I retired from chartered accountancy at the age of 28 moving, via a master's degree, into the world of international development. For the next decade I worked with a number of international NGOs in Africa and Asia. In 1998 I joined the UK Department for International Development where I worked in Whitehall and in lower and middle-income countries in the Middle East, Africa and Asia, until retiring in 2018.

Since retiring I have kept busy as a consultant, undertaking various pro bono work, trying to improve my bridge and Italian language and, most recently, hosting Ukrainian refugees in collaboration with SWR. I am extremely excited to be serving as Chair of SWR, where I hope my background will help me to advance the goals of the organisation and support our volunteers and the refugees we serve.

I joined SWR relatively recently, initially as a language volunteer. For much of my career I have advised trustees of pension schemes around funding or when their employer is involved in a major transaction and I currently am a partner in a large consulting practice in London. 

I have previously worked on the corporate finance side of a stockbroking firm for several years and also practised for several years as a banking and finance lawyer.  

I’ve lived in Sevenoaks for many years and have seen first-hand how vital community support and inclusion are for helping families build new lives. My professional background is in economics and financial markets, with over 25 years’ experience at institutions including UBS, Nomura, and RBS, as well as advisory work for HM Treasury. Much of my career has centred on financial governance, risk management, and board-level decision-making, and I hold the FT Non-Executive Director Advanced Professional Diploma. 

I’m motivated by SWR’s holistic approach — from education and employment support to cultural integration — and its commitment to dignity, belonging, and opportunity. I’m looking forward to applying my financial skills and contributing to the charity’s strategic direction. 

I retired in 2020 after 16 years with Save the Children. I was Save the Children's Global Education Director, Country Director first for Afghanistan and then for Pakistan, and Team Leader for the Response to the Rohingya Crisis in Bangladesh. While at Save the Children I was also deployed during the Ebola crisis to Sierra Leone. Since retiring, I deployed again, within the UN architecture, for three months to Kyiv to set up the coordination of the education aspects of the entire international response to the crisis in Ukraine.

I am currently also chair of the statutory Independent Monitoring Board of HMP Maidstone, one of three prisons in the country to house only foreign nationals.

I began working in the House of Lords over 20 years ago. I am currently Deputy Head of the Legislation Office, a role which I have held for about 10 years. Prior to the Lords, I trained as a barrister and worked as a government lawyer for the Court of Appeal Criminal Division and for the Law Commission criminal law team, after which I was Assistant Secretary to the Committee on Standards in Public Life, the body which monitors ethical standards across public life in the UK.

I have previously volunteered for the Samaritans in Tunbridge Wells. I currently work full time but am planning to take partial retirement. I am looking forward to the further opportunities for volunteering that working part time will provide.

I bring over 15 years of strategic communications expertise across the charity, education, and business sectors. I hold an MSc in Human Resources Management from the London School of Economics. My expertise spans stakeholder engagement, media relations, digital marketing, and content creation — I've secured coverage across national television, print, and digital platforms.

I'm passionate about using communications to drive positive social change and creating inclusive narratives that centre the voices of those with lived experience. I'm excited to help amplify SWR's impact and support refugee families across the Sevenoaks district.

THEO

I decided to join Sevenoaks Welcomes Refugees after I heard what was going on in Afghanistan. I chose to help where & when I could at events, and help share interesting articles on our social media.

I'm glad I decided to join and I'm glad I've met so many great people and made good friends.

Sam

I've always enjoyed making friends with people from other parts of the world. SWR represents a wholesome way to broaden my horizons and connect with the community.