Adisa Amanor-Wilks
Adisa is the Founder and CEO of Abjel Communications, a strategic communication, branding and media relations consulting firm focused on Africa. A former journalist, Adisa has 18 years’ experience working in the public, private and charity sectors across continents. She’s consulted with leading organisations in charity, aviation, energy, fisheries, and fintech, and led notable global crisis communications projects. She is currently a Board Member of DWIB Leukaemia Trust.
Mick Bardella
Chair of Trustees
Mick is a partner at EY, born to Italian migrant parents in South Africa, moved to the UK in 2007 having spent the prior eight years in Australia. Mick works predominantly in the Mining & Metals sector and has extensive experience working in the developing world. He is part of Team Abana, who rode across America to raise funds for Chance for Childhood.
David Crone
Youth Trustee
David works in policy and advocacy in the field of international affairs. He was Technical Lead for the Youth Advocacy Group of the United Nations Secretary-General’s Global Education First Initiative, which was created to emphasise the importance of education in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. He previously advocated for children’s rights domestically and internationally as a member of advisory panels for the Office of the Children’s Commissioner for England and Plan International. As trustee of the British Youth Council, an organisation which facilitates young people’s understanding of and engagement with British democracy and international organisations, he oversaw governance reform.
Joanna Heywood
Joanna started her working life as a social entrepreneur and has worked in a number of charities in fundraising roles, as well as in international development. Joanna works at impact investor Big Society Capital, where she builds partnerships and new ways of working with foundations and mission-aligned investors to help solve crucial social challenges in the UK.
Joanna mentors a number of enterprises and small charities in fundraising, business development and strategy. She is a founding member of the UK Venture Philanthropy Steering Group and co-chairs the Social Impact Investing Steering Group. Joanna was also on the judging panel for our first Challenge Fund.
Elizabeth Ntege
Elizabeth is the Co-founder and Director of NFT Consult Group, a business process outsourcing and consultancy firm with offices across East Africa. She has extensive experience in business strategy and transformation, serving as business advisor and integrator at Uganda’s largest start-up business incubator, an international partner and facilitator with Franklin Covey and a Non-executive director at Stanbic bank among other governance positions.
Elizabeth has recently joined Impact2Invest, an initiative that supports the development of a growing community of 100 women entrepreneurs in Africa, and is passionate about making a relevant contribution and impact in Africa by creating an environment in which opportunities unlocks ones’ potential. Her purpose is to inspire others in the belief that they too have the potential to make a difference in their community.
Maryanne Ochola
Maryanne started out in the financial services sector, working for Barclays Bank of Kenya before transitioning into Impact Investing. She has worked in several African countries in the agriculture, renewable energy, microfinance and technology sectors sourcing deals for impact investment and structuring technical assistance packages for impactful enterprises. She is the Regional Chapter Manager for ANDE (Aspen Network of Development Entrepreneurs) in East Africa, a network of organizations working to propel entrepreneurship in emerging markets.
Maryanne believes that entrepreneurship has the potential to lift communities out of poverty sustainably while providing positive social and environmental outcomes. She was also part of the judging panel for our first Challenge Fund.
Carole Ramella
Carole has over twenty years’ experience in fundraising advisory, financial analysis and company valuation having worked with Paribas, Arthur Anderson and Duff & Phelps among others. She has experience among a large number of sectors, including IT, publishing and logistics, and has worked with companies across 15 countries.
As well as founding GFA consulting in 2011 to support the growth of African businesses, Carole is also a Foreign Trade Advisor for the French Government and sits on the Investment Committee of Investisseurs & Parenaires, a leading French private equity fund investing in Africa.
Tony Wellby
Tony has nearly 30 years of experience working in an environment where governance, focus on positive outcomes, clear reporting for stakeholders and cost effectiveness are paramount. Supporting Chance for Childhood’s growth, via the merger with Street Child Africa, growing the reach and effectiveness of the charity’s programmes are some of the strategic goals that the trustees, executive team and Tony are passionate about. Tony has previously provided support to individuals held in UK immigration detention centres as well as supporting the Finance Working Group of AFC Wimbledon.
Dominic White
Dominic is a forester and zoologist working with the environmental organisation, WWF-UK where his work and interests are in sustainable development, particularly how the environment is so critical for reducing poverty. Dominic also sits on the Target Malaria Ethics Committee.
