At a meeting of the Court on 18 October 2022, Trinity House swore in two new Elder Brethren, both of whom will join the Corporate Board.
Mr Lance Batchelor will become one of the Corporate Board’s two Business Assistants, replacing Mr Richard Sadler who stepped down from the role in the autumn.
Rear Admiral Ian Moncrieff will become one of the Corporate Board’s eight Mariner Assistants, replacing Rear-Admiral David Snelson who stepped down from the role in June.
Deputy Master Captain Ian McNaught welcomed both to the Court:
“It is always a pleasure to bring new perspectives into the Court’s pool of expertise, and both Lance and Ian do exactly that. I look forward to working with them both at Corporate Board and putting their experience and counsel to good use in service of the Board’s various charitable aims.
“I would also like to thank Richard and David for their invaluable service to the Board; I look forward to seeing them at fraternity events in the future.”
Mr Lance Batchelor
Lance Batchelor is the Chairman of several UK tech-services businesses, including Ometria (a digital marketing platform), Workwise (an onboarding app for gig economy workers) and Appello (digital monitoring for the elderly).
Previously he was CEO of three well-known companies: Tesco Mobile, Domino’s Pizza plc and Saga Plc. At Saga cruises Lance oversaw the design, build and commissioning of two brand new 58,000 tonne cruise ships, Spirit of Discovery and Spirit of Adventure. He is particularly proud that the new ships wear the red ensign and are London registered.
Earlier in his career Lance served in senior marketing roles for P&G in Cincinnati, and Amazon.com based in Seattle. He holds a Harvard MBA.
Lance’s first career was as a submarine warfare officer in the 1980s, in the last years of the previous Cold War. His naval career has come full circle; since 2018 he has been the senior external director on the Royal Navy’s board. He holds the honorary rank of Captain RNR.
Lance spent eight years as a trustee of the National Gallery and is now a trustee of Royal Museums Greenwich.
Lance is an RYA Ocean Yachtmaster, and home ports his 37’ sailing boat Saphena in Gosport.
He is married to Wendy, a tribunal judge, and they have four university age sons. Home, when not away sailing, is in rural West Berkshire.
Rear Admiral Ian Moncrieff CBE BA DL
A Younger Brother since 2007 and former Chief Executive of the UK Hydrographic Office (UKHO) from 2010-15, Ian also served as UK National Hydrographer at UKHO as a Rear Admiral from 2006. Qualified as a Principal Warfare Officer specialising in Communications, he served in the Royal Navy for 34 years, over half of which was spent in practical seagoing experience in nine warships and the Royal Yacht HMY Britannia.
His senior Command roles included Joint Command as Commander British Forces South Atlantic and he commanded the ice-breaker HMS Endurance and destroyer HMS Nottingham and was executive officer of the aircraft carrier HMS Invincible. Ashore he filled a number of increasingly senior appointments in Plans & Programmes in MoD and HQs as well as a spell as the Chief Naval Signals Officer. He holds a Joint Honours Degree in Geography and Geology from 1977 while at university where he was awarded a RN University Cadetship in his penultimate year (1976). He is a graduate of the Higher Command & Staff Course and the Defence Strategic Leadership Course. While at UKHO, he has also passed the Institute of Directors examinations for the Certificate in Company Direction.
He was appointed as a CBE in HM The Queen’s 2010 Birthday Honours List. He was a Non-Executive Director on the Port of London Authority Board from 2015-21 and continues also to be on the Operational and Safety Advice Panel for British Antarctic Survey. He has three other voluntary roles: as a Deputy Lieutenant for Somerset since 2015, as a Governor of Taunton School since 2016 and as a Trustee of the Falklands Conservation charity since 2010.
He is a member of the Naval and Military and Antarctic clubs. He and his wife Marion now live in Exmoor National Park with their working cocker spaniel Fergus. They have two married sons: Andrew an Army officer in the Royal Dragoon Guards, and James an Associate Investment Partner with Veritas in London. They also have two grandchildren. His pastimes are wildlife photography (www.ianmoncrieff.com) and fly fishing on Exmoor rivers.