Our Mentors
The strength of Charity Mentors is in its mentors
Our mentors are interesting and experienced people who we think you would like to meet! We go to great lengths to select individuals who have run organisations and who have been responsible for growing them: someone who understands the voluntary sector and has a business head and the ability to let you dig deep into your own resources so that you can come up with the best decisions for your organisation. Their primary motivation is to support you in your decision making. We have regular meetings with all our mentors so that we can be confident that we are providing a service that is relevant and tailored to the needs of our mentees.
Interested in becoming a mentor?
Over the life of Charity Mentors we have gradually built a cohesive team of mentors, who are able to take on regular projects and who are involved and enthusiastic about helping us with our mission. From time-to-time, we are looking for new mentors. Even if there is not an opening immediately, we are always interested to hear from people who have held leadership positions, who have been involved in the growth and development of an organisation at a strategic level, have some knowledge of the charity sector and who have the mentoring skills to help us. Please click here if you are interested in learning more….
Meet our Mentors
Becky Buell
An experienced senior executive, with over 25 years’ work in the not-for-profit sector and 8 years leading a successful company. Extensive international experience in strategy, organisational development and business planning, and an experienced convenor of multi-sector dialogues. Becky worked with Oxfam for over 15 years in Latin America and later in the Campaigns and Policy Department in Oxford. She was a co-founder and partner at Meteos, a research and consultancy organisation specialising in multi-sector dialogues. Currently works independently as an executive coach and consultant and as a senior practitioner with the Presencing Institute at MIT. Becky also serves as a volunteer advisor at Citizens Advice Oxford. She is a Board member of the Presencing Institute, and a Board member of Climate Outreach. Becky is a US-UK bi-national, living in Oxford, UK.
Tina Elder
A management consultant professional with a strong track record of building relationships and delivering results. Offers expertise in the following areas:
• Definition and implementation of groundbreaking visions and strategies.
• Deep understanding of executive decision-making processes and the content and support necessary to support delivery of transformational change.
• Partnering, leadership and coaching with senior people.
Over the last 30 years she has worked with the leadership teams of major organisations, in the private, public and charity sectors in the UK and across the world. Currently also works as a Trustee for several local charities.
Graeme Freeman
An IT and consulting entrepreneur, who co-founded Freeman Clarke, providing IT directors to industry; co-founded On3, assisting large corporates with their talent management strategy; and was part of founding team of “Pennies” a social enterprise where shoppers can round-up the purchase price to give to charities. Was previously Chief Information Officer, BBC Worldwide, from 2002 until 2010; non-executive director of BBC Audiobooks from 2007 – 2010; and Chief Operating Officer of ABS (better known as “tradesimple”) from 1995 to 2002.
Mark Hallam
Currently a part time management consultant and leadership coach, having spent over 30 years in the market research industry, primarily with Nielsen where he held a number of leadership roles including UK Managing Director, European Client Service and Marketing Director and Senior Vice President of Global Clients. Recent consulting assignments with Millward Brown and Valid International include advising business leaders on commercial strategy, organizational development and personal coaching of senior executives. A trustee of Emmaus Oxford and OXSRAD.
Alison Hill
Alison has 30 years’ experience as a senior leader in the NHS. Her last role before retirement was Deputy Chief Knowledge Officer for Public Health England where she provided professional leadership and strategic oversight for a wide range of products and programmes, such as the local authority health profiles and the obesity intelligence network. Prior to this, she was managing director of NHS Solutions for Public Health, which she built into a £6mn NHS business unit with 80 staff, providing evidence-based resources for the NHS and local authorities. Alison has a Diploma in Coaching and Mentoring from Oxford Brookes University. She was a board member of Cycling England, and is currently trustee of Charity Mentors Oxfordshire, chair of The Bikeability Trust, a national charity dedicated to delivering cycle training for children, and chair of Cyclox, Oxford’s local cycle campaign group.
Jill Judson
Career teacher in the state school system, spending final 19 years as Head of two secondary schools, including Cherwell in Oxford. Last 3 years working as an education consultant, particularly on matters concerning school improvement, leadership, governance and head teacher appointments (for Association of School and College Leaders). Former Brookes Governor, current Board of Oxford Playhouse.
Philippa Lyons
Philippa was previously CEO of the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Wildlife Trust and a director of WREN, chairing the Oxfordshire WREN County Panel. Having set up Fundraising Central Ltd in 2013, a mutual company wholly owned by seven wildlife trusts, she chaired the company until October 2019. Philippa is currently a trustee of Plantlife International, Garden Organic and Peace Partners. She also sits on the board of Grantscape, a grant giving charity that primarily administers Landfill Community Funds and Community Benefit Funds from solar and wind farms.
John May
Currently the Secretary General of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award; Chair of Trustees of Oxfordshire Scouts; National trustee of Marine Society & Sea Cadets; Advisory Board member, University of Surrey Business School; Visiting lecturer, Oxford Brookes University. Previously Chief Executive of Young Enterprise and Career Academies UK; Director of Community Campaigning at Business in the Community; former headteacher and youth worker. Previous non-executive roles include Vice Chair of the World Organization of the Scout Movement; National Board member of UNICEF UK; Founding board member of Teach First.
Sarah Mitson
An experienced executive who has held strategic roles in marketing, innovation and sales for large international companies. Sarah has a special interest in delivering change in organisations, based on her experience of business and digital transformation and her studies in the behavioural sciences. She has an active portfolio supporting not for profit organisations and has had experience of being a trustee and Chair with Coeliac UK.
Annette Mountford
Annette was originally a health visitor. Her work in mainly deprived areas led her to recognise the huge challenges all parents face in raising children especially if their own childhood had been deprived. In the Nurturing Programme she found a wonderful way for all parents to turn their history around and discover new skills, hope and happiness. Chief Executive of Family Links from 1997 – 2015. She introduced the ‘Nurturing Programme’ (promoting emotional literacy & mental health) to the UK in 1992 and led the Family Links team in adapting the programme for parent groups in the UK and for schools, for prison, for Muslim parents and for parents of teenagers. Annette developed a national training programme for practitioners working with parents and children in education, health and the community. She has written an ante-natal Nurturing Programme which is now being rolled out nationally. Received an MBE for her work in 2002.
Pat O’Shea
Pat has extensive public sector experience of secondary education, including headship of. two comprehensive schools, one in Oxfordshire. Subsequently she was an independent consultant in school improvement, providing challenge and support to headteachers and governors, coaching and mentoring school leaders and advising on appointments. She is a trustee of a local Academy Trust and was a trustee of a charity providing grants to people in hardship in Oxford. Particular expertise in: leadership, coaching and mentoring, team building, strategic planning.
Nick Paladina
A Chartered Accountant who has spent most of his career in senior management positions in the not-for-profit sector, including in film and theatre, a national museum, professional societies and international education. He has also held several charity board roles, including Chair of the Oxford Literary Festival, St Peter’s College Audit Risk and Remuneration Committee and Treasurer of the Temple Music Foundation. He currently works providing financial guidance to theatre companies, and is a trustee of Phosphoros Theatre and a project manager with the Step Change Fund.
Elizabeth Paris
Following a career in Investment Banking as a Managing Director at JP Morgan, Elizabeth has experience as chair and board member on public and not-for-profit boards at national, regional and local levels. Current roles include chair, The Oxford Playhouse, chair, The Orwell Youth Prize and trustee, SOFEA. She is a Deputy Lieutenant of Oxfordshire, and an Associate Fellow at the Saïd Business School, University of Oxford. A focus on women and entrepreneurship includes roles with the World Bank, Oxford, Goldman Sachs, as well as teaching women entrepreneurs from China to W. Africa.
Grant Phillips
Associate Fellow and Industry Advisor Finance and Banking, at the Said Business School, providing careers support to MBA students in the fintech, commercial banking and strategic marketing sectors. Formerly with Barclays Banking Group, including roles as Caribbean Director and Director of Communications and Training for the Group’s Euro programme. He has helped to finance and build two orphanages and a school in Nepal. Former Chair of SMART, The Art Room and the Oxfordshire Common Purpose Advisory Group. Currently a Trustee of The Ley Community.
Jeremy Swainson
Initially with Oxfam, for the past 25 years, Jeremy has been an owner and senior executive of a range of consultancy businesses working in the international development aid sector. He has held primary responsibility for a range of functions including human resources, sales, quality assurance and finance. Throughout his career, Jeremy has designed and managed grant making facilities ranging from the provision of Oxfam funding to poor communities through grants to NGOs to support their work to risk sharing funding to the private sector. In recent years, as he has stepped back from management, he has devoted time to mentoring colleagues at all levels in the business. Particular expertise in strategic leadership and organizational development.
John Taylor
CEO of the Austrian based international plastics and petrochemical company Borealis AG, until his retirement in December 2007. Previously, CEO of British Nuclear Fuels PLC. Also worked at Exxon Chemical for 26 years in the UK, Belgium and the USA. Today he is Chair of Oxfordshire Community Foundation, Chair of The Berin Centre, Vice Chair of The Friends of Dorchester Abbey and trustee of Charity Mentors.
Jens Tholstrup
Managing Director of Oxford Investment Opportunity Network (OION), Development Director SQW Group and Senior Advisor, Oxford Economics. Previously, Jens was Managing Director UK, Oxford Economics, Executive Director, Oxford Analytica and Executive Director UBS. Jens holds a MA in PPE and an MSc in Economic History, both from the University of Oxford. Jens is a trustee of the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Director of Venturefest Oxford, Visiting Business Fellow at the Smith School of Enterprise and the Environment at Oxford University, a governor of St Clare’s, Oxford and a Trustee of Charity Mentors Oxfordshire. He is a member of the Society of Business Economists (SBE).
Peter Wrigglesworth
Peter’s career has been with the creative industries. He built a successful communication agency advising clients on communication strategy and producing programmes, events and presentations across a wide range of media, ultimately specialising in employee engagement. Peter went on to set up Every Sense, a specialist business consultancy helping creative agencies and production companies grow, prosper and achieve their potential. Peter works with individuals, management teams and employees to co-create a strong vision for their business and put in place the structures and processes to enable them to deliver that vision. Particular expertise in: strategy, building teams and organisations, embedding vision and purpose within organisations.