The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Media Action Fundraising Board is made up of dedicated people working in the private sector, volunteering their time to help us to achieve our fundraising goals.
They also help us to deliver our flagship fundraising dinner, The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Correspondents' Charity Dinner.
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Richard Cristofoli (Chair)
Richard is Chief Customer Officer at Freemans Grattan Holdings. He joined the group in June 2020 as part of a new executive team to develop and lead a new UK strategy focused on digital transformation and growth. Previously he was Managing Director for beauty marketing and digital at Debenhams, and Group Marketing Director at WHSmith. Richard is chair of the fundraising board and has been an advisor to the charity for 10 years. He is passionate about our purpose of empowering people and communities through impartial information. -
Rob Agnew
Rob is a Partner at Isio, leading the Private Capital team’s investment advisory for families, charities and endowments. Rob has a twenty-year career working across banking divisions at Deutsche Bank and more recently as a Managing Director in Barclays, majoring on advising families and high growth founders. Rob has also served as a junior Warfare Officer in the Royal Navy. -
Ben Bruton
Ben is Partner and Head of English Law Litigation in Winston & Strawn’s London dispute resolution practice. He handles high-stakes disputes for companies around the world. Prior to joining Winston & Strawn, Ben was Managing Partner and Head of Dispute Resolution at the UAE office of a leading UK international law firm. Ben has supported Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Media Action since 2010 and has been a member of the fundraising board since 2021. -
Tim Danaher
Tim is global co-lead for consumer industries at Brunswick Group, the leading international communications and critical issues advisory firm. In this role, Tim has worked with many of the UK and world’s biggest retailers and consumer brands, both in the UK and previously in China, where he was based for two years. Earlier in his career, Tim was a leading journalist covering the retail sector. -
Anne Godfrey
Anne is CEO of GS1UK, a 59,000-strong membership organisation. She specialises in change management in the not-for-profit sector. Anne has held leadership roles in eight membership organisations, including the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Law Society. Anne’s earlier career was in publishing and included sales and marketing roles at Pearson and Thomson Reuters. She is passionate about women’s rights and looks forward to working with the fundraising board to drive gender equality. -
Mervyn Metcalf
Mervyn brings over three decades of investment banking expertise, having originated and executed numerous prominent transactions across various sectors in the UK. In 2012, he co-founded his own advisory firm, Dean Street Advisers. With a commitment for creating real and propriety situations for both corporate entities and private equity firms, Mervyn is dedicated to offering impartial advice. This commitment extends to his involvement with Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Media Action, reflecting his passion for informed and independent advice. Mervyn is also as a Trustee on the board of The Discerning Eye, an educational arts charity. -
Fran Minogue
Fran moved into executive search after a blue chip career in marketing and general management. She then spent 10 years as Global Managing Partner at Heidrick & Struggles before founding Clarity in 2011. The firm specialises in the retail, consumer and hospitality sectors, advising CEOs and chairs on organisational structure, succession planning and talent management at main board and operating board level, in the UK and internationally. A regular commentator on industry trends and events, Fran is also an Ambassador of the Retail Trust, and NED at Portobello Business Centre. -
Sham Sandhu
Sham is a senior business advisor who specialises in leadership and team development. He works with global venture capital firms, family offices and foundations who are focused on creating positive social, systemic or environmental impact. He proudly started his career at the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and spent nearly two decades in senior creative roles across the television, film and digital industries. Sham holds a BA (Hons) in Jurisprudence from Oxford University and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. -
Julian Smith
Julian is an experienced executive coach and recruiter for the non-profit sector, and runs Memcom, the membership network for non-profit membership organisations. A former trustee for a UK-wide health services charity, Julian is passionate about people, the planet, wildlife and conservation, and was a dedicated supporter of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Media Action before joining the fundraising board almost six years ago. -
Catherine Steele
Catherine is Brooks Macdonald's Group Communications and Marketing Director. She has more than 25 years of experience in communications, stakeholder relations, public policy, politics, and government relations. Previous roles include senior communications roles with Roche, Novartis, and Biogen; a lobbyist in Canada for regulated industries; and a chief of staff to a former Minister of Health. A Canadian national, Catherine holds a BA in French and Political Science from the University of New Brunswick, and a Master of Arts from Carleton University. She is a former President of the Empire Club of Canada.
Meet our steering group
The Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Media Action Steering Group volunteer their time to support our fundraising initiatives, helping us to extend our networks of support across the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ and in the private sector.
Our thanks go to
Steve Clarke
