Our Board of trustees
Sir Bobby Charlton – Founder
Footballing legend, Sir Bobby Charlton, founded The Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation after witnessing the destruction caused by landmines on visits to Cambodia and Bosnia. He remains heavily involved in the charity’s activities and ongoing development.
Stephen Cross
ChairStephen Cross has worked in the Insurance Industry for over 37 years and is a Founding Partner of McGill and Partners. Over his career Stephen has worked in Ireland, the Caribbean, USA and UK, and has travelled extensively around the globe primarily dealing with clients in the complex risks space. Stephen’s charity work has focused on reconstruction in South Africa and, more recently, Haiti. He joined the Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation in 2015 and became Chairman in 2017.
Lady Charlton
TrusteeLady Charlton has played a central role in The Sir Bobby Charlton Foundation since Sir Bobby Charlton first encountered the problems arising from landmine use during a visit to Cambodia in 2008. A mother and grandmother, she married Sir Bobby in 1961 and has been his most trusted advisor ever since.
Rupert Cecil
TrusteeRupert has 28 years of investment management experience. He is Head of Charities and Philanthropy at Brown Shipley. He is an associate of the CFA, member of the UK Society of Investment Professionals and a Chartered Fellow of the CISI. He is a Patron of the Royal Institution of Great Britain and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation where he chairs their Challenge Events Committee and is in training for his ninth London Marathon for the charity.
Jane Bateman
TrusteeJane is a modern languages graduate from Leeds University who worked for Sir Bobby at Bobby Charlton International in Manchester in the early 1990s. She joined The FA in 1998, and has led their International Relations team for twenty years, building networks across European and global football, supporting major tournament bids, and delivering programmes which explore the power of football as a vehicle for social change.
John Shiels
TrusteeJohn Shiels is the Chief Executive of the Manchester United Foundation which works to provide educational and personal development programmes for young people. John is renowned for his public speaking and inspirational talks in which he provides an insight into how the secrets of Manchester United’s success can be deployed in a competitive business environment. Prior to leading the Foundation John oversaw the operations of the Bobby Charlton Soccer School.