Our Board of Trustees

Geoff Bull – Chair of Board 

I have been a trustee of Crossroads since 2015 and Chair of the Board since 2018.

I retired as Director of Croda International Plc having worked for over 35 years in the chemical industry. I primarily operated in global export markets initially as President Chemical Europe and later as President Chemicals Asia Pacific.

Subsequently I became active as an independent consultant to corporate finance in the chemicals sector advising on acquisitions and strategies for growth.

My skills include business management and transformation; financial management and profitability improvement. I hold a BA in Modern Languages.

Aside from the usual Chair of the Board tasks, I enjoy attending the launch of new services and initiatives on behalf of Crossroads Together.

I am married with three grown up children and four grandchildren. My interests include sport, music and travel plus volunteering for the National Trust.

Tim Horton – Vice Chair 

I have been a trustee since 2016. Initially, I got involved as a volunteer to help review IT services delivery.

Professionally, I help pharmaceutical companies to solve IT problems. I worked for AstraZeneca for many years delivering enterprise-wide IT services and latterly working with R&D to build and run global applications to support drug discovery and development. Now, I help biopharmaceutical companies and suppliers collaborate to address industry-wide challenges. In all these roles I need to get things done, be mindful of the finances and work to create effective teams.

I have a degree in Chemistry from Sheffield University and am a Member of the British Computer Society.

I am married with four children, one of whom is still at home. I am the parent of a child with Down’s Syndrome. In this role, I have benefitted from the care offered by a variety of local and national support organisations. But I’ve also experienced first-hand some of the challenges in the social-care sector to deliver effective services to those with special needs.

Simon Burrow – Board Member 

My 30 year career has been spent in the food industry, working as a professional negotiator leading sizeable cross functional teams, facilitating long term supply agreements between manufacturers and the big UK supermarkets.

My experience stretches across finance, marketing, supply chain and logistics, category management, production and sales, giving me a broad perspective on the pressures facing a business. Having retired from the food industry, I now work as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor and have run several courses to train First Aiders within Crossroads Together.

Twenty years ago my mother was supported through my late father’s Alzheimer’s by the then Crossroads organisation, and being a Trustee allows me to repay the kindness shown to our family.

My key skills from the corporate world enable me to offer guidance and support in a variety of operational areas as well as overseeing the governance of the charity.

I am married with two grown up children; my wife recently retired from the pharmaceutical industry, my daughter is a newly qualified midwife and my son, having served his country in South Sudan and Afghanistan, has now left the British Army and works in Digital Marketing. In my spare time I am a keen cyclist and runner.

Lisa Birtles – Board Member 

I am a people and organisational transformation specialist, and as the Director of The Resourceful Partnership, I help business leaders troubleshoot, design and lead impactful, ethical and respectful change programmes that engage people effectively.

I am a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD), and have held senior HR and organisational development roles working across many areas of the pharmaceutical industry, social housing, the NHS & private sector.

I have been a Trustee of Crossroads Together since 2021.  I was keen to get involved with the charity as I had previously done some fundraising and pro bono 1:1/group coaching work for my local Young Carers group. I wanted to play a small part in providing support and resources to help young carers be heard and seen, and to create a future for themselves.

I am an experienced business & personal coach and work with 1:1 clients from all sectors.  I am passionate about learning and personal growth and enjoy empowering others to help them realise their strengths and achieve their desired goals.

On a personal note, I enjoy walking, a good medical/forensic/crime drama or cooking show and spending time with my family which includes my husband, two sons and two cats.