Meet the Team - Trustees

Simon, who is originally from the Isle of Man, read modern languages at university and then became a lawyer. He worked in Liverpool and South Yorkshire before returning to the Island where he became a partner in the Island's largest firm, Appleby, where he practised corporate and finance law for over 20 years. He has five sons and almost as many boats and also enjoys sailing and the outdoors.

A childhood spent abroad sparked an enduring passion for the natural world, reflected in my work, holidays and hobbies (wildlife watching).

My parents moved to the IOM in 1968 and I moved here in 2007.  

I’ve worked for the Whale Research Unit; Windsor Safari Park - education; Berkshire Education Authority - head of an Environmental Education Centre; The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust - Education Officer and then Marketing/PR Manager; Visitor Centre Manager at Titchfield Haven NNR then area team leader, Hampshire County Council; DEFA Countryside Care Scheme Project Officer, local food marketing and finally Fisheries Directorate – policy, legislation and project management.  I also worked for Manx BirdLife for a short period of time.

 Qualifications include BSc (Hons) in Zoology and Comparative Physiology; MSc in Applied Ecology; Certificate in Teaching in Further Education; certificate from the Communications, Advertising and Marketing Foundation plus many courses on Health and Safety, Public Relations (Institute of Public Relations) and all aspects of marketing (Chartered Institute of Marketing). 

As a MWT Trustee,  I hope to use my experience for the benefit of Manx Wildlife.

Magnus Grinneback was born in Sweden and developed an interest in nature from an early age, growing up in a family that spent holidays and weekends walking, sailing, fishing and foraging across Scandinavia. He moved to the Island in 2018 after spending many years in Malta, Malaysia and China. He holds a MSC in Electrical Engineering from Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden and has spent his career in different industries ranging from Management Consulting to eGaming and Scuba Diving. Magnus’ focus is on MWT’s strategy and commercial opportunities, and he is the Chair of Wildlife Ltd (which is the subsidiary of MWT that operates its commercial initiatives).

When not doing board work Magnus is often seen running or biking around the Island or in the small whisky distillery that he helped found in 2019.

Jaime is currently Country Head of HSBC Isle of Man and has 30 years of experience in the international banking industry, working in Spain, Turkey and Italy. Before HSBC, Jaime held a number of senior banking and finance roles at BNL-BNP, Grupo Ferrovial, and JP Morgan Chase. His career has been focused on supporting the growth and internationalisation of businesses, especially in the engineering, telecoms and digital industries. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, and Master’s degrees in Environmental Management, Business Administration, Finance, and Digital Marketing.

He has over 20 years of experience as ED and NED in numerous boards. In addition to his role as Trustee of the Manx Wildlife Trust, he is currently a member of the Board of Directors of Junior Achievement Isle of Man, as well as Digital Isle of Man. He also enjoys lecturing, having been a Professor of Finance at the EOI Business School in Madrid for over a decade. 

Jaime is also a passionate environmentalist and the founder of PlasticBusters which counts with thousands of volunteers in 103 countries working to protect the environment.

Dr Rachel Glover is the Chief Scientific Officer at Taxa Genomics, a Manx company providing DNA testing services to the environmental and veterinary industry. After originally training as a molecular microbiologist she spent fourteen years at the UK Government’s Food and Environment Research Agency (FERA) in the Detection and Surveillance Technologies team, developing and validating DNA tests for the statutory diagnosis of pathogens. With the advent of the latest genomic sequencing technologies she led the agency’s genomic analysis offering as lead computational biologist. Her research interests include genomic epidemiology, biodiversity informatics and improving metagenomics and metabarcoding methods for species detection. She was born and raised on the Isle of Man and returned to the Island in 2017.

Having been a member of the Young Ornithologists at the age of eleven, being outdoors and enjoying the countryside has always been a passion. Indeed my favourite bolt hole, whenever I get the opportunity, is the RSPB reserve at Minsmere and enjoying the wonderful Suffolk coastline. 

Never, however, has fauna, flora and wildlife been under more threat and that includes here on the Isle of Man.

I feel privileged to be able to offer my support as a Trustee to the Manx Wildlife Trust who are doing an incredible amount of work to support our fabulous environment – and who need as much help as we as a community can give them.

My background is 40 years in financial services experience, which has seen me in senior management roles across several major banks, working across a wide spectrum of sectors and having held director-level positions in various subsidiary businesses for banks.

I moved to the Isle of Man in 2007 having previously worked in London, Cambridge, Bristol and Guernsey – and the Isle of Man is now home especially as my four grandchildren have been born here.

Sophie has 15+ years of experience working for start-ups in fintech and payments and has an MBA from Hult-Ashridge Business School. Sophie’s current role is Head of Product Commercialisation for a global payments company.

Sophie returned to the Island over 10 years ago and lives in the North of the Island with her family. Sophie believes the Isle of Man is a unique and extraordinary place to live and has been involved in charitable causes that help to support its people and environment since 2014. Sophie became a Trustee of Manx Lottery Trust in November 2018 and a Trustee of Manx Wildlife Trust in March 2021. Sophie’s involvement in MWT focuses on the fundraising and commercial activities that support its charitable initiatives.

Keir has volunteered for environmental causes for the past 18 years, most recently with the Campaign for National Parks and Action for Conservation on a variety of engagement projects. He has an undergraduate degree in Zoology and a Masters in Environmental Governance, which focused on the Isle of Man’s attitudes and policies on sustainability. He has worked across the culture, heritage, and creative industries on science communication, music festivals, a world heritage site inscription, building visitor attractions, museums, and a multi-award-winning temporary exhibition. He currently works at the British Film Institute on evidence-led strategy development of the BFI’s corporate activities and National Lottery grant-funding work. He is a peer reviewer for Arts Council England, providing expert guidance on the use of public funds and has a strong interest in the connection between nature, culture, and the arts. As one of just 3% of trustees under 30 years old, Keir is proud to promote the benefits of a diverse board and represent the views of young people in speaking up for nature. Keir’s partner comes from the Isle of Man and he has been a regular visitor enjoying the Manx landscapes and seascapes for the past decade.

Paul is Manx born and bred with a long-standing love for nature and the protection of the environment.  As well as being a qualified Field Guide of Southern Africa and a Climate Reality Leader, he has a well-established business background in project management and finance and is currently Head of Portfolio Management Office in the Business Change Services Division of Isle of Man Government, Cabinet Office.  As a Trustee, he will work to ensure that Manx Wildlife Trust achieve their strategic objectives by supporting the planning, delivery and governance of initiatives, which he hopes will mean that his young sons Jesse and Joel, and all future generations, will be able to experience the wonder of nature that the Island has to offer.