Our trustees Expand Aniela Shuckburgh Chair of the Board of Trustees. Member of the Fundraising and Audit Committee and the People and Culture Committee. Aniela has over 20 years experience working in the not-for-profit sector, primarily in education, having held roles at the Harvard Business School, University of Cambridge and City Year UK. Her favourite breakfast is pancakes, bacon and maple syrup and a large cup of coffee! Joanne Thompson Trustee since May 2019 and previously Chair of the Board of Trustees. Member of the Governance, Nominations and Risk Committee. Joanne is a Crown Representative working with HMG to improve cross departmental relationships with its strategic suppliers. She also sits on the board of the Churchill Fellowship. Joanne's all-time favourite breakfast stems from time spent at wet and windy Girl Guides' camping trips in the North - cornflakes liberally topped with warm stewed rhubarb! Phil Davies Trustee and Chair of the Governance Nominations and Risk Committee. Phil was appointed as a Trustee of Magic Breakfast in September 2018. In his professional life, Phil is Global Head of Operations for Morgan Stanley, responsible for all Operations activities supporting the Institutional Securities, Wealth Management and Investment Management businesses, having joined Morgan Stanley in 2010. Phil grew up in Hertfordshire, and has worked in London and New York since graduating from the University of Birmingham with an M.Eng in Civil Engineering with Management. He returned to the UK in 2016 and now lives again in Hertfordshire with his wife, a secondary school teacher, and his two daughters aged 14 and 12. As a child he loved Rice Krispies with milk for breakfast, but now prefers a bowl of porridge with honey and bananas, or granary toast with marmite. Alison Inglis-Jones Trustee and Member of the Governance, Nominations and Risk Committee and the Finance and Audit Committee. Alison is an experienced trustee with a record of overseeing and running successful public affairs campaigns for the private, public and voluntary sectors. She provides pro bono public affairs advice to a range of local, national and international charities. Alison enjoys porridge with banana for breakfast. Varsha Venugopal Trustee and Member of the People and Culture Committee. Varsha Venugopal is an Advisor to international and national charities on strategy and effectiveness. Varsha has more than 15 years' experience of setting up and running development projects and programmes in global institutions including the World Bank and the Open Society Foundation. She is currently setting up a charity in India to improve vaccination uptake. Varsha’s favourite breakfast is steamed rice cake from South India called “idli”. Emma West Trustee and Chair of the People and Culture Committee. Emma is an experienced HR Director who has worked in senior roles for Cadbury, Unilever and Sainsbury’s. For the last 5 years she has run her own business, combining Talent Management consultancy with coaching. Emma is a Non-Executive Director at the DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and was previously the Chair of Inspire! (Education Business Partnership in Hackney) and Chair of Governors for Inspired Directions School (alternative provision). She is also a pro bono coach with the Civil Service. Emma's favourite breakfast is her husband’s scrambled eggs on a toasted bagel, with a glass of spicy tomato juice. Michael Honan Trustee and Member of the Governance, Nominations and Risk Committee. Michael is a corporate partner at Linklaters LLP, where he has spent the last 20 years advising some of the world’s largest companies on mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and governance. He has a particular specialism in advising companies in the Food and Beverage sector and also the Infrastructure sector. Michael lives in Hertfordshire and has three sons – he loves coaching his sons’ football teams at the weekend and ran the 2022 London Marathon for Magic Breakfast. Michael’s favourite breakfast is scrambled eggs and baked beans. Andrienne d’Arenberg Trustee and Member of the People and Culture Committee. Andrienne has extensive experience working with large family businesses, as former Head of the World Economic Forum Family Business Community, contributor to the Oxford Saïd Business School Programme on Responsible Ownership, private banker with Merrill Lynch and currently representing family interests in various family-controlled companies. She also sits on the boards of several organizations active in current world affairs or focusing on social and environmental issues. Andrienne holds a BSc. in international relations from London School of Economic and Political Sciences and completed different Executive Certificates from the IMD, MIT, Harvard and the Graduate Institute. As a child Andrienne loved her mother’s home-made bread with honey, but now prefers a bowl of oat with blueberries and yogurt. Richard Lackmann Trustee and Chair of the Finance and Audit Committee. Richard has more than 30 years of experience in financial and general management leadership. He has worked as a COO, CFO and Director/ Trustee in number of organisations in the UK, USA and Africa. Richard is the Chair of the campaigning organisation 38 Degrees and works as a board lead for finance for a chemical manufacturing business. Previously he served on FARM Africa and Doteveryone boards as their Treasurer. Richard's favourite breakfast is an occasional bacon and egg sandwich on brown bread with a strong coffee. Julie Harkness Trustee since June 2022. Julie Harkness is the Vice Principal at CarrManor Community School, Leeds and has worked in leadership roles at inner-city primary schools for 20 years. She is a trustee, schools forum representative and chairs a network of partners who provide early help, early intervention and prevention services for children, young people, and families across Leeds. As a child, Julie remembers cold highland mornings that began with a bowl of steamy salty porridge. Julie still favours oats for breakfast but now likes experimenting with the many recipes for overnight oats to begin the day. Jackie Newell Trustee since June 2022. Jackie Newell, with more than 25 years’ experience and an education and background in supporting children with Autism, is Headteacher at secondary school, Hollybrook Academy, Glasgow. Hollybrook supports pupils with Additional Learning Needs and Jackie has worked to embed a culture that ensures a supportive, nurturing, and ambitious setting for pupils’ achievements. Jackie never skips a breakfast, but is a creature of habit. Jackie's breakfast is always Weetabix, Greek yoghurt, and blueberries! Magic Breakfast would like to thank Nurole for supporting our Trustee recruitment process.
Senior Leadership Expand Lindsey MacDonald, Chief Executive The magic of Magic Breakfast is the people – our staff, volunteers, supporters, school staff, youth campaigners, and most importantly, the children and young people. Being part of this team and knowing the difference that breakfast can make to a child’s school day, their education, and future is a privilege. Alan Mustafa, Head of People and Culture Anthony Eckersley, Head of Finance and Performance As a parent of 2 school aged children I was shocked to realise that so many children across the UK did not have an equal opportunity to learn as they were coming to school hungry. The work that Magic Breakfast do is so important to help children and young people get the best start possible to their school day by providing a healthy nutritious breakfast and playing a small part in this is truly humbling. Emily Wilkie, Head of Fundraising & Development There are so many reasons why I love my job. The cause attracted me initially; I am passionate about unlocking the future potential of all children, no matter their start in life. A breakfast does so much and it also levels the playing field when it comes to education. Each day I am motivated and inspired by our people, our shared passion and the culture we’ve created together. Magic Breakfast is a place where we really do live our values and where everyones’ unique input is valued and celebrated. Jacquie Bance de Vasquez, Director of Policy and Engagement Magic Breakfast is such a rewarding place to work; tackling a real issue and changing lives both now and in the future. And I love that it’s so much more than breakfast – we are giving those child the chance to reach their full potential. It’s also the most collaborative and supportive place that I’ve worked, balancing ambition and drive with genuine compassion for others. Sam Boulton, Director of Service Delivery Ximena Del Castillo, Executive Assistant I love working in the voluntary sector and being part of a team that strives to make the world a better place. I can’t believe that in a country as rich as the UK children are still too hungry to learn in school. I am very grateful for the opportunity to be part of a team that is working so hard to end this absurdity.
Partnership Development Team Expand Ali Roberts, Head of Corporate Partnerships Liz Little, Partnership Development Lead I want to live in a country where every child gets the chance to realise their potential. Going to school hungry prevents that for 4 million children every day and moreover undermines the future of our economy. It’s great to be part of the Magic Breakfast team working to find solutions for this now and for the long term. Kimberley Kotadia, Partnership Development Manager I love working at Magic Breakfast because I believe that an issue as preventable as hunger shouldn’t stop any child from accessing their education. What we do is incredibly simple, and yet can have far-reaching impact throughout a child’s entire life. Bea Sayer, Corporate Partnerships Executive I work at Magic Breakfast because of the sheer number of children who, each day, are turning up to school hungry and who are consequently missing out on their education. Behind these awful statistics are amazing children who shouldn’t have their futures and dreams compromised by hunger, and Magic Breakfast is doing incredible work to ensure that this is not the case.
PR Team Expand Sarah Dean, PR & Celebrity Manager Stephen Hart, Comms Consultant I love working at Magic Breakfast because I believe that people are more important than products.
Development Advisers Expand Our Development Advisers are a group of eminent Magic Breakfast supporters who bring their individual expertise and connections. Acting as advocates, they play a key role in supporting us to achieve our aims by raising awareness about our work, expanding our network and helping to execute our fundraising strategy. PRIYAN SHAH Priyan attended Queen Elizabeth’s School in Barnet, and went on to study Accounting & Finance at the University of Kent at Canterbury and thereafter completed a postgraduate degree at the London School of Economics. Priyan, together with his two brothers, Julan and Prag, operate DVS Property, a commercial property business founded in 1985 by their father, Dhiru V Shah. DVS specialise in UK institutional real estate investment across a variety of sectors, including logistics, automotive, out of town retail, supermarkets, and occupational assets to include student accommodation and hotels. In 2012, the family set up DVS Foundation to formalise their charitable giving. The family’s philanthropy is currently focused in the areas of education, healthcare, mobility, genetic science and food provision, both in the UK and East Africa. Priyan is actively involved in the running of the Foundation. Priyan is married with one daughter. He has travelled extensively and enjoys an adventurous, scenic hike. Priyan has from a young age played a number of racquet sports including tennis and badminton. His favourite breakfast is a hot waffle with a generous serving of chocolate sauce and fresh fruit, with a masala and ginger coffee! SALONI THAKRAR Saloni Thakrar is the Co-founder of LMK (Let Me Know), a charity that educates young people about healthy and unhealthy behaviours so that they can avoid abuse and thrive in their relationships. Saloni served as Chair for Healthwatch Camden, a statutory health and social care charity from 2017 to 2020. She has also been Chair for the Camden Patient Public Engagement Group, as well as Lay Member for NHS England, for UK National Thalassemia and Sickle Cell Group and for the London Antenatal Screening Group. She has also served as a Trustee for the charity, Little Village. She is a passionate advocate of helping diverse communities have their say in health and social services that impact their lives. Saloni is an accomplished pharmacist with a US Doctorate (Pharm D.), a Master of Public Health (MPH), a current UK pharmacy licence and extensive clinical experience. She has been well published and has broad experience of working in different healthcare systems around the world, both in a voluntary and professional capacity. Saloni is married with three lovely daughters. She enjoys swimming, reading and gardening. Her favourite breakfast is a vegetarian full English breakfast! NICK LAWSON Nick attended Dulwich College and The University of Exeter where he obtained a 2:1 in Economic History. After four years at ABN Amro Hoare Govett Nick joined Deutsche Bank in 1998 and was promoted to Managing Director in 2002. From 2004 to 2015 he built and ran the world’s most profitable merger arbitrage and special situations platform. Latterly he was Global Head of Macro and Synthetic Equity. In 2015 he joined the $6bn multi-strategy hedge fund Arrowgrass Capital LLP as a Partner and Head of Strategic Capital. In 2019 he set up his own investment house Ocean Wall Ltd. Ocean Wall specialises in niche alternatives and in 2020 was rated ‘Best niche alternative advisory firm’ by HFM, the global hedge fund magazine. Nick is the Founding Chair of the ALMT, a £6m regranting children’s charity with over 140 projects that he set up in 2006. Nick was a member of the Conservative Renaissance Forum from 2014-18. In 2013 Nick worked with David Cameron’s Cabinet Office as Chair of Community Lending Steering Group working on solutions for helping the financially excluded from pay day lenders. More recently Nick has worked with the Home Office around county lines & knife crime. He has also been a trustee of Afghan Connection and Unlocking Potential as well as an serving as an ambassador for Afrikids. Nick is an early stage equity and debt investor in UK technology, healthcare, and university IP. Nick is married with three sons and lives in Buckinghamshire. In his spare time Nick is a cricket afficionado and is also a passionate Aston Villa fan. His favourite breakfast is marmalade jam on toast and a cup of builders tea. SHAHRZAD ATAI Shahrzad is Partner and Head of International Clients at solicitors, Child & Child. She is also part of the Senior Leadership Team. Shahrzad has won various international awards and has lived and worked in many different cities including London, Paris, Dubai and Tehran. She speaks multiple languages including English, French, Italian, Turkish, Persian, Azerbaijani and basic Arabic. Besides being a lawyer, she is also a lecturer for Master of International Economics at University of Orleans and University of Tours (France). Shahrzad is a UK qualified solicitor. She holds a Masters of Law (LLM) from the College of Law London, studied Law (LLB),at University of Hertfordshire and Applied Maths at Azad University of Tehran. Her favourite breakfast is Greek yoghurt with honey and berries. SIMON WOODS Simon is an entrepreneur, innovator and angel investor . He has spent the last 25 years building and scaling technology companies in Europe, the US and Asia. He was instrumental in growing global markets for some of the most innovative Fintech and Supply Chain tech enterprise software companies. He is currently Executive Chairman at Real Ice, an environmental initiative that is looking to prove that an end to end renewable process and viable economic model can be developed to restore Arctic Sea ice and help mitigate climate change, working alongside world leaders in Arctic research. Simon is also President of Texas based startup Senseye, a Neurotechnology company building an ocular brain-computer Interface for mental health visibility. Whilst living in Malaysia, Simon founded Reading4Life, a program for children living in orphanages that provided books and reading support to help residents' economic prospects through improved English literacy. Simon lives in London with his partner. He is a Chelsea supporter and an enthusiastic tennis player. His favourite breakfast is buttered toasted bagel accompanied by a strong coffee. LILY SILVERTON Lily Silverton is a journalist, podcaster and mindset coach. She has been in journalism for more than 15 years and contributes to global publications including Vogue and Refinery29/Vice. As a coach she works with individuals, businesses and charities and runs panel talks and events for companies such as Soho House, Facebook, the Refugee Council and Crisis. She also has a podcast, Priorities, on which she interviews prominent guests about what really matters to them. Lily has a BA in Politics from the School Of Oriental and African Studies and she lives in London with her partner and two children. She is an enthusiastic traveller and loves meditation, mountain walks and martinis. Her favourite breakfast is peanut butter and jam on toast, with an oat milk coffee.