Sector: Club Officers

I grew up and went to school and college in Norwich and Nottingham, gaining a Business Studies degree and a postgraduate diploma in Marketing. I moved to London in the early 1990s and very much enjoy living in Ealing.

My career has spanned a wide range of roles, focusing primarily on how to help run a diverse range of public venues and events efficiently and attract audiences. These have included Wembley Stadium’s Arena and Conference Centre, the Millennium Dome, Science Museum, O2 Arena and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. I have also been a consultant on many infrastructure projects and also new training programmes for universities, both here and overseas — including in Brazil, Japan and Canada.

Since becoming Chief Executive of the National Liberal Club in May, my focus is on supporting the staff team, delivering consistently good service to members and securing the financial health of the Club. I have a real passion for building high-performing operating teams, empowering staff to find ways to improve service for our members so we can provide a positive experience for everyone who walks through our doors.

Outside work I enjoy cycling, and completed the Land’s End to John O’Groats nine-day ride in 2021, finally making good on a pledge made back in 1988, when I completed the course in the opposite direction, that I would one day do the ride back again. It was much easier 23 years earlier! I’m also a season ticket holder at Brentford FC and enjoy attending other sports events and live music. Usually guitar-based and what used to be called Indie, but my tastes are definitely softening with age.

I took over as Chair of the Club last January on the resignation of Tim McNally and was then elected unopposed in June. I aim to attend all NLC Members’ Council, committee and working group meetings and also sit on the Board of NLC Limited, chairing the Staffing Group.

I am heavily involved in many of our varied social events and am particularly pro- active in helping the Membership Committee drive our membership initiative.

My objectives over the coming months are to continue to grow the membership of the Club, to ensure the elected Members’ Council work together, harmoniously, with the same Club objectives, and to continue to meet and speak with as many of our members as possible.

I am also Secretary of the Shooting Club (which I co-founded), Chair of the German Circle and was instrumental in setting up the NLC Women’s Network, and the popular Tuesday and Thursday Table.

Now retired, I spent more than three decades as a Human Resources professional within the international financial services industry in the City. The only child of immigrant parents (mother a refugee, father a prisoner of war), I am proud of my German and Eastern European heritage.

When not in the Club I care for my mother, who is now in her 90s, and Teddy, her Lhasa Apso Hidden Disability Assistance Dog.(Karin joined the Club in 2013 and was elected to the General Committee, now the Members’ Council, in 2015, becoming Vice-Chair in 2021.)

I qualified as a barrister and went into tax advisory work when I was persuaded (perhaps unwisely) to take the chartered accountancy exams, which I passed but not without significant effort. After 30 years in the tax profession, I semi-retired to work on one main client and am also Treasurer of The Cricket Society, which aims to promote cricket in all its spheres – playing, watching, listening and reading.

A member of the NLC for nearly 35 years, I am currently the Club Treasurer, former Vice-Chair of the Beer, Wine & Spirits Committee, and a Board member of NLC Ltd. When not doing this and other work, I travel the world playing golf, watching cricket and trying to reduce my golf handicap – this is a work in progress. (Phil joined the Club in 1987)