Who we are Meet the Senior Management Team The CEO invites you to meet the Senior Management Team I wanted to introduce your senior management team here at the League. We have a job of work to do; that of being the voice of animals persecuted in the name of sport. To protect these creatures, we need to be influential and powerful, facing down the challenges with a mixture of determination, moral courage and resilience. We have assembled a professional senior management team that can do just that; hiring the best we can in the market place to deliver the effects we need and also to ensure that the League has the best back office support it needs to grow. A charity like the League needs experts in every area – from animal welfare to accountancy! So please meet the Team. Chief Executive Officer - Andy Knott MBE It’s a privilege to be leading the League as we approach our Centenary. I hope that I can use my 27 years in leadership, including posts as a Director of a market-leading US Multinational and as an Army Commanding Officer to bring focus and purpose to our charitable outcomes. As a former UK Chartered Manager of the year, I know how important it is to have the right people in the right posts and the importance of trust when building strong teams. I see my role as helping to create the conditions that help others do their jobs well, in the process helping us all build a kinder society through the way we treat animals. Director of Policy, Campaigns and Communications - Chris Luffingham Chris is our Director of PCC, now approaching his third year in post. Chris is a political campaigns and communications specialist. He has worked across political parties at local and national levels. During 2014-15, as National Campaigns Director, he took the Green Party to their most successful election results in their history; quadrupling their share of the vote. In 2012 he led the successful campaign to elect the independent candidate George Ferguson as Bristol’s first mayor. Director of Investigations - Martin Sims For most in the Animal Welfare Sector, Martin needs no introduction. Recently retired as the Head of the National Wildlife Crime Unit, where he worked with all police forces across the country and many Non-Governmental Organisations. A former Chief Inspector, Martin served 31 years in the police, much of it in the prevention and detection of wildlife crime, including as part of the Surrey Police mounted section monitoring the hunts pre the Hunting Act. Martin leads a large team of analysis, enforcement officers and investigators that are focused on the prevention and prosecution of those that want to break the law. Director of Marketing and Fundraising - Emma Smith Emma joined us in 2017 and has 15 years’ experience of Marketing and Fundraising in the not–for–profit sector. She brings a huge breadth of experience and is now developing creative strategies to attract the new audiences we need to grow our presence across the UK. Emma’s expertise in Marketing and Fundraising will take our supporters on the journey of a lifetime, helping them to breath more life into the voice of animals. Director Scotland - Robbie Marsland Scotland has a significant economy based around cruel sports and we are fortunate to have Robbie Marsland as our Director in Scotland. For the past 30 years Robbie has had a background in social change. He has held senior management roles in campaigns on the issues of homelessness, human rights, international development and animal welfare. He has been our Director Scotland for the past four years and for six years before that he was the UK Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare. Head of Finance - Neal Soleil Neal joined the League in January 2018 and is currently holding the interim position as Head of Finance. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants with 30 years’ experience of working in Finance. Having worked in practice for six years, Neal then moved to the not-for-profit sector where he has gained valuable knowledge and experience working for non-departmental government bodies and eventually in the charity sector. Neal came to the League after six years working as Head of Finance at Compassion in World Farming. Head of Conservation and Education - Paul Tillsley One of our longest serving member of staff is Paul Tillsley, who has worked for the League since January 2000, after many years volunteering both on the League’s wildlife sanctuaries and as an undercover investigator. After gaining qualifications in Environmental Science, Environmental Education and teaching, Paul spent some time as a secondary school science teacher. He became Sanctuaries Manager in 2001 and from 2005 he also ran the League’s Investigations team. In 2016, Paul took on his current role as Head of Conservation and Education. Paul’s extensive knowledge of wildlife, hunting and shooting and his photography is well known in the animal welfare sector.