IPT Presidents and Board of Trustees

The Rt Hon John Bercow MP
Speaker of the House of Commons

The Rt Hon Baroness D'Souza CMG
Lord Speaker

The Rt Hon Chris Grayling MP
Lord Chancellor and Secretary of State for Justice

Baroness Harris took over the Chair at the AGM on 7 July 2010. She is an IPT Fellow, having completed a Fellowship with Six Continents Plc in 2003. A magistrate for 16 years, she was also a non-executive Director of an NHS Trust from 1990-1997. She chaired North Yorkshire’s County Council and was the first woman to chair their Police Authority from 1994-2001.  She speaks on policing matters and Northern Ireland in the House of Lords.

David Amess has been a Conservative MP since 1983. He represented Basildon from 1983-1997 and has been the MP for Southend West since 1997. He is currently Chair of the Conservative Party Backbench Committee for Health. He became a Fellow of the IPT in 1994 after spending time with Esso. In 2012, David completed his IPT Post-Graduate Fellowship specialising in the Cultural and Creative Industries, spending time at Brit School, ITN and the Royal Opera House. David is also the current Chair of the IPT Fellowship Committee. 

A veteran local councillor and engineer, Gordon Birtwistle became the Liberal Democrat MP for Burnley in the 2010 General Election. Since then he has been PPS to Danny Alexander, Chief Secretary to the Treasury and is now the Chair of the Liberal Democrat Parliamentary Committee on Business, Innovation and Skills.  Gordon is Chairman of the Apprenticeships APPG and his political interests are industry, skills and business in general.  He is a Fellow-Elect of the IPT and has participated in the Civil Service Attachment Scheme.

Rosemary Brook is a Director of Kaizo, an independent communications consultancy, which is a member of the IPT. She has been actively involved with the IPT throughout her career, completing her Corporate Fellowship in 1992. Rosemary became an IPT Trustee in March 2006 and Chairman of the Executive Committee in January 2007, having served as a member for ten years. Her experience covers a wide spectrum of business sectors and she has played an active part in her own profession as President of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations in 1996 and Master of the City of London Guild of Public Relations Practitioners in 2004.

Brian has been a Labour MP since 1992, representing Cunninghame South until its expansion in 2005 when it became Central Ayrshire. He became a Fellow with the IPT in 1995 having spent time with Unilever UK Ltd and successfully completed a further programme with Aggregate Industries in 2001. He became an IPT Trustee in 2010. Brian has formerly been PPS to Lord Adonis as Minister and Secretary of State at the Department for Transport. 

Sharon Davies is the Director of Corporate Affairs for DHL, responsible for Government Relations for the group in the UK, and CSR and Environmental Management for DHL Express UK. Sharon has been involved in public affairs for eighteen years with experience of working for an MP, as well as public affairs consultancy and latterly as an 'in-house' practitioner with DHL. Sharon was co-opted onto the Board in February 2012.

Sir David Edward was the British judge at the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg 1992-2004. During these years he welcomed the delegates on IPT's European Study Programme for Industry (ESPI) at the Court of Justice. He became an IPT Trustee in 1995 and is Chairman of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland.

Paul Evans is the Principal Clerk of the Table Office in the House of Commons. Paul has been a clerk in the House of Commons since 1981 and has written extensively on parliamentary procedure. He became a fellow of the IPT in 1988 with ICI followed by an attachment to Kelly packaging and became an IPT Trustee in 2010.

David is the Chief Executive of RBS England & Wales, NatWest Scotland and 'Hold Separate Manager' of the business. A graduate of Oxford University, David worked as a management consultant for Oliver, Wyman and Company for a number of years including a two year period in Switzerland, before joining RBS in the mid-1990s. He has extensive experience across the full range of financial services including roles as Managing Director NatWest Offshore, Managing Director RBSI Securities Services, Director Wealth Management and Chairman of the Isle of Man Bank. Latterly, David has been the Director of UK Retail Products and Chief Operating Officer of the UK Retail Bank prior to taking on his current role. David is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Bankers Scotland and is married with three children.

John has been the Conservative Member of Parliament for Henley since the June 2008 by-election and is currently PPS to Andrew Lansley as Leader of the House of Commons and Lord Privy Seal.

Brendan has been a Clerk in the House of Lords since 1973, holding numerous posts within the House of Lords Administration. He has held the post of Registrar of Lords’ Interests since 2002. Brendan completed his IPT Clerk Fellowship with Reynolds Broughton (Devon) Ltd and Laporte in 1985.

Mary Macleod was elected as Conservative MP for Brentford & Isleworth in 2010.  She has previously served on the Home Affairs Select Committee and been PPS to Rt Hon Nick Herbert, Minister for Policing and Criminal Justice. In 2012 Mary became PPS to Maria Miller as Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport and Minister for Women and Equalities. Mary set up and is Chairman of the Women in Parliament All Party Parliamentary Group. She serves in the Parliamentary Armed Forces as a Squadron Leader in the RAF and is a Fellow-Elect of the IPT.  Mary has 20 years’ experience in business consulting.

Edward is chairman of Dawnay Holdings PLC and the founder of the Chiltern group of companies. After Cambridge University and qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, Edward worked in the city in Corporate Finance. The past twenty years have been spent setting up, financing and advising small businesses. Edward is married with three children.

Jim was the Chief Executive of Waste Recycling Group Ltd and served as Chairman of the IPT's Executive Committee until 2007.

Baroness Prosser of Battersea was raised to the peerage in 2004.  Previously Deputy Secretary General of the Transport & General Workers Union, Baroness Prosser acted as National Treasurer of the Labour Party from 1996-2001.  Her political interests are in the world of work, equalities and equal pay and she has been a Member of the Equal Opportunities Commission and the Low Pay Commission and is currently Deputy Chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission.  Baroness Prosser’s geographical interests include the Middle East and the USA.

Baroness Seccombe received the honour of Dame Commander of the British Empire in 1984. She was raised to the peerage in 1991 as Baroness Seccombe DBE of Kineton in the County of Warwickshire. Baroness Seccombe DBE currently sits on the House of Lords Information Committee. She has previously been the Conservative Party Spokesperson for Education and Skills, Legal Affairs, Home Affairs and Constitutional Affairs. In addition to her duties in the House of Lords, Baroness Seccombe DBE is also President of the St Enedoc Golf Club.

Barry is a Corporate Fellow of the IPT, having completed the Parliamentary Study Programme for Industry (PSPI) in 1995. He was a member of the Executive Committee from 1995 to 2003, including four years as Chairman. He has been a Trustee since 1999 and now chairs the Audit Committee. Barry retired as Chairman of BASF plc at the end of 2004 and now holds a number of positions in both the public and private sectors.

Andrew is a practising barrister, with chambers in Lincoln's Inn. He was appointed as a Queen's Counsel in 2011. He specialising in the areas of property, companies, professionals, and commercial disputes, and has experience of advising and litigating in a wide variety of business and other sectors. He acts pro bono in deserving cases, and was awarded the Bar Pro Bono Award 2009 for some of his work with the homelessness charity, Shelter. He is an elected member of the Bar Council, and actively involved in several  of its committees.

Iain Wright became Labour MP for Hartlepool in 2004. Since then, he has served as PPS to Rosie Winterton as Health Minister, been Parliamentary Under Secretary of State in the Department of Communities and Local Government and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State with responsibility for apprenticeships and 14-19 reform in the Department for Children, Schools and Families. Ian became Shadow Minister for Education when Labour returned to HM Opposition. He is currently a Shadow Minister for Business, Innovation and Skills and sits on the Finance and Services Select Committee.