phoenix trustee biographies

Ali became Chair of Trustees on 31 August 2019. She has been a Phoenix Trustee since 2006.

Ali is a highly experienced freelance business coach, project manager and workshop leader, working extensively in the social enterprise sector with organisations such as Voluntary Action Leicestershire and Learning for the Fourth Age. She is also a Trustee of the Attenborough Arts Centre at the University of Leicester

Having originally trained in software and worked on leading edge technological developments with simulation and digital processing, Ali is interested in the combination of art and technology in community engagement.

Favourite place in Leicester
Watching live dance performances at Attenborough Arts and Curve.

Azam is a former Director with Deloitte and currently Partner at M Cubed Chartered Accountants. He has significant national and international business and assurance experience including being on the Advisory Board of Ofcom, 9 years on the Governing Council of the University of Leicester, and 7 years as Chair of Strategy & Finance and Board member of the Curve Theatre.

His experience includes corporate finance and business remodelling, working on business best practice and implementing change management strategies. He is an Economics graduate from Cambridge University and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants. Azam joined the Phoenix board in October 2015 where he chairs the Finance Committee.

Favourite place in Leicester
I love to be in the Botanical Gardens.

Ben has been active in the visual arts since the late ’90s. He is passionate about arts education. He studied sculpture at Chelsea College and the Royal College of Art, London, and has a PhD from Manchester Metropolitan University. As a practicing artist, he completed a number of publicly-sited sculptures and was awarded the Jerwood Sculpture Prize in 2001.

Originally from the West Midlands, Ben came to Leicester when he joined De Montfort University in 2013. He worked there for five and a half years, latterly as Associate Professor Fine Art and Associate Head of School of Visual and Performing Arts. In 2019 he joined Nottingham Trent University as Principal Lecturer Fine Art.

Ben is Chair of the Contemporary Visual Arts Network, East Midlands. He and his children are keen patrons of Phoenix. He became a Phoenix Trustee in April 2017.

Favourite place in Leicester
I live near Clarendon Park, and I love the independent shops and bars there. The breakfast at Dos Hermanos is a terrific start to the weekend. I recommend a Virgin Mary and a plate of bubble and squeak.

Bill is a designer by desire and inclination and in 1982 he founded Haley Sharpe Design – a Leicester-based design consultancy specialising in the Cultural and Heritage sector that delivers projects throughout the UK, USA and the Middle East; including Stonehenge, Tower of London, the Smithsonian, and Nelson Mandela’s farm RSA.

Bill has been Leicester-based since 1976 and is heavily involved with film, animation and digital media. His love of film has made him an avid Phoenix visitor for many years.

Favourite place in Leicester
Guildhall Lane and the peregrine falcons on the tower of the the cathedral. Loud, active and always there!

After nearly a decade in television news, Sarah began working in universities focusing on future media, future technology and future education.

Sarah holds a PhD in Immersive Storytelling and has published extensively on virtual and augmented reality, whilst continuing to make and create immersive experiences. She has advised the UK Government on Immersive Technologies and delivers keynotes and speaks at conferences across the world on imagining future technology. Sarah is committed to diversifying the media and technology industries and regularly champions initiatives to support this agenda.

Favourite place in Leicester
The archives at DMU library, a treasure trove of old books and artefacts – always my favourite place to hide!

Catherine brings to Phoenix extensive experience in hospitality, food & beverage and commercial business development.

She is currently responsible for all commercial operations at Northumbria Students Union and, in her spare time, she oversees the running of a village pub near Melton Mowbray which she has developed into the hub of the local community. Previously Catherine worked in commercial operations management for both the Broadway Cinema, Nottingham and the Tyneside Cinema, Newcastle, developing their food and beverage offers and diversifying their commercial income.

In Newcastle she managed the development and launch of the Tyneside Bar Café, and Vicolo coffee and cocktail bar. As a Trustee Catherine is providing insight and guidance to the Board in the design, transition and growth of Phoenix’s food and beverage offer and other commercial opportunities. She is keen to see Phoenix continue to develop and thrive, to support Leicester’s growing cultural offer and to provide a creative community hub in the centre of the city.

Colin is a Head of Finance at Leicester City Council and has been the finance link with Phoenix for five years. He became a Council nominee trustee in 2014. Professionally, he is a Fellow member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

Colin was born and bred in the Leicester area. His job brings involvement in a range of venues and projects around the city including De Montfort Hall, city centre improvements, the exciting redevelopment of the former Haymarket Theatre and the ambitious Leicester Cathedral Revealed project. He is keen to see Leicester achieve the profile it deserves and for citizens to have wide ranging opportunities to develop their skills and interests.

Favourite place in Leicester
Taking a break at lunchtime to explore the area around Wharf Street, Belgrave Gate and Bedford Street, visualising it before twentieth century redevelopment and imagining the changing way in which people lived and worked there over the years.

Danny is currently a Leicester city councillor for the Castle Ward – which contains Phoenix – and Assistant City Mayor for Policy Development.

Before being elected to the council in 2017, Danny was a Director at the arts and education charity The Mighty Creatives (2015-17), the Arts Council’s bridge organisation for the East Midlands. Prior to this he was Head of the Policy and Partnerships Team at Leicestershire County Council and a Scrutiny Manager for the Greater London Authority – a role which included a research project into film distribution and audience access in London. Since returning to Leicester in 2008, Danny has also been a Trustee for Soft Touch Arts and Saffron Young People’s Project. He is a passionate advocate for wider inclusion and participation in the arts, especially for young people. Danny joined the Phoenix Board in August 2018.

Favourite place in Leicester
The King Power Stadium or Filbert Street before it. It’s there that I’ve experienced so many highs and lows with many friends and family over so many years. I get the same rush walking into the ground today as I did when I was a kid – the same buzz in fact I get when I go to the cinema – that ‘what next’ thrill that keeps you going week after week, year after year.

Ellis runs local accounting and marketing firm FieCo, a grassroots organisation bringing affordable professional services to micro and small businesses. Ellis is a licensed accountant with the Association of Accounting Technicians, and has spent over five years in the finance sector, from Fraud Investigations at a bank to accountancy at SMEs.

Ellis is especially enthusiastic about the latest trends in technology and IT, with a particular focus on advances within the film industry. He has been visiting Phoenix for many years after discovering a new side to cinema in the organisation’s cultural and world screenings.

Favourite place in Leicester
I love the Cultural Quarter; everything from the venues such as Phoenix and Curve to the graffiti artwork help to bring Leicester’s vibrancy and multiculturalism together.

Jane is originally from Leicester and apart from 4 years in London as a student, has lived here all her life. Jane did a degree in Drama and Theatre Studies at Middlesex University, graduating in 1995 and followed this by training as a Dramatherapist at the University of Hertfordshire graduating in 1996. Jane also gained a BSc in Systemic Practice and Family Therapy at the University of Derby in 2005.

Jane has worked as a therapist in secure settings and for the past 20 years in the social care sector, primarily working to support families and young people. Jane is passionate about working with teenagers and using creativity to enable them to achieve their potential. Jane is a highly skilled therapist and offers a variety of interventions including consultation alongside developing and delivering trainings on a variety of themes and issues to individuals and groups.

Jane has a keen interest in industrial and social history and is a member of a number of industrial history organisations and museums, volunteers for two local industrial history organisations and is a co-opted committee member of the Leicestershire Industrial History Society. Jane was previously on the board of another organisation for 3 years.

Jane has been a frequent visitor to Phoenix for the past four years and was initially a member of the Membership Advisory Group prior to being selected to be a Trustee.

Favourite place in Leicester
So many to choose from! Apart from Phoenix and the area around the Cathedral and Guildhall, I would say the Abbey Pumping Station; I love watching the Gimson Beam Engines when they are working and seeing other vintage vehicles and various aspects of social history on display there.

Lisa is the UK Marketing Manager for Triumph Motorcycles. As a Chartered PR Practitioner, she is experienced in developing stakeholder relations and building community engagement. Her career has spanned the media, third sector, e-commerce, retail, leisure, fast-moving consumer goods, automotive and technology sectors. She is a parent governor for a primary school in Leicestershire and became a Phoenix Trustee in May 2016.

Favourite place in Leicester
Strolling through Abbey Park with my family and dog – feeding the ducks and climbing the Abbey walls.

Martin is an experienced business leader working primarily in the banking sector providing product and regulatory leadership as a consultant, having worked for all the main UK retail banks, as well as Coutts Private bank, first direct and Metro Bank.

He is also the managing director of two new business ventures in digital media (Base 8 Innovations) and sport/life coaching (World After Sport), the latter tagging to his normal weekend activity.

Favourite place in Leicester
When not watching his kids play rugby Martin enjoys being at Welford Road.

Ruth is an experienced account director working at CWA, an award-winning communications agency in Leicester, specialising in creative services, strategic marketing, digital and live events for clients all over the world. She also brings her experience from her previous role as business development manager for NSC Creative – the computer animation studio at the National Space Centre which produces immersive and animated films for planetariums, theme parks, interactive theatres and virtual reality experiences internationally.

Ruth sits on the International Planetarium Society’s Vision 2020 strategic planning team and also the board of US-based IMERSA, which fosters the growing interest in digital fulldome cinema, immersive entertainment, performance arts and visual experiences through summits and activities. She is a dedicated advocate for large format film and new video entertainment technologies, working to ensure viewers have the most engaging immersive experiences.

Favourite place in Leicester
“I love Diwali, which is always at the start of the Christmas season on the Golden Mile on Melton Road. The spectacular celebration of light brings people together from all over the country, whatever their faith, culture or background.”

Shobna Bazzaz joined the Phoenix Board in October 2019 and brings with her extensive business and commercial experience from across several blue chip companies. She has had a broad range of experience supporting various business sectors and roles, mainly focusing on business partnering and driving business performance and change.

Currently Shobna is heading up a European position at HSBC, prior to which she was working with Mars. She also brings with her insights from her time at Capital One, Next, Boots and the University of Leicester. Initially having trained as a chartered accountant at KPMG, she has also gained an Executive MBA from The University of Nottingham. Shobna is keen to use her experience, skills and connections to support Phoenix in its ambitious growth plans, driving value, seeking efficiencies and ensuring a sustainable business model.

In addition, Shobna sits on the board at Primary, an Arts based charity in Nottingham. Outside of work Shobna has a keen interest in Health and Fitness and has completed several half marathons and cycling events. Shobna also has a passion for Music and the Arts, her tastes are both broad and eclectic.

Favourite place in Leicester
The Botanical Gardens in the Summer.

Surinder was appointed as the first ever National Director, Equality & Human Rights for the Department of Health and the NHS. He has over 40 years of experience of leadership in achieving cultural organisational change and championing equity, fairness, diversity and inclusion. He is the Co-Director for the Centre for Diversity, Inclusion and Community Engagement, University of Leicester.

His career has spanned working in leadership roles for: a regulator at the Commission for Racial Equality; as a Commissioner for the Equal Opportunities Commission; in broadcasting at the BBC; in retail at Littlewoods; in manufacturing at the Ford Motor Company (Europe); in Pharma at Novartis AG; and in Government at the Department of Health and the NHS.

He served as an elected member on Leicester City Council, as Justice of the Peace in Leicester, as High Sheriff of Leicestershire and as a Council Member of Aston University. He serves on various charities including: Chair of Leicester Race Equality Centre, the National Space Centre, Charity Link and as an Independent Person for Leicestershire County Council.

He has been recognised for his services and was appointed as the Deputy Lieutenant for Leicestershire, Alderman for the City of Leicester,
and awarded honorary doctorate degrees and professorships from 7 UK Universities.

Favourite place in Leicester
The Botanical Gardens and New Walk.

Suzanne has considerable leadership experience in education including as Principal of Gateway College (2010-2017) and Vice Principal of City of Westminster College (2002-2010).

Suzanne has a great commitment to lifelong learning and in her early career worked to develop literacy, numeracy and key skills in a number of influential roles in London. She has a particular interest in students’ transition into and out of educational organisations. In her spare time she enjoys visiting art galleries, watching films, dance and drama, and having dinner with family and friends.

Favourite place in Leicester
Bradgate Park. I love it because it reminds me of Richmond Park in London. It is a place where I have enjoyed many hours of walking, talking and sharing food with my family and friends. I get a lot of pleasure from seeing other people making the most of such a beautiful public space and, of course, it is wonderful seeing the deer.

Zoë joined as a De Montfort University (DMU) Trustee-Director in 2019.  Her background in media production and creative technologies provides a technical-creative backdrop to her engagements as Trustee and her role as Associate Dean (Academic) in the Faculty of Computing, Engineering and Media at DMU.

As an academic leader Zoë has been awarded National Teaching Fellowship (2020) and Principal Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (2018).  Zoë is responsible for academic quality and student experience within Computing, Engineering and Media, and drives change through inspirational leadership, improving the experience of students and colleagues.  Her philosophy is underpinned by embedding mental wellbeing in the curriculum, she leads University-wide and national projects in this area.

Favourite place in Leicester
Abbey Park is my favourite place in Leicester as I can enjoy the fresh air, beautiful flowers, and occasionally a turn on the miniature railway!