Meet our Board of Trustees
Peter Adefioye
Peter Adefioye is a ‘young pioneer’. Having founded the group Vanguard Connect whilst still at college, Peter started a movement that has brought together and benefited hundreds of students internationally from African & Caribbean backgrounds, encouraging the birth and collaboration of projects, sharing of opportunities, discussing of current affairs and building of networks. Despite having run a long-standing business from the age of 12, Peter has always kept a keen eye on the corporate world, having gained two years of experience within investment banking and professional services before even starting university. Being a passionate mentor and youth leader, Peter looks to pursue a career in politics and social entrepreneurship after completing his undergraduate degree at the University of Cambridge in Theology, for which he was awarded one of five full scholarships from the bank Crédit Suisse.
Paul Bokel
Paul Bokel comes to African & Caribbean Diversity from The Netherlands where for 20 years he worked in his family’s travel agency business. Paul expanded the business from two to six branches. During the same time, he started his own business creating software systems for travel agencies. Paul is an extensive traveller. He has travelled to Canada, USA, Mexico, Brazil, Cuba Gambia, Tunisia, almost every country in Europe, Singapore, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Australia, and Indonesia. He likes to tinker with electronics, databases, and photography. Paul has been volunteering his time with African & Caribbean Diversity since 2004. So much that he was appointed a Trustee and Director of the company in 2011. Paul believes that for a society to reach its full potential it needs to use everybody’s talents to the fullest.
Vanya Bromfield
Vanya Bromfield is General Counsel in the Business Information Systems Division at Smiths Group plc. Previously she was an IT lawyer and part of the Senior Management team at Autoglass®, the UK’s largest vehicle glass repair and replacement company. She has over 11 years worth of experience advising global organisations advising on a variety of general commercial and IT issues. Vanya read Law at Magdalen College, Oxford University before completing her legal training at the London and Singapore offices of a well-known US law firm. While at Oxford, Vanya was the President of the Black Caucus and also the Magdalen College Law Society. In her free time, Vanya enjoys baking, travelling and skiing. Vanya currently lives in Hertfordshire with her two sons and her husband.
Victoria Charalambides
Since finishing the ACD class of 2007, Victoria has gone on to achieve a degree in Advertising and Brand Management, whilst focusing on the role of an Art Director. With this, she has travelled the UK pitching ideas to agencies, and creative groups. Victoria’s studies took her to the US, where she worked on briefs with global agency leader: Profero, and Bandujo. Victoria has a keen interest in photography, drawing and loves anything relating to design! [pull_quote_left] ACD has inspired me, and now I want to help inspire the next generation of Little Leaders. [/pull_quote_left]
Adeayo Gabriel
Ayo entered the ACD programme in 2006 whilst doing his GCSEs at Blackheath Bluecoat School. He went on to study at BETHS Grammar School completing A-levels in Economics, Mathematics, Business Studies, and ICT. Ayo attended Queen Mary University, where he spent time volunteering for Reachout, a mentoring charity for children in disadvantaged communities. During his second year of university, Ayo became the Vice President of the African Caribbean Society. He worked hard, and in 2011, graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics, Mathematics and Statistics. Since graduation, Ayo has taken on a role as a Sales Specialist within the Financial & Risk division at Thomson Reuters Corporation In his spare time, Ayo enjoys giving motivational talks, playing sports, and has set a personal goal to visit 12 different countries (one every month) during 2014.
Lesley Hamilton
[pull_quote_left] Experience is not what happens to you. It is what you do with what happens to you.[/pull_quote_left]
Lesley Hamilton has had a variety of jobs which have included working in Fashion PR for several years. After working in fashion, she decided to return to university and now holds a BA Hons graduate of Literature & Philosophy (2:1). She also studied performing Arts. For over 16 years, Lesley has been a teacher in inner city schools and at present is an Assistant Vice Principal at The Bridge Academy in Hackney. Lesley says she was lucky enough to join the academy before it opened in 2007 and helped to shape and develop this school. One of her passions is making sure that young people are equipped with the life skills to ensure they are resilient and aspirational to enable them to reach their potential.
Thairu Ndungu
Thairu has over 20 years of experience in the Financial Markets. He is currently the Partner and COO of Nubuke Investments LLP that offers investors a diverse platform to access the dynamic economic growth and the structural changes, occurring in key capital markets across the African continent. Prior to this position Thairu was working for Standard Chartered Bank in their Africa Regional Office based in London and Dubai for a short while. He worked for Standard Chartered for 16 years, in various roles and countries in Africa, UK, Middle East and Asia. The last role being Regional Head, Markets Operations – Africa based in London and briefly in Dubai. He has extensive experience in risk management, project management and process change management. Thairu has a BSC in Mathematics and Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Science; both from the University of Nairobi, Kenya.
William Oates
William joined ACD as a trustee in 2014 and has been a volunteer with the organisation since 2013. Following a degree in Classics, William undertook a law conversion and subsequently joined a leading international law firm where he has worked since 2011. In addition to his roles with ACD, William has a range of voluntary experience with other organisations. In his spare time he enjoys running, swimming, cycling and spending time outdoors. he is also an avid supporter of a certain north London football club.
Subramaniam Se
nthilkumar
Senthil has over 30 years of experience as a senior finance professional. He has been actively involved in African & Caribbean Diversity since the early 1990s. He initially started in the events committee and shortly afterwards he was appointed Treasurer of African & Caribbean Diversity in 1992 and has remained the Treasurer with a short break from 2009 – 2012. Even during his break as Treasurer, Senthil was an active co-team member. Senthil holds a MBA from Henley Business School. He is a CIMA finalist and an affiliate of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. He also has a financial planning certificate from the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Yvonne Yeboah
Yvonne Yeboah joined the first cohort of ACD students in Oxford in 2004. Yvonne credits her career choice to the teaching and the wealth of information she was exposed to at the residential, the trips to financial and legal institutions and also the mentoring programme. She went on to study Accountancy and Finance at Heriot Watt University in Edinburgh. During university, she noted the emphasis that ACD and other influences made on ensuring you were well rounded when seeking out roles. She therefore ensured she was involved in her university experience by taking on the roles of Heriot Watt Black Students Officer, member of the NUS black students Scotland & UK, Vice President of the African and Caribbean Society and Assistant Treasurer of the Students Union. She also served as a board member of Score Scotland, an organisation aimed at ensuring equality for ethnic minorities in Scotland and the Ghana Union of Scotland. Currently, Yvonne is working at Aon Hewitt, where she undertook an internship in her penultimate year of study. She was asked to remain with the company following her graduation and is training to be an Investment Consultant as well as studying for the Chartered Financial analyst (CFA) Qualification. She also spends time working within her Church Media team, including, creating short films and posters which are focused on drawing awareness to the events and various activities the Church offers.
