construction which lend a broad and pragmatic commercial perspective to her current role at Demand.

Fran loves gardening, holds a formal qualification in horticulture and enjoys reading, long country walks and turning her hand to all manner of art and craft projects.