ACF staff

Carol Mack OBE, chief executive

Carol is responsible to the board for the leadership and management of ACF, and for ACF’s external relations. Carol leads on the delivery of all of ACF’s strategic objectives, ensuring that ACF strengthens and supports foundations to aspire to and achieve excellent practice so they can rise to the challenges of our times. [email protected] or via [email protected]

 

Laurence Delcroix, executive assistant

Laurence supports Carol in all aspects of her work and ensures the effective functioning of the executive leadership team. Laurence’s role is to ensure that the executive leadership team is run with empathy and excellence in accordance with ACF’s values, with a high standard of service and support to Carol and ACF’s trustee board. [email protected]

 

Membership

Gemma Instrall, director of membership

Gemma oversees ACF’s membership, partnerships, communications and events functions. She is responsible for championing the needs of our members and taking a strategic lead in ensuring ACF's services support foundations to be diverse, vibrant and effective, working together for social good. [email protected]

 

Katie Bower, events manager

Katie leads on the planning, scheduling and delivery of ACF’s learning and events programme. This includes ACF networks and their online communities, training and learning programme, roundtables and forums, conference and other emerging learning and development opportunities to ensure ACF members and delegates are supported to be diverse, vibrant and effective in the way they use their resources. [email protected]

 

Gemma Cartwright, head of investment practice and partnership

Gemma leads ACF’s investment practice and partnerships programme, including activity related to the Stronger Foundations investment strand, the Social Impact Investors Group (SIIG), and sharing expertise from ACF’s Official Partners with members. [email protected]

 

Trevor Horsewood, network development manager

Trevor is responsible for the development and delivery of ACF’s member-led networks, supporting the cultivation of vibrant communities of practice and strengthening connections across and beyond the sector. [email protected]

 

Jo Hunt, senior marketing and communications manager

Jo is responsible for supporting and advising the team on communicating ACF’s work to its audiences. She develops and implements marketing plans and activities to build ACF’s brand and reputation. She also has a responsibility for the effective use of ACF communications channels, including email, website and promotional materials. [email protected]

 

 

Natasha Robinson, head of membership

Natasha is responsible for managing the recruitment, engagement and retention of ACF’s members, and ensuring membership thrives and is commercially sustainable, in line with our strategic objectives. She also has a focus on ensuring members receive a compelling membership offer. [email protected]

 

Jumi Sekoni, senior events officer (interim)

Jumi leads the pre-event planning and delivery of all ACF’s network meetings, professional development programme and other ad hoc events. She is responsible for liaising with speakers, facilitators and convenors, as well as assisting participants and members with event-related enquiries. Jumi also supports the delivery of policy and investment events. [email protected]

 

Hannah Uprichard, head of learning and networks 

Hannah provides leadership and operational oversight for the events team. She is responsible for the strategic direction of ACF’s events, learning and networks portfolio and leads the development of new initiatives and collaborations in this area. [email protected]

 

Policy, practice and research

Catherine Seymour, director of policy, practice and research

Catherine’s role is to shape ACF’s thought leadership on the role and practice of foundations and to work with stakeholders to ensure a positive operating environment for foundations. Catherine is responsible for catalysing change in foundation practice and demonstrating their positive impact through our policy, research and media work. [email protected]

 

Jim Cooke, head of the Funders Collaborative Hub

Jim is responsible for leading the Funders Collaborative Hub, which is hosted by ACF. Through the work of the Hub, Jim helps funders to share and access information about collaboration opportunities, so they can achieve more together. He also oversees a range of resources which offer funders inspiration and practical help to make their collaborative activities as effective as possible. [email protected]

 

Francesca de Munnich, head of policy and practice 

Francesca provides policy intelligence and identifies opportunities to influence policy, regulation and legislation that would enhance the operating environment for foundations. She works collaboratively with colleagues to identify member needs and leads initiatives to help foundations pursue stronger practice. [email protected] 

 

Rachel Heydecker, senior policy and engagement officer 

Rachel supports ACF’s policy, practice and research programme, and manages the Funder Commitment on Climate Change (FCCC). Working alongside FCCC signatories and ACF members, she highlights the part foundations can play in addressing the causes of climate change and supporting adaptation to its effect, to inform and motivate the foundation sector and beyond. [email protected] 

 

Dr Ambreen Shah, associate

Ambreen was ACF's interim director of external affairs during part of 2022-23. She is now an associate with us, leading on the delivery of the Foundation Giving Trends research, ACF’s annual research and analysis on trends in the giving, spending, income and assets of philanthropically-funded foundations. [email protected]

 

Finance and operations

Sheikh Tashfeen Islam, chief operating officer designate 

Tashfeen will focus primarily on delivery of people and culture policies and processes, focusing primarily on people strategy, wellbeing, organisation culture, learning, recruitment, induction and HR policies. Over the next twelve months, he will gradually take over IT, Legal, Governance, Operations and Finance responsibilities to transition into the Chief Operating Officer. [email protected]

 

Natasha Kousseff, finance business partner

Natasha is responsible for ACF's finance function and maintenance of our member database, and provides financial support to the wider team and board to support decision-making and planning. Natasha's role helps ensure that ACF thrives and is sustainable in supporting members over the longer term. [email protected]

 

Caroline Langdell, senior finance and data officer

Caroline supports the day-to-day administration of ACF’s operations team, including finance and membership data management processes. Caroline helps to ensure our finance processes run smoothly, that members’ information is as accurate and up to date as possible, and that our website and CRM support members and staff effectively. Caroline also supports member services by being the first point of contact for members. [email protected]

An evening for chairs of trusts and foundations

Join us 12 October, 5.30pm-8pm, central London

Book your place