I am a lifelong Liberal supporter and have been a member of the NLC since 2015. After attending a secondary modern school I gained a first degree in Politics, two Masters’ degrees, and an MBA at the London Business School.
My career began as a social worker before many years spent in the charity sector: firstly running a mental health charity, then the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, and finally, for 25 years, the National Council for Voluntary Organisations. Made up of more than 15,000 separate charities, the NCVO represents their interests externally and provides services to improve their performance.
I retired from full-time work in 2020 and have since taken on the voluntary role of chairing various organisations. These include the Old Royal Naval College in Greenwich, where I live, the National Centre for Social Research and the Oversight Trust — which oversees the distribution of unclaimed assets from banks and other financial institutions to support young people and social investment.
I am honoured to take over as Chair of the Board of National Liberal Club Ltd, a critical part of our vibrant Club. I’m pledged to get us to break-even point financially in my three years of office. We have a very able leadership team and I plan to focus on greater room utilisation, improved digital marketing, and offering Club members new profitable services.
In my spare time I enjoy watching Surrey County Cricket Club and soccer at Charlton Athletic. I combine this with further academic work at the Open University in Philosophy and Classical Studies. (Sir Stuart joined the Club in 2015 and became Chair of the Board in January 2025.)
I have practised in the law for 48 years, latterly as a senior judge of the Upper Tribunal (Tax and Chancery ) Chamber. I retired from my salaried position last year but am still sitting in retirement both in the UK and in the Financial Markets Tribunal in Dubai.
I am active in Club affairs, including acting until recently as Deputy Initial Complaints Coordinator. I was elected Vice-Chair of the NLC in May this year.
My interests include cricket, fine food and wine, history and the theatre, all of which can be enjoyed through my membership of the Club. I joined nearly 20 years ago and am a life member jointly with my wife.
(Tim has been a member of the NLC since 2005 and was first elected to the Members’ Council in 2024, becoming Club Vice-Chair a few weeks later.)
A lifelong journalist, I spent a large part of my career transforming the Financial Times newsroom from print to digital and then went on to set up my own company, iCalami, to help other media companies round the world to change their operations to drive revenue and growth.
I focus on change management, audience and content strategies to acquire, engage and retain diverse audiences and build online communities. Shortly after setting up my business in 2021, I joined the National Liberal Club not only to have a work base in central London but also as a place to meet old friends and make new ones.
A former executive editor at the FT, I joined the Marketing and Communications Committee to help with attracting and retaining members. My career experience also inspired me to write the business education book Going Digital: What it takes for smoother transformations. With my skills and background, I will aim to add value by helping the Club develop its digital strategy.
In my spare time, I enjoy mountain biking, fringe theatre and long walks.
(Lyndsey joined the Club in 2022 and became a Director in 2023)
Born in Australia as the son of an Indian diplomat, we travelled widely and so I grew up in India, Mauritius, Afghanistan, Czechoslovakia and the Netherlands, before moving to the UK in the 1960s. I read Law at Fitzwilliam College, Cambridge and am now one of the college’s Fellow Benefactors.
I have been an entrepreneur most of my life and founded the first fully internet travel company in Europe, ebookers.com in 1999. Sales topped $1 billion in just five years, with 2,000 employees in 12 countries.
After selling the company I have devoted my time to politics, charity work and a new business in green energy. I am a former Lib Dem MEP for London and have spent a decade in the NGO and charity world, creating charitable foundations to provide education and healthcare to underserved communities in India and the UK. I have been a trustee of several charities including the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, Scope and LEPRA – fighting the curable disease of leprosy.
I wrote my autobiography – Book It! – during Covid, describing how I became a successful entrepreneur and my second book, The Indian Century, should be out soon. I live in Surrey with my wife, Tani, close to our two sons and granddaughter.
(Dinesh joined the Club in 2018 and became a Director in 2023)
I’m delighted to be joining the Board. A little bit about me; my career has generally been focused on the arenas of healthcare, hospitality and the events industries. I am co-founder of a consultancy which specialises in developing domestic and international healthcare projects. I was formerly Head of International Business Development at a leading private hospital, the London Clinic, and Head of Conference Services at The Royal Society.
I also chair the company which operates events and catering at Alexandra Palace & Park in north London, the largest independent events venue in the city; home to the historic Ally Pally Fireworks, and hosting the annual Darts Events.
I am a local Liberal Democrat Councillor in Haringey and a member of the party’s governing body. I also chair the Lib Dems’ Conference Committee and am delighted that the NLC has such an increasingly-visible presence at the party conference.
As to my background; my mother’s family is Austrian and my father’s family is of British-Jamaican-Portuguese heritage. I’ve lived in the U.K. since 1999, having grown up in Austria.
I’m hugely passionate about good food, and am regularly cooking fundraising dinners on behalf of the Liberal Democrats. My aim will be to work with the rest of the team on the Board on growing the Club.
(Nick joined the Club in 2021 and became a Director in 2023)
A senior criminologist and human rights advocate with more than 15 years’ experience, I have managed more than 500 people and multiple programmes. I’ve worked with Ofgem, the gas and electricity regulator, on ways to improve how it operates.
The key skills I hope to bring to the Board as a recently-appointed Director are a keen understanding of governance and risk. A long-term driver of change in the civil service, I pride myself on an ability to introduce change to older institutions, while retaining core functions.
At the NLC, I founded and chair the Club’s Sustainability Forum, am its representative to the Gold Alliance (Under 40s European Interclub network), One Young World Ambassador, and an Executive MBA candidate. I’m passionate about reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, and making the Club more successful by working towards increased diversity and inclusivity.
Among my other interests are sustainable fashion, ballroom dancing and cocktail making. (Emma joined the Club in 2019 and became a Director in 2022)
Originally from Egypt, I have lived in London for more than a decade and consider it home. With degrees in Charity Management and Economics, I have nearly two decades of experience in project management, social media & website management, and events coordination.
I sit on the Board of NLC Ltd and the Club’s Marketing and Communications Committee. The Oscar Wilde Society meets at the Club and, as a committee member, I launched their website and social media channels.
My priority on the Members’ Council will be to work on achieving better communication, leadership, and team working after the manifest divisions and suspicions of recent months. We need to reach out and embrace the views and concerns of all Club members.
I was one of the early animal rights activists in Egypt, managing successful regional campaigns and protests with local and international animal rights organisations, often against entrenched opposition. (Nadia joined the Club in 2018 and was elected to the Members’ Council in 2022)
