Our Team

Anita Lowenstein Dent, Founder and CEO

Anita Lowenstein Dent is a TV documentary producer with many years’ experience at the BBC. Anita now combines media projects with initiatives in international development, non-partisan constitutional accountability and social justice. She holds an MSc in the Political Economy of Violence and Conflict in Development from University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies and a BA in History and French from the University of Manchester. Anita is a member of the Council of Chatham House, chairing the Next Generation Committee while serving on the Nominations and Research committees. Anita also sits on the jury of the NIF Human Rights Awards.

Andrew Skipper, Chairman

Andrew is the founder and CEO of Polymetis Professional Solutions (polymetis.co.uk)  a consultancy which advises businesses in a range of sectors including law by bringing experienced and connected networks together and delivering solutions effectively and in collaboration. Andrew is a commercial lawyer of more than 35 years standing having been on the global Management Committee and  the Head of Corporate globally for Hogan Lovells and subsequently Head of their Africa Practice. Andrew is on various boards in the business and cultural space with a focus on Africa, including recently as co-chair of the UK Government's Africa Investors Group, as vice chair of the Royal Africa Society, being on the Board of the SA Chamber of Commerce and the legal group of the UK Nigeria EDF. Andrew is also committed to the arts, is on the advisory board to 1-54 and was vice chair of the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art in USA.

Andrew received the MBE in the Platinum Jubilee hours list for services to UK trade especially in Africa.

Ian Glover, Treasurer

Ian Glover is a graduate of University College London where he graduated as a BSc. in Chemistry before pursuing a career in accountancy. He is Chartered Accountant with the ICAEW and, after qualifying with Deloitte in the UK in 1987, he spent the majority of his 35-year professional career in financial services working for the international rating agency, Moody’s Investors Service, culminating as a Managing Director with the firm.

Teresa Au

Teresa is an accomplished Chief Financial and Operating Officer with decades of experience in financial management, strategic planning, and operational leadership. As a Certified Public Accountant, she has a robust foundation in external audit, finance, and corporate governance, consistently contributing to strategic business growth and development.

Teresa has a proven ability to lead new initiatives, from startups to large-scale business transformations, and she is highly skilled in managing change. Her extensive experience across multinational companies in the Asia Pacific, UK, and Europe equips her with deep insights into global markets and the intercultural agility needed to navigate complex, cross-border relationships.

Driven by a passion for social impact, Teresa actively engages in volunteer efforts to empower vulnerable communities. Her commitment to addressing global challenges reflects a desire to make meaningful contributions, both in driving organisational success and improving lives.

Nola Beirne

Nola Beirne was the European Chair of International top-20 law firm Reed Smith’s 220-Attorney strong global Financial Industry Group, a role that she held for 10 years, until January 2021. Nola has a deep understanding of building a business in a professional services firm, with a record of delivering growth, developing new business areas across geographies, fostering talent, and building consensus. Nola has a supportive, inclusive approach to leadership, with a particular commitment to furthering equality, diversity and inclusion. She is dual qualified as a lawyer in England and Ireland and is an executive coach.

Diana Phillips

Diana Phillips is an American producer living in London. She spent 12 years in New York producing films such as Bad Lieutenant for Abel Ferrara, Smoke and Blue in the Face with Wayne Wang and Paul Auster, and Joe’s Apartment for MTV. Relocating to London, she continued her relationship with Miramax and made Birthday Girl with Nicole Kidman, after which she produced Alfie with Jude Law for Paramount, Wild Child for Working Title/Universal and Death at a Funeral, directed by Frank Oz. She was also the executive in charge of production at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop for two years. Diana graduated from Yale University with a degree in History and a focus on American Women. She lives in London with her husband and three daughters.

Amy Paunila, Development and Donor Manager

Amy has over 25 years’ experience in education development, with an interdisciplinary background ranging from teaching, training and project management, to advocacy and grant-making. Her interest in the link between education and social justice stems from her work in Sri Lanka during the civil conflict, where she spent seven years working for the British Council. She subsequently worked in Afghanistan for UNDP on the national poverty reduction strategy,followed by five years in Uganda, before returning to Europe. She has engaged with a broad range of actors in the education policy-making space, including national and sub-national education staff, civil society and multilateral donors. Her key areas of professional focus have been on quality, inclusion, and integrity in education. Amy lives in France between the Jura and the Alps, where she skis and hikes.

Tom Craig, Communications and Engagement Officer

Tom has worked for T2T since its foundation in 2017, focussing on communications and grant applications. Tom wrote and designed the T2T website and prospectus, and contributes editorially to the Training Manual.

Neil Winston, Interim Project Manager

Neil has nearly 30 years’ experience in international education having started as a teacher of English in Eastern Europe in 1993 before joining the British Council in 1999. His career with the British Council saw him working as a project/development manager in Sri Lanka, Egypt, Central Asia (based in Kazakhstan), Pakistan and Sub-Saharan Africa (based in Ethiopia). He has worked on projects funded by the UK government (FCDO, & MoD), the EU and GiZ as well as securing funding from corporate social responsibility budgets for education projects. Most recently he authored the technical/financial parts of the successful bid for funds from MasterCard Foundation to train secondary school teachers in Rwanda over 5 years under the STELIR project. He left the British Council in 2022 to settle with his family in France. In his spare time Neil is a keen cyclist, musician, dog walker and fan of rugby.

Ambassador Patrick R.D. Hayford

Ambassador Patrick R.D. Hayford led the UN Office of the Special Advisor on Africa and was director for African Affairs in the Office of UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan. Before joining the UN he served with Ghana’s Foreign Service, including as High Commissioner to South Africa, Acting High Commissioner to the United Kingdom and Deputy Chief of Mission in Cairo.

Charlie Geffen

Charlie Geffen is a Senior Advisor at Flint, supporting clients on major transactions, governance and strategic business issues. Charlie was a partner at Ashurst, the global law firm, from 1991 to 2014 where he advised companies and private equity firms on their transactions and governance issues across many jurisdictions. He was elected as Ashurst’s Senior Partner in 2009 during which time he led the Firm in its combination with a major Australian firm creating a £600m business across 24 offices. From 2014 to 2019 Charlie led the Corporate Practice at the US firm Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher in London where he was also Global Co-Chair of Private Equity. Since then Charlie has served on a number of corporate boards in the financial services and energy sectors. He is Chair of Council at Surrey University, Deputy Chair at The Institute of Cancer Research and has been appointed by the government to Chair a Taskforce looking at accelerated settlement in financial markets.

Professor Kwame Akyeampong

Dr. Kwame Akyeampong is Professor of International Education and Development at the Open University. He was previously Professor of International Education and Development at the Centre for International Education, University of Sussex, UK. Kwame began his academic career in Ghana at the University of Cape Coast. Before taking up his appointment at the University of Sussex in 2004, Professor Akyeampong was the Director of the Institute of Education at the University of Cape Coast. He has researched and published on teacher education and led large scale impact evaluation studies on education interventions in several African countries. His research has aimed to offer alternative viewpoints on educational policy and practice based on critical perspectives and experiences of policy makers, school leaders, teachers and students in African education environments. He is currently the Treasurer of the UK Forum for International Education and Training (UKFIET), a member of the American Education Research Association (AERA) and Comparative and International Education Society (CIES).

Thea Thorsen

Thea Thorsen is a strategic communications adviser at Milltown Partners, where she works with a range of clients from private individuals to global tech companies. Before joining the agency, she spent three years in-house leading on communications for Founders Pledge; a non-profit helping entrepreneurs find and fund the most impactful solutions to social problems. Before moving to London in 2013, she held several posts in Norway’s social sector, working for Amnesty International and in climate activism. She holds a BASc from University College London, where she majored in cultural anthropology and minored in science and engineering.

Hon. Dr Joseph S. Annan (MP)

Hon. Dr Joseph S. Annan (MP) was Senior Adviser at the Bureau of Development Policy of the United Nations Development Programme in New York. A former Member of parliament for four constituencies in the Central Region of Ghana, he held positions as Deputy Minister for Trade and Industry and Deputy Minister of Education (2009-2010), responsible for policy and  oversight for Universities, Polytechnics, Technical and Vocational Education and Training, ICT and Education and International Partnerships and collaboration.

Chloe Swycher

Chloe Swycher is a Director at the Queen's Commonwealth Trust (QCT) where she oversees the development and implementation of QCT's offer to champion, fund and connect young leaders who are working hard to change the world, with grant-making, communications, digital innovation and partnerships falling within her remit. Chloe has an international background in global branding and communications, marketing strategy, social innovation and supporting social entrepreneurs across a range of industries. She is experienced within both the corporate and charity sectors and has worked on projects aimed at tackling some of the world’s biggest social issues through the development and testing of new products, business models and behaviour change programmes in SE Asia. Prior to joining QCT, Chloe led and grew a high profile global social start-up funding and support platform.

Alexandra Ames

Alexandra Ames works in impact investing for a company called Ceniarth which funds market-based solutions across the globe that benefit underserved and rural communities. Alexandra is a qualified solicitor and prior to joining Ceniarth, Alexandra was a banking and finance lawyer at a city law firm. She had previously worked for a microfinance company in East Africa. 

Rebecca Roden

Rebecca Roden is an Education Consultant at FT Financial Literacy and Inclusion Campaign.  Her previous roles span the technology, philanthropy and education spaces. She spent the first part of her career teaching: Maths on the Teach First Development Programme and leading the Economics and Business Department at a London senior school. Rebecca holds a MSc degree in Social Business and Entrepreneurship from the LSE and graduated with a BSc from Durham University in Maths and Economics. She is also a member of the Friends of Sidney Corob House Committee, a role she has been in since 2016.  Rebecca has always loved travelling and has spent several months in Ghana and Kenya teaching Maths and English.

Annelle Bellony

Annelle Bellony is an economist with over fifteen years leading investment financing operations, and undertaking analytical research in education, labour markets and gender at multilateral development banks.  Annelle holds postgraduate degrees from universities in the United States and the United Kingdom.