Our new Trustees

Hannah Ward

Incoming Deputy Chair 

she/her

I’m delighted to be joining METRO Charity as its prospective Deputy Chair. I have many years of charity leadership experience, both in paid roles and as a Trustee. In addition, I have over 20 years’ experience in advocacy and communications on a range of human rights, refugee rights, health and social justice issues, both nationally and internationally.  

My most recent role was Director of Policy, Advocacy and Communications at International Alert, a peacebuilding organisation working in conflict settings across the globe, where I led work to ensure Alert’s peacebuilding expertise contributed to policy and practice change towards a more peaceful world. 

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Lee Kilby

Treasurer

he/him

I am a chartered accountant with over 30 years post-qualified experience across many finance disciplines including financial management, control and reporting, internal audit, treasury, risk management and insurance. 

I am passionate about the value of community. I was the Treasurer for The Food Chain (HIV specialist nutrition charity) during a period of significant transformation of the charity’s strategy and services provided. More recently, I have been the Co-Founding Chair of the LGBTQ+ employee network at my place of work, making a difference to the LGBTQ+ community, LGBTQ+ employees, parents of LGBTQ+ children and allies in terms of advocacy and support.  For many years I was also a singing member of The London Gay Men’s Chorus, educating and inspiring through song, along with working with schools to tackle homophobia.

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Daniel Lujan

Trustee

he/him

I am a partner at EY, a leading global accounting and professional services firm. I bring over eighteen years of experience in financial reporting, accounting, and auditing. I have served clients across various sectors including one of the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies specialising in HIV treatments and therapies, and have worked in London, New York, and San Francisco. This diverse experience helps me bring a balanced and unique perspective to my work.

I am deeply committed to supporting the LGBTQ+ community. I have played a significant role in LGBTQ+ professional networks, including serving as a national steering committee member and as a regional executive sponsor. I also served on the Board of Directors for OUTbio Bay Area, a non-profit organisation dedicated to empowering LGBTQ+ professionals in the biotechnology and pharmaceutical sectors. Holding leadership positions in these initiatives has reinforced my passion for mentorship and opening doors for others, particularly those from underprivileged backgrounds. 

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Viji Richard

Trustee

she/her

I am a leader in corporate governance, strategic management, and digital transformation, and I have been fortunate to work across a variety of sectors including agriculture, energy, aerospace, automotive, pharmaceuticals, and medical devices. Over the years, I’ve been able to help organisations navigate challenges, develop sustainable growth strategies, and foster meaningful changes that create positive impacts for communities. 

One of the most rewarding parts of my work has been helping negotiate industrial deals and bringing people together during times of crisis. I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with unions, governments, political leaders, and investors, ensuring that decisions are made with sustainability and people at the forefront. During challenging times, I’ve worked to organise events like city pride during riots to unite communities, spread messages of peace, and create spaces for solidarity. 

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Selina Patel

Trustee

she/her

I work in public health and I am passionate about reducing health inequality. Currently, I work on developing national guidance for the public and professionals on how they can reduce the risk of infectious disease to protect their health and the health of others around them. As part of this, I consider how recommendations included in guidance can be made interpretable, actionable, and equitable for groups across society. 

I have completed my PhD in Public Health, and have held related roles at the World Health Organization, NHS Foundation Trusts, and the UK Health Security Agency. I have also had experience working at METRO, where I was proud to contribute to the delivery of sexual health and wellbeing services to communities. 

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Sebastian Dennis-Beron

Trustee

he/him

I am currently Public Health Strategist at the Association of Directors of Public Health in London, where I work closely with statutory Directors of Public Health from across the city’s 32 local authorities, and regional bodies such as the Greater London Authority (GLA) and the Office for Health Improvement and Disparities. After completing a Public Health Masters from Imperial College London, I have worked in a number of NGO and public sector organisations including the Wellcome Trust, where I worked with UNICEF to deliver a multi-country research programme, and the GLA where I delivered the Mayor’s £275 million Universal Free School Meals programme. 

I was drawn to METRO by the organisation’s commitment to ensuring everyone can access health and wellbeing services. I connected to the charity’s work supporting the queer community and its commitment to working in an equitable way. As a queer, Latinx man, whose career has been centred on improving human health and wellbeing, particularly for underserved communities, I was thankful for and excited by the opportunity to join METRO’s mission. 

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Our new trustees join our existing trustees:

Dawn Brown

Chair

she/her

I have worked in the Voluntary Sector for 38 years so far. In my current work role, I am the Director of Quaggy Development Trust. In this role, as well as my previous role as CEO of Home-Start Greenwich, I have led on a range of areas associated with running a charity, such as: working alongside trustees, strategy development and implementation, safeguarding children and adults and policy and procedure development. The combination of these experiences has also given me experience in commissioning and monitoring (from both sides) and dealing with regulation such as Ofsted and CQC, staff and volunteer management, governance, finance and funding/tendering. A crucial element of this is keeping the voices of those using services at the heart of what we do. I would not say I had a specialism, rather a broad experience of working and volunteering for charities.

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John Ley

Trustee

he/him

I am currently the ringfenced METRO GAD Trustee Board member, and I was the Interim Treasurer from 2023 -2025. I have been a Disabled person all my life and first became involved with GAD (Greenwich Association of Disabled People) now METRO GAD, in the mid-1990s. 

I am now retired, but I have worked in industry, the NHS and the voluntary sector (mainly in services for Disabled people) my last role was as a funeral arranger. I was a qualified counsellor and worked for several years in various organisations counselling Disabled people. I have many years’ experience of committee work, from being a student rep on the academic board of my college in my early twenties, to sitting on the British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy’s Disability Issues Sub-Committee.  

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Liam Keogh

Trustee

he/him

I am a business leader, entrepreneur, investor, advisor, and communications, marketing and PR specialist with nearly 20 years’ experience in the industry.

I have experience across all communications disciplines: from PR to influencer marketing, social media, copywriting, advertising and brand identity. I have led communications strategies for hundreds of businesses, from start-ups that went on to change their industry, to charitable enterprises and multinational conglomerates behind the biggest brands in the world. In 2023 I was named the 'Outstanding Professional' of the PR industry by the PRCA (the Public Relations and Communications Association). I have also been shortlisted as the 'Consultancy Head of the Year' in the PRCA National Awards.

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Sunil Scaria

Trustee

he/him

METRO's goal of harnessing the power of difference and diversity to inspire and support people and communities to realise their assets and potential and aspirations deeply resonates with me. As a social worker with 24 years of experience working on social justice issues, including rights of the LGBTQ+ community in a variety of settings, I am passionate about creating positive change. My diverse background, including my experience as a person of colour living in London, allows me to bring a unique perspective to the Board of METRO.

My professional experience encompasses various social work, humanitarian, and human rights sectors. I have honed skills in developing implementing systems and structures for effective service delivery and managing through change. Currently, as Courtwork Manager in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, I oversee complex legal proceedings and manage strategic partnerships with various external stakeholders.

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Debbie Solomon

Trustee

she/her

I’m currently the Synergi Director, which is a programme of work supporting lived experience communities working at the intersection of racial justice, mental health and abolition. Before joining Synergi, I was the Deputy Executive Director at Media Diversity Institute (MDI) which encourage the media towards nuanced reporting on race, religion, ethnicity, class, disability, gender and sexual identity. Prior to MDI, I worked for ARTICLE 19, an international freedom of expression organisation. Initially I worked in finance, before moving to compliance and programme management. I played a key role in the management of large grants and programmes, reporting and compliance of projects and programmes (both with internal teams and also local partners) on freedom of expression - including those that advocated for women and/or LGBTQ+ rights. 

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