Trustees
We believe our most important asset is our people. HACRO’s staff are specialists in their field who are committed to helping our Participants become fully integreated into their families and communities, thereby reducing reoffending.
Our Trustees
Our trustees bring a wealth of experience with criminal Justice and Probation as well as in the Charity and Commercial Sectors.
Matt Cannon
Chair
Matt built his career in senior leadership roles with a number of FTSE 250 companies before leaving corporate life to join a technology start-up during the dot-com era.
He subsequently became part of the leadership team that invested in, grew and successfully sold an e-commerce and warehousing business employing 140 staff across a 120,000 sq ft operation to a Dutch PLC. Following the sale, Matt was responsible for identifying, acquiring and turning around a number of businesses.
Alongside his commercial career, Matt established a restaurant supplies business, which led to working with HMP The Mount. Inspired by the people he met there and recognising the barriers faced by those leaving prison, he founded a small charity dedicated to supporting rehabilitation and employment opportunities. That charity later merged with HACRO, where Matt has remained a passionate advocate for helping people with convictions rebuild their lives through meaningful employment.
Matt has also personally mentored individuals leaving prison, including supporting the launch of a successful woodworking and planking business that now employs other people with convictions. He continues to champion entrepreneurship and employment as powerful tools for reducing reoffending and creating stronger communities.
Having served as HACRO’s part-time Interim Chief Executive, Matt returns to the Board of Trustees in the role of Chair.
Chris Hale
Communications
Chris comes from a sales, marketing and marketing communications background in the animal health industry. He was a Magistrate for ten years and still maintains his role as a Justice of the Peace.
As a volunteer he has been associated with the Princes Trust and RESOLVE and has been a governor of his local junior school. In his spare time, he is a keen golfer and can be seen regularly at the bridge table.
Eric Pillinger
Safeguarding
Eric is a retired company director having worked in a variety of management roles in different commercial businesses. He is a qualified accountant and economist.
He is a Rotarian and a trustee of two other local charities and an independent school. He has recent experience as a member of the Independent Monitoring Board of a local prison.
Mark Shepperd
Trustee
Mark graduated with a degree in Psychology and then started working in management consulting. He then completed a Masters degree in Management at Imperial College and embarked upon a career in the City spending over 30 years at a leading international Bank, building its operations in Europe, North America and Asia.
After that, he ran a small boutique fund business in London’s West End.
John Walker
Treasurer
John Walker is a Chartered Accountant with experience in the profession, Banking and Consultancy. Since retiring John has been active in various charitable activities in the county ranging from finance to gardening.
John is in his second stint as Treasurer having rejoined HACRO in December 2022 to take part in the exciting development of HACRO’s flagship project ‘TurnAround’.
Jax Brabazon
TurnAround
Before retiring Jax Brabazon was the Chief Marketing Officer for a large international private bank and was based in Singapore for the last ten years of her working life.
In a career spanning over 35-years she held roles covering Marketing, HR, Talent, Philanthropy and Client Management, primarily in the Finance industry. Since retiring Jax has become a trustee, a school governor and has active volunteer roles ranging from theatre to tennis.
Tony Clayton
Governance
After beginning his teaching career in further education, Tony went on to complete over two decades in alternative education provision and was a headteacher in east London for thirteen years. He worked with teenage students who had been excluded from mainstream school due to a complex range of social, emotional, and behavioural difficulties and has presented at many conferences and engaged in consultative capacities in local and national government, education, crime prevention, and the justice system.
Tony introduced Philosophy for Children and Communities (P4C) into his curriculum and continued leading on and delivering this for the following ten years. His school was the first Pupil Referral Unit in the UK to receive accreditation for delivering P4C, and the only one to deliver it consistently for that length of time, developing a particular approach for the young people in question. On leaving full-time teaching, Tony established a Community Interest Company to continue working philosophically with disadvantaged and marginalised young people.
Claire Byrne
CEO
Claire is the Chief Executive Officer of HACRO and brings extensive experience of leading trauma-informed, community-based services and working in partnership across the criminal justice, voluntary and public sectors.
With a background in psychology and criminal behaviour, Claire is passionate about rehabilitation, prevention and addressing the underlying challenges that can contribute to offending. She believes lasting change comes from combining the right support with meaningful opportunities, while recognising the strengths and potential of every individual.
As CEO, Claire is focused on strengthening HACRO’s partnerships, extending its reach and ensuring its services make a clear and lasting difference to the people HACRO supports and the communities in which they live.
Valerie Beale
President
Valerie began her career in social work before moving into a range of senior public sector roles. Her experience includes managing a research centre at Brunel University, serving as a Policy Manager at Hertfordshire County Council, sitting on the Board of Hertfordshire Probation Trust, tutoring on the Open University’s MBA programme, and working as a public sector consultant.
She has served as a magistrate for 24 years, including six years as Deputy Chairman of the Bench and four years as Deputy Chairman of the Hertfordshire Family Panel.
Valerie led HACRO as Chair for almost seven years, overseeing a period of significant growth and transformation that reshaped the organisation. Under her leadership, HACRO evolved into a stronger, more influential charity, with an enhanced reputation for supporting rehabilitation and reducing reoffending across Hertfordshire.
Vice Presidents
Danny Bonwitt – BEM
Lindsey McLeod – JP
Penny Williams – JP DL
Neil Ashley
Advisers to the Board
Peter Sweetman – JP – IT
Dean Spencer