PATRON - Anne Watts CBE

Anne Watts was appointed as Chair of the Appointments Commission from 1st April 2007 to 31st March 2011, which is an independent body providing a full recruitment service for chair and non-executive appointments to public bodies.

She is currently Chair of the Independent Panel on race equality for the NHS and for the last 2 years was the employer's representative on the steering group for the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights.

For over 25 years she has been a leading figure in diversity, recruitment and workplace development issues, with a strong track record across the private, public and voluntary sectors. Anne has also held executive roles relating to workforce and diversity in Business in the Community, HSBC and NatWest Bank. She currently serves on the boards of Greater London Enterprise, Opportunity Now, Race for Opportunity and the Open University and was an Equal Opportunities Commissioner from 1989 to 1995. She is a member of the School Teachers Review Body; a Trustee of the Eve Appeal for gynaecological cancer; and Vice-Patron of Working Families and Patron, Thatu, supporting community self-help schemes in South Africa.

"Our aim is to put our weight (and our money) behind self-help and home-grown projects amongst those who struggle to progress with few or no resources."