Meet our team caring for animals and our community every day.
Mayhew has a great team of staff and volunteers who are all extremely passionate about their jobs and dedicated to the welfare of the animals we care for.
We couldn’t operate without our staff and the fantastic volunteers who give their time to Mayhew. Here are just some of the people who make a difference to the lives of our animals:
Our Leadership Team
Elvira Meucci-Lyons
Chief Executive
Samantha Aronson
Head of Clinic
Becki Bednall
Head of Fundraising
Mohamed Chowdury
Head of Finance, Facilities & Technology
Lisa Guiney
Head of Operations
Olivia Patt
Head of Engagement
Scott Weir
Head of People
Caroline Yates
Head of International Projects & Relations
Meet the rest of our team
Hanna Arrhenius
Head Veterinary Nurse
Kat Bergman
Community Animal Support Manager
Georgina Costi
Head of Cattery
Kirsty Graham
Head of Kennels
Tania Judd
TheraPaws & Pet Refuge Manager
Todun Joseph
Philanthropy Manager - Trusts & Corporate
Dr Ana Metskhvarishvili
Head Vet of Mayhew Georgia DVM
Dr Abdul-Jalil Mohammadzai DVM
Mayhew Afghanistan Country Director
Phoebe Robertson
Communications & Campaigns Manager
Our Board of Trustees
Julianne Hicks, Chair of the Board
Julianne is the Corporate Services Director of the Stemcor Group and is a qualified Barrister. Julianne serves as Trustee for a charity dedicated to girls' education.
Sara Brennan
Sara is Positive Business Director at Pentland where she is tasked with looking at how the business can deliver on its commitment to take action for people and our planet. Sara started her career in regulatory affairs and later moved into sustainability and CSR whilst working in the petroleum industry. Her work caused her to grow more conscious of existing sustainability issues and opportunities and the role business in addressing those issues. Sara is interested in organisational change and development, corporate and social responsibility, business sustainability and ethical trade. She is pictured with her beloved rescue dog, Cha Cha.
Julia Heintel
Julia is Chief Financial Officer at the software company Talon.One and spent previously close to 10 years in tech investment banking at Rothschild & Co and Arma Partners. Julia is a pet parent to her partner in crime, Rosie the cat, and also volunteers with the Cinnamon Trust.
Nigel Liddell
Nigel is a technology solicitor who worked in international businesses for 30 years and has now started his own legal consultancy alongside charitable and pro bono roles. He is passionate about ED&I, founding an award-winning ED&I programme at his last employer. In addition to Mayhew, he is a Trustee at the Middlesex Association for the Blind (a charity for the visually impaired), a member of the Ethics Committee of the Moorfields/UCL Biobank, and works on the D&I Committee of the Society for Computers and Law. More importantly, he is Watson the dog’s human.
Christine Losecaat MBE
Christine is a senior business leader and experienced board director. She is an international business strategy, marketing, and global events specialist, and an Emmy® Award winning producer. Christine serves as Trustee to a charity supporting women and children experiencing domestic abuse and those in contact with the criminal justice system and is “Ludo’ the boy dog’s human.
Helen Nowicka
Helen is a sustainability consultant, award-winning communicator and adopter of four Mayhew cats. As a senior leader at communications agencies Helen spent much of her career advising large global firms on PR and digital media, drawing on her early years as a journalist. More recently she completed her MSc in Environment and Sustainability, launched the sustainability and Environment Social and Governance (ESG) team at a large global advisory firm, and then set up her own sustainability consultancy, 23rd Street Consulting.
Sabahat Salahuddin
Sabahat is a Director at BlackRock (BLK), a global investment manager and a part of BlackRock’s Investment Stewardship team.
Ilana Saltzman
Ilana is a London-based lawyer specialising in commercial and IP law, representing clients in the UK and internationally. She is also the principal of her own legal and business consultancy, Soundingboard Consultants.
Dr Melissa Upjohn BVetMed MSc PhD
Melissa’s unique international clinical and post-doctoral research expertise, together with applied economic analysis and financial risk management experience uniquely enable her to help purpose-led organisations to understand and evidence their pathway to addressing stakeholders' needs. Melissa was Head of Research at Dogs Trust 2017-2023, overseeing studies to inform strategy, operations, policy and practice. Previously she was Head of Evidence and Research at international equine welfare NGO Brooke, supporting research to inform operations and external engagement and inaugural Head of Science at World Society for Protection of Animals. Melissa is currently a member of the Policy Committee for the British Veterinary Association and a Member of the Animal Welfare Advisory Board for the Morris Animal Foundation in the US. She is also a dedicated pet parent.
Maggie Wright
Maggie is a Chief Financial Officer, specialising in social impact, SaaS and tech scale ups. She spent seven years at Time Out Group, serving in a leadership role during its IPO and international M&A activities.