OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES
At Plan International UK, we are governed by our Board of Trustees. The Board meets regularly and is responsible for setting our strategic direction, as well as for our overall governance and overseeing our management.
New trustees are chosen in consultation with the full Board, making sure that, collectively, the Board has the skills and experience needed to enable us to operate effectively.
Meet the board and find out what motivates them to volunteer for us.
Ian
Professor Sir Ian Diamond became Chair of Plan International UK in 2018. Sir Ian is The UK National Statistician and Permanent Secretary of the Office for National Statistics. He is also Chair of the University Southampton, and has held other roles in research, higher and further education and the voluntary sector. He is a Fellow of the British Academy, the Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Academy for Social Sciences. Sir Ian holds honorary degrees from the universities of Cardiff, Glasgow, Curtin and Southampton.
In a volatile world in which poverty and gender inequality remain all too evident, never has the work of Plan International UK been more important, and never has it been more pressing to show the UK public why that’s the case.
— Sir Ian Diamond, Chair, Plan International UK
Beverley
Beverley has been a member of the Board since 2019 and she is also Chair of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee. She is a chartered accountant and her executive positions have included Finance Vice President at Burberry, and Group Chief Financial Officer at the BBC. She currently serves as Lead Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office and as a Crown Representative for the Cabinet Office supporting central government in managing their strategic commercial relationships. She is also a Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair of the Circle Health Group.
Beverley is a passionate supporter of the children’s charity sector having served as Trustee and Audit Committee Chair of BBC Children in Need for 10 years. She also sits on the Audit Committee of BAFTA. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) and of the Chartered Institute of Procurement.
Every child deserves the best chance in life and I am proud to be part of an organisation that is helping make that a reality.
— Beverley Tew, Plan International UK Trustee
Emily
Emily has been a member of the Board since 2019. She is a Partner at Public Digital, where she advises donors, development banks and governments in Africa and Asia-Pacific on building digital capability and transforming public services.
Emily previously led the design of the London Office of Technology and Innovation (LOTI) at the Greater London Authority, and has worked on financial technology for international development at UNICEF Innovation. She started her career at the Boston Consulting Group, where she worked with clients in the financial and public sectors in the UK, Malaysia and Indonesia.
Emily holds a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University, and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University, where she was a Student Fellow at the Belfer Centre for Science and International Affairs and a Kennedy Scholar.
Plan International UK’s work to tackle the harassment, sexual exploitation, unequal access to education and period poverty suffered by girls around the world is what motivated me to join the Board.
— Emily Middleton, Plan International UK Trustee
John
John Kerr is a member of the board of trustees and a member of the Audit Finance & Risk Committee. He is also a member of the board of Social Development Direct Limited. He is an advisor and board member to a number of companies.
John is Chairman of Kin and Carta plc, a digital transformation-consulting firm. He was previously COO and then CEO of Deloitte Consulting, the leading global consultancy with revenues of $20bn. He has operated in over 30 countries around the world and has extensive experience working with global clients in a wide range of sectors.
John is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and a graduate of the University of Strathclyde.
He enjoys art, wine and music, he skis, plays tennis, supports Chelsea FC and Scotland in every sport.
He is married and has five children.
I believe that the education of women and girls is one of the world’s highest priorities. It will help bring peace and prosperity to many parts of the world.
— John Kerr, Plan International UK Trustee
Marie-France
Marie-France joined the Board in March 2023. She is an experienced marketing director and strategic branding consultant with a passion for ideas that drive positive change. She was previously the Chief Strategy Officer at branding consultancy Heavenly before leaving to follow her passion for sustainability and the green economy. Marie-France is now the CMO of the Octopus Energy Generation backed EV charging company Be.EV.
She is passionate about charity work, and has previously worked with the likes of Marie Curie, The Alzheimer’s Society, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Guy’s & St Thomas’, (RED), MQ and many more – on their brand, storytelling, strategy and go-to-market planning. In her current role Marie-France is the CMO at Be.EV, championing the fair and accessible transition to electric vehicle ownership. Marie-France speaks three languages and has travelled extensively. She is politically active and splits her time between the NW of England and London. She is married with three grown children. Her two teenage daughters keep her on her toes and plugged into the various issues that young women are deeply passionate about.
Having worked with Plan International UK before, it is a real honour to now be a trustee. The need to ensure children and girls have their voices heard and are empowered to lead the conversation has never been greater. I hope to help them take centre stage.
— Marie-France Van Heel, Plan International UK Trustee
Meredith
Meredith has been a member of the board since 2017. She is an experienced charity professional, most recently having served as the Executive Director of Fundraising and Engagement at Marie Curie, the UK’s leading terminal illness charity. Meredith previously worked as an Investment Director at venture philanthropy fund Impetus Trust, where she helped set up a multi-million pound reducing reoffending initiative, and at Goldman Sachs, where she was latterly an Executive Director in the Investment Banking Division. Meredith also volunteers her time as a trustee of Trust for London and the SOFII Foundation and was previously a trustee of BookTrust, Hestia, and Toynbee Hall. She lives in London with her husband and three sons.
My children are my biggest love – I would do anything to give them the best possible future. And it’s because I know how lucky they are that I also want to help other children achieve their potential.
— Meredith Niles, Plan International UK Trustee
Minal
Minal joined the Trustee Board in 2023. In her professional career, Minal works as a Marketing advisor and Interim CMO, to tech start-ups and scale-ups. She helps these businesses to scale efficiently, using mainly digital marketing channels. Earlier in her career, Minal worked for various tech companies including eBay and Google, and as MD for the EMEA region at digital marketing agency, Essence. She started her career as a strategy consultant at Marakon Associates, having graduated from Cambridge University. Minal lives in London with her two children.
I feel passionately that gender should never determine life outcomes. Plan’s work in helping to empower girls will enable communities and societies to reach their full potential, and I am so proud to be part of Plan’s journey.
— Minal Shah, Plan International UK Trustee
Sarah
Sarah Ansah has over 20 years’ experience in media and communications at the BBC and led on the largest expansion of digital stations in West Africa. Sarah is currently Deputy Managing Editor, BBC News Content.
Sarah is passionate about the rights of Girls and Women and prior to joining Plan as a Trustee volunteered for charities supporting survivors of domestic abuse. This passion led her to complete a Master’s in Criminal Law and Criminal Justice from Birkbeck University (LLM). Sarah also holds a degree in Sociology and Religious Studies.
Sarah was brought up in Ghana and through her work has travelled widely across Africa and brings to her role as a Trustee first-hand knowledge of what it is like growing up as a young girl in the Global South.
I am extremely proud to be a Trustee of Plan and strongly share its vision as an organisation that is passionate about the fight for girls’ rights.
— Sarah Ansah, Plan International UK Trustee
Hope
Hope Nyokabi is a Lawyer (LLB) Hons, a certified professional mediator (CPM) and currently an Advocate Trainee at the Kenya School of Law. She is also one of the hosts on The Vineyard podcast. She is passionate about equality for girls and young women and has been involved in advocacy from the age of 12, starting at the Kenya Children’s Assembly and serving in various roles and championing children’s rights. In 2015, she became a Girl Advocate for Plan International Kenya and has participated in various global events aimed at influencing policy and decision makers.
The well-being of a nation is determined by how well it treats its children and youth. Girls are a key composition of this demographic. To be part of a team that is committed to ensuring that this disproportionately disadvantaged group is empowered is such a great honour.
— Hope Nyokabi, Plan International UK Trustee
Cathy
Cathy joined the board in April 2024. She is a sustainable development professional with over 25 years of experience in the environmental management and international development arenas. She has worked in various sectors including community-based tourism, social and environmental impact assessment, waste management and recycling, international development, and data for sustainable development.
Cathy currently holds the position of Strategic Partnerships Director at the Flowminder Foundation, a Swedish non-profit organisation specialising in the use of novel datasets for official statistics and supporting the SDGs. Prior to this, she spent more than ten years overseas in various management roles with the international NGOs Christian Aid and CARE.
Cathy is passionate about tackling inequality, supporting local communities and civil society, and fostering inclusive governance. She has served on various technical advisory boards including the UK-funded Strategic Climate Initiative Programme for Ethiopia; supported campaigners working to end child marriage in Nepal; and commissioned foundational research on the gendered impacts of shocks and hazards on girls and women in various risk-prone countries.
Cathy grew up in South Africa and is partial to South African foods including biltong and bobotie. She enjoys watercolour painting, gardening, and long walks in the countryside. She lives near Salisbury with her husband and six year old twins.
“I am a passionate believer in the fundamental role that gender equality can and should play in building a thriving , resilient and peaceful world. The work that Plan does to foster girls’ empowerment, tackle discriminatory practices, and fight for equal rights is both impactful and inspiring.”
— Cathy Riley, Plan International UK Trustee
Nanna
Doctor Nanna Chidi-Emmanuel is a community medicine and primary care physician with extensive experience in leadership and management in Nigeria and abroad. Her career is notable for significant contributions to maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health. Dr Chidi-Emmanuel is a passionate advocate for gender equality and rights, focusing on the global advocacy for girls, children, and women.
She is highly regarded for her expertise in program design and innovation, effectively collaborating with stakeholders to shape strategies that drive policy reforms at local, national, and global levels. Dr Nanna has led numerous initiatives that have transformed public health, improving health outcomes and empowering communities towards sustainable development.
She has a track record of inspiring change and to mobilise resources for impactful health interventions. Dr Chidi-Emmanuel consistently demonstrates a commitment to excellence and collective action, prioritising equity, access, and empowerment in health and wellbeing.
As a leader, mentor, and advocate, Dr Chidi-Emmanuel’s legacy is marked by transformative impact and a relentless pursuit of a healthier, more equitable world.
The future is determined by our actions today and our commitment to doing what is right. Advancing the rights of every child, girl, and woman propels the world forward.
— Doctor Nanna Chidi-Emmanuel, Plan International UK Trustee
Mike
Mike is an experienced finance, treasury and risk professional, and had a career spanning 36 years in the financial services industry mainly as a senior executive with the HSBC Group, including roles as Group CFO for Global Banking, and Global Head of Group Asset & Liability Management. Mike feels strongly about the need to provide opportunities to everyone, to tackle unjust social imbalances and to alleviate the many hardships that impact too many across our planet, especially those affecting children.
Mike also serves as a Non-executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Fair4All Finance, a government sponsored not-for-profit organisation aiming to improve access to affordable credit by those in vulnerable circumstances; is a Trustee and Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee at The Papworth Trust, a disability support charity covering the east of England, and as an independent committee member at A2Dominion Group, a large social housing association in the south east. He was previously also a Trustee and Committee Chair at Outward Housing, a charity supporting those with learning difficulties.
Mike is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and a Fellow of the Chartered Association of Corporate Treasurers. He lives in Kent with his wife and has three grown up children.
I feel every child needs to get opportunities to develop themselves and to live a fulfilling life. Plan International UK’s work in this area is a huge credit to them, especially their focus on helping to address the many challenges faced by girls in particular.
— Mike Anderson, Plan International UK Trustee
JOBS AND VOLUNTEERS
We’re always on the lookout for accountable, self-assured and passionate individuals to join our team. If you think you’ve got what it takes then we'd like to hear from you - take a look at our current job openings.