Meet
the team

The Fair Tax Foundation have a staff team, a Board of Directors and a Technical Advisory Group that guides the Fair Tax Mark’s standards and criteria. In addition to our core staff, we utilise a much-valued network of contractors to support accounts analysis and communications.

Paul Monaghan – Chief Executive

Paul was a co-founder of the Fair Tax Foundation in 2014, and became Chief Executive in September 2017. Previously, he was architect of much of the UK co-operative movement’s ethical and environmental excellence for nearly two decades. Before that he combined biological sciences research with campaigning on Third World debt and ethical lending.

He led sustainability programmes across the Co-operative Group in areas as diverse as food, banking, insurance, pharmacy, funerals and travel. Contributions included the creation of world-class programmes of environmental management, ethical finance, sustainability reporting and a unique commitment to campaigning and progressive public policy intervention. In 2014, was voted first in Global CEO’s “Top 100 CSR Leaders” poll, and in 2022 was recognised with the Fair Tax Foundation in ITR’s Global Tax 50.

He has previously served as a member of WWF-UK’s Programme Committee, BRE’s Sustainability Board and Accountability’s Council, where he co-chaired their Technical Committee for a number of years. The rise and fall of Wigan Athletic keeps him awake at night.

Contact Paul on +44 (0)161 513 8165

Tom Skinner – Chief Operating Officer

Tom co-founded Greater Manchester Poverty Action (GMPA), and was co-Director and Chief Operating Officer there for five years. During this time, he ran the GM Food Poverty Alliance, managed the Tameside Poverty Truth Commission, developed Money Advice Referral Tools, and oversaw day-to-day operations. He remains on the GMPA board as a non-executive Director.

Before GMPA, he coordinated the GM Living Wage Campaign, and led many other charities and campaign groups, as well as serving for a year as General Secretary of the University of Manchester Students’ Union.

Tom believes we need to address wealth and power inequalities for a better world, and that fair tax systems and practices are foundational to this.

Contact Tom on +44 (0)161 513 7930

Jaime Boswell – Head of Accreditation

Jaime comes from an accounting and taxation background, with professional qualifications and experience in both. Previously, he has worked for a range of accountancy firms – from small family businesses to one of the top ten accountancy firms – and has experience working with a variety of clients, from small sole traders to big plc corporates.

Jaime heads up all UK accreditations. He also leads on the development of KPIs for institutional investors and asset managers. An emerging area of consideration is the collective tax impact of SMEs.

His young family and a passion for learning new languages keep him busy outside of work.

Contact Jaime on +44 (0)161 513 8149

Greg Yates – Senior Ratings Manager

Greg is a chartered accountant, attaining his qualification at a local accountancy practice in 2011. After a further period in practice, gaining experience in tax, audit and accounts preparation, he completed a stint as group accountant at a multinational manufacturing business.

Greg heads up all European certifications. He also leads on the Tax Responsibility and Transparency Index and is the in-house expert on all-things public country-by-country reporting.

He is a former University of Manchester student, where he studied Maths with Finance – and a keen spectator and follower of most sports, especially Bolton Wanderers.

Contact Greg on +44 (0)161 521 1966

Ocean Lam – Accreditation Officer

Prior to joining the Fair Tax Foundation, Ocean worked as a senior auditor and industry accountant in Hong Kong for a number of leading accounting firms and a listed corporation.

He has provided accounting, auditing and financial report compilation services to a wide range of clients across many industries, including multinational, listed businesses based in Hong Kong and Mainland China.

Ocean believes responsible tax conduct is one of the most important components of corporate social responsibility.

Contact Ocean on +44(0)161 513 8116

Natalie Balmain – Communications Manager

Natalie is a strategic communications professional with experience spanning the public and third sectors, particularly within the NHS and health networks. Renowned for her advocacy in the Type 1 Diabetes community, she has spoken at events across the UK and Europe.

In 2022, Natalie captured national attention as the winner of Channel 4’s ‘Make Me Prime Minister,’ impressing judges and viewers alike with her proposals for transparent tax legislation for multinational corporations. Her career is defined by a commitment to transparency, advocacy, and transformative communication.

Contact Natalie on +44(0)161 513 7197

Kim Pemberton – Finance and Administration Officer

Kim has gained most of her accounts and administration experience working for SMEs.

This allowed her to work in other departments, such as sales and purchasing, to understand the processes involved which could impact her role.

While Kim was a bookkeeper in 2005, a payroll and HR position came up due to retirement. She went to college in the evenings to get her qualifications. Kim considers herself an ‘all-rounder’. Outside work she loves to ride horses competitively.

Contact Kim on +44(0)161 513 8926

Naomi McPherson – Research Analyst

Naomi is one of the first graduates to join the Fair Tax Foundation, bringing a strong understanding of taxation and public policy from her Economics degree at the University of Manchester.

Before joining the company, she completed a direct marketing internship where she learnt the value of customer trust and public perception to business outcomes. This helped shape her appreciation for transparency and responsible corporate practice. Outside of work, she likes to make music that spreads a positive message.

Contact Naomi on +44(0)161 513 8129

Chloe Almond – Research Analyst

Chloe joined the Fair Tax Foundation after graduating from Durham University with an Integrated Master’s in Mathematics. Her academic background has equipped her with strong analytical and research skills, enabling her to approach financial and corporate data with precision and insight.

Before joining the foundation, Chloe gained experience working with an investment company where she supported administrative and financial data management tasks, and developed a keen eye for detail and accuracy. Outside of work, she loves high-octane sports like kayaking and caving and on quieter evenings, helps at a local Brownie unit.

Contact Chloe on +44(0)161 513 8019

The Board of Directors oversees and steers the Fair Tax Foundation’s development. Board members may sometimes work on the scheme on a part-time basis when staff workloads are excessive or a particular expertise is needed.

Rob Harrison – Chair

Rob Harrison is the consultancy manager and a director of Ethical Consumer Research Association (ECRA). Rob was one of three founder directors of ECRA in 1987.

Since that date he has worked as a consultant to NGOs (including Oxfam, Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace) on engaging consumers in their campaigns, as an advisor to government departments (including those in the Belgium, Austria and Brazil) on encouraging the use of ethical consumption and procurement for social and environmental goals, as a consultant to consumer organisations (including groups in Spain and Hungary) on researching the CSR performance of companies, and to companies (including the Co-operative Bank and Lush Cosmetics) on developing world-leading ethical policies and implementing them in practice.

He has also edited and contributed to academic work in this area including ‘The Ethical Consumer’ (Sage, 2005) and ‘Green Building Handbook’ (Routledge, 1997).

He has also been an editor of Ethical Consumer magazine since its inception in 1989. In addition Rob has spoken widely in the press, on radio and on TV, and also to universities and campaign groups around the world on the importance of facilitating ethical consumption.

Chris Harrop OBE

Professor Harrop is a distinguished Sustainability/ESG and Marketing professional with a proven global track record. A Fellow of both the Institute of Directors and the Institute of Environmental Management and Assessment, his contributions to responsible business have earned him wide recognition as an ESG leader.

With 22 years at Marshall’s plc as Director of Marketing and Sustainability, Chris also chaired the United Nations Global Compact UK Network for four years and served as a Non-Executive Director of the Ethical Trade Initiative for 10 years until 2020. In 2017, he became Chair of Made in Britain and joined the Fair Tax Foundation board in 2020. He is also a trustee of the Greater Manchester Immigration Aid Unit.

Chris has been honoured with numerous awards, including being rated fifth in Ethical Corporation’s Heroes of Sustainability in 2007, named a Business Game Changer by BITC in 2012, and listed among the Top 100 Modern Slavery Business Influencers in 2018. He was BtB Marketer of the Year in 2018 and appointed OBE in 2019 for his services to preventing modern slavery and exploitation.

In July 2022, Chris was appointed Visiting Professor of Sustainable Business at the University of Huddersfield Business School, specialising in accreditation schemes, net zero, modern slavery, the SDGs, and greenwash.

Rebecca Hurford

Rebecca Hurford is Head of Tax at Watches of Switzerland Group PLC, a FTSE250 luxury retailer and proud Fair Tax Mark accredited business. Rebecca leads the in-house tax team, overseeing all aspects of global tax compliance, governance, and strategy across the Group’s international operations. Her remit spans direct and indirect tax, transfer pricing, customs, employment taxes, and maintaining strong, transparent relationships with tax authorities worldwide.

Rebecca’s career in tax spans over 17 years, with senior roles at Avon Cosmetics Limited—where she was Head of Tax for Western Europe, Turkey, Middle East and Africa—and Joules Group PLC, where she also led global tax functions.

Rebecca brings a wealth of experience in tax governance, sustainability reporting, and responsible tax leadership. She is a strong advocate for the power of fair tax to provide essential resources for public services, supporting society’s most vulnerable. This commitment is reflected in her voluntary work as Vice-Chair of Governors and Chair of the Resources and Finance Committee at a Leicester primary school serving a diverse and disadvantaged community.

Penny Hogan

Penny is a values-driven finance leader with a passion for delivering robust, sustainable results in complex and fast-changing environments. As Chief Financial Officer and an Executive Director at Unity Trust Bank plc, one of the longest standing Fair Tark Mark certified organisations, Penny oversees Finance and Treasury, chairs the Asset and Liability Committee, and plays a key role across all Risk, Pricing, and Product Committees. She is a strong advocate for fair customer outcomes and has led significant initiatives to embed fair pricing and operational resilience throughout the bank.

Penny’s career spans over two decades in financial services, including senior roles at The Co-operative Bank plc and Deloitte. Her expertise covers financial control, technical accounting, treasury management, and strategic planning.

Penny is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). Penny is known for her commercial acumen, technical excellence, and collaborative leadership style. Penny also holds a BSc in Mathematics from the University of Wales, and is committed to upholding the highest standards of transparency and ethical finance.

Christian Hallum

Christian Barrie Hallum co-leads Oxfam’s tax justice work. In this role he supports tax justice work across numerous developing countries as well as helps coordinate Oxfam’s work for fairer international tax standards, responsible corporate tax practices and an end to tax havens. Christian is based in Copenhagen, Denmark – where he has been involved since 2016 in engaging multinational companies and institutional investors on the need for responsible corporate tax practices under the initiative ‘The Tax Dialogue’. He has also been a key driver in the campaign to get Danish municipalities to commit to becoming tax haven free.

Before joining Oxfam, Christian worked with other tax justice NGO’s, including: the Tax Justice Network Africa in Kenya, IBIS in Sierra Leone, and Eurodad in Belgium. He has also worked with the Danish tax administration SKAT as a compliance analyst. He holds a masters’ degree in political science from Aarhus University, and has taken courses in international corporate tax law and transfer pricing at the IBFD and Copenhagen Business School.

Hannah Wickes

Hannah Wickes is a sustainability and communications leader with a passion for leveraging business as a force for good. As the former Chief Marketing Officer at Ecosia, the German search engine that plants trees, Hannah played a pivotal role in scaling Ecosia’s global impact—helping the company reach over 20 million users and fund the planting of more than 150 million trees worldwide. Her leadership saw Ecosia become a household name in ethical tech, while championing radical transparency and climate-positive business models.

Prior to Ecosia, Hannah worked across the not-for-profit and corporate sectors, including roles in business development, growth and marketing at Trivago, where she saw the company’s journey from startup stages to IPO. She also spent seven years as a Producer for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

Hannah is a Royal Society of Arts Fellow, and an advisor and coach for startups and nonprofits, including Creatives for Climate and Europe’s largest Climate Tech VC, World Fund. She supports UK Community Foundations as a Trustee and is a Non Executive Director for Impress, the independent media regulator.

The Technical Advisory Group communicates throughout the year and meets as and when needed to help, for example, shape the development of the Fair Tax Mark criteria notes and standards. The Group are drawn from a range of backgrounds and perspectives.

  • Alex Cobham, Chief Executive, Tax Justice Network
  • Paul Gibson, Chartered Accountant, Mazars LLP
  • Euan Grant, Former Inspector, HMRC
  • Jonathan Gray, King’s College London + Public Data Lab
  • Richard Lupson-Darnell, Chartered Tax Advisor
  • Matti Kohonen, Christian Aid
  • Tracey Wilson, Senior Lecturer in Tax and Financial Accounting, Newcastle University
  • Tommaso Faccio, Head of Secretariat, ICRICT

Assessors

In addition to our core team, we have a contracted network of trained assessors to support corporate accreditation.

Digital support

Blue Ginger help us out with our website design and functionality.

Why get the Fair Tax Mark?

Latest News

A new ESG metric: Tax Funded Impact – How fiscal multipliers turn fair tax into tangible social value

At the Fair Tax Foundation, we invite partners and friends to share insightful analysis and thought provocations. Professor Chris Harrop OBE is currently the Vice-chair of the Fair Tax Foundation and a Visiting Professor of Sustainable Business at the University of Huddersfield Business School. Previously, Chris was 22 years at Marshall’s plc as Director of Marketing and Sustainability, and he …

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Amadeus team holding sign saying 'We are proud to be Fair Tax accredited'

Amadeus becomes first large multinational technology company to secure international Fair Tax Mark certification

Amadeus has gained the Fair Tax Mark, becoming the first large multinational technology company to secure certification internationally. It joins a growing community of businesses across Europe that are proudly accredited to the international gold standard of responsible tax conduct. Amadeus is the world's leading provider of travel technology, with shares listed on the stock exchanges of Madrid, Barcelona, Bilbao and …

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Research finds US multinationals are increasingly laggards on tax transparency, in comparison to the UK and Japan

Almost two-thirds (59%) of corporate tax transparency reports published by large multinationals in connection with the EU Public Country-by-Country Reporting (pCbCR) Directive are good, solid attempts to be open and honest. However, there are wide national variances. The frequency of good application of the EU pCbCR requirements was substantially above average among business headquartered in the UK (at 78%) and …

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