Meet the trustees

Claire has been Chair of MRF since 2022. Between 2016 and 2024 Claire was the Director of Global Policy, Advocacy and Research at Save the Children UK, leading the organisation's efforts to protect and promote child rights around the world. Prior to joining Save the Children, Claire worked in a variety of international settings, including for the United Nations Development Program and UNICEF in New York, the Overseas Development Institute in London and East Timor, and as an advisor to the Presidents of Rwanda and Liberia as part of the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. Claire has also spent time working for the British Government, as a senior policy advisor in the British Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit and subsequently in the Policy Planning Staff of the Foreign Office. She holds a first class degree in History from Cambridge and an MPhil in International Relations from Oxford.

“Too many parents are forced to watch helplessly as their child suffers from this preventable and cruel disease, often with tragic results. MRF is a fantastic organisation with a clear plan for defeating meningitis both in the UK and around the world, and has a brilliant team of dedicated and talented staff to deliver their strategy."

Dayo is a senior consultant paediatrician at the Hammersmith Hospital, Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust. A global health expert, she has worked in various settings across the globe including as a WHO consultant in a catastrophic meningococcal meningitis epidemic in the traditional meningitis belt of sub-Saharan Africa.

Dayo has a master’s degree in epidemiology from Harvard University, sits on the council of the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health Alumni Association and is a climate change activist with an interest in the relationship between climate and infectious disease epidemics. She is on the team of EcoActUs, a virtual climate boot camp.

“As a clinician practising on the frontline, I have observed the impact that vaccines have had in significantly reducing the number of cases of meningitis in the developed world over the last two and a half decades. I am delighted to be part of a community that will influence the replication of this impact worldwide through the implementation of current and future vaccines that will emerge.”

Ray is Head of the Vaccine Evaluation Unit at the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA). He is responsible for the evaluation of serological responses to various bacterial and viral vaccines with a special interest in meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccines. He is also the Deputy Head of the UKHSA Meningococcal Reference Unit for England & Wales.

Ray gained his PhD in 1994, his MRCPath in 2003, became an Honorary Professor of Vaccine Preventable Diseases at the University of Manchester in 2009, and Visiting Professor of the Manchester Metropolitan University in 2011. He serves as a member of the DHSC Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) and frequently advises the World Health Organization and companies on meningococcal and pneumococcal vaccines.

Sarah has managed and directed all aspects of the health portfolio of the Vitol Foundation since 2014. In her role, she supports health NGOs and social enterprises globally, identifying locally-founded partners to implement programmes that improve access to, and the quality of, healthcare services. Sarah is also a technical advisor for Jacaranda Health and South Lake Medical Centre in Kenya and sits on the Executive Committee of a global network of Foundations.

Before joining the Vitol Foundation, Sarah worked in the non-profit sector, supporting healthcare programmes in fragile contexts in East Africa. In another life, she was also a nurse and holds an MPH from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Micheál joined the board in 2019 and is a Chartered Accountant working in Financial Services in Dublin, having previously worked in a Big 5 Audit Practice. He has held a number of roles in Financial Services including leading operations, risk management and project management teams.

He has experience in leading strategic change programmes, including the restructure of operational teams and simplifying and embedding operational processes.

 
 

Dr. Priscilla Ibekwe is a Consultant in Public health and Disaster Management with over 20 years' experience of working in the United Kingdom and sub-Sahara Africa on public health, global health, health protection and business continuity planning.   Her collaborative leadership style and proficiency in developing and communicating a shared vision that engages stakeholders across cultures has strengthened partnerships and increased funding for several health programmes including meningitis. Priscilla is a Fellow, Faculty of Public Health, UK and holds an MSc in Health Service Management, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

‘Our global clarion call to Defeat Meningitis by 2030 is achievable with national and local commitment to increase sustainable domestic funding, strategic partnerships, multi-sectoral collaboration, systems thinking and whole-society approach amongst others to improve outcomes for people affected by meningitis’

 
 

Megan is Head of Strategic Partnerships at the Wellcome Trust. Previously she led government relations in European markets for Wellcome, and set up Wellcome's first international office in Germany.

Prior to joining Wellcome, Megan held a variety of senior policy roles at the Department of Health and Social Care in London, including leading England’s first National Maternity Safety strategy as well as running programmes of health system improvement and reform of international healthcare regulations.

She has also worked in the NGO sector and for the UK National Health Service. Megan holds an MSc in Social Policy and Planning from the London School of Economics and a BA from the University of Oxford.

Jemima is an ICAS Chartered Accountant, specialising in IT audit within the financial services industry, and joined the MRF board in 2023.

During university in 2016, Jemima contracted bacterial meningococcal septicaemia (MenW) and, despite multiple complications and challenges at the time, was fortunate enough to make a full recovery.

Jemima is passionate about leveraging her personal and professional experience to contribute to MRF’s mission and work as a trustee.