Page 29 – Business in the Community

Zoe Ashdown

Zoe Ashdown

Zoe Ashdown

Head of People Engagement, Culture & Strategy,
AXA UK & Ireland

South West Leadership Board

Zoe Ashdown is a senior human resources (HR) professional with more than 20 years of strategic and operational expertise, accrued primarily within complex financial services sector environments.

As Head of People Engagement, Culture & Strategy for AXA UK & Ireland, Zoe leads on the design and delivery of the people strategy, with a key focus on advancing diversity & inclusion, employee engagement, health and wellbeing, employer brand and corporate responsibility (CR).

Based in the South West, Zoe contributes as a member of the AXA UK & Ireland HR leadership team and is influential in advocating for and driving transformational and people-centred culture change.

Passionate too about ensuring large organisations take an active role in their local communities, Zoe is committed to delivering on AXA UK & Ireland’s ambition to use the business as a force for good. As a member of Business in the Community’s (BITC) South West Leadership Board, Zoe is actively supporting AXA UK & Ireland’s contribution to a healthier, more inclusive and more sustainable future for all.

Zoe is a keen rugby supporter, which provides plenty of opportunities for her to travel and to spend time with family and friends. She has also recently started a course in creative photography and is enjoying the challenge of capturing that perfect shot!

Kirstie Donnelly MBE

Kirstie Donnelly smiling

Kirstie Donnelly MBE

Chief Executive,
City & Guilds Group

Employment and Skills Leadership Team

Kirstie Donnelly is Chief Executive at the City & Guilds Group, prior to this role she was the Group Managing Director for City & Guilds, ILM and DigitalMe brands operating globally. Kirstie joined City & Guilds Group in 2011 and has worked at the forefront of skills and education for over 30 years.

As Chief Executive of the City & Guilds Group, Kirstie is accountable for the external influencing of the broader skills agenda across Government and Ministers, and other key stakeholders. She also leads the strategic business interface on large complex integrated business relationships and opportunities.

Throughout her career Kirstie has spearheaded the development of award-winning products and services across the skills landscape both in the UK and internationally and is a passionate advocate of the role of digital and social media in transforming how people live, learn and work.

Since September 2019 Kirstie has been a Trustee at the Prince’s Trust and since November 2020, she has been the joint Chair of the Federation of Awarding Bodies.

In the past Kirstie has been a Commissioner on the Labour party’s lifelong learning committee, Apprenticeship Commissioner for the cross party Commission and was one of the original committee members of the David Blunkett’s – Learning Age – Green paper back in 1998.

Kirstie’s commitment to e-learning in the FE/Adult sector was recognised when she was awarded an MBE in the Queens Honours in 2011.

About Business in the Community’s Employment and Skills Leadership Team

Each area of work Business in the Community (BITC) undertakes is led by a group of senior executives who provide strategic guidance and support us in achieving our objectives.

The purpose of Business in the Community’s Employment and Skills Leadership Team is to help create a UK where everyone, regardless of their background or experience, can access the education, employment, and skills they need to thrive throughout their working lives.

Find out more about BITC’s work on employment.

Angela Halliday

Angela Halliday looking at the camera.

Angela Halliday

Director of Social Impact UK&I,
Sodexo

Scotland Leadership Board

Angela Halliday joined Sodexo in 2008 having spent most of her career within the third sector, undertaking strategic development and growth activity whilst tackling societal and environmental challenges.

In September 2019, Angela was appointed as Director of Social Impact UK&I (UK and Ireland). She leads on embedding and optimising the creation of social value add, supporting senior leadership teams in identifying local and national priorities whilst evidencing the positive social impact that they have on our people, places, planet and partners.

Having has worked across multiple sectors including work and skills, justice, health and wellbeing, community regeneration and government through operational, strategic and business development roles across the UK&I and Western Australia, Angela is delighted to be part of the Business in the Community (BITC) Leadership team in Scotland to optimise the power of our local eco-system that will drive change and have an impact across our national and global priorities.

Jacqueline Cowden

Jacqueline Cowden smiling at the camera.

Jacqueline Cowden

Director of Governance & Service Delivery
Axa Insurance

Scotland Leadership Board

Jacqueline Cowden’s current role is Director of Governance & Service Delivery at AXA Insurance, where she has worked for over 13 years. Prior to this, Jacqueline has had a varied career, starting out in banking, before moving to Telecoms. She then moved across to the public sector for five years to work on the set up and launch of NHS 24, before moving back across to the private sector and AXA.

Jacqueline was a founder member of AXA’s Diversity & Inclusion Board when it was established in early 2016 and continues to advocate for the groups she worked with during her tenure. In her current role, Jacqueline works with teams across AXA Group and beyond to deliver better outcomes for its customers, particularly those facing hardship or experiencing vulnerability. She also works to promote better opportunities for all through apprenticeship and mentorship programmes.

Dave Richards

Dave Richards smiling at the camera

Dave Richards

Head of Corporate Responsibility
Capital One UK

East Midlands Leadership Board

Dave Richards is Head of Corporate Responsibility at Capital One UK.

Dave started his career in community investment while working at Nottingham Trent University. He worked in the Schools, Colleges and Community Outreach team and led a widening participation mentoring programme across Nottinghamshire. In 2011, he moved to Business in the Community (BITC) to lead community programmes across the East Midlands. During this time, he worked with many of the region’s largest employers to support developing and delivering community impact and education programmes.

In 2016 he joined Capital One UK, where he has since headed up the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) function in the External Affairs team. During this time, Dave has transformed the CSR strategy and led the development of highly acclaimed programmes that address social mobility, financial education, digital literacy and sustainability. Dave is also deeply invested in Capital One’s diversity, inclusion and belonging strategy and chairs the LGBTQ+ Business Resource Group.

In his spare time, Dave enjoys keeping fit and often participates in cycling and running events to help fundraise for mental health charities. He also leads the Cubs section at his local Scout Group in Nottingham.

Duncan James

Duncan James stands smiling

Duncan James

Regional Head of the East Midlands,
Shakespeare Martineau LLP
East Midlands Leadership Board


Duncan James is a Partner and Head of the Corporate Team and has also been appointed as the regional head of the East Midlands at Shakespeare Martineau a leading law firm. Duncan trained at Browne Jacobson and then joined Shakespeare Martineau in Nottingham in 1994 (when it was called Berryman & Co) to set up the business unit for the office. Duncan became a partner in 1997 and became Head of the Corporate Group in 2010 when he was also appointed to the firms’ main board on which he sat until 2016.

Duncan has considerable experience in mergers and acquisition transactions along with business structuring and strategies with a particular emphasis in recent times on family businesses. Duncan deals with a variety of businesses from university spin outs through to large corporates.

Duncan lives in Nottinghamshire with his wife and is an enthusiastic gardener and when time permits plays golf at the nearby club, Hollinwell.

Colin Ellam

Colin Ellam smiling at the camera

Colin Ellam

Managing Director, Industry X
Accenture

North West Leadership Board

Colin leads Accenture’s Capital Projects Practice in the UK and Ireland (UK&I), as well as Accenture in the North West. Day to day he works with organisations wanting to build and operate large complex assets such as power stations, industrial plant, public infrastructure and smart cities.

Colin is delighted to join the Business in the Community (BITC) North West Leadership Board as he has a real passion for the development of the region, so that individuals and communities are given the opportunity to thrive.

His working career started as an Apprentice with the UK Atomic Energy Authority in Risley, Warrington. He worked in engineering services and civil construction until he joined Accenture in 2010 to build the then new Capital Projects practice. Colin left Accenture in 2016 to join the lead team at Horizon Nuclear Power looking to develop a nuclear power station on Anglesey, North Wales. When the project wound up, Colin returned to Accenture in 2019 to lead the Capital Projects Practice in the UK&I.

He has grown up in the North West and lives in South Warrington with his wife and three teenage children. Colin enjoys both codes of Rugby, socialising (when permitted) with friends and family, and riding motorcycles.

Susannah Clements

Susannah Clements in a black and white jacket looks at the camera

Susannah Clements

Group Director of People & Change
Anglian Water

Wellbeing Leadership Team

Susannah Clements is Group Director of People & Change at Anglian Water.

Susannah began her career at IBM, and has held a series of senior HR Director roles including Pizza Hut, Whitbread and Care UK, as well as working in Executive Search from 2015 – 2018. Prior to that, she was Deputy Chief Executive at the CIPD.

Susannah holds an MA from Cambridge University and an MBA from London Business School.

About Business in the Community’s Wellbeing Leadership Team

Each area of work Business in the Community (BITC) undertakes is led by a group of senior executives who provide strategic guidance and support us in achieving our objectives.

The purpose of BITC’s Wellbeing Leadership Team is to build a movement that is committed to positioning health and wellbeing as strategic boardroom issues with a particular focus on mental health; driving collective action through evidence-based, practical solutions.

Find out more about BITC’s work on wellbeing. 

Marie Heracleous

Marie Heracleous smiling

Marie Heracleous

Health and Welfare Chief Operating Officer,
Capita Group Plc

South East Leadership Board

Marie Heracleous is the Chief Operating Officer of the Health and Welfare Sector at Capita. She joined Capita in 2012 and has had several roles leading operations and delivering change within a variety of businesses. Marie has a lot of experience in motivating multi-disciplinary teams to transform services. She has worked in a variety of sectors but is particularly passionate about delivering excellent services that are important to the public.

Marie is delighted to have joined Business in the Community’s (BITC’s) South East Leadership Board, working with others to support businesses and communities to drive change that will make a difference to people’s lives. She is excited about finding ways to work collaboratively with others to solve issues and to deliver lasting change.

Marie was born in London but has spent a lot of time living in the South East. She is passionate about physical activity, whether that be long distance cycling, running, or walking. At weekends you will find Marie out enjoying the fresh air. She believes that physical activity is great for your mental wellbeing and in her spare time is a yoga instructor and a committee member of the Long Distance Walking Association.

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson

Ben Johnson

Senior Advisor to the Mayor,
Greater London Authority

Partner organisation, London Leadership Board

Ben Johnson advises the Mayor of London on matters relating to business, economic development, and technology. As well as providing support in the development of Mayoral strategies and policy, he works extensively with business organisations across London to support stronger partnerships between the private and public sector. He chairs the Greater London Authority’s (GLA) steering group on economic fairness, and works with the Mayor, Deputy Mayors and senior GLA officials to support and promote the positive impacts that business can have within the wider community. He hopes through the Business in the Community (BITC) London Leadership Board to play a useful role in joining up the work of BITC and London government in this area. He is also a member of the Advisory Council of the Living Wage Foundation.

Before joining the Mayor’s team at City Hall, Ben worked on Sadiq Khan’s campaign to become Mayor of London, and prior to that as Head of Policy Development at The Labour Party. He has previously served as a local councillor in the London Borough of Wandsworth.