David Allen OBE
Trustee, Past Chairman (member Executive Committee)

Biographical Details: David Allen was born in 1945 in Southend-on-Sea, Essex and is married to Meg who is from Hawaii, USA and they have 3 children.  After leaving school, David spent one year as a Voluntary Service Overseas volunteer teaching in Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia). In 1968, David emigrated to Sydney, Australia where he founded DHL International Ltd.  He has worked all over the world and in 1986 was awarded the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in recognition of his services to world trade. David is currently Chairman of DHL International (UK) Ltd. and joint partner of Dramla SA., a Consultancy firm based in Geneva, Switzerland. He was a member of The Ministerial Inner City Sports Review Committee in 1988 and has recently been appointed a member of a cross party Independent Sports Review Group to look at all aspects of sport in the UK. David is also a Trustee of The Healing Foundation, Youth Charter for Sports, Culture & Arts, Advisor of Macmillan Cancer Relief and a Foreign Patron of The China Charity Federation based in Beijing.  He has played rugby all over the world and is still a very keen rugby enthusiast with interests in trekking, snow skiing, tennis and gardening.

Roger Cooke
Trustee, (member Executive Committee and Audit and Governance Committee)

Biographical Details: Roger was born in1945 in Bristol and is married with two children. He is a retired Chartered Accountant, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation and a Member of the Company of Tax Advisers. He was a Partner in Arthur Andersen from 1976 to 1998 and served as head of the London Tax Practice from 1979 to 1989. He was then made head of Tax for Europe, Middle East, India and Africa from 1989 to 1993. He became global CFO and was based in Chicago from 1993 to 1995. He was a member of global Board of Partners between 1989 and 1993 and on the global Executive Committee from 1989 to 1995. His sporting interests include tennis, football and cricket and he also enjoys the theatre and dining out.

Roger Davies
Trustee, Chairman (member Executive Committee)

Biographical Details: Roger was born in 1946 in South Wales. He received his MA from Cambridge University. He is a retired solicitor and served as a Partner in Allen & Overy from 1976 to 2002 where he specialised in energy, corporate and banking work. Roger is Chairman of Governors of a private sector school and Deputy Chairman of Governors of a state sector school. He is the Director of a start-up oil and gas development and production company. He is married with four children and a grandson and is a keen golfer. Roger’s other interests include equestrian eventing, horse racing, shooting, opera, wine and, of course, rugby.

Chris Gill -CEO

Biographical Details: Chris was born in 1947 and is married to Ivana who comes from Prague. He attended naval Collage before joining P & O in 1966. After a few years at sea he left to join Honeywell Information Systems. This was the start of a career in the computer industry spanning over 30 years. He has held senior  positions in engineering, sales, marketing and management whilst working in mainframe, mini and PC market sectors. During this period he travelled widely especially to the Far East as well as living in Italy and Germany.  More recently he has been Regional Vice President of OKI Europe and a Director of Intellect the Trade Association for the Information, Communications and Electronics Industries in the UK. He retired from Corporate life in early 2007 and is currently establishing his independent consultancy company.  His interests cover Rugby, boating of all types, football and travel.

David Hammond
Trustee, Vice-President

Biographical Details: David was born 1945 and is a Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Taxation.  He has been a Trustee since 1993 and was Chairman 1996-2000.  He is the former Chairman of BCA Holdings and was a member of the Competition Commission.  He is Chairman of Carlisle Group and a non-executive director of BB Holdings and Global Health Partner.  He is also a Trustee of two other charities including Crimestoppers and a city technology college.  He is married with three grown up children.  A keen sportsman, particularly rugby, he was Chairman of London Welsh for eight years, sits on the RFU Council and was formerly a Director of the WRU.

Steuart Howie
Trustee

Biographical Details: Steuart was born in Sheffield and graduated in law from Edinburgh University. He spent time in both Glasgow and the Cayman Islands before returning to Edinburgh. Steuart is currently a consultant partner for Turner MacFarlane Green LLP in Glasgow. He is a past President of Worldlink for Law, which is an international legal network. He has been on the Spoon Regional Committee for several years and has served as Chairman of the Scottish Region. He is married with two sons. Steuart is a keen golfer and keep fit enthusiast who is interested in all sports and rugby in particular.

Fred Hucker
Trustee (member Audit and Governance Committee)

Biographical Details: Fred was born and bred in Bristol though he moved with the various business interests of a large shipping and transport group through South Wales, Ireland and many parts of Europe. Though his professional background is in Personnel Development he also served as Chief Executive of a large shipping and transport group for 12 years. Since then he has maintained business links as an advisor and non-executive director and chair to a number of businesses and the National Health Service. Fred is currently the Chair of a Primary Care Trust in South West Oxfordshire. He helped start Wooden Spoon and is also a trustee of both the Irish Youth Foundation and Dipex, which is a medical charity gathering health experiences for internet access. His family, including six grandchildren, are spread throughout North America, the UK and Ireland.

David Laing
Trustee

Biographical details: David was born in 1945 and is married to Mary and has four sons and a daughter. He was educated at St. Lawrence College, Ramsgate and University College, London. He now lives near Kettering in Northamptonshire. A member of the Laing Construction family, he qualified as an architect and operated in private practice for many years. He also has interests in property and is a director of a number of property companies, both family related and independent. He is a trustee of both local and national charities including the Youth Sports Trust, the Northamptonshire Community Foundation and the Northamptonshire Association of Youth Clubs. He is on the Court of the Worshipful Company of Paviors. He is a very enthusiastic participant in classic car racing and his other hobbies include horse racing and
eventing, hockey (as a past university and county player), shooting, golf, music and rugby (as a member of Leicester Tigers).

Michael Leadbetter
Trustee

Biographical Details: Michael was born in 1946. He was a Director of Social Services in Thameside and then Essex for 17 years.  Following retirement from Essex in 2003 he set up a limited company and has since acted as Interim Executive Director of Social Services in Ealing and for the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea. He is an Associate Director of the local Primary Health Care Trust and Director of the national Practice Learning Taskforce (part of the reform of social work agenda) working to the Minister for Health. He started work as an apprentice printer and at 25 had gained a management qualification and was running a large print works. Seeking to make a contribution to the community and more job satisfaction he qualified as a Social Worker and concurrently completed a Master’s in psychotherapy. He is a trustee of four major children’s charities (including the Wooden Spoon). Michael enjoys keeping in reasonably good shape, skiing, cooking and gardening and has a catholic taste in music ranging from opera to Abba.

Fiona Morris
Trustee (member Audit and Governance Committee)

Biographical Details: Fiona was born in Hereford and grew up on a hill farm in Mid-Wales. She graduated in English from Bristol University and worked for Merrill Lynch for three years before returning to study to convert her degree to Law. Fiona practised commercial law as a solicitor at Clifford Chance for ten years, where her involvement with Spoon began when she became an advisor to the charity and she later joined the Spoon London Committee. Fiona is now senior in-house counsel with Accenture, the consulting and outsourcing services multi-national, having a
specialist role in relation to market making global transactions. She is a fluent French speaker and francophile, having lived in France for a year and a half. Fiona lives with her partner in Wimbledon and she enjoys rugby (particularly when Wales is on form!), golf, skiing, travel, as well as good food and wine.

Alan Roberts
Trustee, Secretary (member Audit and Governance Committee)

Biographical Details: Alan was born in 1941 and is married with two daughters. He is a fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Secretaries and Administrators and the Chartered Insurance Institute. He is currently in public practice but has spent most of his career as a Company Secretary in both private and quoted public companies. Alan is a golf, football and cricket enthusiast and a past rock drummer.

Martin Sanders
Trustee

Biographical Details: Martin was born in Cardiff, South Wales and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales. He lives in Maidenhead with his wife Kirsty and their three young sons. Martin is General Manager of Honda (UK) Power Equipment and a Senior Member of the Honda Europe Power Equipment Board. He also worked for both Volvo Cars (UK) and British Airways. Martin is a Director of the Agricultural Engineers Association and Chairman of the UK ATV Industry Council. Martin is also a Director of Formula Four Stroke Limited, which runs the Honda Formula Four Stroke Race Series which is the world's largest offshore powerboat race series. He enjoys most sport including rugby, golf, football, Formula One and all types of watersports.  

Peter Scott MBE
Trustee, President

Biographical Details: Peter was born in 1933. He is married and has three children, seven grandchildren and one great grandson. He was educated at Emmanuel Grammar in Wandsworth. He spent his National service as Corporal i/c Transport in the RAF Regiment. He worked for thirteen years in the oil industry as a Sales Manager for Gulf Oil. In 1967 Peter started a business in Vehicle Leasing and sold his interest in 1986. The next year, he started a new leasing business that he then sold to Hitachi Credit in 1995. Peter is one of the founder members of Spoon, a former Chairman and in 1996, in recognition of his work for Spoon, he was appointed President. He served as a member of the Wembley Round Table from 1970 to 1975 and acted as their Chairman in 1973. He was a member of the Variety Club of Great Britain from 1977 to 1990 and was the Chairman for the Sunshine Coach Committee. He was a trustee of the charity Drive for Youth during the 1990’s. Peter’s interests include golf, rugby and swimming.

Stephen Scott
Trustee and Projects Co-ordinator

Biographical Details: Steve was born in 1939 in London. He has professional qualifications in business studies and marketing. He is the retired Chairman of a group of five companies incorporating the professional disciplines of the construction industry. In addition to his Spoon duties, Steve contributes to the work of his local hospice and the local region of Cancer Research UK. His interests include the occasional game of golf and watching rugby and cricket.  

Nigel Timson
Trustee (member of Executive Committee)

Biographical Details: As one of the original founder members of Spoon, Nigel’s association with the Charity has spanned a 20 year period, during which time he has served on Council as Deputy Chairman, Regional Co-ordinator and Trustee. He also started the Midlands and Chilterns Regions and is a past Chairman of both. Nigel worked in the security industry for many years, and is currently Commercial Director of a Swindon-based security company that specialises in fingerprint biometric security. He is married, lives in Maidenhead, and his main interests include rugby, cricket, golf, fine dining, and, somewhat unusually, the collection of corkscrews!!

Grant Watson
Trustee

Biographical Details: Grant was born in Cambridge in 1939 and is married with two sons.  A fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors. he is currently chairman of the South West Regional Board. Grant’s professional life has been based in the west country for more than 40 years. He is currently chairman of Alder King Property Consultants, having previously been the senior partner for 26 years. Grant is a director of Broadmead Board Ltd and is chairman of the Newport Gwent URC. He is a past master of the Bristol Guild of Guardians, a past president of Bristol Rotary Club and currently chairman of the Coombe Dingle Sports and Tennis Trust. Grant has always taken a keen interest in sports, having chaired the Bristol Sports Partnership and has served Clifton RFC as captain, chairman and president.  He also served on the Gloucestershire RFU executive. His interests include skiing, rugby, tennis, trekking and regular attendance at the fitness club. His family, including five grandchildren who follow his sporting instincts, are all based in Bristol.

Mike Wisdom
Trustee, Treasurer (member of Executive Committee and Audit and Governance Committee)

Biographical Details: Mike was born 1942 in Tunbridge Wells. He is a Chartered Accountant and served as Director of Hitachi Sales (UK) Ltd between 1976 and 1995. He was Deputy Managing Director from 1989 to 1995 and became Deputy Managing Director of Hitachi Home Electronics Europe Ltd between 1995 and 2003, travelling extensively through Europe. He has been a trustee of a London ‘business to the community’ charity – the Hillingdon Partnership Trust, since 1984 and Chairman from 1986 to 1996. He is married and partially retired (hopefully). Mike is a keen golfer and follows most sports but rugby in particular. His other interests include travel, dining, music and Golf.