Fairtrade is a global movement for change with a strong and active presence in the UK, represented by the Fairtrade Foundation.
The international Fairtrade system (which the Fairtrade Foundation is a part of) represents the world’s largest and most recognised fair trade system. We are a global organisation working with businesses, consumers and campaigners to secure a better deal for farmers and workers.
Fairtrade Foundation senior leadership team
Michael Gidney
Chief Executive, Fairtrade Foundation
Michael has worked in international development for 30 years, with a particular focus on fighting poverty through trade. He joined the Fairtrade Foundation in 2009 as Deputy Executive Director, before becoming Chief Executive in 2012.
Prior to this, he spent eight years as Director of Policy at Traidcraft, where he led their public policy programme on issues including ACP-EU trade relations and UK Company Law reform.
Michael is an elected member of the global Fairtrade Executive Team and is a trustee of the Joseph Rowntree Charitable Trust. He also sits on the UK government’s Strategic Trade Advisory Group.
Michael lives in Suffolk, UK, with his wife and two children.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? Zaytoun Palestinian Olive Oil, because it’s Fairtrade at its best: it’s wonderful quality, and it supports smallholders who are farming in incredibly challenging circumstances.
Senior Executive Business Manager : Allie Bailey. email at allie.bailey@fairtrade.org.uk
Fiona Kindness
Chief Financial Officer
Fiona joined the Fairtrade Foundation in 2017 as Chief Financial Officer responsible for Finance & Business Intelligence, People & Organisational Development, outsourced IT infrastructure, Facilities, Legal and Compliance.
Prior to Fairtrade, Fiona was Director of Resources and latterly Acting CEO of the John Muir Trust, a Scottish conservation charity dedicated to protecting and enhancing wild places across the UK.
Before moving into the charity sector Fiona gained over 20 years’ experience as a corporate finance adviser to entrepreneurial businesses both large and small, with market capitalisations ranging from £3 million to £500 million. She worked across a wide range of industries, assisting on all issues of corporate life, financial and otherwise.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? My favourite Fairtrade product is Grumpy Mule coffee.
Kerrina Thorogood
Director, Partnerships
Kerrina has over 15 years’ experience of securing and stewarding award-winning strategic partnerships in the charity sector. At WWF-UK, she led an ambitious team delivering huge successes for the private sector and the planet, including partnerships with Coca-Cola, John West, Reckitt, Aviva, Sky and Tesco, the latter which has seen the retailer working to halve the impact of the average shopping basket inspiring retailers globally, and leading to the Retailers Commitment to Nature announcement at COP26.
As a creative and strategic thinker, she challenges businesses and Fairtrade to think about where they are uniquely placed to have an impact in partnership.
Previously Kerrina worked at Breakthrough Breast Cancer securing strategic, sponsorship and marketing partnerships. Her work in the charity sector was preceded by a career working for the Japan Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI) promoting Japan to British multinationals as a market for foreign investment. Kerrina speaks Japanese and spent an enjoyable 5 years living there.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? A nice glass of Fairtrade Malbec but I’m also excited about bringing Fairtrade cosmetics into my beauty regime as we see more and more products coming on board.
Marie Rumsby
Director, Communications and Advocacy
Marie joined the Fairtrade Foundation in April 2024 as Director of Communications and Advocacy, responsible for Fairtrade’s public affairs, campaigning and community engagement, and brand and marketing.
Marie has over 15 years of experience as a impactful policy, advocacy, campaigns and communications strategist. She has worked for The Royal Society (the UK’s science academy), Save the Children, Global Citizen and most recently Bite Back 2030 – a youth-led movement working to fix the food system in the UK. Her work has focused on international development, food security and sustainability.
She has authored numerous policy reports including ‘People and the Planet’ and ‘Unequal Portions’ and is an experienced media spokesperson. She has a MSc in Global Health Policy from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? There are so many to choose from! I love the Fairtrade roses from Co-op. When you buy Fairtrade flowers, you are making a huge difference to the flower industry’s largely female workforce who often face many challenges, including limited access to education and low wages.
Fairtrade Foundation Board members
Nyagoy Nyong’o
Board Chair
Dr. Nyagoy Nyong’o, a Kenyan by nationality, is the immediate former Global CEO of Fairtrade International. Previously, she was the Executive Director of Fairtrade Africa. Nyagoy has a history of almost 20 years with Fairtrade, having also been an auditor, in past years.
Born and brought up in Kenya by a mother who was a small farmer and witnessing the struggles she bore, Nyagoy’s passion for improved livelihoods for small farmers and workers deepened over the years. Through pursuit of trade justice in her career, Nyagoy’s aspiration is a place where small farmers and workers can take their destiny in their own hands, realise real fair trade and live with dignity.
She become a trustee because she shares a unity of purpose with the Fairtrade Foundation. She also recognises that the Foundation has been instrumental and still is in bringing innovative changes to Fairtrade. A good example is the Shared Impact innovation. The Foundation has the spirit and desire for change, and she wants to be part of that.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? Tea, I am an avid tea drinker who believes that ‘Where there is tea, there is happiness.’
Keri Elborn
Co-opted trustee, Treasurer and interim Vice Chair
Keri has worked in the financial services industry for over 25 years. During this time, he has had roles in external audit, mergers and acquisitions (M&A), strategy, finance as a CFO, and is currently an advisor on both M&A and value creation.
Keri has covered Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America and Africa through his career. He has travelled extensively and lived in both Mexico City (where he was born) and Zagreb.
Keri is also a Governor of Dulwich College and Chairman of the Finance Committee. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? Coffee!
Kerry Smith
Producer trustee, Chair of People, Safeguarding and Remuneration Committee
Kerry is the Chief People Officer at the British Heart Foundation. She is a Fellow of the CIPD and has 30 years’ worth of experience in human resources, talent development and change leadership, working for recognised organisations including the Royal Horticultural Society and the National Trust.
Kerry is known for leading award-winning people change programmes which bring about modern and successful workplaces. She is one of the UK’s HR Most Influential since 2018, awarded by HR Excellence.
She is Chair of the Charities HR Network and Chair of People, Safeguarding & Remuneration Committee for Fairtrade.
Kerry is delighted have joined the Fairtrade Foundation Board of Trustees and has long been a buyer of Fairtrade products. She admires them for their quality and consistency but moreover, to drive and deliver sustainable livelihoods that people can be proud of.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? The Divine chocolate range, especially the toffee and sea salt flavour. I especially like to gift the 12 tasting bars to friends and family as they allow you to taste all the flavours. They also come with a beautiful narrative about the cocoa farms the chocolate originates from.
Alison Marshall
Member trustee
Alison brings over 25 years of experience with international development and non-governmental organisations. She is currently CEO of Age International, and in that role is also part of Age UK’s senior leadership team. She was previously Managing Director of Sense International, working for and with people with disabilities.
Before that she held senior roles at the International Planned Parenthood Federation, UNICEF UK, Bond and CAFOD. Her work on human rights has seen her travel extensively. Alison is a member of the BBC Charity Appeals Advisory Committee and the Disasters Emergency Committee.
Alison is proud to serve on the Fairtrade Foundation’s People Safeguarding and Remuneration and Nominations sub-committees.
Alison is passionate about the difference Fairtrade makes and the crucial role of public campaigning, advocacy and innovative partnerships in the Foundation’s work.
Stephanie Barrientos
Member trustee
Stephanie Barrientos is an Emeritus Professor in the Global Development Institute at the University of Manchester, where she has worked since 2007. She was previously a Research Fellow at the Institute of Development Studies, University of Sussex.
Stephanie has researched and published extensively on workers and small-scale producers in global value chains with a particular focus on: gender, fair trade, ethical trade, corporate social responsibility, and business and human rights. Improving the lives of workers and small-scale producers has always been a key motivation for her work.
Stephanie has been a strong supporter of Fairtrade from its beginning and has over 25 years of research experience on fair and ethical trade.
Stephanie led research commissioned by Cadbury Mapping Sustainable Cocoa Production in Ghana (2005-7) in collaboration with the University of Ghana (Legon); and in India (2009-11) with CMA Ahmedabad. This informed Cadbury’s decision to adopt the FAIRTRADE Mark for Dairy Milk chocolate.
Stephanie currently holds a Levehulme Emeritus Fellowship (2023-25) to write a book on Fairer Trade in Global Supply Chains. This explores the evolution and contemporary challenges facing social standards, and implications of EU Human Rights due diligence for workers and small-scale producers.
David Paterson
Member trustee, Chair of Nominations Committee
David is a retired City solicitor, having been a partner at Herbert Smith Freehills from 1994, specialising in corporate finance, board and governance matters. Retiring from legal practice in 2018, David now divides his time between a number of non-executive roles.
David has supported Christian Aid, one of Fairtrade’s UK founders, in a variety of roles over the last decade. He has been a trustee of Christian Aid Kenya since 2016. His experience in enterprise development work, such as is led by Christian Aid in East Africa, has been a valuable base for his input into the work of the Foundation.
David also works part time at the Financial Reporting Council in its enforcement division, overseeing investigations and enforcement proceedings in the audit and actuarial fields.
David is a Trustee of The Benefact Trust, owner of the Benefact Group of financial services businesses, leading grant funder in the Christian Funder’s Forum, and a non-executive director of The R&A Group of companies, which stages a range of elite events in Golf (including The Open Championship) and includes one of the two world governing bodies of that sport.
Simon Wright
Member trustee
Simon’s involvement with Fairtrade goes back to the very first UK product to carry the Fairtrade logo – Green & Black’s Maya Gold. In 1994 Simon was part of the team that developed this bar and the initial development of the Divine range of Fairtrade chocolate bars.
Simon now works with a chocolate company in Italy that processes many of the world’s Fairtrade cocoa beans. With a keen interest in sustainable food production, Simon also runs a consultancy business that helps food and drink companies to develop their products.
Simon sits on the Standards Board of the Soil Association, helping to maintain and develop organic standards. He also chairs the judging of the Quality Food Awards and is a member of the UK Expert Group on Organic Production.
Apart from sustainable food, Simon’s other interest is rock ’n’ roll – writing, releasing, collecting and DJing. He is frequently accompanied to Fairtrade Foundation Board meetings by Bonnie, a Maltese / Shitzu cross.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? Ignoring any products that I have developed personally, I go for Clipper Organic Fairtrade teabags.
Anita Chandraker
Member trustee
Anita is a senior leader with executive and non-executive board experience. She has worked for more than 30 years with PA Consulting, advising clients at board level on strategic technology and digital initiatives, and delivering complex transformation programmes.
Whilst at PA, she also had responsibility for growing significant parts of the business and was a member of the Executive Team and Board. Anita retired in 2021 and now holds several non-executive roles and coaches and mentors senior leaders.
Anita is passionate about reducing inequalities across high-income and low-income countries, having witnessed disparities first-hand through her strong family connection to India.
Anita enjoys walking, cooking and yoga, and is a keen follower of football.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? Divine chocolate, both for its taste and its inspiring business model.
Sarah King
Co-opted trustee
Sarah King comes from a career in brand building, insight and consulting, most recently at Kantar, where she was Global Head of Brand Strategy and a Senior Partner in the Sustainable Transformation practice.
She has worked with a wide range of brands in different sectors including consumer goods and services, and retail.
She is honoured to be appointed as a Trustee member of The Fairtrade Foundation as a strong admirer of the Foundation and its underlying principles. As a relatively new board member, she looks forward to using her skills and experience in support of its mission, as part of the Board.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? The J.D. Gross 85% cocoa Ecuadorian chocolate, which we discovered at Fairtrade partner Lidl. It is a lovely product – my family and I are addicted!
Sean O’Neill
Co-opted trustee
Sean’s career spans more than 25 years in senior executive leadership positions with global CPG companies.
Prior to this, Sean worked as a senior adviser to various governments on national privatisation projects and with international businesses as a consultant on policy and communication issues.
Alongside his executive roles, Sean has been Chairman of the global drinks industry’s two main bodies, served on international investment Committees and acted as Trustee of local and international charities.
For much of his career, Sean has been involved in local sourcing initiatives across Africa, Asia and the Caribbean and has seen first-hand the incredible impact these initiatives bring to individuals and communities.
What is your favourite Fairtrade product? Tony’s Chocolonely!
Titus Gerard Beverly Pinto
Producer trustee
Advisor to the Board, The United Nilgiri Tea Estates Company
Mr Pinto is a highly experienced tea industry professional, having worked for The United Nilgiri Tea Estates Company in multiple senior positions for 43 years. He stepped down as a member of the Board of Management and is currently serving as a Board Advisor for the next three years.
Mr Pinto was Chairman of The Nilgiri Planters Association during which the Association won two awards for the best use of Premiums, and he witnessed the positive impact on lives in the community through the school and hospital they built.
He was Chairman of The Tamil Nadu Planters Association, and a committee member for The United Planters Association of South India. Mr. Pinto was also a board member on the network of Asia Pacific Producers. He was actively involved in conducting Tea Auctions in Las Vegas and Atlanta and oversaw the ‘Technology Absorption for the Plantation Industry.’
Mr Pinto brings a wealth of experience, combining vital experience as a producer, as well as experience working within the Fairtrade system.
George Kporye
Producer trustee
Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Advisor for Golden Exotics Limited, Ghana
George Hugh Mensah Kporye is one of the pioneers of the horticultural industry in Ghana and has won several national awards in the sector for his initiatives and efforts. He is a graduate of the University of Ghana with a background in Economics and Statistics.
He was trained and certified as an organic farmer in Sweden in 2001. He was previously the Managing Director of Paradise Farms Limited, Ghana, a company he co-owned with two others but which was acquired by Golden Exotics Limited, a subsidiary of the Compagnie Fruitière Group of France in 2003.
George is presently the Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Advisor for Golden Exotics Limited, Ghana, a major producer and exporter of conventional and organic Fairtrade bananas in Africa.
George is an ardent advocate for the agricultural sector generally and the Banana Industry in Africa, in particular and sits on the HR Committee of the Board of Fairtrade Africa. George is also the Vice-President of the Banana Producers Association, Ghana; the Vice President of AFRUIBANA, the continental body of Banana and other fruits producers and exporters in Africa; a Steering Committee member of the World Banana Forum (WBF), an affiliate of the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the UN and a registered lobbyist of the European Parliament.
In Ghana, George sits on the board of a number of private companies. He is the Chairman of Fruit Terminal Company Limited, the logistics company that manages the export of horticultural products by sea at the Tema Port, a Director of EOLIS Ghana Limited, a logistics company and the ship’s agent for Africa Express Lines, a major dedicated transporter of horticultural products from Western Africa to Europe, using reefer vessels.
George Kporye is a passionate promoter of sustainable production and development. He has attended several international workshops, conferences and fairs as a participant, presenter, panelist or promoter of sustainability projects and ideas.
He is married and lives in Accra, Ghana with his family.
Senior Executive Business Manager : Allie Bailey. email at allie.bailey@fairtrade.org.uk