Our Trustees
David FitzHerbert - Chairman
David believes that the greatest gift one can be given is opportunity. With opportunity, the world is your oyster. He has been lucky enough to be able to start new businesses in many different parts of the world and tries to have a positive impact with these business: renewable energy; microfinance; school finance etc.
He is still an active rower and strongly believes that sport gives people of all ages the opportunity to enhance their lives and to make the most of their individual potential.
Dame Laura Lee - Trustee
Laura is CEO of Maggie’s. She worked as a Clinical Nurse Specialist in Edinburgh, where she gave chemotherapy to Maggie Keswick Jencks, Laura shared Maggie’s vision of a cancer support centre housed in a non-clinical and uplifting environment where anybody affected by cancer could visit to access practical information, psychological and emotional support to help them build a life beyond a cancer diagnosis. There are now a network of 26 centres with plans for future centres both in the UK and overseas. In 2016 Laura was awarded a Honorary Degree of Doctor from Queen Margaret University. In 2019 Laura was awarded a Damehood in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list for her services to people with cancer.
Laura is new to the sport but as a neighbour is keen to assist in growing and developing the support for young people through learning to row.
Dame Sally Coates - Trustee
Dame Sally has recently joined Fulham Reach Boat Club which she combines with her role of National Director of Secondary Education at United Learning, the biggest multi academy trust in the country, managing 46 secondary academies and 14 independent schools.
Dame Sally was the Principal of Burlington Danes Academy an 11-18 Ark Academy in Hammersmith & Fulham from 2008 - 2014. The school has 67% pupil premium and mostly serves the very deprived White City Estate. Burlington Danes was graded 'Outstanding' by Ofsted in November 2013. She acted as Executive Principal at Evelyn Grace Academy in Brixton until July 2012 and was Executive Principal of Ark Putney and West London Free School until July 2014.
Dame Sally was previously Head of Sacred Heart School, an Ofsted 'Outstanding' VA school in Camberwell, London Borough of Southwark. She has always worked in inner city schools in London and has been teaching since 1976.
Dame Sally chaired The Review of th Teaching Standards in 2012 and also chaired the Teaching Skills Test Review in 2013.
Her book 'Headstrong' lessons of school leadership was published in February 2015.
The Secretary of State for Justice, Michael Gove, asked Dame Sally to conduct an independent review into Prison Education in 2015. The Coates Review reported its findings in May 2016.
Dame Sally also serves as:
Trustee on Unlocked graduate scheme of prison officers, Trustee on Twinning Project, TTEC Commissioners in Education Group, Education Honours Committee, AQA School Leader Reference Group, FED Workstream - Levelling Up
Sally was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) in the 2013 New Years Honours List.
Dame Sally was awarded Fellowhip of the College of Teachers in May 2016 and Fellowship of City and Guilds in April 2019.
Rachael Henshilwood - Trustee
Rachael was introduced to rowing as a junior by her father as her state school couldn't offer rowing due to financial constraints. Her life since has been heavily centred around the sport competing internationally as a junior, marrying a GB lightweight and now their son is quickly following in their footsteps. Rachael has been a member of the FRBC board for three years and brings with her fourteen years’ experience leading development teams within the top independent schools in the UK and Australia. She is currently working at St Edward’s School, Oxford and previously has been at Eton College, Marlborough College and Melbourne Grammar School, helping them all deliver authentic community engagement programs that have led to multi-million pound fundraising achievements. Rachael is also a Governor of Lord Wandsworth College, Hampshire (a Foundation School supporting children who have lost the support of a parent), and a Trustee of the Windsor Learning Partnership (a Multi Academy Trust for State Schools in Windsor & Maidenhead). Rachael’s role in all of these charities is to support strategic development, governance, fundraising and communications.
Mark Elgar - Trustee
Mark has been involved with the club from its inception in 2014 and was appointed as a trustee on 4 April 2014. He is a Finance Director at St George PLC, Developer of the Fulham Reach scheme, which delivered the Fulham Reach Boat Club under its Section 106 agreement with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. He was actively involved in the set-up of the club with fellow trustee Matt Bostock and CEO, Steve O’Connor. He has worked for St George in a Finance role since joining the company in December 1993 and became a board director in November 2010.
Mark provides guidance to the CEO and other trustees on financial matters, with his financial background and is a member of the audit and remuneration committee. He became an associate member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants in 2003.
In his spare time he enjoys spending his spare time with his family, enjoys many sports (watching) and amongst other things is an Assistant Cub Scout Leader (8-10 year olds) in the Richmond-upon-Thames district, where he has been actively involved since 1993.
Charlie Pretzlik - Trustee
Charlie was appointed a trustee in February 2021. He has been a partner at Brunswick since 2017 which he joined after a career in banking at JP Morgan and a previous career in journalism at the Daily Telegraph and the Financial Times. At Brunswick, Charlie works with leading international companies on their corporate communications and financial transactions.
Charlie is an active club rower. He was introduced to rowing at Cambridge and now enjoys taking his single scull out on the Tideway at the weekend. Charlie helps organise the Hammersmith Regatta as the event's safety advisor and is a British Rowing umpire, attending races around the south east of England.
As a strong believer in the physical and mental benefits of rowing, Charlies feels passionately about FRBC's mission to make the sport more accessible.
Austen Runnicles - Trustee
Austen was appointed as a trustee in March 2024. He is a Technical Director at St George PLC, Developer of the Fulham Reach scheme, which delivered the Fulham Reach Boat Club under its Section 106 agreement with the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. He has been involved in all design and production aspects of the Fulham Reach scheme since it was started by St George, initially being employed as a consultant Architect for Distillery Wharf, and as such was actively involved in the design of the Fulham Reach Boat Club. He then moved over to St George in 2012 where he has worked across multiple developments around London and is now overseeing the design delivery of the final phase of Fulham Reach.
Austen provides guidance on health and safety matters to the CEO and other trustees using his construction background.
Outside of work he enjoys spending time with his family and dogs, playing golf, tennis and swimming.