Charles LA Irby

Chris Jones

Chris Jones retired in 2001 as Chairman and CEO of J Walter Thompson Worldwide, one of the world's biggest advertising networks. Since then he has devoted his time to numerous business and not-for-profit interests in Europe and the United States.

Chris brings a wide range of experience in advertising, healthcare and the not-for-profit sector to his advisory roles. He is a member of the Executive Committee of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He is an operating partner and independent Board member at Electra Partners Europe and is a non-executive director of Xenogen, FastChannel, EFinancial Group, De Beers LV and Results Business Consulting. Chris is a member of the Partner Board and the Adjudication Committee at Cognetas, a pan-European private equity firm where he sits on the Boards of two of Cognetas portfolio companies.  He is the non-executive director of Central Trust Group plc, Chairman of Results International, Chairman of the Pavilion Clinic and a member of the board of the Oxford Musculo-Skeletal Clinic.  

Chris is a member of the Health Advisory Board of the Bloomberg School of Public Health at Johns Hopkins University.  He serves as Governor of St. Edward's School and the Dragon School, Oxford. 

Chris Jones is a graduate of Cambridge University.

Rupert Pennant-Rea

Rupert Pennant-Rea, the former Deputy Governor of the Bank of England from 1993 to 1995, has had a distinguished career as economist, journalist, central banker and businessman. His vast professional experience has made him an industry expert in corporate governance, financial markets, business, politics and the world economy. 

Rupert is currently Chairman of the Henderson Group, specializing in Fund management. He is also an advisor on the Times Shadow Monetary Policy as well as a director of the Go-Ahead Group plc and Acuity Capital VCT and Acuity Capital VCT2.He is also the current Chairman of The Stationery Office. He also served as a member of the board of British American Tobacco and chairman of their Audit Committee (1996-2005).

In addition to UK firms, Rupert is a director of overseas companies, including First Quantum Minerals Limited in Canada and Gold Fields Limited in South Africa. 

Rupert Pennant-Rea holds degrees from Trinity College, Dublin and the University of Manchester. 

Evie Soames

Evie Soames (Lady Duff Gordon) has been a political consultant for most of her career.  Since 2006, she has been a consultant with Four Communications, an independent, fully integrated communications agency operating throughout the UK and in the Gulf Region.

She was a journalist for a time before joining Charles Barker (an advertising and public relations company established in 1812) to start up their Government relations division. She became managing director of Charles Barker Watney and Powell in 1982 and ran the London and Brussels offices of the leading UK political consultancy. In 1992, together with four colleagues, Evie constructed a management buy-out of Charles Barker and moved the company to the West End where they ran the successor company until they sold the agency to BSMG in 1995.

Evie remained a consultant to BSMG, then Weber Shandwick before moving to Four Communications in 2006. In her role at Four, Evie advises a number of financial services companies, offshore jurisdictions and media clients.  She served as a Director of Liberty Plc (1993-1998,) and ran the Franco-British Parliamentary Relations Committee from1975-2007. In addition to her work with Nardello & Co, she is currently on the Advisory Board of the World Agricultural Forum.

Evie Soames studied history, economics and politics at Trinity College Dublin.