Executive Board

Vanessa is the Founder of SBID, she is an independent internationally recognised award-winning interior designer. She regularly speaks on business development and finance overseas on behalf of the UK government for the creative industries. Vanessa received an OBE from the Queen, recommended by the Prime Ministers office for services to Interior Design and the UK Economy.

Andrew has been a lawyer since 1988 and has been a Partner at Clifford Chance LLP throughout the majority of his working life. Specialising in major infrastructure projects and property development work, his expertise is grounded in Private Finance Initiative and Public-Private Partnerships (PFI/PPP).

Basit is an ACCA (Associate of Chartered Certified Accountants) and received a MBA in Financial Management and BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting.

Mark Engelman is a barrister who has acted for entities such as Apple Inc, Alexander McQueen, Asos, Super Dry and Harvard University in their intellectual disputes before all courts. He holds academic positions at St. Edmunds Cambridge and Notre Dame Universities and is also a Master of the Bench of Gray's Inn.

Lavinia is Manager of the SBID International Design Awards. She has been responsible for the strategic development and successful delivery of the Awards program and affiliated events from 2011. She has a Master’s degree in History of Art from the University of Edinburgh.

Gerald Bowey is the Chief Executive Officer of International Building Press with over 40 years’ experience in business-to-business marketing communications and brand awareness for sectors such as industrial relations, insurance and instrumentation to architecture, property and the built environment.