Meet the charity Trustees

I have always loved animals and cared deeply about their welfare, and I am a long-standing supporter of many national and international animal charities. I've been lucky enough to care for foxes rescued by the National Fox Welfare Society and Wildlife Aid, and I joined the League as a member in 2004, before joining the Board of Trustees in 2018.
For most of my career, I have worked as an International Manager for the HSBC Group. During this time, I lived in 10 different countries and took on a range of senior leadership roles in all areas of banking. My last role was as CEO of HSBC Armenia, where I also served as a non-executive director of HSBC Bank Georgia, NASDAQ OMX and two local charities. After 22 years I decided to return to the UK for my young children to start school. I now work freelance as a banking consultant, which gives me more time to spend with my family and on voluntary work.
I live with three dogs, one cat, two rats, two sheep, two pigs, three chickens, 20+ fish and two children in the New Forest. My rescue lurcher is a “Pets As Therapy” dog and enjoys visiting humans in hospices and schools. I hate to see any animals (or humans) suffering, especially through deliberate cruelty, and think we all benefit when we learn to treat other creatures compassionately.

Having followed the League’s work for many years, it is a privilege to have joined as a Trustee in 2020. My background is in applied ethology, animal welfare science, international development and education, and for the past decade I have worked in a scientific advisory capacity for an international animal welfare organisation. I have also been a member of the International Society for Applied Ethology, Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour and Universities' Federation for Animal Welfare, a contributing writer for the Global Animal Network and a Trustee for a charity supporting wildlife rescue and conservation in the Bolivian Amazon.
I have loved animals since childhood, and adopted a plant-based diet more than 20 years ago – back when the word ‘vegan’ was often met with confusion! I am encouraged to see growing public awareness and concern for animal welfare and this narrative becoming increasingly mainstream, and am keen to promote animal welfare from an evidence-based perspective. Having worked or travelled in more than 75 countries so far, I have developed particular interests in the inter-relationship between animal welfare and international development, and in animal welfare education worldwide. My greatest challenge in working life has been to witness animal suffering in many forms, which may stem from lack of knowledge, resources, compassion, opportunity or regulation; and I believe that understanding root causes is integral to creating positive change.
When not globe-trotting I am likely to be either enjoying busy city life in London or recharging with friends and family back home in the west of Scotland.

Growing up near the Florida Everglades I developed a deep connection and love for the natural world and for animals. As I learned more about how we treat nature, my life’s mission became to fight to protect it. This led me to pursue environmental law as a vocation. I have admired and followed the League’s work since learning about their pivotal role in passing the Hunting Act.

After graduating with a law degree from the University of Bristol, I joined the Office for Environmental Protection initially as a complaints officer handling complaints about potential breaches of environmental law, and now in the OEP’s Monitoring and Advice team which analyses and advises government on how to improve and better implement environmental law.

Previously I trained at the European Commission’s Legal Service, and worked as a contracts paralegal in the procurement departments of several major multinational companies.

I serve as a trustee of a disabled person’s trust and have held various voluntary and leadership positions including Bristol law clinic student advisor, coordinator of the European Commission Trainees Sustainability Subcommittee, and auditor for Green Impact Labs.

I have followed an ethical vegan lifestyle for ten years. In my spare time, I enjoy being in nature, walking, running, baking vegan treats, reading fantasy novels, and playing video games. Given its amazing achievements and positive impact for the animals, it is a tremendous honour for me to join the Board and to apply my skills and passion to the League’s venerable and critically important objectives.

As a lifelong animal lover and advocate, the well-being and protection of animals has always been important to me. I have actively supported various animal welfare organisations—including the League Against Cruel Sports—through fundraising efforts, rescue missions, or advocacy campaigns; I have consistently worked towards creating a safer and more compassionate world for animals.

In recent years, I have come to a stark realisation that the ban on hunting, which I and many others believed to be firmly in place and effective, is not as strong as we thought. The sight of animals enduring unnecessary pain and suffering is profoundly distressing, and it is imperative that we increase public awareness about this issue.

I am a Chartered Accountant with over 30 years of business experience across professional services, banking, corporate finance, and operations, latterly in the education sector. Having recently stepped back from a full-time position and returned from London to my native Yorkshire, I am now motivated and able to commit time and effort to causes I have a passion for.

I enjoy spending time in nature with my two canine buddies, particularly roaming the Yorkshire Dales or on a wide sandy beach. I also actively support various underperforming teams in a range of sports.

The League has a rich legacy, but there remains much work to do to put an end to senseless acts of cruelty in the name of sport and to provide a voice for those who cannot speak for themselves. I am honoured to be a Trustee of the League Against Cruel Sports and to be able to play my own part in delivering a future where animals are valued, respected and protected from harm.

In 2017, I made a life-changing decision to go vegan—driven by a deep realisation that I no longer wanted to contribute to the suffering of animals in any way.

This shift sparked a complete transformation in my life. I stepped away from a successful 18-year career in corporate strategy and management consultancy to start OGGS®—now the UK’s No.1 vegan cake brand and pioneers of plant-based eggs.

Our mission at OGGS is simple but powerful: to remove the hidden animals from our food system. We're proving that people can enjoy delicious, familiar foods—without compromise, and without animals.

Today, my work is entirely focused on making a positive impact—for animals, and for the planet. My background in corporate strategy, leadership, marketing and communications continues to shape how I build purpose-driven businesses that can scale, innovate, and lead change.

The weekends are spent with my family, two rescue cats and our dog in the nature; on our bikes, hiking, bird watching.

As a lifelong animal lover, I am delighted to join the League’s Board of Trustees and have the opportunity to be able to use my passion for the well-being and protection of animals, and my professional experience to help inspire change, raise awareness and work towards ending cruel sports.

I am a senior HR leader and have spent the majority of my career in the Health and Social Care sector helping lead organisations that care for vulnerable Adults and Children providing them with a better quality of life.

Together, with my fellow Trustees I will strive to bring about real change for animals across the UK.

My wife and I live with two rescue cats and when I’m not working, we enjoy spending time with family and also spending time outdoors in nature.
My outlook on life is to treat others in a way that I would hope to be treated, and I will work to ensure this extends to helping educate others on creating a safer, more compassionate and caring world for animals.