Trustees and Chief Executive
Dudley Cloake – Chairman
Dudley retired in 2003 from the John Lewis Partnership where he worked for 34 years. His most recent posts included Distribution Director, Director of Management Services, Partners Counsellor, and Director of Personnel. Before joining John Lewis Dudley was an economist with the New Zealand Government in Wellington.
Dudley has always had a particular interest in education and has been a member of, and the Chair of, school governing bodies. He also sat on two government committees - one responsible for the accreditation of teacher training in England and Wales, the other responsible for quality assurance in the Further Education sector. Dudley is a fellow of the University of Hertfordshire where he served on the Board for a number of years, including several years as its Deputy Chairman. He became Chairman in February 2009.
Nigel J L Rothband – Chief Executive
Nigel has worked in the retail industry for over 30 years. He started his career with Bhs, before moving to Arcadia Group where he spent 14 years in various senior positions. For the 3 years prior to joining Retail Trust Nigel was Managing Director – Retail, at The Body Shop.
Nigel has a long association with the charity and was a member of the London Ball committee for a number of years before joining Retail Trust as the Chief Executive in November 2003.
You can read Nigel's blog here on the website.
Claire Beasley
Claire has been working in retail for 20 years. In that time she has worked for Marks and Spencer, the Burton Group, Laura Ashley, Arcadia Group, New Look, The Burton Group (Spain) and Laura Ashley (USA).
After leaving New Look in 2003, Claire completed the Executive MBA Programme at Henley Management College and then went on to start her own recruitment business, bluemonday.
Eddie Bentley
Eddie has been involved with the retail industry for almost 40 years, initially with Littlewoods. He then spent 27 years with Great Universal Stores, as Merchandise Director and then Managing Director of White Arrow Express. Since 2003 Eddie has run his own consultancy business, E.G.B. Associates Ltd, which specialises in assisting retailers to reduce costs.
Eddie has been involved with Retail Trust/Cottage Homes since 1982, mainly as a fundraiser and from time to time, Chairman of the Northern Ball Committee. He became a Trustee/Director of Retail Trust in November 2000.
Avis Darzins
Avis has worked in or on behalf of the retail industry throughout her career. Firstly spending several years at the Arcadia Group being promoted through the ranks in retail ops and buying & merchandising. She spent some time working for privately-owned retail businesses before taking up senior posts at Bhs, Mothercare and Littlewoods where she extended her experience into Franchising and large-scale business transformation programme management.
In 2001 she moved to the management consulting, outsourcing and technology firm, Accenture where she holds the position of Partner in their retail practice supporting UK and International retail clients plan and execute business transformation programmes.
Jane Guillaume
Jane has over 25 years of retail experience, her early years in Retail were spent at Bhs and Heal and Son. Jane joined Debenhams when it was part of the Burton Group in 1989 and in 1993 was appointed Personnel Director. In 1998, when Debenhams de-merged from the Burton Group, Jane was appointed to the plc Board. In 2004 after a successful transition back to a private company Jane left Debenhams.
Jane currently has a plural portfolio and is a Director of a Property based company, Chairman of Circle Anglia Commercial Services - a housing Association and a Trustee Director of the Norfolk and Norwich Heritage Trust. Jane joined the Board of Retail Trust in November 2006.
Judith Pilkington
Judith is a graduate of London University and has more than 20 years retail experience. She started her retail career with the Fenwick department store group and subsequently held various fashion buying positions in both Fenwicks and Selfridges. She moved into general management roles within Selfridges and Harrods prior to her appointment as Managing Director of Mappin & Webb and Watches of Switzerland, both companies within the Asprey Group. Judith led the buyout of Mappin & Webb and Watches of Switzerland from Asprey in 1998, becoming CEO of the newly formed MW Group.
In 2004 she joined Space NK Ltd as CEO. Today the company operates more than 60 stores in the UK, has four wholly owned stand alone stores in the US and has recently opened nine “stores” within Bloomingdales department stores.
Chris Tideman
The early days of Chris’s 35 years in retailing were with J. Hepworth, the multiple tailors. Through the Eighties he held various posts in The Burton Group including CEO of Burton Retail and Principles for Men, and CEO of the Group’s Retail Services and Distribution Sector.
He co-authored “Retail Marketing Plans” whilst operating as a non-executive director and running his own retail consultancy prior to going to Australia to be CEO of David Jones Ltd. Chris led “DJs”, Australia’s leading group of upmarket department stores to a successful flotation on the ASX.
Since returning to the UK, he has served as a trustee with a number of charitable organisations.
Adrian Wright
Adrian has over 30 years of retail experience, both in Europe, the United States and the UK. His early years were spent with C & A, 7-Eleven, and Sears. Adrian joined BAA plc in 1989 as Group Marketing Manager and in 1995 was appointed as Managing Director of the joint venture between BAA plc and McArthur/Glen group. In 1999 Adrian joined the Australian-based property company, Lend Lease as Managing Director of Bluewater, acclaimed as the largest retail/leisure complex in Europe.
In 2002 Adrian started as Chief Executive of the ailing retail company Moss Bros Plc. Following the successful turnaround of this business Adrian left in 2004. Then in 2005 Adrian led an MBI of the Speciality Retail Group funded by Barclays Bank and Gresham LLP.
Adrian is also Chairman of Fox Kalomaski, which specialises in destination marketing for the Retail and Travel industries, and is one of the UK's fastest growing strategic marketing companies.
Adrian is an OPM graduate of Harvard Business School, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He is also a fellow of the Guild of Marketors, and a member of the Institute of Directors and the Marketing Society.
John Wilson
I have been in retailing since leaving school at 16, working in the family business, receiving my education on the shop floor. Although I am glad to see my children receiving a more formal education, I am disappointed it will probably take them out of retailing, a career which has given me a life time of enjoyment and friendships.
During all those years my respect and admiration for the people who work in all levels and aspects of retailing has grown. It is not just a matter of having been there and done that, knowing how a job should be done, it is an understanding of the commitment and dedication that so many bring to a job which is often thankless and poorly rewarded.
I am delighted to be in a position to help ensure no one in retailing need feel neglected or forgotten. I enjoy the challenge of working with like minded Trustees to ensure that Retail Trust will continue to meet the needs of retailing staff past and present.
Paul Clarke
Paul has recently retired from Barclays where he worked for 40 years. He held a variety of senior roles in Barclays Commercial Bank, most recently the National Director, Retail & Wholesale Sectors where he had responsibility for over £5bn worth of debt within the sector.
Paul is a well established industry commentator and regularly contributes to publications such as Retail Week, Drapers and the Financial Times. He has written on a wide range of industry issues, recent examples include the winning strategies of the luxury goods retailer. In addition Paul is a regular commentator on the ONS Retail Sales Figures.
Paul’s standing within the industry has been recognised by Drapers, the trade magazine for the fashion industry, which placed Paul within the Top 100 Influential people on the UK high street for two years running and voted him number one Deal Maker in the same survey.
