ABOUT THE ROYAL FOUNDATION OF ST KATHARINE

John O’Brien has held chairman/chief executive/director roles in the public, private and voluntary sectors for 35 years.

He has had extensive involvement in charities for over 30 years. He currently chairs the Board at the Westminster Abbey Trust and the Westminster Abbey Pension Fund, Care and Care for the Family, and is Treasurer of JENGA UK which raises funds to support work amongst the most destitute in a slum area of Eastern Uganda.

He was previously Chair at Action for Children, one of the biggest children’s charities in the UK, as well as Chair at St-Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square.

John, a chartered accountant by training, has been involved in business for most of his life, and is currently involved in a number of organisations, either as an investor or advisor. He was for many years a senior executive at the Veolia Group and, in the late 1990s, was the Government’s Rail Franchising Director, where he was responsible for the delivery of the initial franchising of Britain's 25 passenger train companies.

David Swanney, the Treasurer of St Katharine’s, is a chartered accountant and retired banking regulator. After moving from the accounting profession, David had a twenty-year career at the Bank of England, and latterly the FSA, mostly in banking supervision.

Since 2002, David has worked with the Joint Money Laundering Steering Group – he is the author of the JMLSG’s anti-money laundering Guidance for the financial sector. From 2006 to 2011 he was a public member of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board. David is also a non-executive director of a number of smaller UK banks, and is a trustee of several charitable organisations, as well as being active in his local deanery within the Diocese of Ely.

Geoffrey Richards is Vice-Chairman and has served on the Court since 2007. He is a retired solicitor and is involved in a number of charities and non-profit organisations. He fully supports RFSK’s twin objectives both as a place of peace for retreats and as an outward looking community centre in a highly diverse area, and believes current development plans will enable the Foundation to pursue those objectives even more effectively.

The Venerable Roger Preece became Master and was installed by The Bishop of London in October 2019.

Roger was previously Archdeacon of St Helens and Warrington, in Liverpool Diocese, having served in that role since 2015, and having previously served as Vicar of Bowdon in Chester Diocese. He was ordained in the Church of England after a distinguished career in financial services in London. Among other roles Roger was a founding partner of Capco, the international financial markets consulting business and a Chief Operating Officer for an international investment bank. He has an interest in leadership development and is an experienced coach to senior executives. He enjoys running and SAAB cars.

As a former nurse, Bishop Sarah had a distinguished service in the NHS before ordination, culminating in her appointment as the Government’s Chief Nursing Officer for England in 1999, when she was the youngest person to be appointed to the post. She was ordained in 2001 and served her curacy in Battersea, initially as a self-supporting minister. She took up full time ministry in 2004, becoming a Team Rector in the Diocese of Southwark, in 2012 Canon Treasurer at Salisbury Cathedral and in 2015 Bishop of Crediton. Bishop Sarah became 133rd Bishop of London on 8 March 2018. She is a member of the Privy Council and House of Lords, and was made a Dame Commander of the British Empire in 2005 in recognition of her outstanding contribution to nursing and midwifery. Bishop Sarah is also an independent Governor at King’s College London.

Andrew is a Chartered Surveyor and has worked across UK and international property markets since the mid-1990s. He works in investor relations for a global investment manager. Appointed as a trustee in 2014 Andrew brings significant experience of property investment and development as well as asset and project management.

Joy Hinson brings to the Court a background of 35 years in academic science and education. She is currently self-employed. She has experience of policy development, staff development, coaching and equalities issues. Joy has served on the board of several charities in the science, education and faith sectors and has an interest in charity governance. Joy joined the Court in 2016 and brings a strongly Christian feminist perspective to discussions. In her spare time Joy is a gardener, cook, writer and eco-warrior.

Kay’s experience ranges from Whitehall to management consultancy, with the final three roles in her career having been with The Queen’s Household, the Lord Mayor of London’s office at Mansion House, and with the Archbishop of Canterbury at Lambeth Palace.

Her particular skills, developed while working in ex-communist countries across central and Eastern Europe, lie in helping organisations to adapt to a changing world, and advising on business management issues. She has an MBA from London Business School.

Kay’s voluntary roles have included chairing Dance United, a charity helping young people at risk of offending; school Governor; Trustee of the Academy of Ancient Music; member of the Independent Monitoring Board of Wandsworth prison; chair of her Oxford college alumni; member of the LSO Advisory Council; and a Deputy Lieutenant for London.

Elizabeth Marshall is the Bishop of Stepney’s nominee to the Court; she currently chairs the Steering Committee on the major Northern Site project which she believes offers RFSK a very exciting future of worship, hospitality, and service to the community. Elizabeth is a long-term member of a nearby parish, a member of Deanery and Diocesan Synods and is a lay member of the Diocesan Audit Committee. With a background in public service, before retirement, Elizabeth was in senior management at the financial services regulator. She has since carried several voluntary roles, including ten years on the Council of Queen Mary University of London, and seven as a director of the then regulatory body for ethical standards in local government. She continues to work on ethical standards in other organisations, and as a charity trustee.

Diana is a Brand, Sales and Marketing Executive with over 35 years’ experience in the Hospitality Industry. She was born in Aden, then a British Protectorate, following which she spent her childhood in Ethiopia. This was the foundation that gave her an interest and understanding of different cultures and her curiosity for travel.

Diana is a highly respected professional, with an energetic and passionate approach. Her areas of expertise include Commercial Strategy, Brand Development, Global Sales Strategy, Distribution, traditional and digital Marketing, Performance Management, Revenue Management, Public Relations and Communications. She has held senior Global Sales and Marketing positions with prominent companies in the hospitality and travel sectors in Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and in recent years, she has curated brands and overseen launches for iconic hotels and resorts, including Raffles Hotels and Resorts, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and Langham Hotels International.

Michele is a charity professional specialising in board governance. She recently stepped down as a trustee and chair of fundraising at The Choral Foundation, His Majesty's Chapel Royal, Hampton Court Palace after 12 years and holds a number of other charity board positions.

She was previously an in house lawyer with The Royal British Legion. As a charity solicitor, Michele has a particular focus on supporting organisations and campaigns addressing social issues such as child food poverty, homelessness, mental health, and education.

As Secretary, she is excited to support the important work of St Katharine's and its community projects.