PRESS RELEASE : Three new Board Members appointed to the Charity Commission for England and Wales [June 2023]

Rory Brooks CBE

Appointed for a three year term commencing 27 March 2023.

Rory was the first member of his family to attend university. He graduated from Manchester University in Management Sciences in 1975. He joined the Bank of Boston in London and spent thirteen years there including nine years in the US (Boston and New York).

Upon returning to London Rory founded in 1988 what is now MML Capital (mmlcapital.com), a leading European mid-market growth capital provider. He stepped down as Chair in 2023. MML has offices in London, Paris, Dublin and New York and has cEUR 2.0bn under management.

Rory and his wife Elizabeth established their family philanthropic foundation in 2005 with a focus on social disadvantage, education, and arts. Rory was chair of the philanthropic board of Manchester University for ten years (honorary doctorate 2010), hosted poverty summits in S Africa and has served as trustee and/or chair of The Centre for Social Justice, IntoUniversity and Quintessentially Foundation. Among other government appointments he was the donor member of the Pearce Review into philanthropy in HE (2012). He has consistently promoted philanthropy and was awarded the CBE in 2015.

Rory is married, has two adult children and lives in West London.

Shrenik Davda

Appointed for a three year term commencing 27 March 2023.

Shrenik has almost 40 years of banking experience in the CEEMEA (Central Eastern Europe Middle East Africa) region, helping to build market-leading franchises for prominent global financial institutions such as JP Morgan and Deutsche Bank. He has also established and or run several regulated financial advisory boutiques and notably co-founded New Europe Capital Partners Ltd, which was acquired by Deutsche Bank. He started his career with Gulf International Bank in Bahrain and received his formal credit training at Citibank.

In addition to the foregoing executive banking roles, he has served as Trustee for 3 charities focussed on: Orphan Support in East Africa; Humanitarian Aid for Refugees in the Middle East and Girls Education in Kenya.

He is currently an independent member of the Supervisory Board of Nova Ljubljanska Banka d.d. a market leading universal bank active in South Eastern Europe and also serves on the Supervisory Board of Ukrgasbank, a leading Ukrainian bank. In 2022 he was appointed as Lay Member of the Board of IPSO, the independent regulator of the newspaper and magazine industry in the UK.

Shrenik read Law at the London School of Economics and received his MBA from INSEAD.

Mark Simms

Appointed for a three year term commencing 27 March 2023.

Mark is proud to be the Chief Executive of P3; he has more than 25 years’ experience in the Charity sector. Under his leadership, P3 Charity has expanded its services to reach more people in need, providing them with shelter, support, and resources to help them rebuild their lives.

Born in Nottinghamshire, Mark grew up in a family that was actively involved in community work and at an early stage found that they needed the support of homelessness organisations. This early exposure to social issues motivated him to pursue a career in mental health nursing. After graduation, he worked in various roles within the charity sector, including fundraising, project management, and advocacy.

A passionate advocate for social justice and human rights, he is deeply committed to creating a more equitable and just society.

Mark has served for much of his career as a Non-Executive Director or Trustee of many independent charities, large and small. His current portfolio includes:

• Trustee of Homeless Link,
• Non-Executive Director of New Leaf, a social enterprise run for and by people who have been in prison
• Non-Executive Director of The Big Issue Invest
• Advisor to the CEO of Big Society Capital

In recognition of his contributions to P3 and the charity sector, Mark has received numerous awards and accolades throughout his career.

Remuneration and Governance Code

Board Members of the Charity Commission are remunerated £350 per day for approximately 24 days per year. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments. The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Shrenik Davda and Mark Simms have not declared any significant political activity. Rory Brooks has declared financial donations to the Conservative and Unionist Party, recorded on the Electoral Commission.