Our people
The Telework Association has a volunteer board of directors who set the overall direction and strategy of the organisation and two executive directors who are responsible for day to day operations and business development.
Executive directors:
Shirley Borrett, Development Director
Shirley has been in the flexible working field since she was with Digital in the 1980s when they were pioneers of teleworking. She set up and ran Dexodus for ex-DEC employees and also a special interest group for the CIPD. Recently she has worked with the Future Work Forum at Henley Management College writing proceedings of conferences and working on research programmes. Shirley also has experience of remote learning, having gained her MBA from the Open University and written distance learning material for corporate clients. Her experience in running membership organisations, her knowledge of flexible working practices and her strengths in data and website management mean Shirley brings a unique set of skills to her new role of Development Director at The Telework Association. Email Shirley
Peter Thomson, Director of Research
Peter has been associated with Telework for the past 30 years having pioneered working at home with Digital Equipment where he was Personnel Director for 18 years. Having recognised the potential for telework to contribute to business success, when he left Digital in 19991 he set up the Future Work Forum at Henley Management College. He was the director of this centre for 15 years during which time it gathered information on the latest trend in work practices and the impact on organisations and management.
He was instrumental in setting up the UK Telework Platform in the early ‘90’s and was vice chairman of the DTI Special Interest Group on telework. He also ran the Telework World series of conferences during that period.
Peter is now a Director of Wisework Limited, the leading consultancy in the field of flexible working. He regularly speaks at conference on the future of work and the impact of flexible working on management.
Email Peter
Board of Directors:
The current diirectors of the Telework Association are:
Brian Higton
Brian Higton is a strong advocate of ‘flexible working’ practices. He believes that when properly applied, policies which give personnel more choice as to their work location and working times can significantly reduce operating costs for businesses, improve employee satisfaction, benefit the environment and strengthen local communities.
In addition to his responsibilities as Chairman of the Telework Association, Brian Higton is Business Development Director of Cygnet Solutions Ltd., an IT services company with considerable experience in helping organisations operate with a ‘distributed workforce’.
Brian is a frequent speaker on the commercial, technical, legal and human issues relating to the distributed workforce and a regular contributor to the business and technical press. Website: www.cygnets.co.uk Email: chairman@telework.org.uk
Simon Brookes
Simon has been involved in the Telecottage and Teleworker Movement since 1989, setting up the Moorlands Telecottage in NE Staffordshire in 1989, which is still operational. Currently works as Divisional Manager for Staffordshire Youth Service and runs a traditional farming business (remotely) in Devon, teleworking in respect of both occupations as and when necessary. As an interest Simon is actively involved in International Cave Exploration (mainly in South East Asia) with all expeditions being co-ordinated remotely using IT.
Ashley Dobbs
In 2000 Ashley Dobbs received the Royal Town Planning Institute Award for Innovative Sustainable Development for building the first televillage, “a unique and well-designed housing development in a new village form”, which is in Crickhowell, Wales. Ashley was an early disciple of teleworking in the 1980s and the founder chairman of the Telework Association. His work in the field of teleworking continues in his belief that “technology will make it increasingly easy for people to work remotely but how we telework needs to take account of the fact that people need people”.
Malcolm Newdick
After gaining his Doctorate in Biology Malcolm’s first IT jobs were as a computer programmer and tutor in Oxford University. In 1987 Malcolm set up his own IT company which he ran for seven years. He left to work with Save the Children Fund as IT Adviser to the Mozambique Ministry of Health. On his return he worked as a freelance IT consultant and founded Riverbank in 1997. Malcolm was Company Secretary for the Cochrane Collaboration (www.cochrane.org) from 2001 to 2003, and director of its trading company.
Chris Ridgewell
Chris is a founder member of The Telework Association and was elected to the Board in 1998. He is Chair of the national carers charity The NCNT and a Director of WiseWork Limited, a management consultancy specialising in helping employers to adopt more flexible working practices and work-life balance programmes. He is also a founder member of The Future Work Forum at Henley Management College.
Roy Guthrie
Roy Guthrie is a founder member of the Telework Association, and was elected to the board of Directors in 1996 is also a past Chairman of the organisation. Roy has been building an Eco housing Development in Central Scotland which is now complete, Prior to this venture was the MD of IT solutions Company specialising in Call Centre training and services, this followed many years in the printing industry seeing four technological revolutions in that time. Roy is Managing Director of The Heat Pump People Ltd a business offering consultancy, sales and installations of Heat Pumps, Solar Panels and other renewable energy solutions.
