Advisory board

Pam is an international banker with 34 years’ experience, predominantly within the financial restructuring sector. During her career at HSBC where she was a Managing Director of the global restructuring team, Pam has worked with a wide range of companies from small agricultural businesses to global multinational groups in Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Latin America, and the US. She has helped address the financial challenges facing these companies, enabling them to adapt to their economic and competitive environment.

Good at building positive working relationships with clients, other financial institutions, accountants and lawyers, Pam has strong communication, decision making, information assimilation and negotiation skills, which she has used in handling cases of varying complexities, often with widely diverse creditor groups and competing agendas.

After retiring from HSBC, Pam provided business banking and restructuring expertise as a Banking Subject Matter Expert supporting a senior independent reviewer in their assessment of a large UK bank’s remediation programme.

Pam is a lay member of Council for the University of Surrey and is a member of The Future Says Surrey campaign board. She has also taken up the challenge of being Assistant Handicap Adviser for the Somerset Ladies County Golf Association and is an England Golf Level 2 referee.

David has held senior and executive level roles in AI driven SaaS, digital media, platform technology and gaming organisations. Across B2C and B2B companies he has led teams in AIM listed, PE and venture capital backed situations to deliver scalable, profitable growth.

Time spent at global companies such as Nielsen, Microsoft, Nintendo, BSkyB and Coca-Cola have shaped his results orientation, data-driven focus and people first style. In addition, he was CEO of Venture Capital backed I-Play, a mobile entertainment business, successfully exited in 2007 and was also the CEO of AIM listed Nektan PLC, a mobile and online gaming company.

As a Board  Advisor he brings a real focus to commercial growth strategies, data driven insight and sales and marketing effectiveness and efficiency.

An avid skier and scuba diver, David spends his spare time on mountain peaks and in the ocean depths.

Iis is an advocate of utilising technology to forge new pathways to a better future. She is internationally recognised for her contributions to research on digital transformation in the services sector, with a primary focus on human-computer interaction, consumer behaviour, and management. Her major work has influenced international and national policies on climate change mitigation, data privacy, the role of AI in the European Green Deal, global benchmarks for tourism development, and digital employment. Iis has received numerous awards, including Clarivate’s Highly Cited Researcher in 2021 and 2022 in the field of Social Sciences. In 2024, she was awarded an Honorary Doctorate in Business Studies by the University of Eastern Finland.

Iis is a strong proponent of the transformative approach to education, research, and partnerships to realise the academic missions of higher education institutions. As a first-generation university graduate, she has benefited directly from this transformation. She led the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management (SHTM) from 2021-2024, guiding it to achieve top global and UK rankings. She has held leadership positions in various industry organisations, including President of the International Federation for Information Technologies and Travel & Tourism (IFITT) and founding member of the Alliance for Innovators and Researchers in Tourism and Hospitality (AIRTH). She also contributed to the 2021 and 2024 editions of the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index (TTDI) and the World Travel & Tourism Council's Women Empowerment Initiative.

Iis obtained her Ph.D. in Information Sciences from Tohoku University, Japan. She held academic positions at Temple University and Washington State University, USA. Prior to coming to Surrey, she was also a Balinese dancer.

Niel Alobaidi is Chief Executive Officer and part owner at the award-winning escorted tour operator Newmarket Holidays. Joining the company in 2019, Niel is an accomplished business leader who has been working in the travel industry for over 25 years.

He joined Newmarket Holidays following on from five years as the managing director of Emirates Holidays, heading up source markets across Europe, the UK and Ireland.

Prior to that, he held senior roles at TUI Travel PLC, including commercial director of the TUI Specialist Division and managing director of their specialist travel businesses in Denmark and Sweden.

Simon is a global leader of McKinsey’s retail-operations group, with a focus on helping clients transform their store operations, supply chains, and procurement processes. He has helped design and implement several operational transformation programmes at global retailers. Simon has supported multiple strategic due-diligence efforts and provided merger-management support for several retailers globally. Simon has advised a number of national, regional and global retailers on expanding their geographic footprint with an increasing emphasis on adapting their operating model to the digital era.

Prior to joining McKinsey & Company, Simon spent four years at Tesco, leading the convenience format expansion team and worked as an analyst at Verdict Research, a London based retail consultancy.

Simon is a keen mountain biker and can be found most weekends on the trails.

A content innovator and digital media entrepreneur with a successful history in deal negotiation and a talent for developing long-term business partnerships, Megan has been digital strategy advisor to some of the most notable international media companies including Endemol, Star Television, BBC Worldwide and Fox Television advising on some of the world’s best-known TV series. 

Megan started out in marketing and business development for the entrepreneurial internet businesses at News International and later Express Newspapers at the beginning of the digital revolution. As a result, Megan was headhunted by Celador International to spearhead the digital development of the show ‘Who Wants to Be a Millionaire’, which went on to win 10 awards and went live in 60 countries. After 4 years Megan raised seed funding and set up a digital innovation business called IRM that works with some of the world’s biggest brands, including Agatha Christie, Dancing with the Stars, Big Brother and Total Wipeout.

More recently, as a result of the pandemic and the video meeting boom, Megan has launched ‘the vision’ which provides a series of online sessions with a ‘‘pop up’ advisory board’ of three world-class diverse digital experts selected to unlock business challenges.

Megan is passionate about the sea; being in it, on it and looking at it!

Emma has spent twenty years specialising in financial crime systems and controls in the financial services industry. She has worked in a variety of sectors, including, accountancy, private client wealth management and most recently insurance. She has also worked as a consultant, working with clients in the payment, commercial banking, and crypto-currency industries in addition to her in-house experience.

During her career she has designed operational controls and training, prepared reports for boards and held FCA controlled functions at a number of companies.

Emma is currently Head of Financial Crime and Compliance at Lloyd’s of London, the world’s oldest insurance market.

A qualified, non-practising barrister, she spends her spare time running, horse-riding and supporting the local rugby club as a volunteer. 

Simon Kelly is an expert in how technology and software can disrupt traditional industries. He is a business leader from influential tech companies like Accenture, Vodafone, Microsoft, LinkedIn,  Avalara, Tipalti and many tech startups. Simon was part of the founding exec team for LinkedIn Europe when it was just a small startup in 2008 and spent eight years getting the business ready for the successful IPO and the Microsoft $26bn acquisition.   

He has been a board advisor to many founders of start-up’s and has worked with the University of Surrey on improving employability programs. He has also written for Financial Times ('ask the expert' column) and is an economics graduate from Trinity College Dublin and has worked in Silicon Valley (California) and Asia (Singapore).

Simon is currently working as the Vice President at Tipalti, responsible for growing the business across Europe.

Mark is a senior executive who has consistently delivered excellent results for businesses, customers and colleagues, across leading global brands including British Airways, Tesco and Barclays. His passion is to lead and develop brilliant teams, create exceptional products for customers and deliver very strong commercial outcomes.

With c-level roles across commercial, digital, operations and customer functions, Mark has a track record of leading award-winning digital transformations across several industries on a global scale.

A naturally curious and ambitious person, Mark takes pride in learning and most recently was awarded an MBA from Imperial College, London, graduating with a distinction. Outside of work, Mark has a wife (Perdita) and two children (Charlie and George) and in his spare time enjoys playing Golf and watching Nottingham Forest!

Nicola was the Head of Group legal at Evelyn Partners. She spent the last 7 years within the Group leading legal, regulatory compliance and financial crime matters.  As well as leading on the implementation of Senior Managers & Certification Regime (SMCR) and Markets in Financial Instruments (MiFID II), she has supported the group on acquisitions as well as leading the legal work for Smith & Williamson in its merger with Evelyn Partners.

Nicola qualified as a barrister and has nearly 30 years’ experience of legal and regulatory advice within the financial services with over 20 of these working in UK small/mid cap institutional broking and corporate advisory businesses. She started her financial services career in corporate broking at Charterhouse Tilney Securities Limited followed by Bridgewell Securities and Canaccord Genuity Group Inc.

In her time in the city, she has worked on numerous IPOs and acquisitions both as an advisor and as a principal. She has a law degree from University of Southampton.

Folley Ogundele is an international commercial leader with expertise in driving revenue growth and strategic partnerships in the financial technology (fintech) sector. As the Chief Revenue Officer at Finmid, and formerly a senior executive at Stripe, TransferWise and American Express, Folley has driven numerous transformation initiatives, consistently delivering double- and triple-digit revenue growth year over year.

Folley’s deep understanding of the global payments, cross border remittance and embedded finance landscape, coupled with his keen SaaS industry insights, has allowed him to cultivate strategic partnerships with industry giants and high growth startups alike. A sought-after speaker and thought leader, Folley has been invited to share his expertise at leading industry conferences and publications.

Folley studied Business Management at the University of Surrey and earned his MBA at Imperial College London. He is a proud husband and father of three and, back when he had a little more spare time, represented Great Britain in both American Football and Karate.

Simonetta was Chair of Surrey Business School Advisory Board from June 2022 until the end of July 2024.  She is a senior marketing, product, and strategy executive with 25 years’ experience across wealth management, global cross-border payments and remittances.

Simonetta combines a strong understanding of customer behaviour, brand purpose, traditional and digital / social marketing, with a rigorous strategic/commercial analysis and creative problem solving to help companies optimize their business model and grow.

She started her career at McKinsey & Company and has since held a variety of roles,  ranging from American Express, where she spent 10 years in strategy, planning, product management and product development; Bupa International, where she was the Director Strategy and Market Development function and a member of the Executive Board; Western Union, where she was SVP Global Brand, Marketing and Customer Engagement and served on the Board of their Foundation; Tesco Bank, where she was Interim Chief Customer Officer; Evelyn Partners, where she was Group Chief Marketing Officer and now at Rathbones, where she is Chief Client Officer. She has served on the board of Brewin Dolphin and has been a member of the Surrey Business School Advisory Board since 2016.

Simonetta’s spark and energy are passion. In the words of people who have worked with her ‘she has an uncanny ability to make the complex look simple’ and ‘to get everyone excited and on board’.

David is a former Surrey Business School Advisory Board Chair, serving between June 2020 – June 2022.

David has been a Non-Executive Director for over 25 years and is currently a NED at both CP Cases Ltd, a company designing and manufacturing bespoke protective cases and Start and Grow UK Ltd, delivering business support programmes across England.

He is a Board Advisor for NexGen Tree Shelters, an innovative biodegradable tree shelter manufacturer and for several other start-up businesses. He has advised major banks and law firms and has served as a Trustee with several charities.

He is a Visiting Professor and Chair of the Surrey Business School (SBS) Leadership Academy.

He is also Member of the Manufacturing Commission advising the All Party Parliamentary Manufacturing Group. Until retiring in June 2017 he was the Regional Chairman of the Institute of Directors for the South of England and prior to that was Chairman of IoD Surrey. Previously he was Chief Executive of the Engineering Employers Federation for London and the South East (EEF South- now Make UK) for over 10 years, working with hundreds of technology based companies.

A Chartered Engineer, he started his career in the aerospace industry and delivered major design and manufacture programmes for customers such as Boeing, Airbus and Eurofighter, and was Head of Design & Technology at a major tier one aerospace company. He is a Member of the National Economic Policy Committee of Make UK, Deputy Chair of their South East Regional Advisory Board and Member of their National Membership Board.

David is a Fellow of both the Royal Aeronautical Society and the IoD, a Member of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining. He is a Freeman of the City of London. In his spare time David follows Portsmouth FC and maintains his classic Porsche 911. He is also a keen gardener, skier and obsessive cyclist owning five bicycles.

David advises on impact-driven investment, corporate responsibility, and philanthropy, to drive the allocation of resources to positive social and environmental outcomes. He has worked across the “social finance spectrum”, utilising grants, loans, impact investing and ESG funds to create impact strategies, portfolios, and programmes.

As an ex-CEO and Executive Director, he draws on a wealth of senior leadership, commercial and consulting experience from the not-for-profit, professional services and investment banking sectors (including CAF, Eversheds, KPMG, Accenture, RBS and UBS).

Before Maanch, as Executive Director of CAF, he led a 60-person team which generated £400m+ of new donations, impact investments and grant programmes each year to support causes around the world. David is on the Board of the Royal Commonwealth Society, IESE Foundation, and European Social Catalyst Fund.

He has studied Sustainable Business at Harvard, Social Finance at Oxford, has an MBA from IESE, and a Finance degree from Cass Business School. He is a regular speaker and writer for leading publications like the FT, Impact Entrepreneur, Nossa Capital, and Philanthropy Impact. David lives in Surrey, plays team tennis for the RAC Club, and has three daughters.

Tim Walton is a Senior Vice President of International Hotel Development for Marriott International.  Based at Marriott’s European headquarters in London, he travels widely in his quest to fulfil Marriott’s ambitious plans for growth across the northern, western and southern regions of Europe. One element of his role in which he thrives is the mentoring and management of his team, which is spread between six offices across the continent.  

Before re-joining Marriott in 2005, Tim spent four years as Vice President of Hotel Development, Europe, with Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts.  Prior to that, he worked with Marriott’s Development Planning and Feasibility group and was responsible for a wide variety of market and feasibility studies across the EMEA region. 

Tim has also held positions within the fields of consultancy (with hotel industry experts Horwath and BDO) and in hotel sales and marketing.  He is a regular guest lecturer (to both undergraduate and postgraduate students) at the University of Surrey and is a frequent speaker on the hotel industry conference circuit. Tim graduated from the University of Surrey in 1992 and enjoys historic ties with the University. His mother studied at Battersea Polytechnic (the University’s forerunner) and subsequently worked at the University from 1960 to 2002. She was appointed an MBE for services to the University in the New Year Honours in 2000.

Tim originally hails from Surrey and now lives in south-west London with his wife and two fast-growing-up sons.  In his spare time, Tim is an adventurous traveller, keen walker and (poor) tennis player!

MariaLaura is Associate Head of School, Research and Innovation, and Professor of Entrepreneurship, Work and Organization at Surrey Business School.

She has held various leadership positions at the University of Surrey including Deputy Head of Surrey Business School and Head of Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovation.

Previously she held academic positions at Judge Business School, University of Cambridge, the Open University Business School, and the University of Westminster.

MariaLaura holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde, is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), and a Full Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD).

Ekaterina is the Head of Enterprise at Surrey Business School and leads the Digital Economy, Entrepreneurship & Innovation Discipline. With extensive experience in teaching entrepreneurship and supporting both new and established ventures in their development and growth, Ekaterina actively engages with industry to connect businesses with students and academics. Through student projects, research collaborations, innovation opportunities, and social enterprise initiatives, she facilitates impactful partnerships that generate tangible value.

Ekaterina has developed case studies that showcase the outcomes of these collaborations, highlighting the positive impact on businesses and communities. Her research focuses on entrepreneurship within disadvantaged communities, entrepreneurial finance, and women’s entrepreneurship.

Ekaterina holds a PhD from the University of Strathclyde, where her research explored the informal investment market in the UK. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (HEA), an academic advisor for Enactus Surrey, and a founding member of the Surrey Women’s Entrepreneurship Network. In this capacity, she supports women entrepreneurs in enhancing their finance readiness through mentorship, event organisation, mastermind sessions, and creating matching opportunities.

Abi is School Manager at Surrey Business School. She works with the rest of the School’s senior team and Faculty colleagues on operational, financial and infrastructure matters. Overseeing the growing professional services team within the School, Abi additionally contributes to the development of the School’s strategy and leads on major projects.

She has a varied background including strategic and management roles in the public sector, arts, retail and the third sector. She has been part of Surrey Business School since shortly after its founding and has been involved in meeting many of the challenges and opportunities that have come from the School’s development.

Vicki is Secretary to the Advisory Board. She is also the School Administrative Officer, overseeing the smooth running of the office to support the School’s departments, research centres, academic staff, students and visitors.

Vicki joined the University in 2018 and held two part-time roles: Administrative Officer for the Department of Politics and Administrator for the Institute of Advanced Studies. Prior to this, Vicki worked for several SMEs in a variety of administrative, operational and HR roles.