Steven Haines
Steven Haines joined the Bar Standards Board as a Lay Member on 1 January 2017. Steven is currently the CEO of Lightspeed Broadband Ltd a new venture which provides broadband services in the East of England. He is also a strategic advisor to AtmosClear Investments and Mathematico a new venture on on-line learning system for A level students.
Prior to this he was Managing Director in BT Group Previous roles include Managing Director in the new independent Openreach Executive, Managing Director for BT Group (Mobile), where he was responsible for transformation into a mobile business, and Chief Operating Officer/Managing Director BT Wholesale.
Steve is a highly accomplished senior executive and NED with over 20 years’ experience operating at board level in complex and challenging competitive markets and regulated organisations. A strategic thinker who demonstrates passion, collaboration and drive to deliver outstanding business growth. His inclusive and empathetic leadership style creates a culture of achievement through unity, trust, transparency and personal integrity.
Gisela Abbam FRSA
Gisela Abbam FRSA is a Senior Director for Government Affairs at Revvity, a global science and technology corporation. She is the Chair of the General Pharmaceutical Council, UK and former Chair of the British Science Association. She also serves on the Board of Everywoman Ltd and Briyah Institute, USA. Gisela is the Founder and former Managing Director of OTGA Management Consultancy. Gisela is a Commissioner for the National Preparedness Commission in UK. She has worked in conjunction with the WHO, World Bank and the UN to improve health outcomes globally. She is also a Global Goodwill Ambassador.
Gisela was named one of the 100 Women to Watch for FTSE 350 Boards. Gisela was the winner of the 2019 Black British Business Person of the Year Award. She was awarded Iconic Woman creating a better World for All by the Women Economic Forum. In 2018, Gisela was awarded Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce for her contribution to social change. Previously, she was the Director of Strategic Partnerships and a Company Officer for Abt Associates, one of the top 20 global research and evaluation companies.
Gisela was also previously the inaugural Global Executive Director for Government Affairs & Policy for General Electric Healthcare. She developed the global function. She was responsible for the strategic direction of government affairs and policy for GE Healthcare, the $18 billion business unit of GE that provides transformational medical technologies to health customers in over 100 countries. She was part of the leadership team that set up the Centre for Public Health Excellence at NICE.
Gisela has written over 50 white papers on various public policy issues.
Alison Allden OBE
Alison Allden OBE joined the Bar Standards Board as a Lay Member on 1 January 2017. Alison has a professional background in higher education, IT, culture and archaeology. She retired from the post of Chief Executive at The Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) in 2015. Previous senior posts include Deputy Registrar and Director of IS as a member of Bristol University's senior executive team and Director of IT at Warwick University.
Having retired in 2015, Alison maintains a portfolio of non-executive roles including being on the Boards Regent's University London Study Group UK and is an external member on the Cambridge University Information Services Committee. She is also currently a Senior Advisor with Wells Advisory UK, a higher education consultancy and undertakes governance reviews with AdvanceHE.
She is a Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS), a member of the Institute of Field Archaeologists (MIFA) and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (MCILIP).
Alison was awarded an OBE for Services to Higher Education in the 2016 New Year Honours.
Emir Feisal JP
Emir is a Chartered Accountant and a specialist in transformational change. The majority of his career was spent at the Sunday Times as Associate Managing Editor for this leading Sunday Paper.
He is a Commissioner for the Judicial Appointments Commission, which selects candidates for judicial office in Courts and tribunals. He is at present also a Board member and Audit Chair of the Serious Fraud Office, the Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency, The Pension Ombudsman, the Honours Committee, and is a trustee of The Henry Smith Charity, one of the largest grant makers in the UK. He is involved in a number of initiatives in the diversity and inclusion arena.
He has held non executive board member positions with Lambeth Clinical Commission group, London Metropolitan University, and the Bar Tribunal Adjudication Service, amongst others.
Simon Lewis
Simon Lewis was called to the Bar in 2012. He has particular expertise in employment and equality law. He is an independent member of the Advisory, Conciliation and Arbitration Service (ACAS) Council, a trustee and board member of the ASDA Foundation, and the senior independent director of Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust. He sits as a part-time judge and has various independent regulatory roles in healthcare, sport, finance and business. He is a member of Exchange Chambers.
Irena Sabic KC
Irena Sabic was called to the Bar in October 2002 and took silk in 2023. She is a member of Garden Court Chambers and an established public law practitioner with a particular expertise in immigration and asylum, community care, housing and planning law. In recent years Irena has focussed on the representation of vulnerable children and adults subject to immigration control. Irena is regularly invited to deliver lectures and seminars to solicitors, public bodies and NGOs. She is a Trustee and Board member of Trauma Treatment International.
