Master and Wardens

Ian attended Felsted School, in Essex and then went on to the National Leathersellers’ College in London plus a year at the Northampton College of Technology leather department. These two institutions have since joined forces, to become the Institute for Creative Leather Technologies at the University of Northampton.

The family business was not the way he wished to go as he found the tanning and finishing of leather so enjoyable. Thirty years at H Goodman & Son in Kettering gave him huge experience in leather manufacturing. He soon went on to run the finishing department and then managing the whole technical side of the business becoming more involved over the last the last ten years with sales and all the business aspects.

In 2001 Ian set up Amandian Ltd, Leather Merchants based in Stanwick Northamptonshire, which was a return to the family roots. Amandian sources leathers from all over the world primarily for Men’s footwear but also many other areas.

Ian is a trustee of the Leather & Hide Trades’ Benevolent Institution of which he was President for two years. He has served as a Director of G L Michel & Sons and the British Leather Confederation, (now Leather UK) and spent time on the British Leather Fashion Council. He is also a Fellow of the Society of Leather Technologists and Chemists.

In his spare time Ian watches Rugby Football, particularly Northampton Saints where he has been watching since 1953. He played for Northampton for a few years in the 70’s, but never for the first team (Just not good enough). He went on to play for and captain Northampton Casuals, later becoming President and trustee of the club. Now he is a little older, he has taken up cycling and has completed a 200-mile ride through France a few years ago in aid of Leather based charities, and more recently, Hadrian’s Wall from St Bees to Wallsend.

Elected 13th October 2023

Piers was born just about within the sound of Bow Bells and has spent the majority of his life in London.

He grew up in Ealing, in West London and went to school as a ‘direct grant’ boy in Hammersmith. On leaving school he went on to study Economics (occasionally) at the University of Leeds. The rest of his time was spent on the executive of the Student Union (a foretaste of Livery Companies), taking photos at Rock Concerts (he got that out of his system) and rock-climbing. Graduating at the height of the miners’ strike, he was fortunate to land a job in the City, based in, what was then, the Nat West Tower. His love of the City and all things therein blossomed from there. He went on to spend a period working for the Merchant Bank: Kleinwort Benson and spent 10 years as the Treasurer of HFC Bank. Piers holds professional qualifications in both Banking and Treasury.

Turning forty, Piers became the Chief Executive of the Housing Finance Corporation, a not-for-profit finance company that provides long term institutional funding to Housing Associations. In the 20 years Piers has run THFC, it has been turned around and now lends over £8Bn to in excess of 160 Housing Associations. His work takes him throughout the UK and has impressed on him the sheer diversity that exists throughout the nation. He has worked closely with a number of parts of the UK Government as well as the European Investment Bank. He has also worked for the Australian Commonwealth Government, been a part time regulator, and is now also the Chair of Newbury Building Society in his spare time.

Piers and his wife Michele have three daughters, the eldest of whom, Hannah is also a liveryman. In whatever spare time he has, Piers enjoys playing music and is a trustee of Ealing junior Music School, one of the largest music schools in London.

Piers joined the Curriers in 2009, served as Junior Warden in 2017 and as a Court Assistant from 2018.

Elected 13th October 2023

Bridget is an economist by background, initially teaching at Oxford University. Subsequently, she started several economic consultancies and grew them successfully before getting itchy feet and starting again. More recently, she has moved into non-executive roles and is currently Chair of Flood Re and of the M6 Toll Company and a non-executive for Northumbrian Water Group, and the UK Infrastructure Bank as well as founder and Senior Adviser of Volterra Partners. She has been Chair of Atom Bank, Senior Independent Director for Network Rail, and Chair of Risk for Ulster Bank. For ten years, she was the Chief Economic Adviser to the Greater London Authority. Her book, ‘Reinventing London’ was published in 2014. She has a background too in major railway projects including HS1, Crossrail, Crossrail2 and HS2.

She was appointed CBE in December 2018 and is also a Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers, the Academy of Social Science and the Society of Professional Economists.

She continues to work because it is enjoyable and she hopes that what she does helps improve decision making and makes it possible for people to have better lives. When not working, she takes her dog for walks, gets out in the garden, or knits and does needlepoint. She has been known to go trekking but at present the new house in Lincolnshire and the demands of planning improvements are taking all her remaining time.

Elected 13th October 2023

I was born and brought up on the Isle of Wight (a Caulkhead by birth) by an English father and Irish mother. We spent much time in and on the water at home. For many teenage years I was a beach bum teaching sailing, crewing open deck keel boats and enjoying water skiing.

Reading University took me to the mainland where I read Politics, which taught me never to enter politics in later life. I also joined Oxford University OTC where a kind Clerk told me “sign here, no commitment” which led to 24 years in the TA, mostly with the Inns of Court and City Yeomanry. That also led to a mounted role and being a Marshal in the Lord Mayor’s Show.

The serious requirement to find a job took me to London where I joined the Secretan syndicate at Lloyd’s as the Box boy. The insurance market has had many significant changes and I have managed to change with it: sixteen years an underwriter and twenty-four years a broker in the marine cargo market. The great constant in the market has been the importance of lunch. My career has given me a great interest in global supply chains, renewable energy and supply chain management. Work took me around the world from Indonesia to Colombia, and many times to the USA. Selling our insurances went hand in hand with promoting the City of London and its unique strengths.

With no family ties to the City, it has been a particular honour to join the Livery after a life in the City working and serving in the Inns of Court and City Yeomanry. It is now a great honour to serve as the Junior Warden.

Elected 13th October 2023