All Directors are unpaid volunteers – they pay their own subscriptions and receive no expenses.
Niki Schäfer
Chair
Niki Schäfer has worked in the creative field for over 20 years, from top advertising agencies in London and New York, through writing for various newspapers and magazines, to establishing her own interior design business in Henley-on-Thames in 2007.
Niki was professionally trained at KLC School of Design in Chelsea Harbour and is a member of the British Institute of Interior Design. Her first project was to build and design Trinity Preschool and she has continued to create contemporary and colourful homes and commercial spaces throughout Henley and the surrounding counties since.
Niki is an author and her book Creating Space – a design guide for busy homes – was short-listed for the Brit Writers Award 2012. She is also a professional speaker and the home décor expert on the QVC shopping channel.
Niki lives in Henley with her husband, two opinionated redheads and a footballer in the making.
Robin Pincott
Treasurer
Robin Pincott is a partner with Pincott Lee Chartered Accountants, a local firm he co-founded in 2011.
He offers a range of services from general tax and accountancy, to bespoke consulting assignments, through to complete outsourcing of the finance function. In a career spanning two decades he has advised clients as an audit manager, financial modeller, Sarbanes-Oxley consultant, accountancy lecturer and, more recently, general practitioner.
His CV includes two of the big four accounting firms and a major oil company. Robin has been treasurer to the Partnership since April 2012 helping to support its activities and manage its finances.
Helen Fraser
Director
Helen is an Independent Financial Adviser (IFA) whose particular area of expertise is working with clients who are within 10 years of retirement, clients at retirement, financial planning after divorce, Inheritance Tax planning and care fees planning. Helen also works with Attorneys acting under an EPA or an LPA.
Helen’s aim is to help clients navigate the sometimes confusing world of personal finance and to make the most of their money. She can help you whether you are an experienced investor or a novice. Helen sees her role more as a mentor rather than telling clients what to do, by listening and having a two-way conversation.
With a background in marketing, Helen has always been interested in personal finance and saving so when she was looking for a career change it seemed natural that she should train as a financial adviser in order to share that expertise and passion with others.
Helen says “I love it when people come to see me with a complex issue, we put a plan together that they understand and I can literally see the relief on their face.”
Andy Steer
Director
Andy and his family moved to Henley in 2013, and they now consider the town to be home.
Having spent as many years running his own companies as he did in corporate life, he now enjoys working with smaller businesses to help them to make informed choices about how and where technology can be used effectively.
Andy set up Vividly Simple to cut through the unnecessary complexity surrounding anything IT related, helping business owners to choose just the right IT, removing frustration and leaving them free to grow, or spend time with their family, or do whatever it is they like to do.
Emma Vanstone-Booth
Director
Emma has been a Henley resident since 2003, having moved here from West London. She has lived and worked internationally throughout her life, with a 27-year career in hi-tech and software, latterly with Director and Vice President roles in international marketing for global software companies.
Since the first Covid lockdown she has been working with her husband Phil Booth and growing the family business as Associate Director of Philip Booth Esq estate agents, based in Station Road in Henley, and also in Marlow.
Emma has been married to Phil since 2014, and has a teenage daughter, 2 grown-up stepsons and a pair of miniature schnauzers. She is a bit of a foodie, a keen gardener, a lover of the outdoors, and a nerd for all things aeroplanes and birds.
Her role in the Henley Business Partnership will be to use her commercial and marketing background to support the community and local businesses, with a particular interest in the confluence between local producer, independent retailer, tourism and charities – given the worsening cost-of-living crisis. She is relishing the opportunity to work and contribute to her hometown and local community.
Isobel Harris
Manager of Henley Business Partnership
Isobel is a Virtual Assistant and Business Manager, offering Business Support Services to owner-managers and small businesses. Her favourite clients are those with a passion to grow their business, where she excels in providing a combination of administrative and managerial expertise to enable rapid growth. Isobel has gathered experience working in roles as diverse as IT project management, clinical practice management, and supply chain and logistics; she loves any sort of logistical challenge whether it is sorting out a simple spreadsheet or running a large-scale event for her clients.
She is passionate about working with local businesses and is also a trustee for Henley Music School.
Nigel White
Managing Director of the Higgs Group and Henley Standard
Nigel has worked in media for the past 30 years and for the past 25 years has held senior management roles for some of the largest publishers in the UK including Trinity Mirror and Newsquest before joining the Higgs Group, publishers of the Henley Standard.
Nigel made the permanent move to the Henley area earlier this year and now that his family has settled into their new home – with the majority of work completed – he is determined not to let his golf clubs completely rust away.
He also plays billiards for Trinity Hall in the Henley and District league.
Mark Wojcicki
Creative Director of Studio Stanley
Mark runs Studio Stanley the design agency for businesses that want a compelling identity online and offline. His expertise is in brand development, identity, website and digital design, advertising and sales and promotional literature.
He has over 35 years of experience in graphics and loves to sketch in his spare time.
Member Benefits