What is your motivation to become a trustee of the MND Association?
My father recently passed away from MND and I have witnessed first-hand how truly awful the disease is - it is dehumanising, takes away all sense of personal pride, and induces a sense of helplessness and mental anguish in sufferers and their loved ones alike. For me, the latest promised government funding is a bitter-sweet moment: too late for my father but not soon enough for other sufferers.
I have seen the fantastic work that the Association carries out. The helpline staff helped us navigate through the minefield that is government care funding and literally provided a lifeline to my parents. The positive impact on my father, who had always taken pride in providing for his family at the same time as trying to cope with MND, was indescribable. I want to use my experience and skills to give back to people living with MND and their families and help fight the disease at a crucial point in time.
What experience and skills will you bring to your role as a trustee?
As a lawyer working in the finance industry for over 25 years, I have experience in advising boards across a wide variety of legal, reputational, social/ethical issues, regulatory and corporate governance requirements, strategy development and transformation. I have been a non-executive director and have led diversity and inclusion initiatives across a variety of themes. I also have a diverse and multi-cultural background myself - I am half English, half Iranian, and have lived in different parts of the world.