NON-EXECUTIVE
The Court of Assistants
This is the Management Board of the Company. Chaired by the Master, the Court is made up of four Wardens and all current Assistants. The prime purpose of the Court of Assistants is to scrutinise and ratify the actions and recommendations of all the Company’s committees, including the Court of Wardens. The Assistants are also responsible for the overall administration of the Company’s charities, ensuring best practice and compliance with Charity Commission guidance. There are currently 37 Assistants on the Court, including His Royal Highness The Duke of Edinburgh KG KT GCVO who is an honorary Court Assistant.
The Court of Wardens
The most senior members of the Court of Assistants are the Prime Warden (equivalent to a Chair) and the other Wardens – collectively known as the Court of Wardens (equivalent to a Board of Trustees) – who are elected each year by the Assistants.
Chaired by the Prime Warden, the Court of Wardens comprises of four Wardens and Prime Warden. They are supported by the Clerk, along with the Senior Management Team. It handles all matters relating to the policy and direction of the Company. The positions on the Court change annually, as the Prime Warden holds the post for one year (November to November), before returning to the Court of Assistants.
Prime Warden: Caroline Davis
Caroline is a Haberdasher because she worked for Schroders for 30 years, and when Schroders moved to Gresham Street, the office was on the site of the old Haberdashers’ Hall. A small, combined charity was created, and Caroline was one of the Schroders trustees. She was soon co-opted onto the Haberdashers’ Charities Committee and then became increasingly involved with all aspects of the Company, becoming a member of the Livery in 2007. Caroline was Master Haberdasher in 2019–20. Since then, she has chaired the Charities Committee.
Second Warden: Simon Cartmell
Following his education at Haberdashers’ Monmouth School and a degree in Medical Microbiology from the University of Manchester, Simon has spent over 40 years working in the life sciences and healthcare sector. He is a serial entrepreneur in early-stage healthcare ventures. His early career involved senior commercial leadership roles in blue-chip pharmaceutical and biotech companies.
In 2003, he joined a venture capital-backed med-tech startup as CEO. Over seven years, he developed ApaTech Ltd into a world-leading orthobiologics company prior to its sale in 2010.
Subsequently, as an Operating Partner for leading UK venture capital firms, he used his insights to support early and growth-stage private ventures. He currently serves as Chair of three international orthopaedic and spine surgery-focused firms and is a NED of a US-based digital health business.
Third Warden: Nick Scarles
Nick is an experienced non-executive director, having held a range of roles, including chairing boards and committees, in commercial and not-for-profit organisations. His sector experience includes financial services, commodities, utilities, real estate, home, road, and professional services, and education. Nick has lived and worked in the UK, the USA, and Canada. His executive commercial career included Chief Financial Officer at Grosvenor and Centrica North America, following a career in the advisory sector. Nick has over 18 years’ experience as a school governor, including Chair of the Haberdashers’ Academies Trust South and Chair of the Finance Committee at the Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools. Following the Great Financial Crisis of 2008, Nick chaired a group of senior individuals from across the real estate sector which made recommendations to protect the UK’s financial stability from the next commercial real estate crash.
Fourth Warden: Helen Gough
Helen is a Chartered Surveyor working in commercial real estate and construction, with a career that began at Hillier Parker, King Sturge, and JLL, where she sat on the UK Executive Board and Global Project and Development Services Board. Dedicated to creating a more inclusive property profession, she founded the JLL Gender Balance Group and served as a Trustee of the JLL Foundation.
With a strong stakeholder focus, Helen is now Director of Property at the Whitgift Foundation, supporting education and community care through land and property management.
A Freeman of the City since 2007, Helen returned to her Livery family, joining the Haberdashers’ Company in 2017. She served as a Governor at Habs Elstree until 2024, joined the Court of Assistants in 2019, and is Chair of the Property Committee.
Fifth Warden: Roger Miners
Roger is Head of Distribution for Europe, UK CEO, and member of the Global Executive Committee at BNP Paribas Asset Management, one of the world’s leading investment management organisations.
Roger was previously CMO of Allianz Global Investors. Prior to this, he was Global Head of Distribution and UK CEO at the legacy company Dresdner RCM Global Investors. Financial News nominated Roger as Business Developer of the Year and awarded him Top 40 in asset management for two consecutive years.
Committees:
The work of the Company is undertaken by Committees, ranging from the Finance Committee and Securities Committee, to the Education Committee and Charity Committee, to the Fine Arts Committee.
If you are interested in finding out more about or joining a committee, please speak to the Clerk.
Members:
The Haberdashers’ Company is a proud members’ organisation. Our membership is drawn from a diverse range of backgrounds, from former alumni of Haberdasher schools, to professionals across a wide range of industries and sectors.
Those 1000+ members enter via one of three routes into the Company: Apprenticeship, Redemption (or skill set), Patrimony (or family connections).
Whatever ones route into the Company, our members are united by a desire to give back.
Haberdashers have always believed in leaving the world in a better place, playing a fundamental role in our ability to deliver on our purpose of “empowering young people from every background to fulfil their potential”.
EXECUTIVE
A permanent executive staff, headed by the Clerk, runs the organisation on a day-to-day basis on behalf of the Court of Assistants.
The Clerk
Angus Watson is Clerk of the Haberdashers’ Company – a role rather like that of the Chief Executive. He holds previous experience as a senior leader in demanding operational, training and education appointments in the British Army. Since leaving the Armed Forces he has turned his attentions to senior executive roles, making use of his skills as a leader, manager, and mentor. Angus has broad experience of leading organisations of more than 1,000 people, both in the UK and overseas. He is passionate about people, forming them into teams and setting them on a path to success. In addition, he has a particular interest in work which delivers tangible improvement to communities.
The Beadle
The Worshipful Company of Haberdashers, one of the Great Twelve City Livery Companies, is an ancient merchant guild of London associated with the silk and velvet trades.
The Beadle is a a traditional ceremonial role, and today it includes the role of Hall and grounds manager.
PA to the Master and Clerk
Sanita has held a number of roles in her 38 years of service with the Company and the Personal Assistant to the Master and Clerk since 2013.
She also helps with organising Company dinners and other events. She has also been Chairman of the Bread Street Ward Club (the President of the Club being Alderman Sir William Russell). She is also a member of the Freedom.
Archivist
David Bartle has been Archivist of the Company now for 18 years, joining the staff in 2007. He began an association with the City of London back in 1970 when he became a pupil at The City of London School at its former building on Victoria Embankment. From there he progressed to take a PhD in Information Science at Sheffield University in 2003 and a post-doctoral qualification in Archives Work from Dundee University in 2006. David joined the Freedom in 2018.
Head of Communications and Engagement
Having always had a love for writing and words, Holly has spent the past 12+ years delivering multi-faceted creative projects across both the private and not-for-profit sectors. Holly joined The Company in July 2023 to revitalise the way we communicate with our many varied stakeholder groups, from our schools to our members.
Director of Finance
Hugh is the Finance Director of the Haberdashers’ Company, which means he oversees both the finances of the Company itself and the charities of which the Company is trustee. Before joining the Haberdashers’ Hugh was the CFO of AND-E, a European insurance group, having previously worked at Deloitte and Hiscox. He studied History at Cambridge University and at the Autónoma University of Madrid, and Art History at the Courtauld Institute of Art, before finding his calling with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales.
Financial Controller
José’s first home was the Portuguese capital of Lisbon. This is where he started his accountancy career more than twenty years ago.
Fast forward to 2024, and José’s preferred home is London. Having completed a Master’s degree in finance and qualified as a Chartered Accountant here, he feels truly at home in the UK, where he has now settled in Dulwich, South East London.
Accounts Assistant
Ezia started working at the Company in 2010 and became a member of the Freedom in 2023. She has a wide range of interests ranging from History to Art, Politics and Sports -both spectating and taking part. Ezia has recently joined the Habs Book Club.