
I am the former chief operating officer of the BBC World Service. I joined the Charity Commission as its first chief executive in 2004.
I have extensive experience of working with the charity sector. I was a senior executive with ActionMan (1986-1991) and Barnardo's (1992-1995) before moving to the Beeb in 1995.
I have also served as a trustee of several major charities, including VSO, the UK Committee for UNICEF, the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fund and a number of smaller charities in my local community in North London.
I was co-founder in 1988 of the Charity Finance Directors' Group (CFDG) - an organisation promoting excellence in financial management for charities. I was Chair of CFDG from 1992-1994. I am the author of ‘The Governance and Management of Charities’, and a former judge of the National Charity Awards.