Dyslexia Action Board

The Board is a voluntary body which is responsible for the overall financial and professional viability of Dyslexia Action and for its effectiveness in delivering its services to those who need them. It achieves this through the establishment of a long-term (3-5 year) strategy and an Annual Plan. These encompass Dyslexia Action’s professional services, its other activities, financial goals, the markets it seeks to serve and its staff.

Anna Tylor (Chair)

Anna Tylor became Chair of the Board at Dyslexia Action in December 2009.

Anna has an MSc in Sociology and Social Policy and her post graduate research was on disability. She has a long standing commitment to social inclusion that is reflected in both her voluntary and working life.

She has worked as a consultant in the public and private sectors and has also helped deliver successful business and social inclusion strategies in both commercial and not for profit settings in the UK and Eastern Europe.

She was previously acting Chief Executive of the Hornsby International Teaching Centre and led on the merger with The Dyslexia Institute. She has chaired the Right to Read Alliance on behalf of Dyslexia Action, which is working in partnership with the publishing industry, to try to widen access to text books and reading for pleasure by the print disabled, including those with Dyslexia.

She has previously chaired the Bursary fund and Governance committees and currently serves on Governance, Bursary and Finance.

Anna is the parent of a grown up son with dyslexia.

Barry Coupe

Barry was born in Preston, Lancashire in 1951, and educated at Canford School in Dorset. He qualified as an architect at Leeds University and since 1980 has run a busy and successful practice in Cambridge and Newmarket.

Barry has been married to Shân for 25 years and they have two sons - Matthew (21) who is at De Montfort University and Ben (18) who is at Bredon School, Tewkesbury.

Barry enjoys everything to do with cars and motor sport, including owning a collection of cars, both old and new. His other hobbies include photography and travel and he has a penchant for Real Tennis. However, his greatest love, which is shared with the rest of the family, is a home on the Isles of Scilly.

Dyslexia Action is a new interest. The experience of having two dyslexic sons caused Barry to realise how much work there is to do in raising awareness and helping others with the problems caused by dyslexia.

Ken Piggott

Ken is a former Managing Director of Boots The Chemists Ltd and an Executive Director of The Boots Company Plc.

He graduated from The University of Birmingham in 1970, with the degree of Batchelor of Commerce (1st class).

In a career spanning over 30 years, he has managed a number of major UK retail businesses, including Childrens World, Do-It-All, and Halfords Ltd, and led Boots until his retirement in 2003.

He is currently Chairman/Non-Executive Director of three commercial businesses, a Board member of The Disabled Living Foundation, and a local councillor.

He was appointed to the Dyslexia Action Council in January 2004.

Ken lives near Nottingham and is married to Jane, who works at the Nottingham Dyslexia Action Centre. They have two (adult) children.

Peter Sedgewick

Peter joined the Board of Dyslexia Action in June 2007.

Peter was educated at Westminster Cathedral Choir School and Lincoln College, Oxford and has a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics and a Masters degree in Economics. He is non-executive Chairman of 3i Infrastructure Ltd and has previous experience at board and management level of large organisations.

Peter has been a member of London Symphony Chorus since 1973.

Anneli Collins

Anneli is a partner at KPMG, her current position being European Head of Private Equity Tax.

Prior to working with KPMG, she worked for Ernst & Young in Glasgow, New York and London.

Anneli has a law degree from the University of Glasgow. Many members of her family are teachers and she has an understanding of dyslexia/ SpLD. She has been volunteering for Dyslexia Action for half a day a week and working on the DAMP project.

Her interests including running (marathons), cycling, walking, singing (she says ‘badly!), and is a Trustee of After Adoption, an adoption placement and support charity.

Judy Bloomer

Judy Bloomer BA Cert Ed, qualified in 1974 at Homerton College, Cambridge. As a teacher, she taught in Surrey Education Authority schools.

After a career break to have her children, she and a partner, ran a busy retail business for 5 years. Subsequently, she retrained as a psychotherapist working in private and GP practice until 2004. She specialises in anxiety and learning problems. She has worked for many years advising and coaching senior executives within the corporate sector.

Art and design have always been a major interest and most recently she interior designed a floor of new offices in Bond Street. Always theatrical, she has organised and produced the awards dinner for several years. She chairs the Development Committee.

Judy is involved with various charities, notably Action on Addiction, NSPCC, The Eve Appeal and Dyslexia Action. As an ex English teacher Judy maintains a keen interest in children, literacy and the challenges of adolescence.

Judy has three children aged 29, 27 and 16. Her youngest daughter is dyslexic and very dyscalculic.

David Levin

David is an equity partner in Eversheds LLP, one of the world’s largest law firms with more than 2000 lawyers across 21 countries. David is based in Eversheds’ international headquarters in the City of London and, amongst other roles, is the liaison partner for the corporate work done across the firm’s Central and Eastern European offices.

David has 25 years’ experience of advising UK and international corporations and financial institutions on transactions and corporate governance. His experience includes working as General Counsel for European operations of two large US media conglomerates.

David is a regular speaker on topics on which he advises his clients, principally in the highly regulated energy and financial services sectors.

David has a Bachelor of Laws degree from Liverpool University and, as a result of graduating at 19, has the distinction of being one of, if not the, youngest people to be admitted as a Solicitor of the Supreme Court of England and Wales.

Lawrence Bailey

Lawrence joined the Board of Dyslexia Action in June 2007 as Chairman of the Finance Committee.

Lawrence has been involved with Dyslexia Action’s Awards Dinner and has numerous friends and colleagues who have dyslexia.

Lawrence was educated at Perse School for Boys and gained an Honours Degree in Economics at the University of Westminster. He has been a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accounts since 1975. His hobbies include game fishing, real tennis, sport and gardening.

Judy Baker

Judy Baker retired in 2008 from the Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure where she was a Board Member from 2007-2008, prior to this she was Deputy Director of NISCC (National Infrastructure Security Co-organisation Centre). Judy initiated this new business which became a world leader in its field.

She held various posts within the Ministry of Defence from 1986 – 2000.

Her son and niece are dyslexic and other members of her family specialise in assessment and education for those with learning problems.

Judy has a BSc from Exeter University in Psychology and Maths.

Brian Patman

Brian is Managing Director of Oakwood City, a company that provides learning and development support to corporate clients in banking and financial services worldwide.

His working life has spanned both public sector (English teaching and NHS management) and private sector (head of learning and development in a number of international investment banks).

His other voluntary activities have included working on the boards of MIND, Age Concern, and Relate. He has served as Chairman of Governors in schools in Berkshire and Sussex, and has served as a consultant, on psychological preparation for performance, for UK Athletics.

Brian has experience of dyslexia in his family. That experience has confirmed his commitment to the initiatives that can prove transformational for people who are dyslexic.

Richard Green

Richard co-founded August Equity in 2001. He is now chairman of the firm and chairs its Investment Committee. August Equity invests in rapidly growing UK service oriented businesses in the healthcare, technology and support services sectors.

He previously spent 13 years at Kleinwort Benson (latterly Dresdner Kleinwort Benson) where he started his private equity career. Prior to that, Richard spent five years with Coopers and Lybrand where he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.

Richard has a BA in Accountancy. He is a formermember of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (“ICAEW”) and a former vice chairman of the Corporate Finance Faculty of the ICAEW. Richard is also a past chairman of the British Venture Capital Association and still represents August Equity on the BVCA’s Mid Market Committee.

Richard is a non executive director of Velocity Holdings and the Chairman of Boat International. He is also member of the Advisory Board of North East Finance, and a trustee of both The Chartered Accountants Livery Charity and Dyslexia Action.Richard is a regular speaker at private equity events and conferences.

Related Topics Dyslexia Action Board, Anna Tylor, Anneli Collins, lawrence bailey, Judy Baker, Peter Sedgewick, Judy Bloomer, Ken Piggott, Barry Coupe