Our Board

Chair Anthony Nelson, Vice Chairman, Citigroup

Anthony Nelson is Vice Chairman of Citigroup based in Canary Wharf, London. Citigroup is the largest financial services group in the world with a million customers and 250,000 employees in 100 countries. In addition to Chairing Gateway to London, Anthony Nelson also became Chairman of Southern Water in March 2002.

Prior to joining Citigroup in 1977, Mr Nelson was the Minister for Trade and Industry from 1995 to 1997 and was Economic Secretary and Minister of State at H M Treasury between 1992 and 1995. In this office he was responsible for the UK financial system including banks, financial services and the insurance industry.

Anthony Nelson had previously served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Minister for Housing and Construction and as a Member of Parliament for Chichester from 1974 to 1997.

Anthony was educated at Harrow School and Cambridge University where he received a Masters degree in Economics and Law. He is a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

Vice Chair Michael J Snyder, DSc, FCA, MSI

Michael Snyder is the Senior Partner of Chartered Accountants, Kingston Smith. The firm has 45 partners and over 400 staff in a network of 6 offices in London and around the M25.

He specialises in advising owner-managed businesses, conducting negotiations on behalf of clients and financial planning for the family. Michael has direct experience of managing commercial as well as professional businesses and his key clients range from media and advertising companies, architects and surveyors and financial services. In addition to a considerable and varied client commitment he is responsible for the management and strategic direction of the firm. He also has experience of being involved as a Director and Chairman in running manufacturing, distribution and contracting companies.

Michael chairs the Corporation of London's Policy & Resources Committee, which sets their strategic priorities, allocates their resources and is responsible for relations with Government - at European, national, regional and local levels.

A Common Councilman of the Corporation of London since 1986, Michael is a former Chairman of both the Corporation's Finance Committee and the Barbican Estate Committee. Michael also serves on the Association of London Government Leaders' Committee and on the board of Thames Gateway London Partnership; Training for Life; Film London and is a trustee of Academy Sponsors Trust. He is also a member of the Small Business Investment Taskforce and chairs the Government Accountants Working Group. He is also a Governor of the London Metropolitan University and the City of London School for Girls.

Bob Blenkinsop, Ford of Britain

Bob Blenkinsop is the director of human resources for Ford of Britain.

Bob began his career at Ford in 1990 as a training officer and has 16 years experience in HR at Ford. Before taking up his current role, Bob was the human resources manager at the Dagenham Estate which comprises diesel engine engineering and production, stamping and transport operation. He was also a director of the Centre for Engineering and Manufacturing Excellence, a jointly-funded full-range educational facility in Rainham, until December 2006. Bob graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in economics. He is married with three children - two boys and a girl and they currently live at Wanstead in East London.

Councillor Sidney Kallar, London Borough of Barking and Dagenham

Councillor Sidney Kallar is Barking and Dagenham Council's Lead Member for Regeneration and is a member of the Council's Executive. Councillor Kallar has been a member of the Labour Party since 1972 and was elected to the Council in 1990, serving Heath Ward.

Until his retirement in 1985 he worked at Ford as an engineer and was an active Trade Unionist for forty years. He held various posts in his union and has also been a regular delegate to the TUC and Labour Party Conferences. Before the modernisation of Barking and Dagenham Council, Councillor Kallar was Vice-Chair of the Planning and Development Committee and served on the Establishment, Education and Finance Committees.

Born in London, he has lived in Dagenham for 55 years. He is married with one son and two grandsons and his hobbies are gardening, walking and photography.

Ranjit Singh Baxi BSc, MBA, FRSA, J & H International

R. S. Baxi manages his own business, exporting secondary fibres (waste paper) to Asia. His business received the Queen's award for International Trade in 2001.

Ranjit Baxi is also a Director of Soulier UK Limited (part of Veolia Environment - a French conglomerate) that is involved in the water utilities, refuse collection and recycling business. Ranjit Baxi is also Vice President of the Bureau of International Recycling (B.I.R.), based in Brussels. This organisation is a European trade body which looks at aspects of international recycling.

Mr. Baxi is a member of the Bank of England's small firm's panel for East London. Ranjit Baxi works tirelessly for the Asian community and he received the Asian Achievers Award for Industry in 2002.

Councillor Conor McAuley, London Borough of Newham

A member of Newham Council since 1982. Deputy Leader of the Council 1985-88 and 1996 -1999. Chairman Newham Council's Environment & Planning Committee1990-1995. Board member of the London Docklands Development Corporation from 1991 until it's winding up in March 1998.

In addition, he was a founder director of the Stratford Development Partnership Ltd. He chairs the Stratford Tomorrow's City SRB Partnership. He is a member of the London Thames Gateway Urban Development Corporation Board and Vice Chair of the Thames Gateway London Partnership.

He led Newham's successful campaign for an International Passenger Station on the Channel Tunnel Rail Link at Stratford. He currently advises Newham's elected Mayor on Regeneration issues. Cllr McAuley is also a non-executive director of the Newham Primary Care Trust.

George Iacobescu, Canary Wharf

George Iacobescu CBE is Chief Executive Officer of Canary Wharf Group, a company with assets of 5 billion pounds which has developed 1.4 million square metres in 33 buildings with a further 1.1 million square metres to follow.

Canary Wharf is internationally recognised as the largest inner city regeneration project in the world and has become the centre of London's third business district with high quality office accommodation, over 200 shops, bars and restaurants within three retail malls and 20 acres of landscaped open spaces.

George is a Co-Chairman of Teach First, Director of London First, Director of Gateway to London and on the Advisory Board of the UK Academy of Finance. He is a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. He was appointed Commander of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen in 2003.

George is a graduate in Civil and Industrial Engineering from Bucharest, Romania. 1997: Chief Executive, CWG 1995: Deputy Chief Executive, CWG 1988: Senior Vice President, Olympia & York, Canary Wharf 1978 - 1987: Construction Manager and then Vice President, Olympia & York, New York. World Financial Centre and Chicago. 1975-1978: Construction Director Homeco Investments, Montreal and Toronto, Canada.

Councillor Guy Nicholson, London Borough of Hackney

Guy Nicholson is an elected Councillor for the London Borough of Hackney, holding the Cabinet portfolio for Regeneration and the 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games. He currently sits on a number of boards at local, sub-regional and regional levels. These include the London European Programmes Committee, the Thames Gateway London Partnership Board, the London Thames Gateway Development Corporation Board, the new Sport & Physical Activity East London Partnership Board, the City Fringe Single Programme Partnership Board, the Shoreditch New Deal for Communities Board and Hackney`s Local Strategic Partnership.

He has also led on the development of Arts, Cultural and Creative Industries policy both locally and across the sub-region as well as participating on a number of Arts Council England led advisory panels reviewing the policy for the Contemporary Visual Arts in the UK and the future policy direction for Art in Public Spaces.

At a local level he has been leading on Hackney's Planning policy review and the Borough's transport infrastructure development with particular regard for the overland rail network. He has been leading on London's 2012 Olympic project for Hackney over the last 6 years.

Before being elected as a Councillor in 1998, he worked in the theatre industry having graduated in Theatre Design from the then Central School of Art & Design in London. He has worked in the performing arts both in the UK, across Europe, the United States and Japan with various UK and foreign based producing companies staging a broad range of productions.

Terry Morgan, Tube Lines

Terry Morgan leads and manages Tube Lines in order to ensure that the company delivers on their vision of an outstanding Tube for London.

He joined Tube Lines from BAE Systems. In his role as Group Managing Director - Operations and as a member of the Executive Committee he was responsible for five Divisions with 14,000 employees and a turnover of almost $2 billion.

In a previous role as the Director of HR, he was responsible for the full range of HR activities at BAE with the real challenge of establishing a 'one company' approach. In that regard he was responsible for leading a Change Programme to achieve the vision of being a Benchmark Company.

Meryl Bushel

Meryl has over 25 years experience in a range of senior executive positions, her career has spanned sales, service, marketing and procurement.

Prior to forming Meryl Bushell Ltd, which provides coaching and consultancy services to purchasers and suppliers, she was Chief Procurement Officer for BT Group, where she led the globalisation of the procurement and supply chain functions in a fast changing dynamic sector. She has extensive knowledge of Indian and Chinese supply industries, and how to minimize risk in global supply chains. She sat on the Government Taskforce for Sustainable Procurement, is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply and is a member of the Board of Management of the Institute.

Meryl is married with two sons, both at university. In her spare time she enjoys fine wining and dining, yoga and pilates and she is a member of a performing choir.

Councillor Alan Wienberg, Leader, London Borough of Redbridge

Alan was elected as a Councillor for Clayhall Ward, London Borough of Redbridge in May 1982 and has represented this Ward ever since. He was elected Leader of the Council in May 2006.

Prior to retirement Alan was a self- employed licensed taxicab proprietor. He is married to Hazel and has 2 children and 3 grandchildren.

Alan has sat on numerous Council Committees including Policy, Planning Leisure, Finance and Highways and has held several positions as outlined below :-

Cabinet Member:
Environment & Highways - 2002 to 2004
Planning Policy & Regulation - 2004
Regeneration & Community - 2005

Chairman:
Environment & Highways Scrutiny Committee - September 2000 to May 2001
Housing Committee - 1995 to 1997
Highways Committee 1989 to 1993
Libraries Committee - 1987 to 1988

Vice Chairman:
Highways Committee - 1986 to 1987
Libraries Committee - 1983 to 1986
Planning & Development Committee - 1993 to 1994

Other Bodies - current:
Chairman, Beal High School Governors
Governor, King Solomon High School
Director, London Youth Games Ltd
Director, East London Waste Authority Ltd
Director, Ilford Town Centre Ltd
Director, Hainault Business Partnership Ltd

Aman Dalvi, Chief Executive, Gateway to London

Aman Dalvi was appointed Chief Executive of Gateway to London in July 2002. Prior to joining Gateway to London, Aman Dalvi was Chief Executive of a major Housing Association in London. Here, Aman Dalvi oversaw a growth programme of 5,000 homes and attracted public & private investment of £650m for the organisation.

Prior to this, Aman Dalvi was Assistant Director (Investment) at the Housing Corporation and was responsible for a programme of £400m. Aman Dalvi also spent 11 years in the Manufacturing industry and worked for Heinz and Unigate Dairies. Aman Dalvi received an OBE in the 2000 Honours List.