Rob Behrens CBE, Executive Chair, Parliamentary and Health Care Ombudsman

Rob Behrens has been Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman in the UK since 2017. Educated at Nottingham and Exeter Universities, he has been an academic (he is currently a visiting professor at UCL), Civil Servant and Ombudsman.

Rob worked on international public service reform and standards in public life while a Cabinet Office Civil Servant. In this role he was personally thanked by President Nelson Mandela for his contribution to the construction of a post-apartheid public service in South Africa.

Rob served as Secretary to the Committee on Standards in Public Life and then left the Civil Service on being appointed Complaints Commissioner to the Bar Standards Board in England and Wales. He then became Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education in England and Wales (2008-16). Rob was awarded a CBE in the 2016 New Year’s Honours List for his services to higher education.

Rob is Vice-Chair of the International Ombudsman Institute (Europe), after serving as Vice-Chair of the Ombudsman Association. He is a lifetime supporter of Manchester City FC.

Justin Maciejewski DSO MBE, Director General, National Army Museum

Justin Maciejewski joined the National Army Museum (NAM) as Director in March 2018, following 5 years with McKinsey & Company as a management consultant and a 27-year career in the British Army. He has been involved with military history and heritage throughout his professional life.

During his time with McKinsey, Justin led projects supporting clients in the private, public and social sectors, focusing on corporate strategy, organisational design and implementation of large-scale business transformation. He remains a senior external advisor with McKinsey & Company aligned to the People and Organisational Performance Practice.

His last appointment in the British Army was as Director Combat, the professional head of the Royal Armoured Corps and the Infantry.  Prior to this appointment he commanded the 12th Mechanized Brigade, a formation of about 7,000 soldiers.  He served as the Chief of Staff of The 3rd (United Kingdom) Division, the United Kingdom’s largest combat formation, a force of about 25,000 soldiers.  During this period, he also deployed to Iraq as the Chief of Staff of The Multi National Division (South East), based in Basra working closely with Iraqi and US forces.  He commanded 2nd Battalion The Rifles (2004-2007).  This period involved operational tours in Kosovo and Basra.  He was awarded a Distinguished Service Order for service in Iraq.  Prior to commanding a battalion Justin held a number of appointments both in leadership roles, where he served extensively in Northern Ireland, and in various staff positions.  These included in NATO HQ during the war in Bosnia and in the 1st (United Kingdom) Armoured Division as the operations officer (2001-2004) during which time he was awarded the MBE and Queen’s Commendation for Valuable Service for his role in the invasion of Iraq in 2003.

On leaving the Army, Justin held a brief visiting fellowship at the University of Oxford in 2012 as part of the Changing Character of War Programme under Professor Sir Hew Strachan.  He is a graduate of the UK Joint Services Staff College Higher and Advanced Courses.  He holds an MA in Defence Studies from Kings College, London and graduated in History from Cambridge University where he specialised in British Imperial and Military History

Alex Thomas, Programme Director, Institute for Government

Alex Thomas is a programme director leading the Institute for Government’s work on policy making and the civil service. He joined the IfG in January 2020, having previously been a director in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra), leading teams working on Brexit and animal and plant health.

Before that, Alex was principal private secretary to Sir Jeremy Heywood, cabinet secretary and head of the civil service.

Alex worked in the Department of Health from 2015–16, the Cabinet Office on constitutional and electoral matters from 2010–15, and in Defra from 2003–10 on a variety of environment, climate change and agricultural policies.

Elizabeth Passey, Chair of the Rural Payments Agency

Elizabeth is Chairman of The Rural Payments Agency, a Member of the Board of the National Lottery Community Fund, Non-Executive Director of VPC Specialty Lending Investments PLC, Chairman (Convener) of The University of Glasgow, Chairman of the Committee of Scottish University Chairs, and executive committee member of The Committee of University Chairs.

She is Senior Adviser to J Stern & Company Private Investment Office, a Trustee (past-Chairman) of the Wye & Usk Foundation, and a founding Trustee of The Black Mountains College Project.

She is a Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford – The Said Business School Centre for Corporate Reputation, and
Technical Advisor to WWF Global Futures Project. She is also an ambassador for The 30% Club and Co-Chair of The
30% Club Higher Education Initiative. Elizabeth is a Liveryman of the Goldsmiths’ Company.

She is a past Managing Director of Morgan Stanley, past Chairman of the Board of Morgan Stanley International
Foundation and a past Managing Director of Investec Asset Management. She is a past consultant to Artemis Fund
Management and EFG Harris Allday. She is a former Vice President & Member of Council of The Zoological Society of London, and former Programme Committee member of WWF-UK.

She graduated with a First Class MA Honours degree from The University of Glasgow. In 2015 she was named one of The 100 Women to Watch in Cranfield Business School’s Female FTSE Board Report.