Robin Morrison

Chair

Robin Morrison has had a varied career culminating in serving as Chief Executive in Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. 

A Chartered Civil Engineer, Rob’s early career at Dudley MBC involved setting up internal maintenance and service operations as profitable businesses competing for work. He moved to South Wales on local government re-organisation and took up the position as a Corporate Director in the newly formed Blaenau Gwent County Borough Council. 

As Blaenau Gwent is one of the poorest areas in the UK, having suffered industrial decline over many years, regeneration of the area is a core strategic priority. After successfully improving many services Robin was promoted to the position of Chief Executive. He led the transformation of social care and worked closely with Health colleagues on improving a wide range of services to facilitate the council’s Independent Living Strategy. 

Having developed key skills in regeneration he was tasked with leading the transformation of the former steelworks site in Ebbw Vale by attracting external funding and encouraging partners to invest in new developments on the site. This scheme was one of the largest regeneration projects in the UK, attracting funding for projects in excess of £300m, which included a new hospital and a Learning Campus. 

Robin retired in 2011 and re-located to Wolverhampton where he lives with his wife Jenny, a retired teacher. He has a daughter who lives in Derbyshire.

Yvonne Buckland

Board member

Yvonne is a highly qualified and professional self-employed Business Consultant and Interim Executive/Senior Manager, with over thirty years of experience at senior management level covering both the private and public sectors. 

She is a qualified accountant with expertise in business/financial modelling, public sector commissioning and procurement, business process re-engineering and change management. Yvonne is also a non-executive Board Member of a Registered Social Landlord and a School Governor.

Craig Holden

Board Member

Craig was appointed as a Non-Executive Director of Engaging Communities Solutions in April 2019 in order to bring his has marketing communications and digital marketing skills and experience into the company.

Craig has run his own specialist digital marketing company, based in Birmingham, since 2000, having started his career with Unilever in the mid-1980s. His company has provided marketing services for many companies over the years, large and small, across a wide range of sectors, principally in the private sector. Past clients have included: Barclays Bank, Sky Television, Anchor Foods, Marstons and Weetabix.

Craig is an active member of the Midlands branch of the Institute of Directors and has been heavily involved in the IoD’s final year student mentoring programme at the University of Wolverhampton since 2013.

Craig is also the Vice Chair of Governors at King Edward VI College, Stourbridge, where he chairs the Search and Governance Committee and sits on the audit Committee.

Craig was educated at Solihull School, and has an MA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oriel College, Oxford, graduating in 1985.

Craig lives in Harborne, Birmingham, is married to Lisa, and has two daughters. Away from work he is addicted to Rugby, and enjoys cycling, walking and playing the bass guitar.