BSRIA Board Members

Lisa Ashworth, Chief Executive, BSRIA

Lisa Ashworth is a seasoned business leader with a proven track record of transforming and growing companies across the B2B landscape, particularly in the technology, information and media sectors.

Most recently, Lisa led the turnaround of a distressed asset in the ratings and reviews marketplace. Under her leadership, the business returned to profitability and evolved into a thriving enterprise serving leading global brands across the automotive, travel, electrical manufacturing, retail, and regulatory sectors. This successful transformation culminated in the strategic sale of the company to private equity who owned an industry peer.

Previously, as CEO of PR Newswire (a division of UBM Plc, now Informa Plc), Lisa spearheaded a comprehensive restructuring of the business in the UK and EMEA. She reversed years of losses, achieving a 35% profit margin and expanding operations across Europe, Russia, the Middle East, Africa, and South-East Asia. She successfully integrated 12 offline businesses into a tech-led dual-offering comprising a DIY journalist data platform and a global newswire network connecting to news agencies, social media, stock exchanges, financial institutions, and industry influencers. This business was also successfully divested under her leadership.

Earlier in her career, Lisa led transformative initiatives at Frost & Sullivan, where she redefined the company’s global training division—shifting from a commoditised public training model to a high-value, in-company specialised development solutions provider, whilst quadrupling the revenues.

At the Financial Times (then part of Pearson Plc), Lisa held several senior roles. She served as Managing Director of the world’s largest advertising monitoring business, overseeing its digitisation and eventual sale. She also launched and scaled an international same-day press monitoring service, later divested under her direction. In addition, she managed a £3 million marketing budget for the FT’s flagship business information platform and directed international operations. During this time, she also established operational capabilities in Hamburg, Germany. 

Lisa has a Law degree and began her career in advertising, spending eight years at leading London agencies including Yellowhammer, Publicis, and WCRS. Rising from graduate trainee to Account Director, she managed high-profile clients and gained a deep understanding of brand and communications strategy.

Chantelle Fuchs, Chief Finance Officer, BSRIA

Chantelle was appointed BSRIA’s Finance Director in December 2023 bringing 30 years of financial experience as a chartered accountant. Whilst working across different industries, Chantelle has project managed and implemented accounting solutions into Local and Global companies, like Microsoft, Shell, Mondi as well as local and national Government.

Before Joining BSRIA Chantelle spent 7 years as the Financial Director for a group of 22 South African, Lesotho, Mauritius and UK companies. These companies were involved in procuring raw materials, manufacturing and selling workwear garments, wholesale and in retail, the group also included property owning companies, several trusts and non-profit organisations.

Passionate about driving performance in a business by empowering teams to succeed, she lives by the phrase “Attitude is Altitude”.

Professor Chris Harty, Executive Dean of the College of Technology and Environment at London South Bank University  - BSRIA Chairman

He has been the Director of two EPSRC Centres and since 2010 Principal Investigator / Lead Academic on over £3.5 million of research funding. He has authored over 50 referred papers, was an Editor of Construction Management and Economics between 2012 and 2017 and is a reviewer for over 30 journals in areas of built environment, organisation and technology management. He is currently a visiting professor at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, and was previously visiting professor at Copenhagen Business School in Denmark. 

Chris has internationally recognised expertise in understanding cultural and strategic change in organisations, implementation of new technologies and working practices, future scenario development and the connection between physical space and working practices.

Torben Lund Andersen, MSc, MBA I Board Member, Mentor, Expert in Technology Commercialisation, Digitalisation & International Growth

Torben Lund Andersen brings close to two decades of executive experience in digital transformation, technology commercialisation, and sustainable growth across the HVAC, robotics, and smart building sectors. He has held strategic roles in publicly listed, family-owned, and foundation-led organisations, including Danfoss, Nilfisk, SoftBank Robotics, and Frese.

As a Non-Executive Director at BSRIA, Torben supports the organisation’s digital and international transformation, positioning it to lead in the evolving built-environment landscape. Serving on BSRIA’s Nominations and Remuneration Committees, he helps drive leadership alignment and performance incentives toward strategic goals.

Torben is also a Board Member of Autonomous Units, where he oversees the commercialisation of robotics solutions across industries such as airports, malls, events, retail, food, and healthcare. He mentors at DTU, advising on research commercialisation and scaling start-ups in buildings, robotics, medico, and defence.

A forward-thinking leader, Torben has successfully driven digitalisation and launched connected products for the built environment, engaging cross-functional teams to deliver sustainable growth. His expertise spans corporate, SME, start-up, and membership associations, consistently achieving results in technology commercialisation, agile transformation, and collaboration.

With an executive MBA, engineering background, and experience scaling digital business models, Torben prioritises partnerships and early lead customer engagement as essential for innovation. Passionate about sustainability, productivity, and quality of life, Torben remains committed to fostering meaningful, purpose-driven growth.

Tom Smith BSc (Hons), MBA, CEng MIMechE, Global Director, Property and Buildings, WSP

Tom Smith has been with WSP since 1994 and has held a number of senior business leadership positions with its UK, Middle East and India regions as well as being closely associated with many of WSP's flagship projects and strategic clients

Since 2010 Tom has focused his efforts on WSP's global agenda and has been instrumental in developing its global culture, connectivity and services. He has worked throughout the Group with regional management to develop global initiatives focused on market sectors, global clients and major project bids. In 2013 Tom joined the Company’s Executive Team, and in January 2014 he was appointed Global Director, Property and Buildings, to focus on achieving WSP's strategic goal of being recognised as the leading Property and Buildings consultancy by 2015.

Tom’s involvement with BSRIA started in 2002 when he joined Council and in 2005 he was asked to join the Board and between 2007 and 2009 was our Chairman. As a building services engineer Tom is passionate about the work BSRIA does and very proud that BSRIA is viewed as the ‘go-to’ industry expert.

Visit www.wspgroup.com

James Clarke - Chief Financial Officer, Pareto

 James has held a number of senior finance and CFO roles across Facilities Management, Logistics and Pharmaceutical retail and distribution. He has over 14 years’ experience within Mitie plc where he held a number of Group and Operational roles including 6 years within its Technical FM division. 

Both roles at Wincanton (Logistics) and AAH (Pharmaceutical wholesaler) included time as CFO overseeing including overseeing property matters and procurement of services into the built environment as a customer and provided insight into the challenges of managing and maintaining building from both side of the supply chain. 

James leads our Audit Financial and Risk Committee on behalf of the board which is responsible for reviewing the results of the annual audit process as well as assessing financial and commercial risks in the business.

Adrian Hull, Managing Director, Retrofit Solutions Ltd

Adrian is the founder of the leading quality assurance and compliance business THS Inspection Services Ltd - established in 2014. He is also the Managing Director of Retrofit Solutions Ltd, providing Project Management, Coordination, and Support Services to the domestic energy efficiency market. Since 2000 he has been responsible for the delivery of over £1bn worth of public funded retrofit improvements in the UK and Canada.

Adrian is the current Chair of ATMA – The Association for Technical Monitoring Agents and has held a number of other key appointments on industry panels and sector working groups including the membership of the BSI PAS 2030 and PAS 2035 Steering Groups and Ofgem’s Technology Advisory Panel for Innovative Products. Adrian is a Chartered Construction Manager (MCIOB) with the Chartered Institute of Building, holds a NEBOSH National Certificate in Construction Health and Safety, and was one of the pioneers of Retrofit Coordinators in the UK.

Adrian is passionate about improving our built environment to ensure we all live and work in healthy, energy-efficient, and comfortable spaces.

Visit: www.retrofitsolutions.ltd  and www.ths.ltd

Adam Selvey MSc BEng (Hons) CEng IntPE (UK) FCIBSE  Director, Head of Engineering for the Built Environment, Cities & Places, People & Places Solutions, Jacobs 

Adam Selvey has always known from a young age that he wanted to be an engineer within the construction sector. His passion for this is because his family are in various parts of the industry and as a child, he became fascinated with documentaries about buildings.

Adam is a Chartered and Internationally PE registered Building Services Engineer, specialising in building performance and zero carbon solutions across the retail, leisure, sports, and entertainment sector. Complimenting his engineering capabilities, he has undertaken numerous technical due diligence processes for UK and international clients, ensuring the building services within the buildings they procure are not only fit for purpose, but also achieve value for money.

Throughout his career he has strived to innovate and share knowledge to others and act in a way which hopefully inspires those he meets to think differently. A recent example of this is where he instigated Happy Homes research. He believes that we need to look to other disciplines outside of the construction industry to assess the way in which we design the built environment and how it affects people’s emotion. He recognises with the rapid pace of change it is now more than ever we should not stand still in the building services industry.

Georgina Penfold 

George is an accomplished business leader having 15 years of experience across the public and private sectors. She has held senior roles in highly regulated sectors including Public Sector Procurement and Electricity Storage and has a strong track record of engagement and influence on national policy. 

Following a period of entrepreneurship building a digital platform for environmental compliance and engagement, George’s business was acquired by the UK’s largest energy and sustainability consultancy where she now leads commercial growth for sustainable procurement services and environmental management as the Director for Regulated Services. 

George studied at the University of Leeds, graduating with an MSc in Energy and the Environment and more recently at INSEAD where she completed a Global Executive MBA.