Senior Leadership Team
Meet The Team
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Lisa Farmer OBE
Chief Executive
Lisa joined RBLI in October 2015 as Director of Strategic Development with over 20 years of experience in fundraising, marketing and business development. Lisa spent 8 years at Young Epilepsy as Fundraising Director before becoming Director of Development and has been involved in major commercial developments including Loughborough University’s £40m fundraising campaign and two capital fundraising campaigns. Lisa was appointed Chief Executive at RBLI in 2022 and was awarded an OBE in 2025.
Helen Bidgway
Director Of People & Culture
A fellow of the chartered institute of personnel and development (FCIPD), Helen has over 30 years’ experience in Human Resources at a senior level, initially in the commercial sector joining Unilever’s graduate management development programme, before moving to the charity and education sectors for the latter part of her career, working at Young Epilepsy and John Whitgift Foundation. Helen joined RBLI in September 2022.
SUSAN STOKER
Director Of Governance, Compliance and Business Systems
An expert in assurance processes; specialising in corporate governance, risk management, and internal control. A qualified accountant with over 25 years experience across both the private and public sector. Providing consultancy and support to enable organisations to achieve efficiency through strong governance.
Colin Harsant
Managing Director of Social Enterprise
Colin joined RBLI’s SLT in July 2024 following 20 years managing and leading companies in the Aerospace, Defence and Automotive Industries and is a specialist in SME Manufacturing. His experience is complemented by undergraduate and postgraduate business qualifications in the UK and France.
Nik Marinov
Director of Finance and Performance
Nik joined RBLI in Sep 2024 having previously held senior Finance roles in multiple industries across the commercial sector and charities. Qualified chartered accountant, Nik brings a wealth of experience to the RBLI management team. Nik is a strong believer that people are an organization’s greatest asset.
Being a former RBLI employee, Nik is passionate about RBLI and its continued success and development. In his free time, Nik runs boot camps in support of physical and mental health and also as a way of giving back to the community.
