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The non-Executive team
Andrew Manning-Jones FRICS
Appointed in November 2002, Andrew is a CQS with extensive experience and skills in project management consultancy in the property industry, both in the public and private sectors. He has spent most of his working life in London during which time he was responsible for the project management of many of GLE’s successful development projects. In his spare time he is a voluntary consultant to the Arts Council in the South East and has helped many arts organisations ranging from Puppet Theatre, through Street Theatre to Arts Centres and an Archaeological Society.
Anne Watts CBE
Anne was appointed in July 2000. Her extensive career in equality and diversity spans the private, voluntary and public sectors. Anne has just completed an eight year term for the Open University Council as Chair of their Membership Committee. She is presently working on the development of the Commission on Equality and Human Rights and supporting Sir Nigel Crisp at the NHS on his Independent Panel on Race. Anne has been pioneering in her work with major business equality campaigns and is currently on the board of Race for Opportunity and Opportunity Now, a director of the Experience Corps and is Chief Executive of the Eve Appeal.
Cllr Guy Nicholson
Appointed as a local authority non-executive Director in November 2009, Guy is a Labour Councillor at the London Borough of Hackney where he is the Cabinet Member for Regeneration and the 2012 Games. Guy has worked on a broad range of regeneration and socio-economic initiatives across Hackney, the Thames Gateway, the City Fringe and the London Standsted growth corridors and of course, the London 2012 project and its Legacy. He also has a number of other roles which include being the lead member for the European Social Fund programme in London, a board member of the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation and a regional Council member for the Arts Council London.
Jeremy Crook OBE
Appointed in July 2000, Jeremy is currently Director of the Black Training and Enterprise Group and Vice Chair of the national Learning and Skills Council’s Equality and Diversity Committee. He has 20 years experience of promoting race equality and developing practical solutions in the voluntary and public sectors. Whilst on secondment to the DfES he had policy lead responsibility for equality mainstreaming in the Learning and Skills Council’s implementation process. Jeremy is a member of the DWP’s Ethnic Minority Advisory Group, Chair of the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit’s Race Equality Advisory Group (DCLG), member of the Home Office’s Voluntary and Community Sector Advisory Group, and a council member of London West Learning and Skills Council.
Laurence Soden
Appointed in March 1999. He was a partner with Edward Erdman until 1990. Laurence has provided consultancy to a number of Local Authorities and Public Authorities, and in 1990 Laurence became a Property Developer and has been involved with a number of developments including Residential, Commercial, Retail Warehousing and Student Accommodation.. He is a board member of a Central London Housing Association, a trustee of an Almshouse & a charitable foundation.
Cllr Mark Loveday BA (Hons) MCI Arb
Chairman of the GLE board and was appointed as a local authority non-executive Director in 2008. Mark is a Conservative councillor on Hammersmith & Fulham Council where he is the Cabinet Member responsible for regeneration. He is Vice Chairman of London Councils’ Economic Development Committee. Mark is a barrister with over 25 years experience of property litigation and editor of a number of books on this area of law. His column on residential property matters appears each week in the Times newspaper.
Mary Edmund
Appointed July 2001, Mary has a B.Sc (Hons) in Electrical Engineering and an M.Sc in Science Education. She was a councillor for the London Borough of Lewisham for 17 years, during which time she chaired various committees, focusing particularly on economic development. Mary is presently Head of the Science Faculty at Thomas Tallis School, Kidbrooke.
Megan Dobney
Appointed in November 2000. Formerly a print worker, Megan is now the Regional Secretary of the Southern and Eastern Regional Council of the Trades Union Congress (SERTUC) representing TUC affiliated trade unions in London, the South East and the East of England. Megan is also a member of various Advisory Groups and Forums involving Strategy, Equality, Social Dialogue and Employment.
Paul Hendrick M Sc FCA MCT CF
Appointed in August 1991, Paul is a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years international experience in financial management, treasury and corporate finance, working with various major public companies such as Akzo Nobel NV, Courtaulds plc and the British National Oil Corporation. Paul also has extensive experience as a non-executive director in the public sector in the fields of regional economic development, social housing and public health. He is currently Non-Executive Director and Audit Chair at NHS Newham and Independent Special Adviser on the board of the Healthcare Purchasing Consortium.
Peter Pledger
Appointed in November 2000 and currently runs his own consultancy business. He was the Executive Director of London West Learning & Skills Council from 2000 to 2006 and a member of the London Skills Commission. Prior to this Peter was Deputy Director for London TEC Council, worked at the TUC, NUPE and UNISON, and was a Special Adviser to the Board of AZTEC. He served on the Board of Directors for the Park Royal Partnership Limited, West London NHS Workforce Development Federation, and Southall Regeneration Partnership Limited. He has been the Chief Executive of South London Business since January 2007.
