Meet the Team
Staff:
At ICYE UK we have a small staff team dedicated to supporting our volunteers and running the programmes. As a small team we are able to get to know our volunteers individually which enables us to provide comprehensive support.
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The work of ICYE UK is overseen by the Board of Trustees and we are very lucky to also have support from the members of ICYE UK who help with various activities including organising and running events such as training camps, assisting with fundraising and marketing and attending events on behalf of the organisation. ICYE UK members are mainly people who have previously taken part in an ICYE programme but we also welcome support from others who share our mission, vision and values. If you would like to find out more please get in contact.
Manager
Cat Udal
Cat is involved in the overall running and administration of the organisation. She supports and develops all the ICYE programmes and is the main contact for ICYE UK within the ICYE Federation.
Hosting Programme Coordinator
Dan Milway
Dan is responsible for ICYE UK’s Hosting Programme and the well being of the international volunteers (ICYE and EVS volunteers) in the UK – this includes finding and supporting projects, running camps and supporting the volunteers.
Sending Programme Coordinator
Toka Davani
Toka is the person to contact if you’re based in the UK and would like to volunteer abroad with ICYE UK. She’ll advise you, guide you through the application process, arrange your placement in the host country and support you throughout.
Trustees:
As a charity, ICYE UK is ultimately run by a Board of Trustees. The Board of Trustees are and must be volunteers and are democratically elected by ICYE UK members at the organisation’s AGM which takes place in Autumn each year. The Board is responsible for ensuring that ICYE UK is operating according to our goals and beliefs whilst making sure that we are a financially stable organisation. They have a key role in long term planning for the organisation and managing the strategy in order to shape ICYE UK’s future.
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Currently the Board is made up of 9 trustees who come from a variety of professional backgrounds. All, however, share a passion and commitment for the work of ICYE UK and seek to use their skills and knowledge to the benefit of the charity.
Allan Taylor
Allan has been involved with ICYE UK for many years having originally volunteered abroad in Finland in 2000. Over the years he has carried out many roles for ICYE including working in the office, helping with fundraising events and assisting on training camps. Allan is a youth worker by trade and when he hasn’t been travelling the world he has spent his working life in the charity sector. In his free time he enjoys a good book or a lovely walk in the countryside.
Andrew Derry - Treasurer
Andrew's career has spanned both investment management and the charity sector. He has spent over 20 years working as a portfolio manager and then treasurer for a series of fund management companies, and is currently Treasurer for the Diversified Alternatives team at Janus Henderson Investors.
Previously he also spent nine years working in the international development sector, including seven years as Treasurer for Save the Children International and six years as Trustee of the charity United Aid for Azerbaijan (UAFA). Andrew was new to ICYE UK when he joined the Board in 2024.
Fabio Puntillo
Dr. Fabio Puntillo is a Sloan Fellow at the London Business School, C-level Director (held positions as General Manager, Vice President, Country Manager, etc.) with over 20 years of international business experience in international business development; 10 years in international higher education/university sector. He worked in North America, Asia, the Middle East and Europe. Presently, he is the General Manager of CONIFA, Interim CEO of Ureka Education Group, a writer of case studies and papers on teaching materials at the London Business School.
Ines Newman
Ines was involved with ICYE UK in the very early days of the organisation as her daughter took part in the ICYE programme in Mexico and their family also hosted a number of international ICYE volunteers in their orientation period in the UK.
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Following a career in local government, Ines has taken on a number of volunteer roles, previously as trustee of Paddington Development Trust and also as a research and campaigns volunteer with Citizens Advice. She joined the ICYE UK board in 2021 bringing strong skills in strategy and business development.
Jagdeep Bhambra
Jagdeep Bhambra has worked across a plethora of sectors across a variety of disciplines, including Business Strategy, Investment, Fund Raising, Commercial Modelling, Due Diligence, Product Management, Governance, Delivery, Development, Support, Operations, Procurement, Data, Security, Target Operating Models, and Architecture.
He is an established thought leader, investor, mentor, non-executive director, and experienced public speaker, and has published numerous works; focused on delivering innovative and disruptive products and services.
Keith Donnelly – Chair
Proudly taking on the role of Chair in November 2023, Keith was new to ICYE UK when he joined the board in 2021. Keith has held a portfolio of voluntary executive and non-executive roles at national or international level across many sectors including education & skills, directors & leadership, marketing & communication, technology and climate. After nearly a decade in the hotel industry, Keith followed his passions for service and working with people into the NHS, where he is now strategic lead for emergency planning and response across two acute NHS hospitals in London. A keen walker and traveller, Keith loves engaging with new people and networking, often coaching and mentoring along the way!
Milie Fiirgaard
Milie volunteered with ICYE back in 2017-18 where she worked a year in South Korea. Since then, she has worked with ICYE in Denmark, as a contact person and a local chair person, and in the UK as a camp volunteer.
Professionally, Milie has experience with content editing, marketing, and writing, both in creative and professional contexts.
Nicky Parker
Nicky is the Director of Transformation for a Local Authority in North West England and hopes to retire in 2025 after 39 years!
Nicky is an experienced Trustee and has an interest in all things youth work having served on regional and local youth boards. Her interest in ICYE was sparked by her own volunteering experience in Jamaica when she was younger. She was new to ICYE UK when she joined the Board in 2024.
Oliver Flor
Olli is an astrophysics student from Austria who started his journey with ICYE in 2018 when he came to the UK to work in a special needs school in Surrey. Throughout the years he was very keen on staying in contact with the organization and started helping out at camps in 2022. As his interest in the organization only grew stronger from there he joined the board of trustees in 2023. When he’s not studying the Universe, Olli likes to stay active practicing various types of sports such as calisthenics and bouldering.
