Meet the Board

Louise Wall was appointed as Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce’s CEO effective from Thursday 18th June 2020.

Louise became the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber’s Group Commercial Director in the summer of 2014 and is responsible for overseeing all operations within the Chamber ranging from membership services, business support programmes and international trade.

Louise is a fully qualified HR professional with a breadth of experience across the public and private sector having headed up a successful small HR and IT consultancy business for nearly ten years, as well as key roles within Local Authorities, with an emphasis on the economy and enterprise.

She was previously Head of Sustainable Communities at Warwickshire County Council and founder member of the Coventry and Warwickshire Local Enterprise Partnership Executive board.

Robyn runs a Northamptonshire based insurance brokerage that specialises in providing personal protection advice. Robyn started the firm in 2016 and has over a decade of Financial Services experience under her belt. During her varied career in Financial Services, Robyn really found her passion when she began her last employed role as a Financial Consultant which focused on helping customers from all walks of life protect their futures. Robyn is proud to represent the insurance sector both locally and nationally, being awarded Young Business Person of the Year and being a finalist at the National Business Women awards 2018.

Being a firm believer in giving back to the local community in Northamptonshire, Robyn regularly volunteers with a variety of groups but mostly supporting young adults, especially encouraging any budding entrepreneurs. She has also raised funds for a number of organisations including The Special Care Baby Unit at the Kettering General Hospital and Niamh’s Next Step.

Solicitor of the Year for Northants in 2016, National joint runner up in 2020, Current Chair of the Region’s Local Skills Improvement Plan Executive Committee, Highly Commended by the Law Society, Past President of the Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce (and having received the County Award for ‘Outstanding Support’ in 2021) in his ‘day job’ as a nationally recognised litigation solicitor Kevin is Chair of the Board at Wilson Browne Solicitors. ‘WB’ are one of the largest firms of solicitors in the region, with 6 offices and over 160 staff. His teams are responsible for marketing and business development, human resources and operations including compliance, ICT and facilities management. Kevin also heads the Commercial Services offering for the firm and has been involved with Guilsborough since 2015, and on the Board since 2019.

Kevin practices in commercial dispute resolution and professional negligence and is recognised by the Legal 500, the ‘who’s who’ of the legal profession. He trained in both Manchester and London firms and has acted in a number of high profile cases that have attracted a good deal of media coverage. He is proud to act for local and national businesses, from sole trader to large companies, providing innovative funding options and practical commercial advice for clients large and small.

An advocate for local business (and for keeping business local!) Kevin is also a SEMLEP Enterprise Adviser and has been attached to Guilsborough since 2015 in a voluntary capacity that aims to link the classroom with the world of business, and regularly arranges visits to the school from key members of the business community.

Reemesh is a shareholding director and board member of numerous companies based in Northamptonshire within retail, property and service industries alongside a growing investment portfolio of companies.

Reemesh is married with three young children. He is described as a devoted father, multiple business owner and investor. A modern-day entrepreneur who challenges the norm and positively disrupts markets. Outside of his work life Reemesh is very passionate about most sports, but particularly football, martial arts and boxing, both as a spectator and competitor. Reemesh is a blackbelt in several disciplines and has even trained with the likes of Ricky “Hitman” Hatton.

Anna Clarke was appointed Group Director Employer Engagement and Partnerships at Milton Keynes College Group in September 2021.

Overseeing the College’s teams of engagement and delivery experts, Anna has overall responsibility for ensuring the College is at the heart of developing the local economy and supporting communities in Milton Keynes. This includes managing and developing partnerships with businesses to grow their talent pipelines, improve skills and drive change.

Having joined MK College in 2016, Anna has a wealth of experience in further education and training and has held a variety of senior posts across both the public and private sectors. As someone who is committed to nurturing innovation and creativity, Anna believes that collaboration is the key to success – working in partnership to find solutions that drive great outcomes for all.

Conor is Chartered Financial Planner, Fellow of the Personal Finance Society and after 16 years working in the profession founded O’Sullivan Financial Planning where he provides independent financial advice to both individuals and businesses. Conor originally began in the profession advising clients with Lloyds TSB and then spent the last decade working with HSBC progressing through various management roles to a Regional level covering London, South and East of England. Conor completed his time with HSBC working in head office as a Senior Propositions Manager leading a Transformational Programme and developing their Premier and Wealth strategy in the UK and worked with a number of HSBC’s markets across the world.

In addition to running his own company, Conor is an Area Director for Vision Independent Financial Planning where he provides supervision and guidance for a number of IFAs.

Conor has spent most of his life living in Northamptonshire, and is married with two young children, which dominate most of their time. Conor is an active reader, has a love of sport (although participation is limited these days) and dabbles with a little photography.

Steve is a Audit and Business Advisory Partner based at Mercer & Hole’s Milton Keynes office. He has significant experience in the Northampton and Milton Keynes market working with corporate businesses and not-for-profit organisations.

Steve has a strong background of working for independent schools and academies, ranging from single schools to large education groups. Within the corporate sector, he focuses on working with owners to achieve their ambitions across a wide range of sectors including manufacturing, property, construction, freight & logistics, retail and professional practices.

In 2016, Steve joined Mercer & Hole from Grant Thornton, where he had worked since 1986 and had been a Partner for the previous 18 years. He is a past President of both the Milton Keynes and Northampton Chamber of Commerce.

Outside of work, Steve has held the post of Governor at a Secondary School Academy for the past three years and is a Cub Scout Leader in the Northamptonshire village of Brixworth. Steve enjoys supporting Northampton Saints Rugby Union Club and Liverpool Football Club. He is married with three children.

Rachel holds both a Degree and Masters in Human Resource Management and is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD).

She has led a successful HR career for over 23 years, working with global corporations to drive and deliver their people strategies. She has managed HR teams across the UK, EMEA and the USA in a diverse range of sectors with much of her time in manufacturing and sales organisations.

In 2021 Rachel founded the multi-award-winning Haus of HR, providing HR advice and guidance to SMEs and Start-Up businesses. This is alongside Haus of Coaching which also provides executive, leadership and career coaching to individuals and organisations.

Rachel is also a Trustee Board Member at Trilogy Active. As well as being a SEMLEP Enterprise Advisor for Sponne School, Towcester.

Rachel lives in Towcester, with her husband and rescue cat Buddy. In her downtime, she loves to go hiking in the search of geocaches and well as exploring the Northamptonshire countryside on her mountain bike. She’s also an avid fan of all things motorsport, particularly F1. So if she’s not at home you might find her at Silverstone!

Richard is a ‘Member’ of The Institute of Leadership, a Mental Health First Aider, has qualifications in Health & Safety and Environmental Management plus ‘Cert CII’ status with the Chartered Insurance Institute.

Richard’s working life began at Barclays Bank, followed by time spent broking both mortgages and wine, before settling on a career in insurance. Richard has worked for both local and national insurance brokers and, in 2019, Richard joined Towergate Insurance Brokers, in their Northampton office.

Richard has spent the majority of his life living and working in Northamptonshire. Outside of work Richard enjoys cooking, in particular BBQ’s and Smoking meat, the cinema plus strength training coupled with the occasional cardio session.

Jev, the dynamic CEO of MANNOL UK, brings a wealth of experience from the automotive and industrial sectors.  At 20, he ventured to the UK, starting as a barista at Heathrow. Within 12 Months, he ascended to the role of head of sales for Europe and GCC Countries at Mannol, displaying unparalleled drive.  Jev’s determination led him to tackle the challenge of lifting Mannol UK out of debt. Fast forward to 2024, and he stands adorned with numerous awards, including Business Person of The Year, Diversity in The Workplace, Businessman of The Year, and Business of The Year, showcasing both personal and company achievements. The company is currently spearheading impactful initiatives, making significant strides in the automotive industry.

David has nearly 30 years’ experience in the Retail Business in the UK, Norway, Finland, and Switzerland. Working from the shop floor up to senior leadership, he returned to the UK and IKEA Milton Keynes in 2022. Over the last decade he has been heavily involved in the omnichannel and sustainability transformations that have been ongoing in IKEA. In Milton Keynes he sees a great opportunity for growth and is working with the team at IKEA MK to take the best of the British approach and the best of his overseas experience to create a mix that is special and unique, for staff, customers, and the business.

Away from the professional realm, David studied Medieval and Modern History at Birmingham University. David is currently the secretary for his Childrens’ PTA, and he is training to become a volunteer at Samaritans. He enjoys learning languages, cooking, and playing guitar (enthusiastically as opposed to with skill). He lives in Warwickshire with his wife, 2 children and 2 cats.