Meet the Team
Dr Grace Robinson
Founder & CEO
Grace is the Founder and CEO of Black Box Research and Consultancy. Having completed her Ph.D on Urban Street Gangs, Child Criminal Exploitation and County Lines, Grace is able to offer contemporary insights into an area with little existing literature. She has worked on over 150 Modern Slavery cases nationally, comprising drugs and weapon offences, fraud, burglary and robbery. She has also prepared reports for asylum tribunals.
While employed by the University of Nottingham's 'Rights Lab', Grace led on projects; (1) exploring the impact of Covid-19 on County Lines, and (2) examining the intersection between cognitive impairment and exploitation. She was also involved in a project investigating the prevalence of trafficking and online sexual exploitation of children in the Philippines.
Grace has recently undertaken a course on the Identification, Support and Care for Victims of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking at St. Mary's University. She is a Visiting Practitioner in Criminology at Edge Hill University and sits on the Criminology Professional Advisory Group.
Grace regularly delivers training on criminal exploitation and County Lines, participating in podcasts, radio interviews and documentaries. She has recently consulted with members of the House of Lords on the Nationality and Borders Bill.
Daniel Adams
Executive Director, Development & Communications
Daniel comes from a business development background and has a wealth of experience in procurement, customer relations and project management. Daniel will have responsibility for developing Black Box's strategic objectives and will lead on implementing and evaluating internal and external digital communication.
Francine McKeown
Senior Consultant
Francine has worked in the criminal justice system, particularly within substance misuse, for 15 years where she has supported both children and adults. Francine is a qualified Probation Officer and has held a Regional Manager role at We Are With You (North West), an organisation offering advice to those in need of support in relation to drugs, alcohol and mental health. Francine has recently undertaken the role of Service Manager in Crime and Community Safety at Knowsley Council.
Mike Andrews
Account Manager
Mike brings over thirty years' experience in his field, twenty of which as a senior account manager with multinational companies. With an extensive history in business management, Mike is an advisor to Black Box Research and Consultancy and is responsible for all aspects of credit control within the company.
Diane Hackney
Account Manager
Diane has extensive experience in customer facing and strategic roles. She has a proven track record in building and strengthening client relationships to achieve long-term partnerships. Diane is responsible for internal admin and maintaining clients' accounts, concerns and needs.