Meet Our Trustees

Seumas served for 35 years in the Army and commanded 102 Logistic Brigade and the 4th Division. His civilian career includes three roles.  Between 2006-2007 he was Chief Operating Officer Doha Development Company and from 2007-2018 he was a Carillion Director. From 2018 he became the Managing Director of the D Group, Strategy International, and also acts as a Strategic Adviser to Lockheed Martin and ISG a Construction Company. His extra-mural responsibilities include Colonel Commandant The Royal Logistic Corps, Trustee Armed Forces Catholic Trust, Ambassador for the Open University Disabled Veterans Scheme and Captain of the General’s Golf Team! He has been married to Sue for 46 years and they have 3 married daughters, who all live and work in London. Seumas became a Trustee on 8th July 2014 and Chairman on 8th July 2020.

Gethin left the RAF in 1990 and joined The Royal Mail as a postal executive in charge of transport at Luton and went on to hold a number of senior roles within Royal Mail including Distribution Manager for Milton Keynes and Bedfordshire. Gethin then moved into the Recruitment Industry as Head of the Driving Division at Blue Arrow, one of the UK’s leading recruitment agencies. Gethin held this position until he set up Drivers Direct in 2002. During this time he held the position of Managing Director, where he was responsible for the business’ strategy and continued growth. In his last year alone, the company increased turnover to £26m. In 2021 Gethin sold the company to the management team and retired from his role as Managing Director. Gethin became a Trustee on 23rd April 2018.

Stuart Gunning has extensive work experience in the hospitality industry. He is currently the Vice President Finance – Group Business Controlling at PPHE Hotel Group. Previously, Stuart held senior finance positions at Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Radisson Hotel Group, Marriott International, Choice Hotels Ireland, and Jurys Doyle Hotel Group. His roles included Vice President of Finance, UK and Europe at Millennium Hotels and Resorts, Senior Finance Director and Director of Group Controlling at Radisson Hotel Group, Director of Finance at Marriott International, Group Finance Director at Choice Hotels Ireland, and Financial Controller at Jurys Doyle Hotel Group. Stuart has a strong background in financial management, strategic planning, and operational performance.

Stuart Gunning obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Glamorgan in 1995. He further pursued Finance studies at Chartered Accountants Ireland, earning the FCA designation from in 1999. Stuart became a Trustee on 5th October 2023.

Charles Marment spent 32 years in the Army Reserve with The Honourable Artillery Company where he finished as second-in command. 

He has been on the Victory Services Club Executive Committee since 2015 specifically advising on the Club`s stock market portfolio as the Chairman of the Investment Committee. He is the advisor to the board of Trustees of the Royal Artillery and 18(UKSF)Signal Regiment.

He manages funds at the Private Client investment firm Charles Stanley where he has worked for over 30 years and is a Liveryman of the Drapers` Company. Charles became a Trustee on 13th April 2013.

Steve Chisnall’s military career has spanned 28 years. During his RAF service he served in Germany during the Cold War, Northern Ireland in the early 90s, and was deployed to South Asia in 2002.

He also worked in the Ministry of Defence and in the Cabinet Office. During his career he visited many countries throughout the world, focusing on security issues, governance and development.

After leaving the RAF, Steve worked in the private sector for 3 years before joining the University of Southampton as a lecturer. His research interests are: International security issues, decision making in foreign policy and catastrophic and existential risks.

One of his key ambitions as lecturer is to bring his wide experience to help students develop their talents and skills. Steve’s main personal pursuits include cycling, swimming, skiing and walking mountains whenever possible. Steve became a Trustee on 8th July 2014.

Catherine is Managing Director of Bramcote International, a bespoke consultancy offering a range of business improvement services to national and international conference venues, associations and conferences.

She previously was Business Development Director for the NEC Group, Birmingham where she secured major conferences and led the project teams on high profile events including the G8 Summit, Conservative Party Conferences and the NATO Defence Ministers’ Informal Meeting.

She is married to Paul and they are proud owners of two Slovakian Rough Haired Pointers, Poppy and Daisy. Catherine became a Trustee on 2nd August 2017.

Rupert, a Chartered Surveyor, spent some 37 years in Real Estate at Knight Frank LLP (in the London based headquarter offices), where he was a Proprietary Partner and Global Head of Valuation & Advisory.  Rupert also served in the Army Reserve for 15 years, where he commanded a company with 4^th (V) Battalion The Royal Green Jackets. He continues to stay in touch with the Army though a trustee role with two of the reserve Rifle companies.

He is married to Alex, with four children, and lives in Oxfordshire. Rupert became a Trustee on 25th March 2024.

Petra Clayton is founder and CEO of Custard, a PR and marketing agency, which she launched in 2007 to deliver creative, strategic, and measurable marketing and communications solutions to the hotel, venue and hospitality supplier industry. With almost 30 years experience in marketing, including roles as Director of Marketing at the Institute of Hospitality Petra invests a lot of time into being on the pulse of all things marketing and understanding the pain points of the industry. Petra has also relished the opportunity to share her teaching and marketing expertise with the industry and is a trainer for the Master Innholders Aspiring Leaders Diploma. In a bid to giving more back to the industry, Petra is an ambassador for industry charity Hospitality Action and the Custard team also provide PR support to Walk for Wellbeing. Petra became a Trustee on 21st March 2021.

Jeff served for 34 years in the Royal Marines but, after commanding the Commando Logistic Regiment, essentially served in joint logistic appointments within the Permanent Joint Headquarters, Defence Equipment and Support and the Main Building of the Ministry of Defence. On leaving the Corps he joined Supreme Group, a military contracting organisation providing logistic support including fuel and food as well as facilities management to deployed militaries worldwide. Jeff spent four years as the Commercial Director for UK and Europe before departing and spending nine years as the Chief Executive Officer of the Worshipful Company of Butchers, one of the senior City of London Livery Companies. He is the Chairman of Trustees of the Falkland Islands Chapel Memorial Trust and a Trustee of the National Museum of the Royal Navy. For four years he was the Representative Colonel Commandant of the Royal Marines.              

He is married to Lucy; they have two adult children and live in East Anglia. Jeff became a Trustee on 15th June 2022.    

Major General Celia Harvey joined the Army Reserve in 1986 and commissioned at the RMA Sandhurst in 1987. With an extensive career in the British Army, initially serving with 2 Wessex, then with the REME from 1991 until joining the General Staff in 2005, she has held a diverse range of senior roles and responsibilities.

After serving as President of the Territorial Commissions Board, amalgamating it with the Regular Commissions Board to form the Army Officer Selection Board, she has gone on to hold positions as Assistant Director in the Directorate of Personnel Services and Assistant Commander 11th Infantry Brigade.

In 2015, she became Deputy Commander of Force Troops Command, and in 2018, Head of Strategy for the Reserves at Army HQ. She was promoted to Major General and served as Deputy Commander of the Field Army from March 2020 to April 2022. She was awarded the OBE in 2003 and the QVRM in 2008. She has also been an advocate for diversity and inclusion, serving as the Defence Champion for Sikhs in the Armed Forces and MoD from 2019 until 2023.

In civilian life, she has enjoyed a career in events management, lecturing, and she is now a Tribunal Member for the Ministry of Justice. Married to John, with a daughter, Rosie, her pastimes include designing escape rooms and exploring ancient civilisations. Celia became a Trustee on 27th March 2023.

Katy is an experienced lawyer, currently working in the Civil Service as a legal adviser to the UK Government. She is a military spouse with a young child, and cares deeply about the Armed Forces community. She is well versed in the challenges faced by serving families and has a special interest in supporting them.

Katy became a Trustee on 28th October 2024.

Joanne Taylor-Stagg is a seasoned hospitality professional with a range of experience across branded and independent hotels.  She is currently the General Manager of the five-star Athenaeum Hotel & Residences in Mayfair, London.

Joanne is a Fellow of the Institute of Hospitality, a Master Innholder, and an Innholders’ Scholar.

Growing up in South Africa shaped her beliefs, she aspires to lead her hotel with an Ubuntu philosophy, summed up as “I am because you are”. Ubuntu has underpinned the way she supports her teams to deliver exceptional results; with record breaking revenue and profits, exceeding both guest and team satisfaction indexes.  It has also led to her passion for ESG, a subject she is expanding her knowledge on.

Outside of the hotel, Joanne is an avid cyclist.  Although since becoming a dog parent, cycling has taken a bit of a backseat….

Joanne became a Trustee in October 2024.