Biographies
James St Aubyn – Chairman
James’s initial career was with merchant bank, Kleinwort Benson, including spells in Tokyo and New York. He subsequently moved first to Devon, then Cornwall, preferring the more intimate environment of working with small and developing businesses. He is the founder chairman of Pirate FM which won the first independent radio licence for Cornwall. From this grew UKRD Group which operates some 20 radio licences across England and incidentally in 2011 and 2012 was ranked first in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to work for. James is now concentrating on working with his wife, Mary, and the senior management team to develop the businesses of St Aubyn Estates and St Michael’s Mount.
Mary St Aubyn – Director
Mary St Aubyn has lived and worked in West Cornwall for nearly twenty years. Her early career was in social work which followed through to directorships of two charities in Cornwall and 12 years serving as a magistrate. She joined the Board of the family company in 2003. Mary is a Deputy Lieutenant of Cornwall and a member of National Trust's Regional Advisory Board. Welcoming family and friends to the Mount, nurturing the beautiful garden and walking the coastal path fill the weekends happily.
Rob Abernethy – Chief Executive
Rob joined St Aubyn Estates in 2008 as the main board director of the Godolphin Company after a successful ten year career in the Brigade of Gurkhas and five years in general management at Control Risks. Rob leads the Company Executive Committee and is the National Trust representative for St Michael's Mount.
He read economics at Durham University and at the end of his military career obtained his MBA at Warwick Business School. Rob had a brief spell as a professional rugby player before injury forced retirement, has completed three Ironman events and rowed across the Indian Ocean. Rob now spends his spare time looking after his two young daughters and gig rowing.
Jessica Slack – Head of Finance & IT
Jess is a qualified accountant and has held a number of roles in the public and private sector, covering audit, financial reporting, management accounting and policy advice. She has also taught English as a foreign language and has run many audit and accounting training course. She is interested in languages & speaks Spanish, Polish and a bit of German.
Charlotte Somers - Head of Marketing & PR
Charlotte has over 15 years’ of marketing experience having worked in a variety of accounts and sectors across the full marketing mix. She spent 13 years in client management at Dewynters, the UKs largest full service marketing and advertising agency specialising in the live Arts and Entertainment. She is an affiliate member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing, is the proud mum of two young boys and unwinds with Yoga.
Nick Harvey – Head of Resources
Nick was born in Carbis Bay and is a long serving employee of the Estate having joined the company in 1982 to head up the accounting team. In 2010, Nick was appointed Head of Resources to steer the company’s development of its Corporate Social Responsibility strategy. He is a keen Laser sailor and has taken part in the management of Marazion’s Mounts Bay Sailing Club for over 30 years. He has also raced and cruised yachts in the West Country and over to the Brittany coast of France, the highlight in racing terms of competing in and finishing the 2001 Fastnet Race.
Andrew Davey - Head of Land and Property
Andrew looks after the operational management of St Aubyn Estates land holdings in West Cornwall, including the let estate, in-hand farm, Cornish Heritage Builders and St. Michael’s Mount.
Andrew attended the Royal Agricultural College at Cirencester, later qualifying as a Rural Practice Chartered Surveyor whilst working in private practice. He then began a successful career with the National Trust where he worked firstly in north Wales, and then in Cornwall and Devon. Here he managed a wide variety of estates and heritage properties open to the public across the two counties, particularly in Cornwall. Andrew’s spare time is filled mainly by water-sports, cycling, rock climbing and exploring the Cornish coast.