THE HOUSE
THAT CHRISTEL
BUILT

Diana has been involved with Christel House Europe since its inception. Working for RCI latterly as Director of Resort Services for Europe, she had the pleasure of working with our founder, Christel DeHaan, for many years before she sold the company. After leaving RCI, she became the Group Managing Director at Nexus Leisure, a long-time supporter of Christel House. Currently, a Real Estate Executive based in Tenerife, she coordinates the annual golf day event in the UK. Fluent in Spanish, she has demonstrated experience in customer service and managing multinational clients.

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Politician, businessman and solicitor, Anthony St John is an Independent Non-Executive Director and a Crossbench Member of the House of Lords, as well as Lord-in-Waiting to HM Queen Elizabeth II. Having qualified as a lawyer in South Africa, Anthony St John spent over 30 years serving as a Director of many UK and internationally listed and unlisted companies. Emerging markets, infrastructure and fintech are Anthony’s primary area of expertise and he has worked closely with numerous political and business leaders and provided advice to the UK Government on a wide range of related issues.

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Paul Baker works as Head of Computing & Digital Strategy at The Perse School in Cambridge. Founded in 1615, The Perse is a renowned, co-educational, independent school that educates students from ages 3 to 18. It is a highly successful day school with strong ties to the University of Cambridge. It is known for its academic excellence, historically at its main Cambridge school, and now also at its growing number of international schools.

Paul’s wide-ranging prior educational experience, including Deputy Head Curriculum and Director of Innovation, complements his current Digital Strategy brief and provides him with a broad perspective on educational developments in both national and international contexts. He is the lead author of the Perse Coding Team Challenge, an annual educational competition that attracts over 10,000 student entries internationally each year.

Paul was introduced to Christel House in 2009 via a former governor, and shortly afterwards, Christel House became one of the lead charities for Perse fundraising. Paul is responsible for developing the ongoing relationship between The Perse and Christel House. This has included fundraising projects, expertise exchange, student projects, and regular visits to Christel House schools by staff and students.

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Justine Gevisser is a trauma-informed Transformational Life Coach committed to helping individuals lead purposeful and empowered lives. With over 20 years of experience as a corporate creative events producer and entrepreneur, she has also worked extensively in the nonprofit sector—supporting mission-driven organisations in increasing their visibility and impact. Passionate about education, equity, and long-term transformation, Justine brings a deep understanding of how to engage communities and inspire meaningful change, aligning strongly with the mission of Christel House.

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Dr. Charles Niehaus is a seasoned healthcare executive and medical professional with over 27 years of experience spanning clinical practice, C-Level operational leadership, and strategic management. Trained as a medical doctor, he has led multidisciplinary teams across various specialties and has been instrumental in driving operational excellence and innovation for private healthcare organisations across Sub-Saharan Africa, the UK, Saudi Arabia and Europe.

Charles is passionate about delivering high-quality, cost-effective care to all people globally, and has advised The Nelson Mandela Foundation on population health issues such as HIV, when he was the personal physician to President Nelson Mandela. In his executive career, Dr. Niehaus has held pivotal roles at Netcare UK, Alliance Medical Ltd., Life Healthcare PTY, and is currently Executive Director for Affidea Group BV that operates across 15 Countries in Europe delivering public and Private Healthcare.

When asked why Christel House, Charles answered: “Christel House and their mission to foster, educate and uplift people from all walks of life is a great inspiration to me as it ties in with my own passions and belief towards all people, especially the young and vulnerable. That with care, health, a good education and guidance, anyone can go forth and be great.”

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Tarun Ghulati is a seasoned Chairman, President, CEO, Board Member and Strategic Advisor with a track record of delivering practical and creative solutions to complex issues in banking and financial services businesses across the world. He has led zero-to-one efforts, led established businesses at scale, grown teams from scratch, and created market-leading businesses internationally.

He sits on several regulated boards and advises many entities. He has sat on over 40 boards in Singapore, Guernsey, Mauritius, Botswana, Kenya and the UK. Managed Risk across continents and has been regulated
across jurisdictions.

Tarun’s family legacy of public service, spanning three centuries, has instilled in him an unwavering commitment to serving the public.

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Adrian Santos is an accomplished policy and public affairs specialist with over 15 years of international experience spanning government, non-profit, and private sectors. He has led high-impact advocacy, communications, and stakeholder engagement initiatives for organisations such as the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the French Development Agency, and the Embassy of Mexico to the United Kingdom. Adrian’s expertise includes designing and delivering campaigns that drive social change, managing multi-million dollar development projects, and fostering cross-sector partnerships to advance education, labour rights, and youth development.

Adrian holds an MSc in Public Policy from University College London and a BSc (Hons) in Economics from the National Autonomous University of Mexico. Currently serving as Chief of Staff and Country Lead at a global climate non-profit, he provides strategic support to executive leadership and oversees programme development in Mexico.

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Laura Ferguson is an accomplished international business leader with nearly three decades of senior-level experience across the public and private sectors, including extractives, telecommunications, IT systems and services, automotive, and manufacturing. Known for her ability to navigate complexity and deliver sustainable performance improvement, she has successfully led business transformation programmes, restructured operating models, and built high-performing multi-cultural teams in markets across Africa, the Caribbean, Europe, and North America. Laura combines strategic insight with operational rigour, leveraging her expertise in international trade, strategic communications, and stakeholder engagement to enable market growth and systemic change.

Now based in South Africa, Laura is currently working with the Africa Scotland Business Network to facilitate international trade and market expansion between Africa and Scotland, UK.

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Nina Amin is a Chartered Accountant who has worked in the Profession for over 30 years and a former KPMG Partner. She was head of KPMG’s Asian Business from 2013 to 2018. and was awarded an MBE for her services to the Asian Business community She was the first female President of TIE London, a global organisation which promotes entrepreneurship. Currently she is the UK Country Head of Indiaspora Org, a not for profit organisation for leaders of Indian origin who want to be a force for good. Nina also acts as a Non Executive Director for Interpolitan Money Plc and sits on a number of advisory boards. She has a proven track record of building relationships with successful entrepreneurs and high net worth individuals.

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Carlos Perez-Zabala is a seasoned business development executive with extensive experience in the travel and hospitality sectors. Over the course of his career, he has held senior leadership roles at companies such as Monster Reservations Group, Bonovac Group, and CLC World Resorts & Hotels. His expertise spans international business development, lead generation, and the distribution of white-label products, particularly within the travel and timeshare industries.

He has been a long-standing member and served as the President for two Rotary Clubs, and has also been involved with Miradas Compartidas, a charitable organisation promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities into the workforce.

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Caron S. Chung was born and raised in Jamaica before moving to Northern California with her family and later attending New York University, where she earned a degree in marketing. While her career has taken her across corporate America, her heart has remained with the land of her birth. Since 2010, Caron has served as the Executive Director of the American Friends of Jamaica (AFJ), leading the organization through a period of unprecedented growth and renewed impact. Under her leadership, AFJ has raised and distributed over USD $20 million in support of education, healthcare, and economic development initiatives across Jamaica.

Caron has leveraged her extensive background in marketing, hospitality, and telecommunications along with her powerful network of corporate, philanthropic, and diplomatic stakeholders—to elevate AFJ’s visibility and expand its reach. Her tenure has been marked by strategic partnerships, innovative fundraising, and a steadfast commitment to grassroots empowerment. In 2016, she received a United States Congressional Award for Distinguished Leadership for her work improving the lives of Jamaicans and in 2019 The Society of Foreign Consuls in New York recognized her outstanding achievements and contributions to community empowerment. She brings to the Christel House Europe Board a deep belief in the power of education, global collaboration, and purpose-driven leadership.

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