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Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees is appointed by the members (41 sponsoring churches in Britain and Ireland) at their Annual General Meeting.

The Board’s principal responsibilities include determining the overall strategy, policies, direction and goals of Christian Aid; protecting and promoting the identity and values of the charity; and fulfilling its statutory responsibilities.
 
The Board consists of:

  • a Chair
  • a Vice Chair
  • a nominee from each of the national committees for Wales and Scotland
  • the Chair of Christian Aid Ireland 
  • a nominee of Churches Together in Britain and Ireland
  • up to 15 other trustees.

This ensures an appropriate balance of lay and ordained people, gender, age, ethnic origin, church tradition, geographic spread and knowledge and skills relevant to Christian Aid’s work.

Sarah Mullally, Bishop of London has held the position of Chair of the Board of Trustees since June 2024.

In keeping with good governance practice, one-quarter of the trustees retire at each annual general meeting and are eligible to be reappointed for further terms of office, usually limited to eight consecutive years.

This process does not apply to the Chair of Christian Aid Ireland, the nominees from the national committees or CTBI.

The board delegates certain functions to committees of trustees, including:

  • a board governance and nominations committee
  • an audit and risk committee
  • a finance, fundraising and investment committee
  • a human resources and strategy committee
  • a remuneration committee.

Chair and board members

Sarah Mullally

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Sam Bickersteth

Sam Bickersteth brings experience of international development programming and policy development with a focus on climate change.

Jim Clifford OBE

Jim Clifford is a chartered accountant, corporate financier and social researcher with forty years in professional practice advising UK and Global charities amongst others.

Pauline Conway

Pauline is a former Irish diplomat, who served in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for 30 years.

Mark Currie

Mark Currie chairs the Finance, Fundraising and Investment Committee.

Johannes Etten

Johannes Etten is a senior HR leader, focusing on strategic issues and tangible business contribution.

Nontando Hadebe

Dr Nontando Hadebe is a woman theologian and a member of The Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians and Catholic Women Speak/Preach.

Carol Hui OBE

Carol Hui OBE is an experienced lawyer and director with over 25 years of board service in private, public, and charitable sectors.

Liz Hughes

Rev Dr Liz Hughes is the Chair of Christian Aid Ireland. She's a retired minister of the Presbyterian Church in Northern Ireland.

Martin Johnstone

Martin Johnstone is a Church of Scotland minister, ordained in September 1989.

Marina Kobzeva

Marina is a humanitarian and development leader with nearly two decades of expertise spanning quality and accountability management, governance, organisational development, assurance, and risk management.

Mukami McCrum

Mukami McCrum is currently the chair and founder member of Kenyan Women in Scotland Association (KWISA).

Chine McDonald

Chine McDonald is Director of Theos, the religion and society thinktank.

James Poulter

James Poulter works in AI and innovation, with a background in digital marketing, communications, and technology strategy.

Andrew Sully

Andrew Sully has been a priest in the Church in Wales for 30 years.

Maggie Swinson

Maggie Swinson qualified as a chartered accountant after taking a music degree in Liverpool. She worked as a general practitioner, with a tax specialism, in a local partnership until she established her own practice in 2009.

Dorothy Tang

Dorothy Tang is Climate Policy Advisor at World Wide Fund-UK (WWF-UK) and desires to drive climate justice through advocacy and policy work.

Other Christian Aid teams

Our CEO, directors and board

Our directors, headed by the Chief Executive Officer, are responsible for strategic direction, plans and programmes around the world.