Margaret Casely-Hayford CBE

Margaret Casely-Hayford was appointed Chair of international development Charity ActionAid UK., in 2014. She was elected to the Board of the Co-op in May 2016; and in June 2016 was appointed a Trustee on the Board of the Radcliffe Foundation which is a 300 year old organisation that funds arts and music projects.

For nine years until July 2014 she was Director of Legal Services for the John Lewis Partnership.

She worked for twenty years previously with City law firm Dentons where she was a partner.

After 30 years as a lawyer, she retired from executive roles. She now advises young entrepreneurs, organisations on governance and those embarking upon board careers. Promoting board diversity, she’s a Board Apprentice ambassador. She’s Chair of the Advisory Board of Ultra Education, which teaches entrepreneurial skills to primary school children and is manager of a rap artist and digital media entrepreneur.

During 2012-2016 Margaret was a Government appointed non-executive director of NHS England, and was on the Board of the British Retail Consortium. From 2000-2008 she was a government appointed trustee of Great Ormond St Children’s Hospital Charity, and the Geffrye Museum; and was on the development board of the Young Vic theatre.

In 2014 Margaret was named by the Black British Business Awards as Business Person of the Year. This year Margaret was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Business Faculty of Middlesex University.