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Home » Meet the ASTO Team

Office Staff

Kerry McMillan

Kerry McMillan

Chief Executive

Contact Kerry for questions about Sail Training, compliance with membership, Trinity House bursaries and coding queries.

Michelle Moorman

Michelle Moorman

Project & Operations Coordinator

Contact Michelle for questions about Small Ships Races, the ASTO UK Sail Training conference, ongoing projects and initial enquiries from members.

Shannon Salisbury

Shannon Salisbury

Membership & Administration Officer

Contact Shannon for any enquiries about the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS), Educare/Online courses, updates to our UK Sail Training member directory, flags, forms, and posting jobs online.

Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Kyd KBE
Hon Nusrat Ghani MP
Rear Admiral John Lang, John H. Hamilton, OBE
HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, GCVO, GCStJ, CD

Patrons & Presidents

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HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh
GCVO, GCStJ, CD

Royal Patron

HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh has been patron of ASTO since 2011. She has made regular visits to meet the young crews who sail with ASTO’s 31 member charities.

The Duchess of Edinburgh | The Royal Family

Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Kyd KBE in his Royal Navy Uniform

Vice Admiral Sir Jeremy Kyd KBE

President

Sir Jerry is a Royal Yachting Association Yachtmaster and a Member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, a Younger Brother of Trinity House, and a Distinguished Fellow of RUSI. He remains passionate about the critical value of youth development and children’s education to maximise their potential, build life skills and enhance their confidence. Sir Jerry was also President of Royal Navy boxing and Navy Ice Sports, both of which are exciting and testing activities to bring out the best in young people. Additionally, he was a regular volunteer skipper taking young naval personnel out for ‘tester’ sails around the Solent and the Channel.

Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO) announces new President – Promoting UK Sail Training

Hon Nusrat Ghani MP

Hon Nusrat Ghani
MP

Vice President

Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons,

Chair of Ways and Means,

MP for Sussex and Weald

Association of Sail Training Organisations (ASTO) announces new Vice President

Rear Admiral John Lang​

Rear Admiral John Lang

Vice President for Life

John H. Hamilton, OBE​

John H. Hamilton, OBE

Vice President for Life

Trustees

Mark Todd, MBE​

Mark Todd, MBE

Chair

Mark joined the ASTO Board of Trustees as a representative of our member organisations in his role as Chief Executive of OYT South before becoming Chair in 2021. Mark is a Younger Brother of Trinity House, sits on the RYA Yachtmaster Qualifications Panel and is an Associate Fellow of the Nautical Institute. He also stays in touch with the realities of delivering sail training by skippering several trips a year for OYT South and says that creating the environment that allows young people to make positive changes to their life during a voyage is one of the best contributions you can make – and is also a lot of fun!

Brian Johnson, CBE​

Brian Johnson, CBE

Vice Chair

Brian started his working life as an engineer in the chemical industry, then led a number of organisations in various sectors through turnarounds. Since finishing four years as Chief Executive of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency in 2022, he has been an advocate for the positive impact of sail training.

Ray Cockrem​

Ray Cockrem

Treasurer

Ray is a qualified Chartered Accountant and has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics, and has had a long career in the financial services industry.  He currently heads up the Internal Audit function at State Street Bank and Trust in London.

Ray is a keen sailor, and an enthusiastic supporter of sail training and became an ASTO Trustee in 2020.

Lindsay Bridges​

Lindsay Bridges

Trustee

Lindsay experienced first-hand what sail training can deliver through growing up sailing and then volunteering with and being part of the training scheme with Ocean Youth Club before embarking on a career in the shipping industry. That belief in the power of the outdoors to support youth development has continued through extensive volunteering with Girl Guiding both in the UK and overseas.  As Global Head of HR for DHL Supply Chain Lindsay brings strong people development experience to the board and is an advocate for diversity and inclusion. 

Amanda Butcher, MBE​

Amanda Butcher, MBE

Trustee

Amanda started a career in the RAF after gaining a degree in Mathematics and Chemistry from the University of Exeter. She represented the RAF in offshore sailing and tennis. After leaving the RAF she moved to the Charity sector and was CEO and Director of several UK charities. Her involvement with Sail Training started during her time with the Jubilee Sailing Trust.  She has been a Trustee of ASTO since 2009.  She is also a Trustee of GirlGuiding South West England and an Ambassador of the Royal International Air Tattoo.

Martin Coles CBE​

Martin Coles CBE

Trustee

Martin recently retired as Chief Executive of the Marine Society & Sea Cadets, a role he had held since 2010 leveraging his extensive business experience gained from his previous 30-year career in industrial and commercial property. Martin is a Younger Brother of Trinity House and a member of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights. Martin’s CBE was awarded for services to youth development and seafarers, and he brings that passion to the ASTO Board.

 

Alongside enjoying sailing, Martin continues to volunteer with Sea Cadets, where he runs a Junior section, is a dinghy, power boat and first aid instructor, and enjoys acting as a relief coxswain on the Sea Cadets tallship TS Royalist.  

Martin was awarded a CBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours for services to youth development and seafarers.

Tim James

Tim James

Trustee

Tim James is an experienced business owner and entrepreneur having built and sold a number of successful businesses following a successful career in retail. He continues to be a main board Director of H&G, an investment fund listed on the Sydney stock exchange. Tim brings an understanding of marketing and commercial acumen to the ASTO board. Tim now chairs the Investment Committee.

A keen sailor, Tim is a Yachtmaster and member of the Royal Southern Yacht Club. He has cruised extensively in Northern Europe and Co-owns Banter, IRC6 Cowes week winner in 2023 and consistent top 20 finisher in the RTIR.

Annant Shah

Annant Shah

Trustee

Annant is an experienced senior executive and Board member with a long career in the energy business. He’s currently Commercial Director for SSE’s UK energy supply business. Annant is a keen sailor and an enthusiastic supporter of sail training having volunteered with Rona Sailing Project and OYT South over the last twenty years.  Annant brings experience in investments and will chair the Investment Committee.

David Snelson, CB​

David Snelson, CB

Trustee

Rear Admiral David Snelson served in the Royal Navy and then worked in the Ports industry. He is an Elder Brother of Trinity House which is where he encountered sail training, helping interview impressive young people for bursaries. As a result, he became an enthusiastic supporter of sail training and an ASTO Trustee in 2020.

Claire Thatcher​

Claire Thatcher

Trustee

Claire brings senior level marketing and communications experience gained over twenty-five years across global technology brands, government initiatives and the charity sector. Claire, until recently, also served as a Trustee for fifteen years on the Board of the leading national charity for patients with endocrine disease, The Pituitary Foundation. 


As a freelance Marketing Consultant, Claire’s experience of managing strategic direction will support ASTO in bringing the significant impact of sail training to a wider audience. Her experience includes setting and managing strategic direction across geographies, managing significant budgets, and the set-up of marketing functions in growing organisations.

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Craig Burton

Trustee

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Neil Northmore

Trustee