Who We Are

Liz came to York after studying History at University of Aberdeen to work in the Marketing department of Rowntree Mackintosh where she was the brand manager of several brands including KitKat. After the takeover by Nestlé she ran the PR and Site Services departments which at the time included archives and the writing of the Rowntree History by LSE’s Business History Department. With this connection in mind she became the Nestlé representative on The Rowntree Society Board in 2005 after the departure of John Sunley, one of the founding members. She has remained on the board and on leaving Nestlé formed an Imagination Agency. She was appointed Chair in 2013.

Most of Tina’s life since coming to York in 1982 from a Wiltshire village on the edge of the New Forest has been spent in institutions and organisations associated with Joseph Rowntree. She studied history at the University of York, the establishment of which owed much to the money and people provided by or associated with JR organisations. After qualifying as a chartered accountant, she went on to work for those organisations in the following order – Joseph Rowntree Foundation as Chief Accountant, the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust as the Finance Secretary and ran the Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust Ltd as Trust Secretary for 15 years until 2017. During her time in York she has been involved with a number of other local charities and also helped to establish a community accounting scheme and an afterschool and holiday club at the school attended by her children. Since finishing full time work, Tina has had time to follow her interests in contemporary literature, art, craft and walking.

Tina joined the Rowntree Society board in 2016, becoming Treasurer in 2018. Her particular interests are the Rowntree family’s involvement in politics, social policy and campaigning.

Richard studied Economics at the University of Hull and has an MBA from the University of Leeds. He has significant experience in senior commercial, sales, marketing and management positions in the UK and internationally. He was a Trustee of the Bowes Museum between 2000 and 2011, and is currently a trustee of York Museums Trust and York Theatre Royal.

Stephen spent 26 years working for the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust, retiring from the position of Trust Secretary in 2012.  He is a Quaker and is interested in the values which underpinned the Rowntree vision for how philanthropy might contribute to a more peaceful and just world.  He is active in York civic society, chairing the York Human Rights City network, and the York Travellers Trust.  At a national level he is a trustee of the British Institute of Human Rights, the Global Greengrants Fund (UK), the Polden Puckham Charitable Foundation, and the Environmental Funders Network.  Internationally he is a board member of the Global Greengrants Fund (international) and the Global Fund for Community Foundations. He has been a trustee since the establishment of The Rowntree Society, and is currently particularly interested in the Society’s exploration of the tensions between the Rowntree family’s values and the growth of the Rowntree business, dependent as this was on products sourced from colonised countries in Africa and the Caribbean.

Maureen was born in Guyana and began her career as a secondary schoolteacher.  In 1980, she moved to the UK and soon took on a role with Bradford Council’s Education department as a Management Training and Development Officer. In 1996 Maureen was seconded to establish a West Yorkshire wide project working on promoting racial justice in education. This six-month secondment turned into three years and resulted in the creation of a financially and operationally resilient organisation.

In 1999, Maureen joined the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust as Development Officer for the West Yorkshire Racial Justice Programme and later headed the Sustainable Future Programme.

When Maureen retired in 2019, her dedication to the community didn’t slow down. She became an active volunteer with Bradford Community Broadcasting (BCB), where she produces and presents live radio programmes covering local events and creating space for community voices to be heard. Today, as a trustee for both BCB and the N1M Trust, which supports environmental human rights defenders, she continues to champion causes close to her heart.

Maureen has been a trustee of The Rowntree Society since 2022. She is especially passionate about exploring the Rowntree company’s roots—a legacy dedicated to peace, social justice, and equality—while also acknowledging and understanding the complex ties to colonial history that shaped its early business foundations. Maureen aims to help bridge these elements, fostering a balanced, honest view of the Rowntree legacy for future generations.

Outside her public work, Maureen enjoys family life with her husband, their two grown-up children and extended family.

Biography coming soon.

Biography coming soon.