Robert is Chairman of Royal National Children’s SpringBoard Foundation, an educational charity providing boarding bursaries and other educational opportunities to children from some of the most deprived communities in the UK, many in care. He is also Chairman of the LP Advisory Committee of Ahren, an investment company based on deep, transformational science, a Director of the Investor Forum, a Trustee of Historic Royal Palaces and a member of The Takeover Panel Appeal Board.
Robert was previously Chairman of UK Government Investments, which is the centre of excellence for corporate finance and corporate governance in HMG (2013-2021), Chairman of Marks & Spencer (2010-2017), senior independent director of The British Land Company PLC (1999 -2010) and of 3i Group PLC (2006-2010) and Chairman of HMV (2009-2011). In the field of education, he was also Chairman and a member of the Governing Body of Rugby School (2004-2014), a Trustee of Career Ready (2003-2012), a Trustee of Teach First (2015-2019), a member of the Advisory Board of The Sutton Trust (2014-17) and a Visiting Fellow at the Oxford University Said Business School (2008-2019).
Until 2010, Robert spent a career of over 30 years in investment banking with Schroders/Citigroup. He was formerly Vice-Chairman of Citi Europe and Chairman of Citi’s European Investment Bank. Robert qualified both as a chartered accountant and a barrister.
