The Oxford Trust hires two experienced women as trustees

The new appointees are Lily Elsner and Emily Howman, who both bring significant expertise in entrepreneurship, healthcare, and science communication.

David Llewellyn, who served as an adviser to the board over the past year, has stepped down to relocate to Australia.

Steve Burgess, chief executive officer of The Oxford Trust, said: “We are pleased to welcome Lily and Emily to the board.

“Their expertise and vision will play a crucial role in furthering our mission to ‘encourage the pursuit of science’ within the region.

“They strengthen our already exceptional board, and I would like to extend my sincere thanks to all trustees for their continued commitment.

“We thank David for his insight and experience in running start ups which has helped the Board over the last year and wish him every success in Australia.”

Ms Elsner leads Jack Fertility, a start-up based at the Wood Centre for Innovation.

She brings first-hand knowledge of the local entrepreneurial ecosystem and is committed to supporting women in business.

Ms Howman is an independent healthcare strategy consultant at Aoraki Consulting and offers more than 20 years of experience in healthcare education and strategy.

She has worked on improving patient outcomes through therapeutic education targeted at healthcare professionals, patients, the public, policymakers, and investors.

Ms Howman also has a background in designing educational programmes to upskill sectors within the pharmaceutical industry and is particularly committed to science education for young people, especially encouraging girls to pursue STEM subjects.

Ms Elsner said: “It is a privilege to join the board of The Oxford Trust, an organisation that is so central to Oxfordshire’s innovation ecosystem.

“As a founder, I’ve experienced first-hand the value of supportive environments such as The Oxford Trust’s Wood Centre for Innovation.

“I look forward to contributing to the Trust’s mission and helping to champion entrepreneurship and diversity in science and technology.”

Ms Howman also expressed enthusiasm for her new role at a pivotal time for the Trust.

She said: “I’m delighted to be joining The Oxford Trust at such an exciting time with the opening of the new Aspen Building.

“The Trust plays a vital role in inspiring engagement with science and supporting innovation across the region.

“I’m particularly passionate about widening access to science education and encouraging more young people – especially girls – to see the opportunities available to them in STEM.”

The current board members now include John Boyle (chair), Megan Morys-Carter (vice chair), Lynne Pebworth (chair of education committee), David Carr (chair of finance committee), Jude Bennett, Prof Alistair Fitt, Jonathan Flint CBE, Tatiana Grudskaya, Imam Monawar Hussain MBE DL, Nicola McConville, and Prof Alison Noble.