Our Trustees

Since 1998, Charles has been the co-founder of over twenty businesses, largely technology related, all set up with his business partner Manoj Badale, which they manage through their management company Blenheim Chalcot.

Charles and Manoj’s first venture was netdecisions group, a major internet services provider, which has evolved into a broad based 2000 person IT and Business Process Outsourcing business, now trading as Agilisys. While starting netdecisions, they co-founded a number of internet startups - the First Resort (sold to TUI), mad about wine (sold to Fosters), woowho (sold to match.com) and produxion.com (sold to EMAP). They also cofounded the technology companies – Fluency (sold to Venture Capitalists), Eviivo (sold to Investcorp), and Steeltrace (sold to Compuware).

In financial services, they co-founded TDX Group (a specialist debt management group), Clear Start (sold to Fairpoint plc), Traderpeople (online gaming) Grove Capital (specialist consumer debt fund), Oakbrook Finance (consumer finance) and BMS Finance (small business lending group).

In media, they co-founded the Rights Company (sold to Warner Music) and Charles sits on the board of the Rajasthan Royals IPL cricket franchise.

Recently, Charles and Manoj acquired Home Learning College, the country's largest online vocational learning provider. They are expanding their activities in education.

Charles is also involved in extensive charitable activities. Charles is a founding trustee of Operation Smile UK, and the Chairman of the Charity Technology Trust (a social enterprise which works with over 10,000 charities providing technology donations and fund-raising tools).

Charles was formerly at Monitor Company.

Charles studied Philosophy and Psychology at Oxford University.

Dan Cobley is Google MD for UK & Ireland. His job is to show consumers how Google's products can enhance their daily lives and businesses how digital technologies can help them grow.

Prior to Google, Dan was VP Brand and Marketing for Capital One Europe where he spent three years and helped make the company the UK’s leading new card issuer. Before that was two years as Marketing Director at Ask Jeeves, working in the UK and the US. Previously Dan spent 5 years with Pepsi and Walkers in various marketing and operations roles and he has also worked as a strategy consultant with Monitor Company, an oil exploration engineer in Pakistan with Schlumberger, and a roller-coaster rider with a dot.com startup.

Dan is on the board of the Marketing Society and is on the advisory boards of Telegraph Media Group and eHarmony. He has a first degree in Physics from Oxford and a Masters in Management from Cambridge. Dan is a regular speaker at conferences and events, having spoken at TED, keynoted the McKinsey CMSO summit and toasted The Worshipful Company of Marketors annual dinner.

Outside of work he enjoys adventure holidays, all sports except golf and precious time with his two 'pre-teen' boys.

Dan brings to CTT a deep understanding or marketing and of technology and how it can help organisations succeed.

Dan Thompson is founder and CEO of the Gold Challenge – a new charity challenge in which participants challenge themselves to take on 5, 10, 20 or 30 Olympic and Paralympic sports before the end of 2012. The Gold Challenge works in partnership with over 100 of the UK’s leading charities, the British Olympic Association , Sport England and the National Governing Bodies of the Olympic and Paralympic sports. It is part of the official mass participation legacy programme for London 2012.

Prior to the Gold Challenge, Dan started and developed a number of media businesses including Renegade Software (computer & video games publisher sold to Time Warner), VideoJug Corporation (owner of VideoJug.com, the world’s most popular How To video site with over 5 million monthly visitors), and 365 Corporation PLC, taken from start up to flotation in 2 years, achieving a peak stock market valuation of approximately $1 billion..

Dan has also been a non-executive director and senior adviser to a number of companies in the media, technology and leisure sectors including Gamesys Ltd (owners of Jackpotjoy.com the UK's leading online bingo and instant win operator); World's End Television (Johnny Vaughan's production company) and Glassworks Ltd (multi award winning post-production company).

Dan is also a Trustee and Treasurer of CTT and a member of the Crimestoppers London Board. He was previously a Board member and Treasurer of Amnesty International (UK).

Delia is Director of Broadband and Telephony at BSkyB, where she leads the new Broadband & Home Phone services that Sky launched 4 years ago to complement its core TV business. Delia oversees the P&L, Product Management, Commercial & Provisioning Operations teams, and drives delivery of the Broadband business’s subscriber, customer service & profitability targets. Alongside this she defines the future strategy and launch of new products & services. Delia has been with Sky for 10 years and held a wide range of general management roles, including Managing Director for Sky in Ireland, Commercial Director for Sky Networks and Head of Sky's Travel and Music Channels.

Before joining Sky, she worked in the Corporate Strategy & Business Development team at Pearson plc and was a strategy consultant at Arthur D Little. Delia has a BA in Modern History and an MPhil in International Relations from Oxford University.

Fiona has her own consultancy - Vital Space – and is a qualified Time To Think Consultant and an accredited Thinking Environment^TM coach and facilitator.

Her specialities include: leadership development, coaching and facilitation; board development and governance; strategic planning, organisational development and change management; private individual and executive coaching.

She has served on a wide variety of boards and advisory groups. Currently she is a trustee of the Windsor Leadership Trust, the Charity Technology Trust, and Changemakers. She is an advisor to the Paul Hamlyn Foundation Social Justice Committee and the Young Achievers Trust.

Fiona’s career spans 30 years in a wide variety of voluntary sector organisations and for 11 years until April 2011, she was Chief Executive of YouthNet, the UK’s first not-for-profit dot.com. YouthNet runs TheSite.org, the award-winning guide to life for 16-25 year olds and Do-it, the National Volunteering Database. In 2008 YouthNet won The Charity Times “Best Charity to Work For” - one of her proudest moments.

Fiona was awarded the CBE for services to volunteering in the New Years Honours List 2012 and the OBE for services to the voluntary sector in 2003. She was winner of Charity Times “Outstanding Individual Achievement Award 2010”. She is a Fellow of the RSA.

Fiona is married to an architect who is a painter and print maker, and has a son and daughter.

Simon is a Partner at Hanover Investors, a specialist active investors in turnaround and recovery situations, with responsibility for deal execution and management of portfolio businesses. Prior to Hanover, Simon worked at Shell International for 6 years, as a General Manager of European Mergers & Acquisitions, as well as running significant operational improvement programmes. Simon also has private equity experience prior to joining Shell.

Simon sits on the Boards of Fairpoint (AIM quoted financial services) and Cosalt plc (support services). Simon has an MBA and holds a BA (Hons) degree in Economics & Spanish from Bristol University.

John is currently Chairman of Metaswitch. He joined Metaswitch in 1987 as a software engineer, and has worked in several different divisions in the company, covering both communication/networking and Internet applications. John was a key member of the founding team that established the Metaswitch Carrier Systems business, overseeing the organization's growth from initial market entry to a market leadership position with more than 400 customers worldwide.

John graduated from the University of Oxford, United Kingdom, with an MSc in Computation and a DPhil in History. His interests include soccer, music and art - and spending time with his family.

Simon is one of the founders and the Chief Executive of Octopus Investments. He has overall responsibility for day-to-day decisions and for the strategic direction of the company. Since setting Octopus up in 2000, the business has grown to more than 22,000 clients and almost £1 billion under management, making it one of the fastest growing companies in the UK. Octopus has been recognised year after year for its product innovation and exceptional client service, and has twice been voted one of the Best 100 Companies to work for.

Prior to founding Octopus, Simon worked at Mercury Asset Management. He graduated with a first class MA in Modern Languages from St Andrews University and is a Chartered Financial Analyst.