Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire branch: Committee

Chairman
Charlie Houston-Brown CEng MBCS

Charlie is the founder of RushKeep Solutions, which supports organisations to improve their operations pragmatically by using digital technologies appropriate for them.

Originally from Northern Ireland, Charlie settled in Stoke-on-Trent over 25 years ago, was warmly welcomed and has been proud to call it home ever since.

He is passionate about our BCS member group network: its commitment to the importance of connecting locally to make IT good for society and to improving digital inclusion. He has established the Reboot IT For All CIC to support the redistribution of computer hardware.

Charlie chairs the Staffordshire Chambers of Commerce Digital Forum - seeking to drive Government policy to support local business whilst creating a collaborative culture in the digital sector that also remembers its social responsibilities.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-houston-brown/
Email: charlie.houston-brown@bcs.org

Vice Chairman and Treasurer 
Jonathan Westlake MBCS

Jonathan is an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with Staffordshire University Business School and a part-time lecturer in the Dept of Computing. Other vocational work includes being an external examiner with a number of award bodies/universities and a regular media commentator on all things information technology

Secretary
Mike Butterworth CITP RITTech FBCS

Mike holds the titles of Chartered IT Professional (CITP) and Fellow (FBCS) with the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT.

With a background in IT and Cybersecurity, he is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) and currently works as a Global Director of IT Audit. Throughout his career, Mike has concentrated on improving IT and cybersecurity frameworks, spearheading strategic initiatives, and fostering innovation. In addition to supporting his regional branch, he is a BCS Membership Assessor and a member of the UK ISACA Task Force.

Mike takes pleasure in helping individuals advance in their careers and professional outlook.

Inclusion Officer
Richard Gosling CITP MBCS

Since hearing Sir Clive Sinclair talk about the home computing revolution in 1980 and obtaining my first computer the following year (a ZX81) I have had a keen interest in all aspects of IT.

Since then my career has led me through IT support, software development and data science. Along the way I've worked on projects for automotive manufacturers, tier one banks and government departments.

My main interests are in ethical use of data, emerging technologies and helping others to reach their full potential in the IT industry.

Education Liasion Officer
Sandra Woolley FBCS

Sandra Woolley is a Fellow of the BCS. She chaired the 2022 BCS Human-Computer Interaction Conference at Keele University where she is the Computer Science Research Director, the Deputy Chair of the Central Research Ethics Committee and the Deputy Director of the Digital Society Institute. She leads the Future Systems Research Group and teaches Computer Animation and Multimedia, and topics in 'Ethics, Professionalism and Real-World Case Studies in Computer Science'. Her research encompasses digital heritage including VR/AR and 3D virtual reconstruction of fragmented artefacts, and health technologies including wearables, sensing systems and assistive devices.

Events Coordinator
Sharon Dempsey MBCS

Sharon is our local events co-ordinator, and also sits on the National BCS Registration and Standards Committee. In a career that has spanned over 40 years, she has led many national and global digital programmes.

As Director of Data for the Parliamentary Digital Service Sharon was the key technical advisor to the creation of an act of Parliament and Data Sharing Agreement for the Restoration and Renewal programme for the Palace of Westminster. (Parliamentary Relationship Agreement published – UK).

In the local community, Sharon has completed 8 years as a Trustee for 2 Multi Academy Trusts, chairing their Finance, Risk and Audit committees and steering and supporting digital change such as GDPR and "cloud-first". In addition, Sharon is a STEM Ambassador and participates in local events such as supporting a VR event at the Reginald Mitchell school in Kidsgrove (Jul 2024 & Jul 2025).

Sharon has her own Digital Consultancy and is advising 2 SMEs as they grow their business.

Specialist Group (SG) Liaison Officer
Dee Alimi MBCS

Webmaster, Social Media Officer and Early Careers Advocate
Craig Hannon RITTech MBCS

I am a technical lead for a software consultancy where I lead a team of software engineers, and have around 15 years experience within the IT industry working in both blue chip and SME based settings. I graduated from the University of Salford with an undergraduate BSc Hons in Multimedia and Internet Technology and then completed a Masters of Enterprise (Technology). I have been a member of the BCS for around 3 years and am also a member of OWASP and the IET. I have a strong passion for Software Engineering and DevSecOps and most of my recent years has been spent within this specialism. I largely develop API based solutions on the Microsoft Stack. I have joined the BCS to promote professional ethics and personal development.