Appointed Directors

Ralph Bauer (Chairman)

Ralph worked in the textile industry for over 40 years before retiring in 1998. He is non-executive Chairman of Fergusons, the leading manufacturer of luxury Irish linen, and has previously held the chairmanship in Northern Ireland of the Textile Institute and the Institute of Management. In 2005 Ralph was awarded Fellowship of City and Guilds of London Institute (FCGI).  

Louis Armstrong

Louis has been Chief Executive of the RICS since June 1998. He has led the most radical and comprehensive change programme in the Institution’s 139 year history, managing a membership of 130,000 in over 120 countries with over 525 staff. Louis' previous 15-year long career in the Royal Naval culminated in his being made Commandant of the Royal Naval Staff College at Greenwich, and Deputy Commandant of the Royal College of Defence Studies in London.  

Keith Brooker

Keith joined City & Guilds in January 1984 and was appointed as a Director in October 1991. His current position as Group Director, Policy and Institute Affairs was established in 2006. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Freeman of the Guild of Educators and an Adviser to the Duke of Edinburgh Award.  

Keith Ward

Keith was appointed Group Finance Director, Finance and Corporate Affairs, City & Guilds in June 2004. Keith formerly worked for British Aerospace, and has held a range of senior finance positions within large blue-chip organisations, including Thomson Financial, Primark Corporation, Datastream International and Dun and Bradstreet.

Elected Directors

Chris Wilkinson (Deputy Chairman)

Chris Wilkinson is Head of Service Delivery for Right Corecare, and manages a team of 30 HR Consultants and Counsellors, with responsibility for meeting stringent service level agreement targets. The role brings him into contact with senior civil servants within many departments including those responsible for both child and adult education and development.

Christine Abbott

Christine is Senior Lecturer in Management and Leadership at the Centre for Health Improvement and Leadership, University of Lincoln and also the ILM Centre Manager. She has served on ILM's Marketing, Standards and Evaluation, Academic, Strategic Management Committees and Council of Management. In 2000 Christine was elected National Chairman of ISM, leading the organisation into the merger with NEBSM.

John Jenkins

John is currently the Divisional Welfare Support Officer of the Army’s 5th Division based in Shrewsbury, with a staff of 80 full time and 200 part time workers and 300 volunteers. He joined the ISM in 1987, as a Fellow, and was a Founding Member of ILM.

Sam Read

Sam has served as Supply Chain Director for the Wells & Young's Brewing Company Ltd, one of the top three brewers of cask beer in the UK. Sam previously held various senior supply chain management positions during a successful 19-year career in the RAF, where he worked in the UK, Germany, Oman, Turkey and Zimbabwe.