Professor Julie Newlan joined the University of Hertfordshire Business School in 1996 as a Senior Lecturer in Business Strategy and held various posts before being appointed Dean of the Business School in 2006. She became Pro Vice-Chancellor for Business, Marketing Communications, and International Development in 2011 and was appointed Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2022. She retired from the University in 2024 and is currently working with a number of organisations as a consultant in International and Enterprise development.

Julie has been most recently engaged in all strategic and operational decisions that have underpinned the positioning and success of the University of Hertfordshire. She was awarded her professorship in Enterprise Development in Higher Education in 2019 and made a member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2014 for services to higher education.

Fr David Armstrong is priest-in-charge of St Botolph-without-Bishopsgate, the latest in a line of radical and forward-thinking incumbents. His 19^th century predecessor, Rev’d William Rogers, founded the Bishopsgate Institute; hence the historical connection. David has ministered in parish ministry and chaplaincy. Before being ordained, he worked in commercial communications. Following senior positions in the comms industry, David co-founded and directed a Westminster-based PR and lobbying firm and continues to provide insights as a pro-bono consultant. David’s passions are social justice and inclusion, and he works to make St Botolph’s a place of sanctuary for all in the City.

Jonathan Clatworthy is Director at Smith and Williamson, an experienced Investment Manager with over 15 years in the financial services industry, offering expert investment counsel and asset management to families, companies, trusts and charities. Jonathan is a highly experienced finance professional with a Master's degree in International Banking and Finance from University of Durham, a Chartered Wealth Manager and Chartered Fellow of Securities and Investment Institute. Jonathan is chair of the Asset Management Committee.

Abdullahi Bashe is Legal Counsel at Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Bank. He was previously an Associate at Reed Smith and White & Case in Paris, working to finance energy and infrastructure projects around the world. Abdullahi trained at Simmons & Simmons in London. He has an MA in Oriental Studies from Oxford University and an LLM from BPP. Abdullahi has a strong interest in diversity and widening access and has been a Board Trustee at Stemettes (a social enterprise helping young women pursue STEM careers) since 2014. He is an avid theatregoer and a regular visitor of museums and galleries.

Nathan Smith has more than 18 years of experience working as an accountant in the not-for-profit sector. An early interest in performing arts led Nathan to train and work as a professional dancer and this, along with his passion for education, led him to work at Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts where he spent much of his time with responsibility for Finance and HR before developing into his current role of Director of Business and Organisational Development. Prior to this, he held a variety of roles within education, charity, and the arts including Head of Finance and Performance at Bishopsgate Institute.

Sarah Aitchison is Director of Special Collections at University College London, and manages a team with specialisms in archives, rare books, records management, academic support and teaching, outreach, conservation, digitisation and reader services. She has 30 years of experience in HE archives, with previous roles including Head of Archives at the Institute of Education in London. Sarah has also been co-chair of the Archives for Education and Learning Group, a mentor for the ARA Registration Scheme, and is currently a Trustee of the AIM25 group and a member of the UK Archive Service Accreditation Committee.

Ben McKnight is a strategic communications leader, who has held director and other senior roles at organisations around the UK. Specialising in arts, culture, events and placemaking, his background includes the Greater London Authority, Hull UK City of Culture, Manchester International Festival, UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, ULYSSES European Odyssey and the British Red Cross Society. As a freelance consultant, his clients include Paraorchestra, Oldham Coliseum Theatre and Multi-Story Orchestra.

Simon Demissie is Head, Library Experience & Engagement at Wellcome Collection, leading the team that looks after the venue's physical library spaces. For the past fourteen years or so Simon has worked with archives and special collections, including at The National Archives, and is keen to explore how archive and research library spaces can be configured as inclusive and accessible spaces for community. To unwind, Simon likes to play guitar, visit other museums and galleries, and take in the sea air when seeing family on the Isle of Wight.

Nancy Kelley is an award winning human rights and social justice campaigner who has worked in fields ranging from LGBTQIA rights and refugee protection to poverty and inequality. Nancy is currently Executive Director at DIVA and a Director at Trans Solidarity Alliance. She served as CEO of Stonewall between 2020 and 2023, and prior to this Nancy was Deputy Chief Executive at the National Centre for Social Research. Nancy is passionate about telling stories and asking questions that have the power to change our world for the better. Her changemaking experience spans working with global human rights organisations and human rights defenders, as well as domestic and international decision makers and some of the worlds most influential companies.

Ben is a Musical Director, Conductor and Orchestrator for theatre, and has worked on some of the most prominent productions of the last decade, both here in the UK and abroad. Most recently he was Musical Director for the multi award-winning revival of Cabaret at the Kit Kat Club in London’s West End, and prior to that conducted Cameron Mackintosh’s production of Les Misérables both in the West End and on its sold out U.K Tour.

He has been Musical Director for a number of the West End’s leading artists, including Samantha Barks, Lucie Jones and Layton Williams, and has coached and worked in many of the leading drama schools in London and with the National Youth Music Theatre. He was also Musical Director for the Bishopsgate Institute’s productions of Ragtime and West Side Story.

Elizabeth Pollock is a public finance professional with over nine years of experience in financial management and strategic planning, primarily in the public sector, and is currently an Assistant Director of Finance at the London Borough of Lambeth. Elizabeth first connected with the Bishopsgate Institute through its cultural offerings, and these experiences, along with her passion for arts, education, and lifelong learning, resonate deeply with the Institute's mission to make arts and education accessible to all.

Robin Dey is a quantitative finance professional with over 35 years’ experience in investment management. He has held senior roles at Invesco in New York and BlackRock in London, specialising in portfolio construction, risk management, and financial oversight. Throughout his career, Robin has worked closely with board members and executives, helping translate complex financial data into clear, actionable strategies. Now back in London, he enjoys exploring the city and learning more about its history and culture.

Dr Matt Lodder is an art historian, curator, writer, podcaster and broadcaster. He is currently Senior Lecturer in Art History and Theory, and Director of Undergraduate Studies in Art History at the University of Essex. His research primarily concerns the application of art-historical methods to history of Western tattooing from the 17th century to the present day, with a principal focus on the professional era from the 1880s onwards.

His first monograph, Painted People: Humanity in 21 Tattoos, was published in 2022. His next book, Tattoos: The Untold History of a Modern Art, was released by Yale University Press in 2024. His latest major exhibition, British Tattoo Art Revealed, began at the National Maritime Museum Falmouth in March 2017 and toured the UK through to 2021. His podcast, Beneath the Skin, was recently voted best independent history podcast in the UK.