I moved to New Zealand in 1990 and joined the Fletcher Building Group as head of marketing across the divisions and sectors. I led some business transformation projects there and along the way I was nominated NZ Marketer of the Year by the Marketing Association.

In 2002 I set up Traffic, a consulting company specialising in the building industry.

Research over the years showed that there was a huge opportunity to establish a business to transform the renovation sector. In 2011 we took the decision to evolve Traffic from a consulting company to become a building company specialising in residential renovations.

The opportunity exists because around the world, homeowners typically have a very poor renovation experience. Our mission is to ‘change how the world renovates’ so that homeowners get a result to be proud of with the minimum amount of pain.

The model has been successful and we are now operating in NZ, Australia, the UK and USA. To date, we have over 130 franchisees to date in Refresh Renovations, Zones Landscaping and Oncore Maintenance

Throughout my career, the Soft Systems Thinking I learned at Lancaster has been invaluable in solving industry problems and developing new business models and I am delighted to be able to make a contribution through the alumni programme.

Based in Santa Monica, Calif., Robomart, Inc. has created the world’s first mobile supermarket through its fleet of on-demand, automated stores. Robomarts are engineered with cutting-edge technology, giving consumers the fastest possible way to get their groceries.

Ali has built up expertise in robotics, retail and on-demand delivery. Over his career he has held management roles at Groupon, Unilever, and GSK and has founded multiple startups including Lutebox and Dispatch Messenger.

Over the past decade Ali has been voted one of the ‘Top 100 Asian Stars in UK Tech’, has been endorsed as an exceptional talent in digital technology in the UK and as an Alien of Extraordinary Abilities in the US.

He holds an MBA from the Institute of Business Management, an MSc in Advanced Marketing from Lancaster University and was a HighWire PhD candidate.

Ali recounts his time at Lancaster as one of the best years of his life, and is honoured to have the chance to give back to the university.

At the time my family was running a small mushroom farm back home. During every vacation that we had I was coming back home and helping however I could. We started transforming the company to work with all kinds of fruits and vegetables. At the beginning I held two positions – delivery driver and translator if somebody needed any kind of international communication.

After living a bit in Lancaster, I realized that there is nothing that scary or insurmountable for me to make the best years of my life come to fruition. Overcoming this fear was the best decision I have ever made. I concluded that I have picked an overly broad course (Economics and Politics) which was perfect for my situation since I could pick courses from different departments. During my three years in Lancaster, I was picking courses that could directly enhance my view of the world from different perspectives and could help me in any company that was willing to hire me. I forayed into accounting, industrial organization, philosophy, statistics. Lancaster University managed to teach me communication, research skills, analytical thinking and a multitude of other skills that are required to be successful later in life. As an added bonus during my last year, I met my wife on campus and now we have two beautiful children.

After graduating I decided to head back home to Bulgaria and work for the family business. As every company we faced a lot of challenges which were also exacerbated by the fact that my bosses are my relatives. Since I came back home my brother and sister also decided to join the company. Together we grew from a small mushroom producer to one of the biggest and most innovative fruit and vegetable suppliers in Eastern Europe. We deliver to retailers, wholesale markets, military bases, schools, daycares, etc.

Five years ago, we decided that it is time to give back to the local community. We started what today is the biggest organization of agricultural producers in our country. We helped local growers become more innovative, abide international standards and certify them on an international level. This is now my primary focus in the company. We managed to build great relationships with partners in all parts of the fruits and vegetables supply chain – seeds, fertilizers, packaging, logistics, etc. This is how we managed to satisfy our customers and also help thousands of people save their livelihood.

I do not know in what area my next endeavour will be. It does not really matter. In every part of the world, in every country and in every company hard work and ambition will always be valued and respected.

Florian worked on buy-side and sell-side transactions across a variety of sectors with a strong focus on the Water industry in recent years.

Florian started his career at Deloitte in Vienna, Austria where he specialised on Valuation Services and Financial Modelling.

He was educated in Vienna for his Magister degree in Economics and Law, and came to Lancaster for his Master's in Accounting and Financial Management.

Outside of his professional career, he has achieved sporting success competing at an international level in Judo.

It was through Lancaster and Rice that I was able to make sufficient connections to pursue a career in the United States which is where I now reside. My career initially focused on providing expert witness testimony and analysis related to economic damages in lawsuits and performing fraud and corruption investigations. I have been lucky enough to work on projects across the United States and in Central America, South America and Asia.

After the financial crisis of 2008, my practice began to concentrate on consumer finance, particularly with respect to risk mitigation, compliance and governance. I am currently a Senior Managing Director in the Financial Services practice of FTI Consulting, Inc. My clients are typically retail and investment banks, auto finance captives, non-bank mortgage servicers, student loan organizations and their law firms. I help those clients maintain compliance with the myriad of consumer finance rules and regulations that exist in the United States. My work results in interaction with various banking regulators including the Federal Reserve Board, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and the Department of Justice.

Lancaster University had such a material impact on not only my career, but my life as a whole and I am hopeful that by supporting the University in this way it will continue to have a similar impact on many others.

After completing his Bachelor’s degree in Commerce at Symbiosis International University, Pune; Rohit went onto make a mark with his higher education at Lancaster University specializing in the field of Master of Science in International Business (Economics), which would sustainably aid him to further strengthen and grow his family business.

After successfully graduating from Lancaster University, Rohit went on to purchase a franchise of “The Business Growth Show, London,” and successfully organized multiple events and supported over 2,000 Small Medium Businesses in the London area, thereby, garnering support from the Westminster Business Council, Federation of Small Businesses, UK, etc.

As he moved back to India, after his successful stint in the UK, Rohit’s dynamic business gene gained its momentum as his leadership skills and the new wave of thinking brought forth a versatile league of business verticals under the AKB Group worldwide. The journey began with him taking control of the dealership of Polaris Industries in Bangalore. Post which the remaining propositions started mobilizing, which today led forth to him being able to manage and control operations in over 30 retail points across the country.

Currently, Rohit directly owns & runs the company’s operations in the retail and lifestyle segments, including global names such as — Häagen-Dazs, Polaris, BodyCoat, and Kamadhenu products and services. He also foresees expanding his dynamic business ventures into the UK & European market as well. As an enterprising leader, he firmly believes in the value of working as a team with an immense focus on quality, care, and customer satisfaction at whatever he does. His motto is firmly built on three pillars — “Principle, Policy, and Procedure” as well as “Discipline, Integrity, and Result”.

As a sanguine businessman and an even more ardent sportsman, Rohit has also represented Lancaster University successfully, as a former professional badminton player who has played internationally. Also an avid environmentalist, he believes in giving back to mother earth in any manner possible to help save, protect and encourage the planting of more trees; thereby paving a way forward for an eco-conscious community. As a driven leader, Rohit also believes in sharing his learnings with the younger generation of business professionals by motivating them through public speeches on various topics such as — personal growth, & business seminars in multiple countries.

Rohit owes the credit of his success in life to his parents who have been an integral part of shaping his ideologies morally, ethically, & professionally. He also gives thanks to his alma mater — Lancaster University for providing him with the brilliant education opportunity which has made his entrepreneurial journey even more impactful.

The Finance/Accounting and Finance class consisted of 55 persons with students coming from Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. This wide exposure to people from all over the world with different languages, different backgrounds and different views made it clear to me that I wanted to have an international career.

Leaving Lancaster with the MSc in Finance I continued to study in Spain and Germany. Thereafter I started to work for the automotive company Daimler AG in various roles mainly in sales and marketing.

In the last two decades, I had the chance to work and live in Brazil, Singapore, Australia, Indonesia, USA and the United Arab Emirates. This “Tour around the World” has started in Lancaster and the experience for my family and me was truly extraordinary.

I am honoured that Lancaster University offered me a philanthropic role for the UAE. It is a great opportunity to support Lancaster University so that students from all backgrounds continue to have the chance to get a world-class education in an inspiring environment.

As telecoms, digital, and mobile industries flourished throughout the 1990’s I entered the world of Joint Ventures, Mergers, and Acquisitions. Initially this was across Europe for British Telecom, as I headed up the Marketing development for a number of newly established second operators. I later joined IBM in the UK, but predominantly ended up working extensively in South Africa and Australia, as well as the US, Latin America, and Asia-Pacific..

I moved to Canada in 2009 and joined PricewaterhouseCoopers as VP of Consulting & Deals. My focus was on the digital and technology space, and especially in the Marketing and Media industries.

Since 2015 I have been Managing Principal of North America for Eaton Square, a privately held global Corporate Finance and M&A firm. I have also been leading the global Corporate Development of the organization as we grow our capabilities across the World, as well as managing Board positions, Investments, and Management Consulting to a range of businesses.

He’s now convinced that a philanthropic donation in education has a great impact that can relatively easily be measured and linked to personal, economic and social empowerment. That explains why he was so thrilled to accept the chapter’s presidency position when it was offered to him and he pledged to provide immediate support.

Studying at Lancaster was pivotal in Alaa’s career, he enjoyed the world-class education and the cohort that represented more than 20 nationalities. When he returned to Saudi Arabia, his newly acquired competencies helped him to progress in the banking and investment industry and then leadership and management consulting. After completing 20 years of executive work, Alaa switched to a portfolio career and he is now a Board Director in numerous companies and advisory boards. Alaa is considered an opinion leader in the GCC and recently his name was included in the LinkedIn “Top Voices of the Gulf” list for 2020. His areas of focus are corporate governance, gender diversity in the board, women empowerment, wealth management and the promotion of tourism and foreign direct investment in his country.

See more here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alaaalhashem/

During his career, he has spearheaded innovative solutions for the industry and pioneered important changes within the Desbro Group. Most recently, the introduction of largest diameter Rebar of 40mm is being fully utilised for long span bridge construction work.

He is founding member of DRS Holdings Ltd, Mesh & Steel Trading Ltd, and sits as Board Member/Acting Chairman for all companies under the Desbro Group. He values the DNA of all family enterprises for their resilience, and strong commitment to business growth.

After I graduated, I continued to work in the asset management industry in Japan and Hong Kong. I have worked for a Japanese company, a German company and international joint ventures as a senior analyst and Head of Research. Currently, I am CEO of Nippon Life Global Investors Singapore, a joint venture between Japanese insurance group and British asset management company, and have lived in Singapore for 8 years.

I strongly believe that what I learned at Lancaster University helped my career a lot. I really appreciate Lancaster University and now it is the time for me to contribute to the university.

I am currently Chairman of the Board of Mayfair Insurance Tanzania, Board Member of M Oriental Bank in Kenya, Trustee of Indian School, Dar es Salaam and Trustee of Human Welfare Trust (HWT). I have previously been an Independent Non-Executive Board Member of Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania Limited, Alliance Insurance Limited and Board Member of International School of Tanganyika, first alumni to become a Board Member.

I have been ranked in the top 15 most respected CEO’s in East Africa by PWC.

Many of us take education for granted. My own experience while working with HWT showed a different perspective. HWT was providing a couple of meals to the children on the street and education was a distant hope. I jointly with HWT placed the street children in a house with food, education and medical treatment being taken care of. This was my awakening call and since then have focused on supporting individuals who need support with their education requirements.

I have a lot of fond memories of my days at Lancaster and am in touch with many alumni. I am delighted to take up a role as an Ambassador for the University and, in my own small way, to assist students achieve their dreams.

I am married to Rita and have a son and daughter-in-law. I enjoy a good book, travelling around the world, smashing the ball against a wall and getting all my frustrations out, better known as squash and cycle around the neighbourhood in the name of exercise.

The report gave birth to the Manchester and London Business Schools, whilst Lancaster responded with courses in Marketing, Operations Research and Accounting and Finance. Bailrigg at the time was a construction site with only about 500 students, most being undergraduates who were relocated from a converted farm building on the outskirts of Lancaster.

The Lancaster degree gave me a solid background and facilitated my entry on to the PhD programme in Public Affairs Economics at the University of the West Indies in 1969. In fact, my first job out of Lancaster was Assistant Market Research Manager with Lever Brothers and Associates at an enviable annual salary of £1,500. The letter from Lever Brothers inviting me to an interview was posted by Andrew Reid on the Bowland College notice board.

I have been fortunate to have been able to pursue four distinct career paths, as a business manager (ending up as Chairman and President of Sprostons Jamaica Limited and Alcan Products of Jamaica Ltd, (part of Alcan Canadian Aluminium commercial companies in Kingston, Jamaica) and later Managing Director and part-owner of the Caterpillar agency (Powertrac Ltd) in Jamaican in 1985. Whilst at Alcan, I was seconded to the government of Jamaica as a Dollar-a-Year Transport Adviser in 1976. I also became chairman of the Jamaican Omnibus Company, the Kingston urban transport company.

Eventually, I joined the government in 1990 and served as Chief Technical Director to the Prime Minister of Jamaica, as Executive Director of the National Planning Council and later Chairman of the Airport Authority of Jamaica. In 1995, I was awarded by the Government of Jamaica the Honour of Commander of the Order of Distinction (CD) for distinguished public service to Jamaica. In 1991, I was invited by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of the West Indies to take up the post of Head of the Mona Institute of Business (a professorial level appointment) and Executive Director of the USAID Management Education Project. I was responsible for setting up the graduate business school, the Executive MBA programme and to develop some 20 young Jamaicans to PhD level to become the main teaching resource for the Department of Management Studies and the Graduate Business School. Finally, in 1998 I was recruited on contract by the UK Department of International Development (DFID) and seconded to the President’s Office in Tanzania, as Resident Privatisation and Utility Regulatory Adviser. Since then I have been involved in international infrastructure consultancy business and currently involved in a project advising the government of the Sultanate of Oman on privatising the electricity grid companies.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to serve as an Ambassador to Lancaster University and to support student development, especially international economic and management students and students from the minority diaspora. I would also like to support the Management School in developing a network of business schools to facilitate research, exchange of lecturers and students. When I was invited to be involved in the activities of the university I willingly consented as this will mark my fifth career tract at the golden age of three score years and twenty.

Several years after my study, I have risen through the ranks in my career to now lead Transnational Corporation of Nigeria Plc, one of the largest conglomerates on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, as its President and Group Chief Executive Officer. In gratitude and to help Lancaster University impact on more lives, I feel honoured to lend a hand of support to the school that has shaped who I have come to be today.

In the words of John Kennedy "As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them." In light of this quote and in appreciation of Lancaster, I pledge to continually live by this quote.

Jerry had fond memories of his times in the University that he continues to support the Alumni in Singapore; particularly meeting and advising those Accounting and Finance graduates who hope to seek job opportunities in Singapore.

I obtained a law degree from Lancaster in 1993 and when in work completed my Legal Practice Course sponsored by ITV, but chose not to practice as a solicitor instead remaining in business. My skill and experience set is commercial, blended with legal, offline and online advertising with in depth knowledge of advertising having worked media owner and advertising agency side. Four and a half years ago I set my own consultancy up, Found Us (www.foundus.co.uk) and my company works with advertising clients and candidates to advise on people in the business I have worked in for 25 years.

Outside of work I am an avid fell runner running with the Saddleworth Runners where I live, am married to Claire who is a teacher, and proud Dad of Ted the Terrier who is also the company Chairman and Mascot. All adventures can be found at www.petercobley.com. In my role at Lancaster I am best placed to advise on a career in advertising, as my business involves working with senior people at media owners, technology companies, advertising agencies, and client side.

Now I entered the second chapter of my life and became a sustainability consultant, studying a PhD degree, teaching at universities and more... A fad: "Slash Worker" is the best term to describe my current status

All these are attributed to the moment I decided to study at Lancaster University. I would like to support overseas students to come to Lancaster for perhaps a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

I worked in London for Pricewaterhouse 1984-1986 then returned to Newcastle to establish what became a national chain of 77 convenience stores and 8 supermarkets employing over 2,000 people and turning over £170m per annum including £90m of service sales. I sold the stores to Tesco in March 2011 and then went on to co-found The Lakes Distillery in April 2012, which is now England’s leading whisky distillery with many award winning spirits in its brand portfolio. The vision is to produce one of the world’s finest single malt whiskies in the World Category.

I was awarded a CBE in the 2018 New Year’s honours list for services to Entrepreneurship in the North East and co-founding The Lakes Distillery.

The reason I decided to support the philanthropists program supporting student hardship was that throughout my 40 plus years in business many people from all walks of life have helped me and in a small way this helps others with their life/business journey.

He worked for KPMG, American International Group in Asia, and ING Group in Beijing and Hong Kong. In his last position within ING Group, he served as a Director of Baring Capital (China) Management Limited that managed ING Beijing Investment Co Ltd, a company listed on The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong.

Mr Fong holds a bachelor's degree majoring in Management Sciences (Economics) from Lancaster University. During the period at Lancaster University, he very much enjoyed sailing in the Lake District, ballroom dancing at the University, travelling to various cities in Scotland and most importantly making friends from different countries. The academic activities and social activities prepared him for his subsequent career as an international business executive, travelling to all over Mainland China, South East Asia and Western Europe, and working closely with the executives from those regions. Mr Fong's memories from Lancaster University are unforgettable.

After graduating in 1984 with a 2.1 and the Ciba Geigy Law prize, I worked for KPMG and tutored part time at the University in support of a KPMG sponsored Chair. I lead the same tutorial in the same room some six years after I had experienced it (Alumni will remember Anthony and Reece). I then moved to Baxi Partnership (a large employee owned company with a very large private share market) as Finance Director undertaking acquisitions in Europe to expand the brand and technology internationally. During my tenure there, I assisted a Lancaster PhD student with a thesis on share valuation methodologies.

I am currently the Vice Chairman of Westmorland Limited after a long spell as Managing Director. Westmorland are better known for Tebay Services on the M6 in Cumbria, and four years ago we built the new Gloucester Services on the M5. Our business model focuses on sustainably connecting people with place and rooting ourselves in a community through local sourcing, local employment and local charitable support; it is widely regarded as an exemplar and disruptor in its industry. We have about 10 million visitors each year to all of our businesses. Gloucester Services is multi award winning and was officially opened by Prince Charles in 2014. Lancaster University even played a part in this project as I asked the Department of Mathematics to undertake some statistical analysis of road safety in support our planning application.

From 2008 - 2016 I was a Council member of the University and I chaired the Finance and General Purposes Committee from 2010 until 2016. In 2018 I have been a lay member on the Pensions Working Group. I have found the whole experience incredibly rewarding.

As in 1981, today Lancaster University remains a superb teaching institution and accessible to all with a wonderful collegiate experience. The campus also continues to be developed for the future demands of higher education in this rapidly advancing age in which we now live.

Like other Ambassadors, I appreciate this opportunity to show students how Lancaster provides such a fantastic springboard into the world of work. Lancaster is an internationally recognised university that I am proud to be associated with, and it has been a privilege to remain connected.

A fortuitous meeting with my current business partner in 1996 lead to the establishment Care First Group in 1996 providing learning and developmental opportunities to adults with learning disabilities and complex needs. Helping individuals with a range of moderate to complex learning disabilities, we help them to progress in a “person centred” way so that they lead fulfilling and enjoyable lives. Today we employ over 100 staff and have 170 students benefitting from our day provision. Our provision saves significant costs to the NHS and Criminal Justice system and helps families stay together.

I am Chairman of Edward’s Trust, a West Midlands bereavement charity supporting parents and children through loss and am a committed Christian involved in mentoring fellow Christians develop their faith. I am also a director of a small dementia charity, Mindful Gifts CIC, which provides support through a range of products and activities to people suffering with dementia.

Lancaster University changed my life. From a secondary modern school that offered little ambition, I was lucky enough to encounter people who encouraged me to believe in myself and Lancaster University stretched me academically. It provided me with an environment to grow in confidence, surrounded by a diverse range of undergraduates all studying different subjects. Nothing could have been more enriching in terms of politics, business and economics, human and social issues. Lancaster formed the bedrock that would shape my life.

Being an ambassador for Lancaster was an easy choice for me. How could I ignore investing back into the university that gave me so much whilst trying to help those students with some level of need? Having a daughter with Downs Syndrome and seeing the potential of those less fortunate, is a key driver to being an Ambassador.

I am blessed with 3 beautiful daughters and a fiancé and an Australian terrier, love playing squash, running, hill walking and general keep fit. The occasional abseil and half marathon enables me to fundraise. I love my cars too!!!

His initial employer was ICL in Manchester, where Steve spent five years programming software to simulate and test electronic circuit designs used for ICL’s mainframe computers.

This led to a long and enjoyable career in the nascent but growing EDA (Electronic Design Automation) market with companies including Unisys, Teradyne, Viewlogic and Synopsys. Steve’s move from software engineering to product marketing eventually led to him moving with his family to the San Francisco Bay Area, also known as Silicon Valley.

Steve retired from Synopsys after more than 20 years, where his responsibilities covered a broad range of electronic systems markets, including computing, communications and automotive. During his time in “the Valley”, Steve also operated a boutique winery, Three Arches Winery (named after the three-car garage where the initial batch of wine was made), with a group of close friends and their families.

Steve currently resides with his wife, Rose, in Los Angeles, CA. Their four grown children live within California.

10 years on, the company has two retail premises and a corporate catering service, a fleet of 7 mobile shops providing a lunchtime delivery service to workplaces across the whole of Central Lancashire. Its achievements have been marked by a number of awards – including Customer Focus Award at the 2010 Bakery Industry Awards and Retailer of the Year at Lancashire’s 2011 Be Inspired Business Award.

Joe Hall is unequivocal about the role played by the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Enterprise Development Leadership Development programme in helping him refocus and reshape the company’s strategic direction. Joe says that “LEAD has been instrumental because it created a forum for things to be discussed with people from outside the business.” Following on from LEAD Joe took part in the GOLD programme which he considers consolidated all that he had already learned. Now an Entrepreneur in Residence, Joe is enjoying giving back some of what he has learned.

Alongside being active in his role as an EIR, Joe was appointed to the board of BAKO NW Ltd in 2014 and is currently the Vice Chairman. Additionally, in 2016, he was appointed as a voting member of the Board of the Small Business Charter.

Since returning home, my work has focused on research into water-saving crop production. We have developed some promising water-saving methods which have successfully reduced crop water use by almost half in some areas.

The seeds of these achievements were sown in the labs of Lancaster University many years ago. It was at Lancaster that we discovered mechanisms by which plants can sense the soil drying and reduce their water loss. I was extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to be involved in this effort with talented researchers at Lancaster and it has shaped the course of my life’s work.

We live in challenging times. We already use almost all the world’s arable land to grow crops and now water resources are declining in many parts of the world. It is my hope that through philanthropic support of Food Security research many more students from all around the world – especially from those countries whose food supply is most under threat from limited natural resources – will be able to make their careers in plant science, or the many other disciplines working to ensure a safe supply of food for the world. There are many ways the research can be supported but to have young students to do the work is most important.

My life was changed forever by my time at Lancaster. Please consider giving your support to students who want to learn how to help deliver their countries from the threat of food insecurity in the challenging times that lie ahead. In doing so, you will be helping them to change their lives as they become part of the growing research community dedicated to finding collective solutions that will benefit millions. It could be one of the best investments you ever make.

In addition, he has been at the forefront of the development of unitranche as a funding source in the European leveraged finance market. His sector experience includes healthcare, media, sports, real estate, financial services, business services, retail and leisure.

Stuart is a member of both The Law Society of England & Wales and the New York State Bar Association.

Away from the office, I spend most of my time enjoying my family and outdoor sports, particularly skiing and soccer. I'm a particularly passionate reader of historical fiction, especially Patrick O'Brian's "Aubrey-Maturin" series.

My best Lancaster memory is a toss-up between enjoying The Men From Uncle, a band consisting of mostly Lonsdale residents who are now long-time friends, Professor Fox's history classes, and being a member of the Rugby League team (who knew there were two kinds of Rugby?)

I support Lancaster University because the University introduced me to so many wonderful people from all over the globe, many of whom I've kept in touch with over the years, and I want to help others do the same thing.

For me Lancaster facilitated the transition from insecure pimply ex-schoolboy to a somewhat more secure and less pimply young adult, newly launched on what as been a very long and fulfilling career. But the real gain from my years at Lancaster has proved to be much more subtle.

Now as I reach the end of my career, and, aided by a large glass of single malt, I look back wistfully through a life hopefully well-lived. And I feel a growing sense of indebtedness for the richness with which my experience at Lancaster infused my life, without me realising it at the time. I am left with a strong sense of being very privileged to have been at Lancaster.

In 1975 I was fortunate enough to win the Colorado Scholarship, which provided a year of postgraduate study at the University of Colorado in Boulder, funded entirely by contributions from American Junior Year Abroad students at Lancaster. It was a transformational experience, and one made possible by the generosity of others.

And so the time has arrived for me to give something back, to help to create opportunities for new generations of students, and hopefully to arm them, not with just a vocational meal ticket but with some truly life enhancing experiences attitudes and skills. I am delighted to be an ambassador for the University, and I hope this initiative is just the start of something really special, something of which every alumnus can be proud.

I am active in the San Francisco non-profit community, currently serving on the Board of the Boys and Girls Club of San Francisco. Previously, I have served on the Boards of Katherine Delmar Burke School, The Guardsmen, The University Club of San Francisco, and BRAVO! CLUB San Francisco Opera. I am a graduate of the University of Colorado, Boulder, with a degree in Economics, including an emphasis in Computer Science and I spent my JYA year at Lancaster University.

Lancaster is a very special part of my College memories.

Mr Taylor previously served as president of Fitch Ratings, the group’s largest business and a leading provider of credit ratings, commentary and research. Prior to this appointment in 2010, he spent two years as global head of structured finance ratings, presiding over numerous rating reforms following the 2007 collapse of the U.S. housing market. Mr Taylor has held a variety of analytical leadership positions at Fitch Ratings, including global head of sovereign, public finance, corporate, and financial institution ratings. He also headed the agency's operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa.

Mr Taylor joined Fitch predecessor firm Duff & Phelps Credit Rating Co. in 1994 as senior vice president in charge of European rating activities. His final role prior to DCR’s merger with Fitch Ratings in 2000 was executive vice president of DCR International, where he oversaw all rating activities outside of North America and chaired the international group credit and criteria committee.

Prior to joining DCR in July 1994, Mr Taylor was a director and head of European structured finance for Standard & Poor's ratings group. He began his career in corporate lending at Lloyds Bank Limited.

Mr Taylor has a BS in management and marketing from Lancaster University, where he is an active alumnus and member of the dean’s council.

I lived at Lonsdale College during my first year, as the Law Department in 1986 was located there and it meant I could attend my lectures with minimum effort. I enjoyed my degree immensely and found as a law student I was working hard from day one. The weight of the work did not prevent me from taking part in a range of extra-curricular activities and I would encourage every student to try something new. I made life-long friends at the university and was even fortunate enough to meet my husband there, so I can certainly confirm that my time at Lancaster left a lasting impression.

I always believed that law was an excellent discipline as grounding for a range of careers and when I left Lancaster I was still not sure whether I was going to teach or pursue a career in law. As a consequence, I hedged my bets and completed the Law Society Finals at the College of Law in Chester to allow me to become a solicitor. Then a year later, I elected to do a Postgraduate degree in Company and Commercial Law at the University of London, as a path to becoming a lecturer. However, once my postgraduate studies were at an end I decided to embark on a career as a solicitor. I began as an Articled Clerk (showing my age!) for the commercial firm Rosenblatt and once qualified I moved and specialised in Commercial Litigation. Later, after starting a family I decided to change practice areas and I am now a Property lawyer. As a Partner for ten years I have trained solicitors, trainees and paralegals thereby using my “teaching gene” and have therefore had the best of both worlds.

I am delighted to have the opportunity to be an Ambassador and support students to maximise the value of their studies regardless of their background or financial means. I was the first female in my family to go to university and my law degree gave me the confidence and ability to go out into the world and make a successful career and life for myself, my family and others. Over the years I have supported charities and schools to improve the lives of those relying upon the services they provide. When I was asked to be involved in supporting this initiative I agreed it could bring about life changing outcomes and was keen to play my part.

Jane began her career at the Chemical Banking Corporation, where she worked for more than 15 years, primarily in leveraged finance, private banking, and in the Chairman’s office as his assistant for two years. From 1992 to 1998, she lived and worked in Portland, Oregon where her husband was the superintendent of the public schools. She currently resides with her husband in Bronxville, NY. Her two grown daughters are educators living in Portland, Oregon and New York City, and her son is a real estate investor living in Chicago.

He was also seconded to ACCA’s Strategy team to support the development of ACCA’s strategy to 2020.

Reza was also previously an auditor at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) within the Assurance and Business Advisory Services (ABAS) in London and later became the Head of Finance and Operations at a brokerage firm in Singapore that dealt primarily with government agencies in the South Asian subcontinent.

Reza graduated with a First Class (Honours) in Business Studies and Finance from Lancaster University where he was the recipient of the Philip Andrews Memorial Prize for Economics. He is also an ACCA member.

Reza speaks regularly to ACCA’s key stakeholders on key economic trends, learning and technology, sustainability, climate change, International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), accounting and policy updates and sustainability matters. He also wrote a booklet in 2008 entitled “Sustainability Reporting Handbook for Singaporean Companies” to encourage sustainability reporting within corporate Singapore. Reza’s other interest include farming (coconuts and mangoes!) in Tamil Nadu, South India where he is from and blogs regularly at http://zodakreza.wordpress.com.

Woodroffes was founded in 1877 representing individuals and families of substantial personal wealth and has continued to do so for the intervening 140 years. Roger became a partner in 1999 and senior partner upon Peter Woodroffe’s retirement (to consultant) in 2010. Roger had built a personal practice in the intervening years representing the hotel and hospitality trade and acting for a number of five-star hotels and Michelin starred restaurants. His firm continues to offer a highly personalised and bespoke service to wealthy individuals from across the UK and all corners of the world, creating and managing investment portfolios of commercial and residential property across the UK, often in a Sharia’ compliant manner. Roger deals with deal making and non contentious matters.

In his spare time Roger is a season ticket holder at Tottenham Hotspur and a fan of most forms of sport, particularly motor sport. He enjoys cars, motoring, fine dining and travel and tries to see live contemporary music as frequently as practical. Roger dislikes most “classical” music.