Our trustees
Each Citizens Advice office is an independent charity with it’s own board of trustees. Our trustees are volunteers who use their skills, knowledge and experience to guide and govern what we do, working with our Chief Executive and other staff to shape strategy, give direction and provide oversight of operational delivery.
Ben Dulieu, Chair
I joined Citizens Advice Wandsworth as a trustee in 2018 and I’m currently Chair of the board and its People Committee. I’ve lived in Wandsworth for over 20 years and wanted to volunteer as a trustee because I was keen to find a role that allowed me to make a contribution to the local community. Citizens Advice Wandsworth seemed a great fit because there are lots of parallels between my professional life as a lawyer and the advice sector, even if the context is rather different. I jumped at the chance of applying, and was even more convinced that I was doing the right thing when I started to meet the team and realised what an impact the organisation has on the lives of so many local people.
I’ve been a finance lawyer for one of the big city law firms for over 25 years, the last 15 as partner. I’ve been lucky enough to spend time working in both Paris and Singapore and now head one of the London finance groups.
It’s hugely inspiring (and often pretty humbling) to see first-hand the commitment and energy that our team brings every day to help people in Wandsworth, as well as the resilience everyone showed over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic.
I’m proud to play a small part helping support the organisation but even prouder of what our volunteers, staff and management achieve on a daily basis.
Sumathi Menon, Joint Vice Chair
I joined Citizens Advice Wandsworth as a trustee in May 2020. I’d previously been a volunteer and trustee at DASCAS, a small charity that supported disabled people. When the two organisations merged I felt like I belonged at Citizens Advice Wandsworth and wanted to continue to contribute to my community.
I have 20+ years’ experience in information technology, managing IT departments, programmes and projects in the Financial Services industry. For the past 4 years I’ve run my own digital marketing consultancy where I work with clients who focus on climate and gender issues, among other things.
My primary passion in life is technology, especially its social and human aspects. I’m a firm believer in the use of technology to improve efficiency and further social interactions. The pandemic has proved that technology can help close the distance to some extent when face to face interactions are not possible.
I enjoy being a trustee as we’re fortunate to have a vibrant board who work cohesively while challenging each other with the common purpose of ensuring that we keep to the values and high standards of the organisation. I enjoy being part of the strategy discussions and also enjoy the chance we get to be part of the team on the ground.
Jonathan Mogford, Joint Vice Chair
I joined Citizens Advice Wandsworth as a trustee in 2009. I’ve also been on the board of Citizens Advice national since 2018, where I chair the Equality Committee and the Trustee Liaison Group which helps link the national board into the wider non-exec community across Citizens Advicd.
I grew up in Birmingham and studied French and Latin at university. Until recently, I have been a senior civil servant with extensive experience working in the UK central government and internationally, particularly in the health and public health sector. Most recently I led work in the Department of Health and Social Care on Covid-19 border protections followng 10 years as Director of Policy at the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency, working on agency, Brexit, international and Covid-19 issues.
My earlier career included roles leading UK Government and European Commission policy work on climate change mitigation at DEFRA and pharmaceutical industry policy and EU Affairs at the Department of Health.
Dylan Brooks
I joined Citizens Advice Wandsworth as a trustee in in 2018 and I’m delighted to be part of this great organisation which works so hard to help our community.
I’m a qualified actuary by profession, having worked in the insurance sector in actuarial and risk management roles for over 20 years. I currently work in the private sector for a FTSE100 insurance company as Head of Corporate Transactions Risk. My background provides our board with useful financial and risk management skills and a commercial perspective.
In the precious spare time I have left between juggling my day job and volunteering, I enjoy practicing yoga, meditation, learning guitar, and skiing, amongst other things. In addition to being a trustee I also volunteer my time to charitable causes through my membership of the Worshipful Company of Actuaries, a City Livery Company.
Lauren Iannone
I joined Citizens Advice Wandsworth as a trustee in 2020 because I wanted to do more to support and make a difference to my local community. Serving as trustee provides a huge learning opportunity for me as well as an opportunity to contribute my experience and skills in the non-profit world outside of my day job.
I started my career working on Capitol Hill in Washington DC, where I served as a legislative aid to a Democratic congressman from Illinois. I worked on policy issues relating to human rights, labour rights, trade and foreign affairs before moving into the private sector, where I advised clients on sustainability and responsible business strategies. After this I moved into the corporate world, advising executive leadership in the technology, oil and gas, banking and consumer products sectors about management and public policy, stakeholder engagement and partnership, community investment, social innovation and sustainability.
I’m passionate about making a positive change and being part of that change in society. That’s why I ended up in the sustainability and corporate social responsibility arena, where I’ve been working to ensure that corporates help deliver positive change and are contributing to solutions to some of our biggest societal challenges, including climate change, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion and mental health and wellbeing.
Whilst volunteering as a trustee I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to learn about the key issues facing our local community, as well as being part of an amazing organization who are committed to helping it prosper and be resilient.
Sue Wixley
I joined Citizens Advice Wandsworth as a trustee in mid-2020 because I was keen to support Citizens Advice Wandsworth’s vital work across the borough, having already heard lots about the important work it was doing.
For the last 30 years I’ve worked in the charity/NGO sector in the UK and internationally. I’ve also served as a trustee on several charity boards. I bring experience in communications, marketing and campaigns and I’m currently Head of Communications at the Clean Air Fund, where I’m responsible for developing and leading its communications strategy (including all digital and PR activities).
I have a passion for changing things for the better and it’s inspiring to see how the organisation can improve people’s day-to-day lives by offering the right advice and support.
As a trustee I enjoy learning more about how the organisation works and getting to hear how valued our services are. It’s a pleasure to work with such a motivated, skilled and passionate team of staff and volunteers.
Armando Urdaneta
I joined Citizens Advice Wandsworth as a trustee in January 2023. After being relocated to London with my husband in 2022 and settling in Battersea, I wanted to create a positive impact, meet my neighbours and use my skills and experience purposefully. I also wanted to become more aware of the social challenges experienced by the most vulnerable members of my community so I could become an advocate and a helping hand to those in need.
I grew up on Venezuela’s Caribbean shore and spent my younger days working on my family’s farm, surrounded by animals and nature. As a Latino and Venezuelan, I am familiar with very profound social inequalities and the struggles faced by many as a result of political instability. This situation in my country forced me and many relatives and friends to leave our home country to find a better quality of life overseas, some having to live as refugees in foreign lands. This life experience sowed in me the passion for finding ways to help others reach their well-being and preserve our environment so all can enjoy it.
I am currently working for an organisation based in Battersea as a Global Sustainability Manager. I have gathered +18 years of experience developing business strategies, managing multicultural teams across The Americas, Asia-Pacific and most recently, Europe, building relationships with customers, and developing regional marketing strategies.
