Our trustees

In our Board of Trustees, we try to achieve the right blend of skills that will help us grow our business. 

As a loan fund, financial skills are essential but we also want strong representation from the social enterprise sector as well as wider business skills.

In addition to the main Board of Trustees, we try to establish a small team of advisers in each region who provide us with valuable assistance about local opportunities in the social enterprise sector.

We are immensely grateful for the help and guidance we get from all those people who give so willingly of their time and expertise.

Board members

Peter Ibbetson, Chairman of TSELF

Peter is currently Chairman of Small Businesses for NatWest and RBS working closely with the government and external bodies to support the growth of SMEs in the UK.

He is also Chairman of the Lenlyn Group of companies, a family owned business which now spans 30 countries employing over 1,500 people, and a Director of Utilyx Limited, a successful power consultancy.

He has wide experience in the SME sector both from the business side and the banking side, having previously sat on the board of the Princes Trust for the Eastern Region, and worked with the government on various business related groups in an independent capacity.

Roger Hooley, Trustee

Roger was asked to join the Board of TSELF in 2010.   In addition to his broad knowledge of the financial sector, TSELF wanted his undoubted credit skills to strengthen their competence in this critical area.

Roger has over 25 years banking experience with HSBC and Alliance & Leicester as a corporate lender. He is currently the Senior Commercial Credit Risk Manager at West Bromwich Building Society.

Pyarali Jamal, Trustee

Pyarali is a Director in Ernst & Young's Valuation & Business Modelling group in London.

He has over 15 years of experience in corporate finance, real estate advisory, corporate and commercial banking, and international development. He has worked in Ernst & Young’s Transaction Advisory Services group for almost ten years between Canada and the UK. Pyarali has also worked in New York and in Dubai, and has advised clients in various sectors. Prior to his current role, he was the Valuation & Business Modelling Global Network Coordinator for over three years at Ernst & Young's head office in London.

Pyarali has served in various volunteer capacities in Canada and in the UK. He was Chair of Leadership Vancouver, and a Member of the Board of Volunteer Vancouver. He is currently a Member of the Aga Khan Economic Planning Board for the UK.

Pyarali has a degree in Finance and Real Estate from the University of British Columbia, an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario, and a Master of International Affairs degree (in Finance and Business) from Columbia University.

Mohamed Omer, Trustee & Treasurer

After gaining a degree in accountancy, Mohamed specialised in import / export businesses trading pharmaceuticals and other medical supplies as well as agricultural and industrial products.  His particular area of expertise was trading with developing parts of Africa.

Until recently he was a Council Member of the Learning & Skills Council for London and has been closely involved with many community organisations in the East End of London including Oaks Park Secondary School.  He is an Executive Member of the Gardens of Peace Muslim Cemetery Trust, the largest private cemetery in Europe for Muslims

He has a wide range of business interests including

• Finance Director - Intellicomms Solutions Ltd (An innovative software company providing communication solutions)
• Director - Global Energy and Commodities Trading Ltd - ( Traders and Facilitators for Energy and Commodities trading )

John Illingworth, Trustee
John has a unique background of business lending in one of the UK’s biggest banks, delivery of Government sponsored SRB regeneration schemes and executive level management of one of the country’s largest community owned businesses.

He is currently Deputy Chief Executive and Head of Corporate Services for the Goodwin Development Trust, a major social enterprise based in Hull which employs over 300 staff and had income in the last financial year of over £12m and total assets of £13m.

A professionally qualified banker, John has primary responsibility for all assets and finances of the Goodwin Group and advises the Trustees on all governance issues, charity law and corporate responsibility.

Besides being on the TSELF Board, as a sector specialist advisor he is currently also a Trustee and/or Director of West Hull Community Transport, CT Plus Humber, MediaSat 3, North Bank Forum and Humber All Nations Alliance.

John is one of the 3rd sector’s two representatives on the Yorkshire and Humber ERDF Programme Monitoring Committee, a member of Hull Bondholders Advisory Board, the Humber Sports Partnership, and is an Associate of “The Pool” the Development Trust Association’s consultancy arm.

Mike Baker, Chief Executive & Secretary

Mike was Regional Head of Small Business for NatWest and a board member of King’s Cross SRB.

Decision making processes

The Board of Trustees meets quarterly.  Its key functions include:

• Reviewing and guiding TSELF’s corporate strategy, major plans of action, risk policy, annual budget and business plans, setting performance objectives, monitoring implementation and corporate performance, and overseeing major capital expenditures, acquisitions and divestitures
• Selecting, compensating, monitoring and, where necessary, replacing key executives, overseeing succession planning, and ensuring a formal and transparent Board nomination process
• Monitoring and managing potential conflicts of interest of management, Board members and stakeholders, including misuse of corporate assets and abuse in related party transactions
• Ensuring the integrity of TSELF’s accounting and financial reporting systems, including the independent audit, and that appropriate systems of control are in place, particularly systems for monitoring risk, financial control and compliance with the law
• Monitoring the effectiveness of the governance practices under which TSELF operates and making changes as needed
• Overseeing the process of disclosure and communication.

The Executive Committee, appointed by the Board of Trustees, meets eight times a year.  Its purpose is to:

• Consider the annual budgets and business plans of TSELF and make recommendations to the Board
• Monitor implementation of business plans and business performance against approved budgets
• Review and approve loan applications for amounts up to £250,000
• Approve expenditures and disbursements against approved budgets and in accordance with delegations of authority approved by the Board
• Selecting, compensating, monitoring and, where necessary, replacing key members of staff overseeing succession planning and reviewing the remuneration and compensation arrangements, including annual performance bonuses of staff on the payroll of TSELF. 

Regional funds

TSELF is supported by a network of regional loan funds.

Each regional loan fund is a separate trust established for the benefit of its region with the use of its funds being for purposes identical to those of TSELF.  Each regional loan fund has a local board of advisers usually drawn from local funders, support bodies and social enterprises.  Their role is to:

• Assist the Regional Director in achieving business goals
• Assist in attracting new funding for the regional loan fund
• Provide local knowledge regarding loan applications
• Overview the activities of the regional loan fund to ensure it is operating in accordance with its mission and any terms of reference established
• Review progress against the business plan providing appropriate advice and guidance in the event of any shortfall.