Board of trustees

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Trustee profiles

Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle (since July 2023), Chairman of the Board of Trustees

Bishop Stephen Wright joined the Board in February 2021 and was appointed Chair in March 2023.

After obtaining a degree in law from the University of Leicester and the legal practice qualification, he completed his studies in preparation for the priesthood and obtained a licentiate in theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University. He was ordained in September 2000 and served as parish priest and later Vicar General until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop in Birmingham in March 2020.

Communications specialist

Gabriela is a senior strategic engagement and communications professional with over 20 years of experience in sustainable development and humanitarian assistance organisations, programmes and initiatives.

She specialises in participatory processes, stakeholder engagement, and multi-stakeholder initiatives and dialogue related to environment, natural resources, energy, supply chains and governance and economic reform issues.

Gabriella has worked for international financial institutions, research organisations and the public sector. Currently, she collaborates with the UN, EU, donor agencies and researchers on major sustainable development and humanitarian programmes. She earned a master’s degree at the London School of Economics and Political Science.

Centre for Catholic Studies, University of Durham

Karen Kilby is the Bede Professor of Catholic Theology at the Centre for Catholic Studies in the University of Durham, and as part of this role serves as the theological advisor to the Bishop of Hexham and Newcastle.

Previously she has worked at St Andrews, Birmingham and Nottingham Universities. She was one of the editors of the Cambridge Dictionary of Christian Theology, has served as the President of the Catholic Theological Association of Great Britain, and is currently President of the Society for the Study of Theology.

She was appointed as a CAFOD Trustee in February 2017.

Africa Project Coordinator for the Santa Marta Group

Fr Mark Ehichioya Odion joined the Board in December 2019. He was ordained as a priest in Nigeria in 2001, and has held a wide range of roles within the Church both in Nigeria and in the UK after moving here in 2005.

He currently works at the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales (CBCEW) in the International Affairs department as the Africa Project Coordinator for the Santa Marta Group. He coordinates the partnership between the CBCEW and the Catholic Bishops in Edo State, Nigeria, aimed at combatting human trafficking in and from the state.

He also engages in parish awareness campaigns in England and Wales to sensitise the local communities of the presence of trafficking and modern slavery, particularly domestic servitude and abuse. He helps dioceses and parishes to identify and reach out to victims by organising seminars and training at the parish level which focus on potential victims and how the local Church can supportively respond to their needs. He has also been able, with CBCEW support, to reach out to those experiencing domestic abuse or those who have been trafficked and remain in the control of traffickers, enabling them to talk to the police about their experiences and obtain help to regain their freedom and confidence.

Honorary Treasurer

George is a chartered accountant and has held senior financial positions in a range of large and medium-sized businesses operating in retail, aviation, professional services and insurance. He has worked as a consultant since 2013, advising charities and businesses on a range of strategic, financial and governance matters.

He has been a trustee of human rights, educational, cultural and other charities over a considerable period. He works with various Catholic charitable organisations and has experience of funding development projects in Africa, Asia and Latin America, including assessing grant applications and project monitoring.

He is a finance and governance consultant and was appointed as a CAFOD trustee in April 2023. As Honorary Treasurer for CAFOD, he chairs the Finance, Legal, Audit and Risk Committee.

Solicitor

Rosanne joined the Board of Trustees in March 2021.

She is a partner in Reed Smith's disputes and regulatory enforcement team in London and has over 20 years’ experience in advising on conflict and potential conflict situations, including cross-border disputes and regulatory investigations. She has been a member of CAFOD's Finance, Legal, Audit and Risk Committee since 2008.

His Majesty's Ambassador to Indonesia and Timor-Leste, Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees

Dominic has been a trustee of CAFOD since 2008 and is a Member Trustee.

From 2017 to June 2022 he was Director General of the Zoological Society of London, a wildlife conservation charity running London and Whipsnade Zoos, a scientific research institute and conservation projects in Europe, Asia and Africa. Before, Dominic worked for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office as British Ambassador to Afghanistan, Chief Executive of UK Trade and Investment and Ambassador to the UAE. Dominic has also worked in Pakistan, East Timor, Chile, Spain, Thailand and the Balkans. Dominic has been a member of the Hospitalité de Notre Dame de Lourdes since 1989. Dominic was appointed CVO in 2010 and OBE in 2001.

Programme Manager for Cotton with IDH

Maveen Pereira comes with over 40 years of experience in the international development sector. She is currently a programme manager for cotton with IDH, a Dutch NGO. She has previously worked in the fairtrade sector, and has been the programme director for Transform Trade, an international development charity, leading the work in South Asia and East Africa.

Maveen was appointed as Trustee in 2023 and, in addition to her governance duties, has also been a member of the Strategy and Performance Committee since 2021.

Fr George Sigamoney was ordained as a Catholic priest in 1993 for the diocese of Kandy in Sri Lanka. After his ordination he served in several tea plantation parishes working with the most vulnerable and marginalised communities. In 1998 he completed his higher studies in Development and Sociology in the Philippines. On his return he began his career with the local Caritas which enabled him to become a strong voice on behalf of the marginalised communities.

He held a wide range of roles and responsibilities in Sri Lanka as well as internationally. He was the head of Caritas Sri Lanka, the Executive Secretary of Catholic Migrant Commission in Sri Lanka, a board member of the Foreign Employment Bureau (Government of Sri Lanka) and worked with Caritas Internationalis, Caritas Asia, Caritas Australia and held many responsibilities on emergency response, community engagement etc. He represented the voice of the migrant workers and displaced people in many occasions at UN Council.

He was appointed as CAFOD trustee in April 2021.

Innovation Consultant

Mary Ward has more than 25 years’ experience in innovation, brands and marketing. She has held significant senior commercial roles, including Head of Innovation and Creative Director at Dulux and leading global innovation projects at AkzoNobel (formerly ICI). Most recently, in 2009, she set up her own innovation consultancy, helping develop new ideas, products and services for clients ranging from big brands and large global companies (GSK) to education and charities (Cancer Research UK, Action Aid).

As a serving CAFOD volunteer for over 10 years, she has spearheaded fundraising and engagement in her local parish, founded a Young CAFOD group and actively promotes CAFOD work and events.

She was appointed as a CAFOD Trustee in February 2017.

Matthew Maslen is an MA graduate in Philosophy from the University of Glasgow. He works in evaluation in the cultural sector.

Matthew is a peace activist with a focus on youth engagement in nuclear disarmament, and has volunteered with CAFOD since 2019.

Graham is an executive leader with over 25 years of experience leading change across data technology and regulatory compliance programmes. He was born and educated in Cork, Ireland, with a degree in electrical engineering and microelectronics.

Graham is Chief Information Officer (CIO) UK & Europe and Group Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) at insurance firm Riverstone International. He has also held senior roles at NatWest, Rabobank International and Citigroup. In addition to his technology and digital transformation skills, Graham brings significant expertise in strategic planning, financial control and risk management.

In the 1960s and 1970s, Maureen was involved in youth work in Brixton in the London borough of Lambeth. This experience prompted her to train as a teacher at St Mary’s, Twickenham.

Maureen joined the staff of the local secondary school for boys and, during that time, was active in campaigning for racial justice both within the Church via CARJ and in the wider community. She was involved in ‘help on arrest’ schemes and in the first school-based Black studies programme, and made a submission to the Scarman inquiry following the 1981 Brixton riots.

Maureen has held two headships and was also a local authority school inspector. Since retirement, she was chair of a school governing body for several years and in 2017 was appointed chair of the safeguarding commission for the Archdiocese of Southwark.

Maureen is now the lay vice chair of the newly formed trustees subcommittee for safeguarding. She has been involved in parish work for many years, mainly within the JP&IC movement, including making appeals for CAFOD. She has twice visited a project in Lima, Peru, which is supported by CAFOD.

Auxiliary Bishop in Liverpool

Rt Rev Thomas Neylon was appointed to the Board in late 2022 and is a Member Trustee.

He carried out his studies in preparation for the priesthood at Saint Joseph’s College in Upholland and then at Saint Cuthbert’s College in Ushaw. In May 1982, he was ordained a priest and continued to serve as parish priest until he was appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Liverpool in 2021.