Lashings Advisory Board
David Fraser - Hon. President
David Fraser lives in Kent with his wife Denise and children Charles & Georgina, and brings to the Lashings World XI not only a good understanding of the game of cricket, (being pretty mean with the willow and latterly even meaner as a qualified umpire) but also a wealth of management and business experience from his background of heading numerous companies. David provides sound marketing and commercial advice offered in the spirit and ethos of the club: be professional, be responsible and definitely have fun! At a recent meeting David enquired of the Chairman about his remuneration in the position as Hon. President; he was dismayed by the Chairman's response of "double what you got last year!!"
David Folb - Chairman
Businessman, entrepreneur and renowned as a sporting PR guru, David is the owner and founder of the Lashings empire and the driving force behind what is arguably the world's greatest cricket club. What he may lack in cricketing ability has been more than compensated by the huge sponsorship deals that have been negotiated to launch Lashings World XI on to the world stage. Born in Kent and a former pupil at Sutton Valence School, David has an obsession for many sports but it is cricket that really captured his imagination and holds his main passion. "Folby" spends much of his time travelling on cricket business and running his Lashings group. He is also a doting father to Buddy, Lashings World XI's renowned "Head of Security" and possibly the most travelled dog in English cricket.
Robin Syrett - Vice-Chairman
Robin is currently a man uniquely positioned to advise the Lashings World XI as in February 2008 he was elected President of the Club Cricket Conference, having spent four years as captain some 30 years earlier! However even before that he was more than qualified to sit on the Advisory board from both business and sporting perspectives. As a middle-order batsman and slow-medium bowler, he spent most of his 45 year career at Hounslow CC in West London, reaching a peak in 1973 when he scored over 1,500 runs and took 75 wickets, following that up with over 1000 runs on Saturdays alone the following year! He was also involved in an unusual cricketing incident in 1973 when, as the captain of a side reeling on 110-9, he was on 7 not out. 45 minutes and a partnership of 99 later, he declared having reached his century... his partner's contribution to the total being precisely zero! He was also a talented hockey player who reached national trials level and even now, at the age of 70, he plays tennis three times a week and even made a one-off cricket comeback for the Journalist's XI against the Emirates Palace XI in Abu Dhabi! From a business perspective, he is the chairman of two extremely successful companies based in London (a cleaning company and a property group) and until the end of 2006 was a part-owner of the Cricketer's Club of London.
Nigel Wheeler - Advisory Board Member
Nigel comes from a long standing farming family from Kent; probably the longest surviving hop growers in the land. Sent away to Sussex and the Midlands for education, he has kept close contacts with the county. He was High Sheriff of Kent 2007-8, he is a Kent Ambassador for the K.C.C. and is involved in a number of local charities and organisations.
A schoolmaster at Eastbourne College for 30 years; Master-in-Charge of cricket for all that time and is therefore slightly responsible for the career of a certain E.S.H. Giddins, one of his more volatile pupils! He was a Housemaster, teacher of English, Drama and Cricket, lover of hearty singing in chapel and elsewhere, a keen Fives player and he always insisted on having his classroom on the ground floor so that he could cycle straight in. He managed the school cricketers on tours to New Zealand, Australia (x2), Barbados (x3) and The Channel Isles (x3). He usually arranged for "entertainers" and "song and sketch performers" to accompany the cricket matches. In New Zealand all of the cricketers were involved in "A Midsummer Night's Dream". Players had to change speedily from cricket ground and whites to theatre and costume (Ed Giddins as Starveling "I the man i' th' moon" was a joy to behold!).
In 1969, Nigel formed the Scorpions Cricket Club with his school friend, the Ghanan leg spinner, A.K.N. Ollennu. The Patron, Edward Craven, was David Folb's chemistry master! Matches against Sutton Valence School and the Old Boys have run ever since and games have been played throughout the South East. Nigel has arranged overseas tours chiefly in a vain attempt to secure victories. The Scorpions have visited Sierra Leone (x2), The Gambia (x2), Argentina and Chile, Namibia, Paris (x10) and Le Manga (x2).
Nigel has worked in New Zealand, travelled anywhere his friends will have him and always claimed that teaching was a job to do between holidays. He is a Justice of the Peace and retired Chairman of a School Governing Body and his hobbies include cycling slowly, enjoying fine wine, cricket (top score 143 v The Wine Trade), beer and brewing, racketball, fives, theatre, classical music and golf - only just! - in fact he has started a club for those who admit that they are poor golfers and wish to play on modest courses with equally poor players. His cricket clubs include: M.C.C., Kent C.C.C. (Life Member), Band of Brothers, Bluemantles, Yellowhammers, Oxford University Authentics, Cambridge University Crusaders, Stoics, Eclectics, Willows (New Zealand), Sussex Martlets, Lancing Rovers, Old Eastbournians, Scorpions and, of course, Lashings.
Harry Bunbury - Advisory Board Member
Harry Bunbury lives and works in central London and is a qualified Chartered Surveyor by trade, specialising in commercial property. Harry's cricketing playing days were limited to opening the batting for the Wellesley House 3rd XI whilst at school in Broadstairs in Kent. Since those heady playing days his focus has been on the sharing of his enthusiasm and love of cricket. Having met David Folb at a football match, Harry joined the Advisory Board in 2006 and is able to provide a vibrant but commercial view on the evolution of Lashings and the core values in which the World's Greatest XI should believe. When not at work or undertaking Lashings business Harry is often found enjoying the countryside in East Anglia, his traditional roots."
Tony Joyce - Advisory Board Member
Tony Joyce has had a long and varied career across several different fields and in many different countries. Having attended Lancaster Royal Grammar School , he moved immediately into his first job as an advertising account executive then took up a job as a sales rep with Schweppes. From there he caught the travelling bug and went across Canada and the USA , eventually emigrating to the USA in the spring of 1965.
In the US he discovered acting and was a resident cast member of the Laguna Beach Theatre before attending drama school in the UK , gaining his first professional part in 1968. He married in 1971 and spent 17 years in the family business before moving into property development, building 60 villas in Praia da Luz, Portugal before returning to the USA where he became CEO of a large company in Florida featured on NASDAQ. He returned to the UK again in 1999 and took over the Cricketers Club of London, owning the club until 2006. In 2003, he also took over Cheque Change Ltd, a company which operates out of five outlets in the Midlands .
Tony also has a long sporting background including a spell as rugby coach at the University of California in Irvine . Back in England he was a member of Paignton Cricket Club and Kingsbridge Rugby Club and keeps his sporting ties going firstly by running the clubhouse at Barnes RFC and now also by being on the Advisory Board of the Lashings World XI.
Colin Brunton - Advisory Board Member
The newest member of the Lashings Advisory Board, Colin started his career as a journalist, developing his own publishing interests in the early 80's. Originally employed by the Financial Times to develop international operations throughout the Middle East , he continued to live and work in the area for a number of publications including Time magazine, The New York Times and the Times of London. Later he developed copyright protection operations for different enterprises and became President of Videomaster and has also directed affairs for Warner Brothers, Paramount , Universal, Dreamworks, and the BBC throughout the Arab speaking world.
Colin continues to be Chairman of Red Entertainment (based in Dubai ) and directs affairs for Electronic Arts, Eidos, Activision, Universal Vivendi and a number of other businesses involved in interactive software. He is also the current Chairman of the Golf Show Group, which owns both the London and NEC Golf Shows. Other directorships include Azalea Ltd.(a PR company specialising in golf) as well as Azalea Innovations Ltd., Golflinks Ltd, and other businesses associated with the golf industry.
Colin Brunton has been married for 30 years and has 4 children. Other interests include music as well as sporting activities including sailing, skiing and, of course, cricket.
