Governance
Mind in Tower Hamlets and Newham is governed by our Board of Trustees. Board members oversee the strategic direction of the charity working in partnership with the Senior Leadership Team. Board members serve on a voluntary basis and receive no payments for their services.
We are fortunate to have a strong Board of Trustees with diverse experience and skills across a range of sectors, including Mental Health, Social Care, Finance, Management and a range of other disciplines. The majority of our trustees have lived experience of mental health and are passionate about our work and future ambitions.
Please review our Trustee information pack and do let us know if you would be interested in becoming a Trustee Member.
Vandana Siney
Chair
Vandana is the Chief Compliance Officer (CCO) for Barclays Bank UK (BBUK) PLC. She has over 25 years of financial services experience in leadership roles across Compliance, Audit and Controls with expertise in defining and executing large scale organisational and cultural transformations. Vandana is passionate about mental health and diversity. She is keen to use her skills to influence and contribute towards making a positive difference
Nick Aellen
Vice-Chair
Nick is an internal audit manager, who has worked across several industries over the last 25 plus years. He currently works as an auditor for a major bank. He joined MINDTH as a Trustee in 2018, with the aim of using his experience of governance, risk and controls for this very worthy cause. His spare time is mainly used perfecting his Dad jokes and 80s music knowledge!
Grant Martin
Treasurer - FSC Chair
Grant is Chief Internal Auditor for a UK Digital Bank. He is a chartered accountant and has worked in financial services and for the Big 4 accountancy firms. He was born in Newham and lived in Forest Gate and Stratford for most of his life before moving south of the river for his wife’s work. He spends his free time doing activities with his three young children and cycling his more numerous bikes on the lanes of Kent.
John Whitehead
HRGSC Chair
John joined the Executive Committee in December 2018. John is a commercial lawyer and Legal COO and has worked in a variety of global businesses for over 30 years. He currently undertakes a General Counsel role at a major bank. Having experienced first-hand the difficulties faced by people experiencing issues with mental health, particularly depression, grief and dementia, John is passionate about using his legal, business and interpersonal skills to help a cause he cares deeply about.
Angie Shannon
Trustee
Angie is a Psychodynamic Psychotherapist, Course Tutor and Organisational Development and Communications Consultant. Her expertise is in organisational development and employee engagement, underpinned by a deep working knowledge of human behaviour, organisational culture and change management methodology. She has more than 20 years influencing at a senior level and a proven track record of successfully managing and delivering corporate communications and brings substantial cross-industry experience working with global corporates, medium businesses and charities.
Jane Oldfield
Trustee
Jane is a criminal and healthcare regulatory barrister. She lives in Tower Hamlets and is committed to putting her personal and professional experience of mental health issues to good use as a trustee of MITHN. She relaxes by attending dance classes and the theatre and by socialising with friends.
Lisa McLean
Trustee
Lisa was born and raised in Newham, in Manor Park. She has recently moved to Basildon in Essex but having lived all her life apart from the last three years in Newham she has a fondness for and attachment to Newham that will always be with her.
She works as an adjudicator at the Financial Ombudsman Service dealing primarily with disputes related to payment protection insurance (PPI). Prior to that her work experience was in the legal field as a Legal Executive dealing primarily with property based civil litigation.
Dimitrios Goumenos
Trustee
Dimitrios is an Investment Analyst and Portfolio Manager within the Global Equity team in UBS Asset Management. He is responsible for the analysis and valuation of companies in the European Banks, Insurance and Diversified Financials sectors. As a Portfolio Manager, he leads on capital allocation and risk management in the Global Equity Long Short fund.
Samantha Uwadiae
Trustee
Samantha is an enthusiastic individual specialised in leading workforce Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI). Samantha currently works for a pan-London and Kent organisation as their Head of EDI and has led the EDI agenda in central government, the public and third-sector organisations. Her motivation for this work is to support organisations in building workplaces where everyone, especially those from marginalised communities feel able to bring their whole, best and authentic selves to work and know their potential will be maximised. Samantha also freelances as a professional Racial Equity and Inclusion Trainer and psychology-based Executive Coach, her clients have included the NHS, Imperial College London, Parkinson UK and others. Her key driver as a Trustee is to actively support MITHN to achieve its goal of becoming a truly anti-racist organisation and furthermore be trendsetters in the third sector.
Asif Dhanani
Trustee
Asif is Founder of Venture Capital firm Abercorn Capital and is Co-Founder of its Technology focussed division Abercorn TechInvest.
Previously, Asif was Advisor to the Board and Head of Private Equity (Asia) at Matrix Group, he was also Advisor to the Board at Cluttons LLP specialising in Corporate Real Estate Strategy and Property Derivatives; he was also part of the senior management team at Cluttons LLP Middle East. Prior to this Asif held senior positions at both Citibank NA and at Nations CRT (Bank of America). Asif completed his graduate training at Salomon Brothers in London.
Asif has completed his Certification in Global Mental Health from Harvard Medical School. This certification was modelled on the highly acclaimed Project 1 Billion Global Mental Health Action Plan which brought together Ministers of Health from the world’s post-conflict countries to endorse a science-based, culturally effective and sustainable Mental Health Action Plan and Book of Best Practices for post-conflict recovery. Asif’s certification specialises in Refugee Trauma.
James Kyne
Trustee
James is a youth worker in a South London hospital supporting those who attend following incidents of serious violence. He has a particular interest in trauma and improving access to trauma-informed support services for marginalised communities and young people. He will contribute his insight from working in frontline services as well as his own experience of mental health provision. Prior to working with young people, James worked in financial services. Born in Croydon, James is now a proud resident of Tower Hamlets.