About

HRF aims to promote and develop greater recognition of the importance of the work required to create a thriving home. It meets the fundamental needs of individuals and the family that play a crucial role in creating a more humane society.

A home does not build itself and needs to be well managed. Each member of the family has a pivotal role to play in the organisation of the home that can be learnt from a young age. The home belongs to everyone dwelling within it and is the place where individuals develop their most meaningful environment.

Every individual needs a high level of care in order to flourish, whether they are children, elderly, adolescents or men and women with demanding and stressful professions.

What we do…

As a think tank, HRF’s purpose is to bring about change in our understanding of the professional dimension of the work of the home for a well-balanced society. The Home Renaissance Foundation team works on:

Academic Research

Interdisciplinary academic research -theoretical and practical- to produce the relevant knowledge required for this change. Research gives us the tools to raise awareness of the value of the work of the home. We strive to become an authority on knowledge relating to the home, the work of the home and the care of the family.

Inspiring Excellence

Inspiring excellence in training and expertise in tasks within the home, our Foundation aims to ensure that our inherited traditions, natural talents and the correct and efficient use of new technologies all contribute toward the creation of well-run homes.

Creating a dialogue for change

We want to act as a catalyst for change by encouraging public policies that recognise the new family dynamics and promote education and communication strategies that increase awareness that family tasks are a matter of shared responsibility.

 

Directors

Bryan K. Sanderson, CBE

Chairman

"As the vision of Home Renaissance Foundation elucidates, the home plays a vital role in shaping lives and is where one seeks to find security; where one can be trusted and be certain of finding a set of values that remain constant despite the instability or confusion that can be brought about by everyday life. As Chairman of Home Renaissance Foundation I wish to encourage the spread of knowledge and understanding of the importance of the work required to form such a place and re-establish its rightful position as top priority for the wellbeing of society."

 CV

Before becoming Chairman and Founding Director of Home Renaissance Foundation and Chairman of the Low Pay Commission, Sanderson was Managing Director of BP, Chairman of BUPA and Standard Chartered Bank. He also helped establish the Learning and Skills Council as its first Chairman. He served as Vice Chairman of the Court of Governors at LSE and is a Trustee of the Economist Group. After gaining a BSc in Economics at LSE and furthering his education in the IMEDE Business School Lausanne, the majority of Sanderson's business life has been in the management of advances made in areas ranging from technology to corporate law, from financial regulation to societal and cultural behaviours.

Mercedes Jaureguibeitia

Executive Director

"The aim of the Home Renaissance Foundation is not merely to focus on the problems that are all too evident in society today regarding the home, but rather to centre our efforts on developing solutions that will help the work of the home be better understood and appreciated. In that way I feel that the fundamental needs of the individual and the family can be best met. With the pressing need to increase society’s awareness of the importance and dignity of the work of the home I endeavour to preserve our vision so as to bring it forward to realisation."

CV

Since studying Business and Commerce at the School of Commerce in Bilbao, Spain, Mercedes has worked extensively in the charitable sector, primarily in managerial roles and financial administration.  After specialising in the field of accountancy and finance for 10 years, in 1982 she became Financial Consultant, then Company Director and Finance Director to Dawliffe Hall Educational Foundation (DHEF), a Registered Charity as well as a Company Limited by Guarantee. She attained a postgraduate diploma in Advanced Management of non-profit organisations from City University. In 2006 Mercedes was appointed Project Manager of the international interdisciplinary conference Excellence in the Home, the impetus behind Home Renaissance Foundation and went on to become Executive Director of HRF in 2007. The skills Mercedes has acquired in the voluntary sector particularly in fund-raising, management and communications, have enabled her to raise the profile of HRF and direct it towards achieving its objectives.

Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem

“Having studied and written about the home for over 20 years, it is hard to overestimate the critical role the home plays in shaping our everyday life, value system, and work ethics. We tend to attribute our emotional and memory references to home and family but overlook how such incredible social system crosses the boundaries of space and time to build a network of relations and connections that last our lifetime. HRF has rightly managed to place the role of the home at the forefront of intellectual debates and social dialogue. That’s why the Foundation’s work is critical to our sustainable future.”

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Professor Mohamed Gamal Abdelmonem is Chair in Architecture and the Founding Director of the Centre for Architecture, Urbanism and Global Heritage (CAUGH), and co-lead of Global Heritage Research at Nottingham Trent University. He previously lectured and taught architecture and design at The Royal Academy of Arts in London, University of California at Berkeley, University of Sheffield and Queen’s University Belfast. Gamal advises several governments and international organisations on aspects of sustainable heritage preservation, urban planning and the architecture of home. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and the 2014 recipient of the Jeffrey Cook Award for outstanding research in the Built Environment.

Sophia Aguirre

"Research across disciplines is increasingly underlying the importance of family life for the normal development of a person and, thus, for sustainable economic growth. In this context, the role of the home is fundamental. As an economist, I am convinced of the need to promote interdisciplinary research that will lead to a greater awareness of the importance of the work of the home. Working with Home Renaissance Foundation is a pleasure as their focus on this topic places them in the cutting-edge of research."

CV
Dr. Aguirre is the President of Catholic Distance University and a Professor Emeritus of Economics at the Catholic University of America. She is the founder of the Integral Economic Development Programs at this School. She specializes in international finance and integral economic development. She has researched and published in exchange rates and economic integration, as well as on theories of population, human and social capital and family as it relates to integral economic development. Dr. Aguirre has lectured at both the national and international level. Since ICPD '94, she has actively participated in UN Conferences. She testified in front of Congresses and Parliaments on national and international issues related to population, family and health.  She has also advised several governments on women's education, family policy, and health.  She was a presidential appointee to the US Advisory Commission on Foreign Diplomacy.

Antonio Argandoña

"My work for many years at IESE Business School has been a superb training in understanding the human, social, economic, political and moral issues concerning the home. This is due to a combination of rationality, efficiency and management discipline with the broader vision of the problems involving economics, the philosophical structure of the mind provided by ethics, the practical sense of corporate social responsibility and the practical awareness that human institutions, such as the family and the company, are fundamental for the configuration of society. My collaborative work with the Home Renaissance Foundation is an ideal platform for projecting this multidisciplinary training and experience."

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Antonio Argandoña holds a PhD in Economics from the University of Barcelona. He is Emeritus Professor of Economics and of Business Ethics and holds the "la Caixa" Chair of Corporate Social Responsibility and Corporate Governance at IESE Business School, University of Navarra. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Economics and Finance of Spain, President of the Standing Committee on Professional Ethics of the Economists' Association of Catalonia and a member of the Commission on Anti-Corruption of the International Chamber of Commerce (Paris). He has published numerous books, book chapters and articles in prestigious journals on economics and business ethics. He has been editor of books and journals, member of ethics committees of business associations and financial institutions, and has held government positions at IESE Business School and with numerous scientific and professional bodies.

Marta Bertolaso

"Recent scientific research shows that the environment plays a crucial role in the development and growth of all living things. Its importance is even more evident when the being in question is as complex as the human person. Care for the well-being of people at home moulds and enriches this environment. So I think it is worthwhile investing time and effort to reassess domestic work: those tasks which turn a house into a home and which are fundamental in the harmonious development of the human person at birth, in maturity and old age."

CV

Marta Bertolaso is Full Professor of Philosophy of Science and Human Development at the University Campus Bio-Medico of Rome (Italy) and within the Centre for Cancer Biomarkers (CCBIO) project, University of Bergen (Norway). Her expertise in philosophy of science, scientific practice and in philosophy of life sciences with a strong scientific background has allowed her to promote and collaborate in interdisciplinary research and educational projects on complex organized systems and human wellbeing more in general. She is currently focusing her work on the integral development of complex adaptive systems, also mediated by digital technologies. She currently also has collaborations in the Ministry of Health and of the Ecologic Transition in Italy and in the department for Work and Integral Wellbeing of the Vatican. Since 2017 Marta Bertolaso has been Editor in Chief of the Springer Series on “Human Perspectives in Health Sciences and Technology” (HPHS&T).

Rosa María Lastra

“I consider that combining the work of the home and professional work which in my case is in the field of academia, is a rewarding albeit challenging task. The balancing of competing demands for one's time can some times be a source of stress. But it is important to keep the priorities right: home and family comes first. The needs of the children are dynamic and change over time. In order to deal with those needs certain flexibility is required as well as generosity, fortitude and good time management.”

CV

Professor Dr Rosa María Lastra is the Sir John Lubbock Chair in Banking Law at the Centre for Commercial Law Studies (CCLS), Queen Mary University of London. She is a member of Monetary Committee of the International Law Association (MOCOMILA), a founding member of the European Shadow Financial Regulatory Committee (ESFRC), an associate of the Financial Markets Group of the London School of Economics and Political Science, and an affiliated scholar of the Centre for the Study of Central Banks at New York University School of Law. From 2008 to 2010 she was a Visiting Professor of the University of Stockholm. She has served as a consultant to the International Monetary Fund, the European Central Bank, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

 

Susan O'Brien

"My combined involvement with professionals of the Hospitality industry over the years, along with my familiarity with theories relevant to human flourishing has led me to give great importance to the way each and every family home functions behind closed doors. The multi-layered capabilities and vulnerabilities of the human individual make the safe place of unconditional family love essential for personal development and meaningful participation in the social fabric. While this is accepted and generally understood, too often the subsequent need for a fully functional material home with its routines, traditions and details can be overlooked. I believe the Home Renaissance Foundation has a crucial role in highlighting pathways to remedying this."

CV
After her BSc Institutional Management, Susan undertook her Masters and Doctorate in Educational Sciences majoring in philosophy and theology in the University of Navarre. She has worked for many years in the charity sector, first as Principal of Lakefield College of Hospitality, where she managed the introduction of to work-based training and qualifications. Susan has worked as Director of Studies and of Hospitality Personnel and Training Management for the Dawliffe Hall Educational Foundation (DHEF), a Registered Charity as well as a Company Limited by Guarantee for many years. This included among others being an advisor to Lakefield College of Hospitality London, and advising on the executive committee of the Baytree Centre, Brixton, London, an intergenerational project helping women overcome social exclusion and maximise their personal and family potential. Susan was an Advisor for the Excellence in the Home International Conference, which launched what then became the Home Renaissance Foundation.

 

Teresa Payne

"As a partner in a firm of solicitors with a Family Department, I am only too aware of the devastation that family break down can bring. A stable family environment is essential to the future of our society! When I was approached by the Foundation I immediately grasped their vision with both hands – an organisation taking preventative steps rather than remedial – it was so refreshing! I am delighted to have been invited to join the Board of Directors and wish to support Home Renaissance Foundation’s work in any way I can."

CV
Teresa Payne is a Partner at the south west London firm Parfitt Cresswell. Teresa studied law at the University of Wales Cardiff before completing her legal studies at the College of Law, Guildford. Prior to moving to Parfitt Cresswell, Teresa was a Partner and Head of the Family & Dispute Resolution department at Wellers Solicitors based in their Bromley office. Teresa’s specialism is Family Law and she is a trained collaborative lawyer.

Julia Prats

"Do we think that creativity, determination, intellectual development and emotional balance can be developed to the fullest as a homemaker? The answer is potentially yes and much more holistically than in other professions. I think a fair position would be to accept that homemaking, like any other profession, has the potential to fulfill a personal aspiration to improve to the fullest."

CV
Dr Mª Julia Prats is Professor and head of the department of Entrepreneurship, and holder of the Bertrán Foundation Chair of Entrepreneurship at IESE. Professor Prats´ areas of interest are the entrepreneurial process and building and managing professional service firms. Her second work stream focuses on understanding the development of professional competencies and new business models in professional service firms.  She was nominated Kauffman Emerging Scholar for her dissertation work and has published in international journals and congress proceedings. Mª Julia Prats is Doctor of Business Administration by Harvard University, Master of Business Administration by IESE Business School, and holds a Degree in Industrial Engineering from Polytechnic University of Catalunya. She has taught at Wharton Business School, IPADE (México), INALDE (Colombia) and University of Asia Pacific (Philippines).

Maria Teresa Russo

As philosopher, I have always appreciated what Gaston Bachelard says in La poétique de l'espace: “La maison est notre coin du monde. C'est notre premier universe” (“Home is our corner of the world, it is our first universe”). In fact, dwelling is taking root in a place where “we have the keys”, a guarantee of security and belonging, a physical space populated by objects that are part of everyday life. "Making home" also means carrying out a series of daily and recurring gestures. These rituals have a strong symbolic value: they are reassuring because through the control of space and time they contribute to creating a feeling of stability and are a concrete sign of caring for others. Feeling at home is also being at ease with people with whom we have bonds of reciprocity and gratuitousness, with those who are familiar to us. To build a more human world, we need to overcome the many crises of home: not only those caused by wars and emigration but also the difficulty of combining the “we” of proximity and welcome. A challenge as timely as ever, a challenge for all.

 

CV
Maria Teresa Russo, Ph.D. in “Philosophy and Human Sciences Theory”, is Full Professor of Moral Philosophy and Bioethics at Roma Tre University. She has been Editor in chief of the peer-review journal “MEDIC. Methodology & Education for Clinical Innovation”. She has been visiting professor at the University “Jean Jaurès” of Toulouse, Santiago de Compostela, Pontifical University of Santiago de Chile. Member of the scientific board of Italian and International journals: «Per la Filosofia», «Critical Hermeneutics», «Aurora. Papeles del Seminario María Zambrano». Her main research focused on the Spanish and French contemporary philosophy, ethical issues of healthcare and embodiment, with special reference to the Women’s Studies.

Patrons

Sheila the Baroness Hollins

"Home comes in many different shapes and sizes but whoever we are and wherever we live, we need our home to be the place where we feel safest. That’s not always possible for reasons of finance or family turmoil or because a disabled person is deemed too needy to be supported at home. My life’s work has revolved around trying to implement the principles  of the Ordinary Life movement for people with learning disabilities,  that each person is entitled to an ordinary Life in an ordinary house in an ordinary street with the support that they may need to be able to live safely and fully. Such support must include home making- a skill rarely found amongst the repertoire of direct support staff/ carers who are working in the community."

CV
Professor Sheila the Baroness Hollins is an independent crossbench life peer in the House of Lords, and Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry of Disability at St George's University of London. She has been a clinical specialist, researcher and policy maker in mental health and published both scientific and professional papers and books. In 1989 she founded the long running Books Beyond Words series of picture books for young people and adults with developmental intellectual disabilities, which includes stories about everyday life such as moving home, as well as physical and mental health, and criminal justice. Baroness Hollins was President of the Royal College of Psychiatrists (2005-2008), President of the British Medical Association (2012-2013) and Chair of the Board of Science of the British Medical Association (2013- 2016). She has completed a 4 year term as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and Vulnerable Adults in 2017, and is currently President of the Royal College of Occupational Therapists.

 

Colin Brazier

"The home faces lots of competition. Work means some of us spend long hours in an office or living out of a suitcase. Ever-increasing commutes to work mean the car is a second home for many. And, when at home, reality can be side-stepped on the internet, inside one of its virtual worlds. Ironically, the home has rarely enjoyed more attention. Glossy interior design magazines, house 'makeover' programmes on television. But there is more to the home than the latest light fittings. People make a home, through their interactions, traditions, routines. It is frequently unglamorous and, consequently, frequently undervalued. The HRF exists to right that wrong."

CV

Colin Brazier is a television news presenter and author who writes about the value of larger families in modern society. His work as a journalist has brought him several industry awards, including a gold medal from the New York Television Festival for his reports from Afghanistan. His research on the obstacles faced by bigger families is published by the think-tank Civitas. Entitled 'Another Child Matters', it draws on Colin's own experience as a father-of-six, as well as data from Britain and elsewhere, to argue that society fails to give larger families the credit they are due.

Richard Corrigan

“As a chef, my philosophy is firmly rooted in a sense that food should reflect both who we are and where we are. My upbringing on a rural farm in Ireland taught me to appreciate unpretentious, fresh, seasonal food and that, in turn, is what I have become known for. I was wonderfully surprised when I discovered Home Renaissance Foundation and learned that its vision promotes the work of the home. Without the care and education, I received at home, I would not be who I am today. I am proud to be able to stand up for the work of the home as a patron of Home Renaissance Foundation.”

CV

From his home in Ireland, Richard catapulted himself into the prestigious ranks of the culinary world and his restaurants have won him both critical and public success. He is the owner of Bentley’s Oyster Bar & Grill (London and Dublin) and Corrigan’s Mayfair – which has been awarded AA Restaurant of the Year 2010. Richard is also very active in public spheres. He has written three cookbooks (The Richard Corrigan Cookbook: From the Waters and The Wild, Cookery School and The Clatter of Forks and Spoons) and appeared on television numerous times, including his appearance as a participant in the Great British menu competition. He is also a champion of responsibly sourced products through his involvement with the Farm to Fork and Slow Food Movements.

Paola Windsor

“I drew inspiration from my own home and wish to also create a strong, peaceful home, to which I believe every human being has a right in order to develop physically and spiritually.

Creating a harmonious home is the result of much thought, hard work and dedication on the part of the home maker and I feel strongly that society should recognise this work to a far greater extent than it does at present. I believe that with its global vision Home Renaissance Foundation will contribute greatly to bring about this change.”

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After being educated at St Paul's Girls' School and Wycombe Abbey, Lady Nicholas Windsor proceeded to read Classics at Cambridge. She then took her postgraduate (M.Phil) in Philosophy at Paris IV La Sorbonne. She speaks seven languages namely English, Swedish, German, French, Italian, Spanish and Croatian. She is a writer and painter and is now married and a mother.

Gloria O. Pasadilla

"My recollections of my own home explain why I can identify with the objectives of Home Renaissance Foundation. Growing up in a big family, it was in the home that I learned my initial social interactions and also where I learned how to help create a pleasant environment for everyone. I was able to understand that my help was needed to contribute to the life of the home. Sometimes it was only small things that made the difference. We all have the responsibility to make the home an oasis of peace and security and HRF works to equip and encourage us all to make that difference."

CV
Gloria O. Pasadilla is Partner and Business Director of Leadership Design Pte, Ltd, a boutique consultancy outfit based in Singapore since 2018.  Previously, she was Senior Analyst at APEC Policy Support Unit in Singapore from July 2013 to June 2018 where she handled policy issues related to digital trade, services, non-tariff measures, e-commerce, digital payments, and others.  She prepared in-depth reports for APEC Senior Officials and presented to Trade Ministers on digital trade in Asia Pacific,  SMEs and E-commerce, global value chains and services, supply chain finance and others. She had studied in New York University, USA; worked in Tokyo and the Philippines and have done consulting work with various international organizations.

Elisabeth Andras

"I regard myself as a mother by profession or perhaps I should say a 'Chairwoman' of a small expanding enterprise: the family! I am convinced that one cannot neglect the work and care of the home without jeopardising the development of personal and cultural standards – a conviction that has been confirmed by the vision of Home Renaissance Foundation. It is, therefore, a great privilege to be actively involved in an international organisation which I believe will protect what are the fundamental requirements for a human society."

CV

Elisabeth Andras was born 1955 in Zurich, Switzerland. Her parents are of Hungarian origin and finally settled in Luzern, Switzerland, where Elisabeth spent her childhood with her four siblings. She studied law in Fribourg, Switzerland and finished with a Masters. Extended sojourns in the United States and in France as well as a job at the auction house Christie’s, Zurich, completed her education. She has been married since 1982 and is a full-time mother of five children. In 2003 her oldest daughter died of cancer. In 2005 Elisabeth published the book, Schenk Mir Dein Lächeln giving a testimony about the joint path during her daughter’s illness. Elisabeth is member on the board of the Limmatstiftung, a charity foundation in Zürich. She is also engaged in different programs concerning the formation of women. In 2007 she founded the group Mutterplus, which aims to recognise the status of mothers by profession. Currently, for Mutterplus she organises workshops and cultural programmes to aid the vocational training of mothers.

Juana María Sandoval

”With great joy I welcomed in 2006 the creation of HRF with its aim of researching ways of renewing the culture of the home, something most needed for the future development of society.  My experience as an educationalist and my work with different Foundations makes me aware of the relevance of the work of the home for the family and as a result for society at large.  From its beginning I have followed HRF’s  progress and tried to cooperate as much as I could.  Therefore, I am now very grateful to have  been asked to collaborate in a more direct way with the Foundation and its work.”

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Juana’s background in education began in Argentina, but subsequent qualifications and experience have been gained across Europe.  She studied for her Masters and PhD in the Philosophy of Education through the University of Navarre in Pamplona, Spain, and has taught Philosophy at university level.  Although Juana is now based in Sweden, much of her professional life has been spent in the UK.  She has a particular interest and expertise in the nurture and development of young people and families.  She was involved in the creation of Dawliffe Hall Educational Foundation, a charity which promotes education for women and the family.  Juana extended her work to Ireland and Sweden organising international courses in Dublin and Stockholm, establishing links with other European countries.  She is currently Director of Ateneum Studiecentrum in Stockholm, where new generations of young people are benefiting from Juana’s considerable experience in this field.

Susan Van Bilderbeek

"I have received my appreciation of the work of the home both through my upbringing and through my experiences as a homemaker. There is no doubt in my mind that this work is invaluable to my family and to each individual this work serves throughout the world. However, I also firmly believe that this work can also have a huge impact on society because of the effect it has on each person. I was thrilled to discover Home Renaissance Foundation and I am very proud to be able to contribute to the work of the Foundation as a Director."

Research Partnership

IESE - ICWF - HRF

Mireia Las Heras | Professor of Managing People in Organizations at IESE Business School, University of Navarra, Spain - where she serves as the Director of the International Center for Work and Family.

Yasif Rofcanin | Professor in Organizational Psychology and Human Resource Management at the University of Bath and Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Organisation and HRM Division, Ph.D. in Organisational Behaviour and HRM at the University of Warwick -Warwick Business School.

Marc Grau | Professor and a Researcher at the Childcare and Family Policies Chair at Universitat International Catalunya and a WAPPP Research Fellow at Harvard Kennedy School.

 

Partners

  • Nottingham Trent University
  • The Catholic University of America
  • IESE Business School
  • IAE Business School
  • Universitá Campus Biomedico di Roma
  • Lagos Business School
  • Kenvale College
  • Mothers At Home Matter
  • Needo Comunicación
  • Rino Snaidero Scientific Foundation
  • Make Mothers Matter
  • The Family Watch
  • Social Trends Institute
  • Routledge
  • United Nations