Prior to retirement, Stuart had a wide-ranging 35 year career in banking, ultimately specialising in heading  Risk Management, Audit and Assurance function within NatWest, RBS, Coutts and Lombard. In addition, he was an Executive Leadership Coach developing appropriate culture across Senior Managers and Executives. He prides himself in having led highly successful diverse teams right across the UK.  Stuart qualified as an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers and also as a Chartered Banker.

Stuart has been heavily involved in national charities as a trustee and Vice-Chair of the UK Scouts and also as a trustee of the Royal Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA). In addition to his professional background, he has become an expert in charity governance. Through his work with the Scouts, where he is also Chair of the Nottinghamshire Scouts, Stuart has a huge interest in the education of young people, both formal and non-formal. He is a champion for the of the voice of young people.

Stuart has spent most of his life in South Nottinghamshire where he currently resides. He can be frequently found volunteering at the local RSPCA animal shelter.  Stuart totally disagrees with W C Fields, who coined the phrase “never work with children or animals”!