CCE Directors
Alex Skailes, Director
Alex Skailes is CCE's Director. She is a senior academic within the Faculty of Management and her research interest focuses on social value creation through merger. She has a long-term career in corporate and nonprofit client advisory work and believes strongly in the merits of cross sector working and learning. As Director at CCE, Alex leads the team of core programme directors and associate consultants.
Alex is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (FCA), holds their post graduate diploma in charity accounting and has an MSc with distinction from the Business School in Voluntary Sector Management. She holds a BA from University College London and is a Freeman of the City of London. Alex is a fellow of Royal Geographical Society and the Royal Society for Arts, Manufacturing and Commerce. She is an experienced Chair and trustee and currently sits on the finance and audit committee of the Seckford Foundation. She is a member of the UK branch of the International Women’s Forum.
Find out more about Alex on her Academic Experts page.
Dr Justin Davis Smith CBE, Director of the Charity Master's programme
Dr Justin Davis Smith is Director of the Charity Master’s programme and an Associate Professor in Voluntary Sector Management. He was previously chief executive of Volunteering England, director of the Institute for Volunteering Research and Executive director of volunteering at NCVO. He has over 20 years researching and leading in the voluntary sector and has advised the UK Government and the United Nations on the development of volunteering policy. He wrote the volunteering strategy for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and has published numerous articles and books on volunteering and the voluntary sector.
He has been a member of the awards committee for the Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service and advisor to the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes for Higher and Further Education. He served on the Council of the Economic and Social Research Council from 2012-2015. He is a trustee of the Watford FC Community Trust and of the Royal Voluntary Service charity.
His research interests include the management and leadership of volunteers and the history of voluntary action.
Find out more about Justin on his Academic Experts page.
Professor Paul Palmer
Professor Paul Palmer is Professor of Voluntary Sector Management.
Paul has extensive knowledge of charity finance, management and governance issues. He was a member of the Charity Commission SORP committee from 2000-2005, and a Past President of the Royal Society of Public Health and a Director of the NCVO Trading Company.
Paul's current voluntary work includes being a Founder Trustee of the Honorary Treasurers Forum, the Chair of the Grant Making Committee of the Hospital Saturday Fund, and Vice President of the Nonprofit Academic Centers Council. He acts as an independent consultant on Charities to UBS Wealth Management, and an independent expert on charity dispute issues for courts and arbitration.
Find out more about Paul on his Academic Experts page.