Governance
Concern Universal currently has 10 Trustees plus a Minutes Secretary and an Advisor to the Board.
Download the Concern
Universal Governance guide (September 2011)
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MacDuff Phiri
I am the Country Manager for Christian Aid in Malawi. I previously worked as Cou… I am the Country Manager for Christian Aid in Malawi. I previously worked as Country Director of Concern Universal in Ghana from February 2007 - October 2011 and also took on responsibility for Nigeria in 2010 till February, 2012.I have a BSc in Sociology and Demography and a MSc degree in Development Management.I have over 15 years experience working with international non-governmental organizations in Southern, East and West Africa as well as the United Kingdom. My rich experience emanates from working with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), ActionAid, and Voluntary Service Overseas (VSO).
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Dan Bishop, Vice Chair
I live in a small village in South Wiltshire with my wife and three children. I … I live in a small village in South Wiltshire with my wife and three children. I returned to this area to help run the family dairy business with my brother and father. I am the Chief Executive Officer of the business that produces and distributes milk and associated dairy goods to customers in the South of England. The company employs 275 people, has a turnover of £40m per annum, a factory in Southampton, distribution depots in Watford, Aylesbury, Salisbury & Cheshunt and runs a fleet of 45 HGV lorries & 100 vans and home delivery vehicles supplying about 65 million litres of milk a year. I am very much a rural orientated person who enjoys the New Forest environment I live in and the many walks that this affords me and the family. I have a B.Sc. (Hons) in Agriculture and a M.Sc. in International Agricultural Marketing and Economics (Distinction). I started my involvement with CU in 1989 and then started working with them in 1991 – I spent 5 years in Malawi and its neighboring countries and 2 years working from the UK central office being involved with the programmes in Kenya, Mozambique, Guinea, Sierra Leone and The Gambia. I have served on the CU Board of Trustees since 1998.
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Peter Ayres, Acting Chair
I am a professionally qualified civil and structural engineer and worked for 37 … I am a professionally qualified civil and structural engineer and worked for 37 years with Arup Group, one of the UK’s largest independent consultants, the last 28 years based in Hong Kong. I have been responsible for a diverse range of infrastructure and building projects as well as having senior leadership experience as a member of the Arup main board for the last seven years of my career. Over these many years I have spent considerable periods of time with projects and people in many countries in North and South Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. I retired in 2005 and my wife, Linda, and I returned to the UK a year ago, partly to be closer to aged parents and two grown-up sons and partly to renew our relationship with Europe. Upon our return I was keen to find a part time role that would enable me to use my experience to give back something from my rather privileged life to those most needy in the world today. I was delighted to learn about CU and its work from Herefordshire Voluntary Action and to discover that they were keen to increase the number and diversity of the Board of Trustees. After meeting Nicola, Ian and many other Trustees, I was thrilled and honoured to be invited to join the Board at the end of May 2008.
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Nicola Mushet
I have been interested in people from other countries and cultures since watchin… I have been interested in people from other countries and cultures since watching a BBC schools broadcast “People of Many Lands”, when I was a young child. Teaching geography and then working for international development followed on naturally, with an interest in Land and Water management. I enjoy learning and doing new things and keeping in touch with the friends I have made in each place I have worked. Combining this with a bit of theatre going and appreciation of the achievements of people in the past, makes me know that our world in a wonderful place with many generous, hardworking and talented people looking for the chance to realise their potential and provide a better future for their families. I first worked for CU (CU) in Malawi from 1992 to 1994 and then again in Bangladesh in 1996 to 1998. I have also worked with VSO, Save the Children and Children’s Aid Direct in Malawi, Sri Lanka and the Republic of Georgia gaining experience of working with people affected by conflict. Joining CU as a trustee in 2004 has given me a fantastic opportunity to continue to contribute to this.
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Susan Barlow
I worked in the financial services industry for 12 years but following a career … I worked in the financial services industry for 12 years but following a career break spent with my two children, and a house move from Cambridge to rural Shropshire I made a conscious decision to use my professional skills in the charity sector and specialised in fundraising. I returned to work with overseas development charity Harvest Help for eight years becoming Head of Fundraising, and for the last three years have fundraised with individuals for Birmingham Royal Ballet. I am currently Fundraising & Marketing Manager for Cord, an international peace building charity and am delighted to be utilising my skills as a trustee for CU as I have admired their work and ethos for several years.
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Chikondi Mpokosa
I have worked in international development for over 10 years focussing on progra… I have worked in international development for over 10 years focussing on programme management at senior levels. Currently I am managing the Education Transition Fund for the Ministry of Education in Zimbabwe as UNICEF Zimbabwe staff. The Education Transition Fund is a multimillion dollar and multi donor fund aimed at revitalising the education system in Zimbabwe. I have also managed the commonwealth education fund, the civil society education fund for Africa and education and country programmes in Africa and Europe. I have managed education programmes for Oxfam at a global level as Oxfam’s Global Programme Development Adviser. I am a renowned education expert and policy advocate for Education. I taught at a girls’ secondary school for 4 and half years. I have advocated for the achievement of EFA through the improvement of teacher morale, motivation and status. For 4 years I managed VSO‘s education programme in Malawi aimed at improving education quality with emphasis on teacher issues, this is where I had my first encounter with CU ever since I have been motivated and impressed by CU’s work that develops poor people. I have also worked on governance programmes in Nigeria and Tanzania where I was the Country Director. I am a public and motivational speaker on different issues. I have published papers on education. My international development experience has enabled me to understand and appreciate working in multi-country programmes in a diversity of cultures, religions and personalities. I am currently studying for my PhD with Oxford Brookes University and I hold a Master’s degree in Education, Gender and international Development from the Institute of education, University of London, a postgraduate certificate in NGO management from Imperial College, University of London and a Bachelor's Degree in Education from Chancellor College, University of Malawi.
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Joëlle Plumerel
For the past 8 years, I have worked in rural development in southern and western… For the past 8 years, I have worked in rural development in southern and western Africa. I have a special interest in sustainable livelihoods as well as environmental and gender issues. I first became involved in project management as Erasmus Project Officer for the Free University of Brussels. I later worked in education as English Lecturer at the Faculty of Agronomy of the Catholic University of Mozambique with Skillshare Africa. There I developed a passion for rural development which I pursed through an MA at the University of East Anglia in 2003. After obtaining my MA, whose dissertation focussed on the interactions between land rights and rural livelihoods, I returned to Mozambique to work as Project Developer for a Local NGO, then for SNV (Dutch Development Organisation) as Natural Resource Management Advisor in 2005-2006. My involvement with CU began in Guinea in 2006 first as Project Support Officer, then as Country Director ad interim. I subsequently joined the CU Nigeria team as Projects Coordinator for Livelihoods and Governance. I am now living in my hometown of Brussels, Belgium. Becoming a Trustee is giving me the opportunity to further contribute to the work of CU from a more strategic perspective, ensuring that the organisation’s work continues to benefit the hard to reach and most vulnerable communities.
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Philip Tamuno (Phil)
I am a research scientist with extensive experience in the areas of: livelihoods… I am a research scientist with extensive experience in the areas of: livelihoods; environment and development; and climate change mitigation and adaptation. I have served as peer reviewer of various international referred journals and authored articles in a wide range of journals. I hold a PhD in Development and Environmental Management and my professional experiences have been acquired from working in: Academia; Environmental Regulation; International Non-governmental Organisation (NGO) and Local Authority. One of my current responsibilities as a Sustainability Officer at the Herefordshire Council is serving as the Deputy Project Lead of the Council’s carbon management programme.
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Lucy Weston
When studying at Geography at Oxford University, I first crossed paths with CU w… When studying at Geography at Oxford University, I first crossed paths with CU when I spent a brief period with colleagues in Malawi. I was inspired by this and have followed CU’s progression since! I am a qualified accountant (ACA) and have practical microfinance experience - this is having worked with a substantial operation in Cambodia between 2003 and 2004 (AMK Microfinance Bank). I have also worked as an Audit Manager at Deloitte’s. I am presently the Director of Operations at Virgin Unite. I have worked at senior levels in the non-profit and business sector, notably between December 2005 and June 2009 as Director of Corporate Services at Crisis, a large UK charity for homeless people, where I continue to volunteer.
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Fiona Taylor
I am Head of Policy & Communications for Groundwork UK. Groundwork is an env… I am Head of Policy & Communications for Groundwork UK. Groundwork is an environmental charity for communities, seeking to create better neighbourhoods and enable people to build skills and job prospects and to live and work in a greener way. I started my career as a broadcast journalist, working for BBC Radio 5 Live and News24 as well as local BBC and Independent radio stations as a newsreader and producer. In 1998 I went to work for the New Millennium Experience Company as Head of Broadcast and later took up the post of Head of Communications for the year of operation for the Millennium Dome. Thereafter I worked with a range of organisations as a communications consultant working in crisis management, campaign management, video production and media training before voluntary work and a short term contract with the international development charity CU captured my imagination and I actively sought work in the Third Sector. I have been with Groundwork for over 2 years.
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David Hitchiner, Governance and Legal Advisor to CU Board)
I am a solicitor and chartered secretary. I have worked in the City of London fo… I am a solicitor and chartered secretary. I have worked in the City of London for 8 years, and became a partner in a law firm in Birmingham in 1985 before moving to Cadbury Schweppes in 1990. I became involved with CU in 2000 while working at Bulmers as Deputy Company Secretary where I took a particular interest in Bulmer’s sustainability programme. Over the years I have obtained experience which is relevant to much of CU’s work. I have been involved in a number of charities and have a particular interest in governance issues. I believe myself to be an old fashioned solicitor with a broad knowledge of legal work rather than a specialist. As Governance and Legal Advisor to CU Board, I provide input on legal and governance issues. What I particularly appreciate about CU is the commitment it has to the people it is supporting in each country. It measures its success by how well it achieves its objectives rather its size or prominence. It also seeks sustainable solutions rather than short term ones.
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Joan McGee, Minutes secretary
I taught in Nigeria before the Biafran War and was deeply moved by the suffering… I taught in Nigeria before the Biafran War and was deeply moved by the suffering of the Igbo people during that war. For many of the people of my generation that was the “moment of truth” in our attitude to the so-called developing nations. I was therefore honoured to become a Trustee of CU when it was set up in Britain in 1976. My commitment is still strong over thirty years later, and although I stood down as a Trustee in 2009, I continue to take the minutes for the Board Meetings. My professional life as a teacher of adults brought me into contact with people from many countries and many cultures, some of them refugees, some not, but each with a fascinating and often sad story of their own. Because of this and my Christian faith, I am always aware of the human family and of our duty to all our brothers and sisters. I am fortunate in being happily married for forty seven years and we have four children. They share our values and have all, as adults, spent much of their lives working for NGOs.
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Victoria Seaman, Assistant Company Secretary
Victoria studied Law and Spanish at Sheffield University, and lived in Valencia … Victoria studied Law and Spanish at Sheffield University, and lived in Valencia for a year as part of those studies. Since graduating in 2007, she worked for a small Solicitor’s firm in Hereford, and began volunteering with CU. In April 2008 she took on a full time role with the charity as Management Information Coordinator, encompassing support to the Patron’s (Richard and Kay Harvey) in promoting ‘good business’, responsibility for Risk Management, and liaising with country programmes on issues as varied as donor reports to legal status and funding streams. Having now moved to London, Victoria works for Starlight Children’s Foundation as a Wish Granter to brighten the lives of seriously ill children. However, she continues her involvement with CU voluntarily, and is keen to work with the Board of Trustees on a range of legal and financial issues. She is also hoping to work with the UK Board of DAM – a partner organization of CU in Bangladesh.
