Our Trustees

Beanstalk has an experienced, dedicated and specialist Board of Trustees who volunteer their time to govern the organisation and direct our strategy. 

Jamie Pike
Chair

Chairman of RPC Group PLC, Chairman of Ibstock Group, NED Spirax Sarco. 

Jill Pay
Deputy Chair

Appointed as the first female Serjeant at Arms in the House of Commons in 2008, retiring in 2012. Currently Chair of the businesswomen's network The Pink Shoe Senate and also a Beanstalk reading helper.

Paul Dean 
Treasurer


Non Executive Director and Audit Chair at Polypipe plc and Porvair plc. Previously Chief Financial Officer of Ultra-Electronics plc and Foseco plc.

Magdalene Bayim-Adomako 

A senior legal counsel with over 25 years of experience in international financial markets. She was most recently head of the London Banking department at White & Case. She is currently a freelance consultant and trustee to a number of charities

Jared Brading 

Executive Headteacher of two highly-rated schools in Battersea, including St Mary's, a flagship school in the Get London Reading campaign. Chair of the Battersea Schools cluster and Trustee of the School Food Matters charity.

Dr Bobbie Jacobson OBE

Currently a Senior Associate in the Department of Epidemiology, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, with three decades experience of working in the NHS and charitable sectors. Previous roles include Director of Public Health in the East End of London and Director of the London Health Observatory. Volunteer experience includes with Beanstalk, refugee and homeless charities, her children’s schools, and Amnesty International. 

Ian Mecklenburgh 

Experienced Digital Media Executive, currently Special Advisor to the DTG (Digital Television Group) and a range of clients. Previously senior level positions with Sky, Virgin Media, BBC and Cable and Wireless delivering TV, Internet and digital services product and strategy. 

Viral Mehta

Investment Director at private equity firm, Bridgepoint. Currently on the Board of Oasis Dental and Care UK, and previously a trustee of Ocean Maths, a charity focussed on improving maths attainment levels through combined parent and pupil teaching methods.

Sarah Macpherson

Former teacher and now a Beanstalk reading helper. As well as being in education, she has worked in the charity sector for the last 20 years, most recently in Development for the British Red Cross.

Saana Karki

Experienced management consultant at PA Consulting, involving high profile, senior level engagements with organisations such as MHRA (Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency), NCS, Network Rail, Thomson Reuters and Linklaters. Expert facilitator at Henley Business School.