RAFMEL Directors

Jonathan Field

After a 40 year career in Retail, Jonathan retired in 2021. He previously ran a number of John Lewis Dept Stores in Welwyn Garden City, Brent Cross, Watford, Norwich and Peterborough. He previously worked for both Sainsbury's and Marks and Spencer.

He also previously Chaired both the Welwyn and Watford BIDs (Business Improvement Districts). In addition, he chaired the Oxford Summer School Advisory Board from 2011-2019. Whilst at Sainsburys, he was a non Exec Director of the National Association of Convenience Stores in the USA representing Britain's convenience store sector. He was also a mentor on the National Be The Business mentoring scheme, working with a number of SME’s and helping them with their business plans and leadership skills.

Outside of work, he was appointed as a Justice of the Peace (JP) in 2023 and sits on the Bedfordshire Crime Bench. He is also a NED of Courts Mauritius, the largest Furniture and Electrical retailer on the Island of Mauritius.

Jonathan is a keen Cricketer representing Hertfordshire at over 60's level, a keen footballer and he can often be found in the Gym or in the garden growing organic produce and sharing it on his Instagram account, @farmer_field

Jonathan has been married to Lorraine for 37 years and they have 3 grown up children, Emily, Jessica and Louis. They are also the very proud Grandparents of Ivy (2) and Oscar (17months).

Dominique Sidley

Dominique serves as the Vice President of Global Sales at Merlin Entertainments Ltd, an esteemed global leader in location-based, family entertainment. With over three decades of experience in driving and developing global sales within the Tourism sector, Dominique specializes in the formulation of strategic sales and marketing plans for B2B platforms to deliver volume, value, and share of voice. She is a recognized solution provider for new market entry, client acquisition, and channel-mix delivery.

In the past three years, Dominique has cultivated an understanding of digital integration and optimization to enhance sales solutions and is accountable for their implementation across the UK, EMEA, North America, and APAC markets.

Dominique is a fervent advocate and business leader for equality, diversity, inclusion, and belonging. She also offers mentorship to not-for-profit organizations and women in the hospitality and leisure sectors.

Julie Dixon

I’m the Head of Customer Information, Design & Partnerships at Transport for London. My job is to make travel in London easy and inclusive. I have a passion for solving customer pain-points and delivering marketing and communications that speaks to everyone, with a human touch.

At TfL I lead large multi-functional communications and customer experience team delivering everything from printed customer information, including the world-famous Tube map, through to our digital content across, web, social, CRM, blogs and Podcasts. My team also delivers a wide range of partnerships, both value in kind and commercial partnerships, including our licensing programme and brand protection, generating income that’s reinvested into public transport.

My team is also accountable for design development, working on a range of projects from staff uniforms to new bus stops or trains. I lead on major public transport projects, most recently the Elizabeth line and naming the London Overground routes.

Julie McGarvey

Julie is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (CIPR) and has 30 years’ experience in strategic communications, brand building, sponsorship activation and reputation management.

She has provided counsel to blue chip clients in the private, public and third sector across aviation & transportation; tourism, arts & culture; sport & leisure; retail, property & construction; food & drink and financial services.

Julie is the former co-founder of 3×1 Group, an independent communications and digital consultancy with offices in Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen. She is a past-chair of CIPR Scotland; former adviser to the University of Stirling’s MSc in Public Relations and non-executive director of the arts charity Culture Republic. Her media career spanned the BBC World Service and Radio Clyde after graduating from the University of Strathclyde in Arts and Business Studies.

Nicola Ratcliffe

With a progressive career in leisure, Nikki has extensive expertise leading new business initiatives with impressive EBITDA growth results. With a combination of working 27 years with the Tussauds Group and Merlin Entertainments she has worked in multiple attractions from Resort Theme Parks through to being the General Manager of the Iconic and UKs most visited paid for attraction The London Eye. More recently Nikki has supported the Butlin’s brand and led both the Minehead Resort and Bognor Regis Resort as Resort Director. She currently runs her own consultancy business supporting attractions with master planning and ways to significantly enhance their performance. Nikki has a passion for supporting other women in their careers and has been an active woman of influence mentor for Cancer Research since 2019.

Sam Bunis

Sam is a marketing and communications leader, with over 20 years’ agency and client-side experience and expertise in Brand and Digital Transformation, Partnerships, Events and Communications, energising some of the biggest and most exciting commercial and charity brands in the world. She sits on the Exec Team of the Football Foundation – the Premier League, The FA and Government’s charity, the largest sports charity in the UK; and holds Non-Executive Director roles at Bloomsbury Football and the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad

Agency-side, she created impactful campaigns for brilliant clients including BBC, M&S, Tennent’s Lager, Maltesers, M&Ms and Sainsbury’s. In 2011, Sam left agency life behind and moved to a client-side role with the BBC, as Head of Marketing for Children in Need, where she played a key role in achieving four record-breaking years – she loved it! From there she back into the commercial sector leading marketing for the first multi-site street food business and then serving as Marketing Director responsible for launching the iconic Battersea Power Station, welcoming visitors from all over the world to the first restaurants, bars, shops and events at London’s most ambitious and long-awaited destination.

Sean Newmarch

Sean Newmarch is a global e-commerce leader with over 15 years of digital marketing experience. He has a passion for innovation, creating immersive experiences and is currently the Chief Digital Officer at Stokke, a premium children's products company, where he focuses on driving digital transformation and innovation to enhance customer experiences and business growth. Before joining Stokke, Sean spent over a decade working for Dyson, where he was responsible for e-commerce growth, digital advertising, and building high-performing teams across 28 international markets. He also led the development and execution of various cutting-edge digital initiatives, including VR and Metaverse projects.