Foundation Trustees

Dinesh is currently a Director at Independent Trustee Services Limited and sits on several trustee boards of UK and Irish pension plans. He has significant experience of strategy, governance and stakeholder management of pension schemes. He has previously been the Head of Pensions at large organisations which include the John Lewis Partnership, Britvic Soft Drinks Ltd, Royal Mail Group and J.P.Morgan. Dinesh is a trustee of the Action for Children Pension Fund and a trustee of St Christopher’s Fellowship, both charities working for vulnerable children. He says that these charities do wonderful work to make a difference to the lives of the children in their care. He finds it thoroughly rewarding to work with these Charities. “Swan Foundation works in a wide cross-section of communities which have a rich and diverse culture and history. It makes a real difference to the people’s lives. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work with the Foundation that makes a visible and sustainable difference to people and communities.”

Gary is a London based consultant with over 20 years’ experience in the public, private and voluntary sectors; with significant achievements in consultancy, training, funding development and community regeneration. He has been involved in the founding, running and management of a range of businesses, including, companies involved in training, event management, management consultancy, nutrition and well-being, retail, education, community transport, regeneration and business support sectors. Currently Managing Director of CNT Associates, a London based training & consultancy organisation. He is an approved consultant for the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) and previously a visiting lecturer/ research associate at the University of Central Lancashire in Community Regeneration and Health, in the Health & Ethnicity Unit. He regularly writes, trains and develops funding applications for private sector companies, social enterprises, health trusts, colleges and universities, housing associations, community organisations and local authorities. Other NED Roles include: Board Member: Royal Greenwich Heritage Trust Chair: Future Communities – a Bexley based community engagement organisation. Gary said: “I support the Foundation because it has a good track record of supporting the communities in which it based to help them address social and community development issues with practical and effective interventions and funding.”

Carol is a Chartered Accountant and has enjoyed a successful and varied career in both the private and public sectors. She has extensive commercial, business transformation and programme management experience. Her most recent executive role was at BT where she was responsible for strategic supplier management. She has many years of experience as a non-executive director in the public sector and has chaired audit and other committees. She is currently a non-executive director at UK Shared Business Services Limited (part of Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy) and a member of the audit committee. She is also a Lay member of the Architects Registration Board and sits on the audit and prescription committees. She is a regular volunteer at Smart Works. Carol is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales (ICAEW) and is an alumna of Warwick and London Business Schools. Carol said: “Swan Foundation contributes to ordinary people's lives in extraordinary ways by helping to fund projects that really can make a lasting difference and that is why I was interested in joining the Foundation.”

Has spent 20 years in senior fundraising and marketing roles in the third sector at organisations including The Variety Club and The Prince's Trust, international sports NGOs Right To Play and Greenhouse and now is Executive Director of Marketing & Fundraising at Leonard Cheshire Disability. “As a resident of Tower Hamlets the opportunity to contribute to the future of the Swan Foundation and to the lives of people in East London and Essex - where I was born - is a combination of my professional and personal passions.”