Meet the trustees and the team
Peter & Maria Neumark – Chairman of the Trustees
Peter and Maria Neumark moved from Lancashire to North Wales in 1994 and have made it their home ever since. In 2016, they established the Neumark Foundation to support charities working to improve life chances for children and young people across the region, particularly those facing poverty and disadvantage.
The Foundation is funded through Peter’s business career. Starting with just two vehicles, he built the UK’s largest privately owned transport company, later selling the business in 1998. Alongside this, he founded Classic Motor Cars (CMC),in 1993, which went on to become a recognised leader in the restoration of classic vehicles. Having set up an employee ownership trust, he retired from the business in 2024.
Peter has long been committed to supporting young people beyond the Foundation. He has served as a trustee and Deputy Chair of the Outward-Bound Trust, mentored for The Prince’s Trust, and was a charter supporter of The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. He is closely involved in the Foundation’s work, particularly in supporting charities through both funding and practical guidance.
Maria began her career in nursing, becoming a ward sister, and brings that experience directly into the Foundation’s work. Her background gives her a clear understanding of the pressures facing families and the importance of early support. She is particularly focused on how organisations create safe, consistent environments for children, and the role trusted relationships play in helping young people to thrive. She works closely alongside the Foundation’s activities, offering insight and challenge, and helping to shape how the Foundation understands and supports work with children and families.
North Wales has been home to Peter and Maria for over 30 years, and their commitment to the area is both personal and long-standing. Through the Foundation, they focus on supporting children and young people facing poverty and disadvantage, working alongside organisations making a practical difference in local communities.
Rebecca Neumark
CEO
Rebecca is CEO of The Neumark Foundation and works closely with the Trustees to lead the Foundation’s strategic direction, partnerships and long-term development. As the daughter of Peter and Maria Neumark, she brings a deep personal commitment to the Foundation’s values and its focus on improving opportunities for children and young people facing poverty, disadvantage and isolation.
Rebecca has significant experience across business development, project management, client relationships and organisational leadership, developed through her experience as an entrepreneur and director of a successful interior design company. She now brings that experience into the Foundation’s strategic growth, partnership development and financial oversight, with a particular interest in supporting collaborative approaches that create lasting benefit for communities.
Working closely across the voluntary, community and philanthropic sectors, Rebecca plays a key role in shaping the Foundation’s approach to supporting practical, long-term and community-informed change. She is especially passionate about breaking down barriers for children and young people and helping create opportunities for them to thrive through collaboration, early intervention and place-based working.
Rosalind Williams
Development Director
Rosalind brings extensive senior leadership experience across both the education and charity sectors, having worked at director, consultant and trustee level throughout her career, including as a Director of Education and Chair of Trustees within the voluntary sector. Her work has focused on supporting children and young people facing disadvantage, alongside helping organisations strengthen their long-term impact, partnerships and sustainability.
As Development Director at The Neumark Foundation, Rosalind plays a central role in shaping the Foundation’s strategic development, partnerships and long-term collaborative work across North Wales.
She is particularly passionate about place-based working, community-led development and creating opportunities for children and young people to thrive. Rosalind brings strong strategic leadership across systems change, cross-sector collaboration and long-term partnership development, alongside a commitment to building trusted relationships and supporting practical, long-term change within communities.
Julian Barnes
Completing a career in the glass industry, Julian retired as Managing Director of Pilkington Building Products China in 2012 having been based in Shanghai for 4 years. Following retirement, he became a governor of Rydal Penrhos later that year and was appointed Chairman in 2017.
Julian retired as Chair of Governors in December 2021, having learned much about the importance of children’s education and well being. The experience enabled him to develop a good understanding of the responsibilities and duties of Charities and the role of a Trustee.
Matilda Prytherch
Tilly, daughter of Rebecca and granddaughter of Peter and Maria, brings the perspective and voice of a younger generation to the Board of Trustees at The Neumark Foundation. She currently works in London as a Business Development Executive and has a growing interest in charitable development, communications and the role philanthropy can play in creating opportunities for children and young people facing disadvantage. Passionate about ensuring young people’s voices are heard and represented, Tilly is keen to play an active role in helping shape the Foundation’s future work and wider impact across North Wales.
Rob Salisbury
Rob is retired as senior partner of a North Wales law practice, and is now a consultant, and continues his Notary Public practice.
As a former Chair of Governors at Howell’s Preparatory School, Denbigh, he fully appreciates the importance of children’s education, and the crucial role that charities play, in providing support for the children and young people, who need it most, outside of standard provision, to help them achieve their potential.
Tom Elliott
Tom has worked as a Chartered Tax Adviser in the Accountancy industry for over 35 years, 20 of those as a Private Client partner in national and international firms. He has worked with a number of families who have set up charitable foundations and is a long-standing adviser to the Neumark family. As a father of three, Tom has a keen interest in supporting children to realise their full potential, regardless of their circumstances.