Peter is Head of the Centre for Tourism and Hospitality Management at Leeds Beckett University. He is author of several books and peer-reviewed journals and has appeared on a number of television and radio programmes discussing the tourism industry. Peter has owned businesses in the travel, ICT, waste management and publishing sectors, and has delivered consultancy work for organisations in a wide range of sectors across the world.

In 2021 Peter was Awarded the Victor Middleton Prize for Education and Scholarship by the Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE). Peter is a Fellow of the Tourism Management Institute and the Yorkshire and Humber representative, a Fellow of the Tourism Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Travel and Tourism, and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is Co-Chair of The Association for Tourism in Higher Education (ATHE), a Director of The Institute of Travel and Tourism and he represents ATHE on the Tourism Society Board and was formerly Vice-Chair of The Museum of Carpet. His research interests focus on business planning, visitor experiences, heritage management and Cold War tourism. Previously Peter worked as Head of Marketing, Leisure, Innovation and Enterprise at the University of Wolverhampton, and also managed the institution’s Arts Council funded Arena Theatre. Before working in academia Peter managed EU funded projects in the Peak District, tourism projects in Oxfordshire and spent a number of years working for The National Trust. He has been visiting Elvaston since he was 4 years old and lives nearby.

Tamsin is an award winning author and experienced business leader. Tamsin has a life-long passion for green spaces, historic buildings and their sustainable preservation for future generations. 

Over nearly two decades in business, and previously working at Rolls-Royce plc, Tamsin brings substantial programme management, procurement, strategy development, change management and stakeholder engagement experience. In addition to this, Tamsin brings a wealth of writing, photography, social media content creation and web editing expertise to the team. 

Chris is currently the Head of Finance (Deputy Section 151 Officer) for the West Midlands Pension Fund one of the largest Local Government Pension Schemes in the UK with assets of over £21bn. Chris trained with KPMG and has nearly 15 years’ experience in the Academy sector having worked across two Multi-Academy Trusts in the midlands during their periods of expansion; serving ten years as Chief Finance and Operations Office and a year as Accounting Officer. Chris has played a key role in the construction and successful opening of three secondary schools. Chris brings a wide knowledge on finance, estates, ICT, Health and Safety, HR, and governance to the Board and has served as a Trustee and Governor at several charities over the years. In 2022 Chris was shortlisted for Finance Director of the Year at the West Midlands Finance Awards recognising his work in developing the central services within a Multi-Academy Trust.

Alison is an experienced business development and programme management professional, having held senior leadership roles across the creative, commercial, not-for-profit, education, and financial services sectors. Within the trust, she is responsible for income generation, fundraising, operations, community engagement and events, working to drive sustainable growth and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders. Alison is also the Company Secretary and supports the trust with governance and strategic planning.

Former Global Head of HR with the Denby Group and with a wealth of senior general management experience. He now runs his own consultancy part-time. David is also a Trustee and Governor for the David Nieper Academy and has lived close to, and regularly visited, Elvaston for over 30 years.​​​

Caitlin works for the National Trust as a Collections Assistant and has experience of historic house cleaning and conservation, as well as records management and object cataloguing. She is experienced in working alongside volunteers and engaging visitors, making the world of conservation work accessible and exciting. She has a particular interest in archives and records management. She has been visiting the Elvaston estate for as long as she can remember, and is keen to contribute her heritage skills to the preservation of this wonderful site.

Jodie is an experienced behaviour specialist with a background in educational leadership, including advisory roles for the Ministry of Education in overseas territories. Jodie serves as an elected councillor for Derbyshire County Council, bringing valuable insight into local governance and community needs.

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Driven by a deep commitment to heritage, nature and the protection of green spaces, Jodie brings a values-led approach to every project. She is passionate about contributing to the long-term development and preservation of Elvaston Castle and its historic grounds, ensuring they continue to inspire and benefit future generations.

Ben has enjoyed a lifelong interest in nature and nature conservation leading to obtaining a Degree in Environmental Science.

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He has many years of experience working with and for a variety of environmental organisations and charities such as Groundwork, the Woodland Trust, DCC’s Countryside Service and many volunteer-run ‘Friends of’ Groups looking after small local nature reserves.

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 He also has a keen interest in local history and heritage, and regularly leads tours and guided walks across Derbyshire hoping to highlight the county’s fascinating past.

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He has fond memories of visiting Elvaston Castle as a child and is enjoying the opportunity to combine his love of nature and history in helping to look after the flora, fauna and historical gardens and buildings of Elvaston Castle alongside the hard working volunteer teams.

Chris is an internationally qualified coach specialising in professional behavioural change and is one of Raise the Bar’s consultants on change, behaviour & leadership.

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Having been a ‘Change’ professional for over 30 years – covering everything from cultural change to regulatory change across Financial Services, Health & Beauty, Construction, Manufacturing & Retail – he’s used behavioural science to understand people and influence outcomes in many different areas.

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Additionally, Chris is engaged by national sports teams and coaches to help use behavioural psychology to affect high performance.

Helping organisations and teams change their approaches and perceptions of diversity has become a regular feature of Chris’s work. He works with boards and senior leadership teams to create appropriate mental and policy shifts around inclusivity and cognitive diversity.