Our Team.

Dr Joanna Martin became Trustee of The Hunger Project UK in 2021

An architect and accelerator of change, Dr Joanna Martin has worked with hundreds of prominent business leaders, campaigners, entrepreneurs and difference-makers across the globe.  She’s passionate about the potential of a new kind of leadership grounded in compassion, connection, courage, clarity and creativity: a style of leadership that she has crafted, practised and honed over decades as a medical doctor, serial entrepreneur and founder.

Founder of One of many® a coaching organisation for women leaders and entrepreneurs, her message and work have directly impacted over 100,000 people on 4 different continents. The diverse membership includes politicians, CEOs, partners in major global organisations, doctors, lawyers, accountants, activists, mothers, grandmothers, and daughters – united in their desire to change their corner of the world. As an internationally acclaimed and award-winning speaker she’s trained and certified over 1800 coaches, master coaches and trainers in behavioural change tools.

A committed investor and Trustee on the Board of The Hunger Project UK, Jo’s trained over 70 fundraisers and facilitators globally. Jo believes that the introduction of diverse modern leadership across every sector, at every decision table and in every part of society will have a transformational impact that’s needed now more than ever.

Monique Surridge joined the Board of Trustees of The Hunger Project UK in 2017. 

Originally from the Netherlands, she moved to the UK to complete her MSc in Tourism Planning and Development at the University of Surrey, following a BA in International Hotel Management from Hotelschool The Hague. She later earned an MA in Refugee Protection and Forced Migration, reflecting her interest in social impact and human rights.

Monique began her career with one of the Big Four consulting firms, where she specialised in designing national tourism strategies and development plans for governments and donor agencies, including the DFID, EU, UNWTO, and USAID. Her work has consistently focused on inclusive and sustainable growth, particularly in emerging economies. Over the past two decades, she has worked across more than 30 countries, gaining cross-cultural experience and witnessing the challenges that communities face in driving development from within.

Having worked closely with public sector institutions and donor organisations, Monique is a strong advocate for women’s empowerment and community-led development. At The Hunger Project, she plays a strategic role in supporting the organisation’s mission to end hunger and poverty through sustainable, women-centred approaches.

Alongside her role at The Hunger Project, Monique also supports young refugees through mentoring, sits on the board of a charitable trust that funds educational projects in marginalised communities, and is taking a board role with the Independent Monitoring Board, which oversees humane treatment of those in detention. Monique lives in London with her husband Tim and two teenage daughters.

Robert became a Trustee of The Hunger Project UK in December 2022.

Robert was born in Buenos Aires and raised in Latin America, the U.S., and Southern Europe.  In total he has lived in 13 countries.

Paul became a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of The Hunger Project in December 2022.

Paul is a Chartered Accountant with qualifications in both Canada and the UK.

Paul has been involved with finance for his entire career, initially as an audit partner in a large international firm and thereafter in the private sector having been instrumental in floating a retirement housing company on the London Stock Exchange. He then moved to Peabody Trust, a large London housing association, as their finance director.  He is now retired and lives in London with his wife. 

In the past Paul has been involved with a number of charities, including being a founding board member of Charity Bank and chair of the UK boards of both Big Brothers and Sisters and Habitat for Humanity.

Frances began her career as a city lawyer. She trained at Turner Kenneth Brown (now merged with CMS), qualifying into the corporate department. She later moved into teaching and training city lawyers. She was appointed Head of Corporate and Finance Professional Development at the University of Law. She has created and designed the three highly successful and very well regarded Corporate, Banking & Finance, and Tax Training structured training programmes for qualified lawyers, which are now relied upon by large numbers of law firms both in the city, nationally, and internationally. She also creates and teaches bespoke in-house programmes to meet the specific needs of law firms. She was appointed an Associate Professor at the University.

A great supporter of The Hunger Project, she has given the Board pro bono legal advice for many years before joining the Board herself in 2025.

She lives in London and, apart from training lawyers and supporting The Hunger Project, she also volunteers at her local library and community association. She enjoys pilates, running, playing the piano, and going to the theatre and cinema as well as spending time with her grown-up daughter and son and with her friends.

Manda Lakhani was appointed CEO of The Hunger Project-UK in October 2025, after more than seven years of service as Trustee and Co-Chair of the Board. Twice stepping in as Acting CEO during times of transition, she played a pivotal role in stabilising the organisation, strengthening governance, and revitalising fundraising. She also re-launched the “Unleashed Women” community in the UK, inspiring a vibrant movement of female leaders to step up, drive change, and stand in solidarity with the women leaders in our programmes worldwide.

Beyond The Hunger Project-UK, Manda has built a reputation as a trusted strategic adviser and consultant. She has guided boards, charities, and entrepreneurs on governance, growth, and strategy, with a particular focus on mentoring women and amplifying under-represented voices. A dedicated advocate for gender equality and women’s empowerment, she is regularly invited to speak on philanthropy, diversity, and leadership, inspiring audiences to channel their influence and resources for lasting impact.

Earlier in her career, Manda held senior roles in financial services, built a thriving health and wellness business leading a team of over 30 women, and provided consultancy to charities while mentoring entrepreneurs. She brings that combination of corporate expertise, entrepreneurial spirit, and deep social purpose to her leadership today.

In her role as CEO, Manda is committed to building a stronger, more visible UK presence for The Hunger Project. She is focused on raising awareness, forging high-level partnerships, and mobilising greater investment to fuel the extraordinary work of communities worldwide.

She holds an MBA in Finance from Bayes Business School and a BSc in Chemistry and Management from City University, London.

Emma joined The Hunger Project as Marketing & Relationships Manager in November 2021. 

She joined The Hunger Project with a wealth of marketing, events and communications experience in the corporate world, working with a number of brands including Harrods and the Arcadia Group.

Emma’s passion lies within gender equality and human rights. She joined The Hunger Project to help make a small difference in achieving the sustainable end of world hunger. 

Tonya was born and raised in Perth, Western Australia, and has been studying and playing tennis in the United States for the past five years while completing her education.

She brings a strong foundation in project management and marketing. She has developed strong leadership and communication skills through her background in athletics and coaching, which she now applies to advancing THP’s mission of empowering communities to end hunger and poverty.

Inspired by THP’s mission to empower individuals, particularly women, in developing countries through education and sustainable solutions, she is passionate about driving meaningful change.

She joined The Hunger Project as a Marketing, Communications, and Campaigns Assistant in January 2025, following a three-month internship with the UK team in 2024.

An Australian who has made London her home for the past 17 years, Christine is an Administration Officer who is passionate about the detail and loves being organised.  She has a background in Project Management and PMO and has worked at a number of Fortune-500 global companies over the last 30 years as well as smaller organisations.

In between juggling the administration work at the Hunger Project she can usually found in her gym gear either at an F45 or sweating it out in an indoor cycle class.  On weekends she likes to spend time with her husband and two teenage children.