SPANA’s Trustees are responsible for ensuring our charity is pursuing its long-term goals, effectively managing its finances and successfully fulfilling its charitable obligations, while operating in line with all legal requirements and the wishes of our supporters.
Marianne Davies – Chair of Trustees
In addition to being SPANA’s Chair of Trustees, Marianne is also a Non-Executive Director for B3 Living, which is a social housing company, and is also an Independent EDI Committee Member for The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. As the Global Head of People Services with GSK, Marianne brings a wealth of HR, Change management and Operational experience. She has a strong interest in animal welfare and, having visited many of the countries where SPANA works, is keen to contribute to improving the lives and communities of working animals. Marianne joined SPANA’s Board of Trustees in September 2021 and was appointed Chair of Trustees in March 2024.
Phil Alvey
Phil Alvey is a seasoned financial expert who has held leading finance roles at HSBC in multiple countries and at CAF Bank. He has previously sat on the board of Aurora Nexus, where he was Chair of the Quality, People & Risk Committee. When Phil’s not working, he loves travel, gardening and running. Phil is a member of SPANA’s Finance and Audit committee.
Samantha Bunis
Samantha Bunis is a marketing and communications leader, with over 20 years’ expertise in brand and digital transformation, energising some of the biggest commercial and charity brands, most notably, the BBC and BBC Children in Need, Mars Chocolate, M&S and Battersea Power Station. She also sits on the Exec Team of the Football Foundation – the Premier League, The FA and Government’s charity. Samantha is a member of the Global Fundraising, Marketing and Communications Committee.
Adam Firby
A senior Human Resources Director, with additional experience in general management and property, Adam is UK Chief People Officer at Valeo Foods. He has previously held roles across Molson Coors Beverage Company, Marks and Spencer, Britvic Soft Drinks and the Royal Mail Group. Adam joined SPANA’s Board of Trustees in December 2021 and is chair of the People, Safeguarding and Governance Committee.
Gayle Hallowell
Gayle has a 22-year career as a large animal veterinary specialist and veterinary educator. She is currently a Director at Medicine Vet Equine Referrals. Gayle is a member of SPANA’s Animal Health & Welfare Committee.
Leah Wanjiku Kihara
Leah Wanjiku Kihara has more than 16 years’ experience in the finance sector, including financial strategy development, grants and project management and audit execution. She is currently Finance Director for Trademark Africa – a not-for-profit that encourages trade growth, with a presence in 11 countries in Africa. Her previous roles include Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA) where she headed the financial management of multiple donor programmes and PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where she led high performing audit teams. Leah is a member of the Finance and Audit Committee.
Morgan Lance
Morgan has spent the last two decades helping animal welfare and children’s charities and not-for-profit organisations raise funds, tell their stories and improve lives. She currently works as Chief Executive of OneSky for all children, while her previous roles include Executive Director of the Daraja Education Fund. Prior to starting her NGO career, Morgan earned a teaching credential and worked in Humane Education, teaching both children and adults about the needs of animals. Morgan lives in the US with her husband, their equestrian daughter, a rescued dog and cats, and their retired horse, Gracie. Morgan joined SPANA’s Board of Trustees in March 2023 and is Chair of our Global Fundraising, Marketing & Communications Committee.
Melissa Liszewski
Melissa has worked on community-based animal welfare initiatives in more than 30 countries around the world since 2005. Having previously led the global Community Engagement Program at the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) and the global Community Development team at Brooke, she is experienced in developing sustainable animal health and husbandry systems, as well as community-led approaches to disaster risk reduction and wildlife conservation. Melissa holds a master’s degree in animal science with specialisations in international development and social science. Today, Melissa works as Managing Director at Adidas Foundation. In addition to her Trustee duties at SPANA, Melissa is Chair of our Global Animal Welfare Committee.
Dr Mwenda Mbaka
Dr. Mwenda Mbaka is a veterinarian and Animal Welfare Expert with over 30 years of experience in Africa. In his role as a Consulting Expert for African Union – Inter-African Bureau for Animal Resources (AU-IBAR) he supported the African Platform for Animal Welfare. He has represented AU-IBAR, in collaboration with International Coalition for Working Equids (ICWE) at the 2024 which led to the African Union historic ban on the donkey skin trade. Dr Mwenda has previously worked as an Advocacy Consultant for World Animal Protection, Africa Network for Animal Welfare and The Brooke. He is a member of SPANA’s Animal Health & Welfare Committee.
David Mole
David Mole is an experienced fundraising professional who has specialised in high-value fundraising from foundations, corporates, governments and individuals. David is Director of Foundation Relations at the World Resources Institute, and previously served as Executive Director of Development for the Climate Group. David is a member of the Fundraising, Marketing & Communications Committee.
Sarah Shanks
An experienced equine vet and public health practitioner, Sarah has worked in Africa, Australia and Europe. She currently works as a Consultant in Public Health Medicine at Public Health England, following her earlier work as Veterinary Advisor to the UK Government’s Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA). During her career, Sarah has seen first-hand how working animals provide vital support to communities in developing countries. As part of her work as a Trustee, Sarah is a member of our Global Animal Welfare Committee.
Spencer Simmons
A Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Spencer was a Partner in Haslers Chartered Accountants. He has supported organisations as a volunteer for Accounting for International Development. In addition to serving on SPANA’s Board of Trustees since March 2023, Spencer is Chair of our Finance and Audit Committee.
Barry Topham
Barry is highly experienced in leading complex transformation programmes. He is the Chief Digital & Transformation Officer at the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman, leading the organisation’s digital, data, and transformation strategy. He was prevously Executive Director for Technology & Innovation at the Disclosure & Barring Service (DBS), which helps UK employers make safer recruitment decisions. Early in his career, Barry spent nine years in the Armed Forces, serving in countries including Cyprus and the Falkland Islands. Barry is a member of SPANA’s People & Safeguarding Committee.