Meet the Localgiving Team

	Tom Latchford, Chairman About: Tom Latchford took over as Chair of Localgiving Foundation in 2017 and is actively involved in helping to scale the impact of the foundation. Following the successful exit of his technology company, Tom is now fully focussed on philanthropy. Tom was founder and CEO of Joyful.org which grew to be the largest nonprofit website and fundraising platform in the UK and AUS before being acquired by the Access Group. My causes: Tom is an experienced trustee, and has served on the boards of several charities, most recently chairing a board which included Jude Law, Sam West and Michael Attenborough for the Belarus Free Theatre.
	Marcelle Speller, Founder and Philanthropic Supporter About: Marcelle Speller is the founder of both Localgiving and the Localgiving Foundation. In 1996, Marcelle co-founded Holiday-Rentals.com, Europe’s leading website for advertising private holiday homes. When the company was sold, she attended a workshop at the Institute for Philanthropy, and was inspired to found Localgiving. In 2011, Marcelle was awarded an OBE for her services to the voluntary sector. In 2013, she was awarded a Beacon Fellowship for Pioneering Philanthropy and was named Philanthropist of the Year.
	Alex Williamson, CEO About: Alex founded two media and events businesses which were acquired by global industry market leaders. Following this, Alex turned his attention to bettering the world for his children, founding Bio Market Insights, a business intelligence platform for the bioeconomy, and acting as CRO for sustainable ecommerce platform Darwin and Goliath.
	Andrei Yusfin, CPO About: Andrei's background is predominately in payments and fintech. He has been at the heart of two bank launches - first Tandem, which set out to be the UK's first 'Good Bank' and truly transparent credit card, then Chase with JP Morgan and he is passionate about bringing the rigour and pace he picked up in fintech into the charity sector. My causes: Refugees at Home, who help in the intersection between homelessness and migration. I ran a fundraiser for the charity last Christmas and was really touched by both the problem they were solving and the innovative approach they had to doing so.
	Serena Kirillova, Head of Technology About: Serena graduated from the Queen Mary University of London in 2010 with a BSc in Computer Science. She is passionate about technology and enjoys using her skills for the benefit of the charity sector. When not tinkering with code, managing projects, automating herself and others or struggling with printers she enjoys the wind against her skin as she cycles around the beautiful countryside of Buckinghamshire, playing music instruments (badly), writing, or having a gaming sesh with friends. Working at Localgiving serves as a constant inspiration and a reminder that work can bring real and tangible benefits to local communities and people around you.
	Luke Upton, Head of Communications About: Luke has worked in media and communications for over 15 years, across sectors including the bio-economy, rail technology, oil and gas and the sport industry. His work has included launching magazines, chairing conferences, developing social media strategies and being a co-author of a European Commission report. Born in Wales, he now lives in London with three, very lively small children. Having worked in charity fundraising at the beginning of his career he is delighted to now be helping people raise money for amazing causes every day. My causes: I support the RNLI, a charity that does a wonderful job keeping the seas safe for everyone and Survival International, which gives a voice and support for tribal peoples all over the world.
	Lauren Swain, Wales National Manager About: Lauren launched Localgiving's Wales Development Programme in 2016. She is supporting 500 charitable organisations to explore online fundraising and has helped them to raise £2million. Lauren has also worked as Volunteer and Partnerships Manager at Localgiving. Prior to these roles, Lauren was Fundraising Executive for a fundraising consultancy, as well as Wales’ Area Fundraising Manager for MS Society. Lauren has also held a number of other arts and higher education fundraising positions. Outside of work, Lauren loves days out with her little girl, food treats and travelling. My causes: I mainly support causes that work with children in care and families in crisis. I am involved with a number of youth works, including running a youth camp every summer.
	Chris Breeze, Head of Programmes About: Chris joined Localgiving in 2020, having moved from the world of E-commerce. He works to secure, develop, and deliver grant programmes and other fundraising opportunities for the thousands of charitable organsiations that use Localgiving. Outside of work, he is a keen musician - singing with, accompanying, or directing multiple choirs across London, and always searching for the next great gig. My causes: I tend to give time or money to causes that support arts education or music therapy, particularly for young people - music was a great source of comfort and confidence to me when I was growing up and there's a widening gap to bridge in terms of equality of access to musical opportunities
	Ellis Heath, Customer Success Manager About: Ellis joined Localgiving in 2021, bringing almost ten years of customer service knowledge and experience to the charity sector after previously working in hospitality. At Localgiving, she provides support and guidance to thousands of organisations on the platform. When not at work, she enjoys travelling, learning languages, and perfecting a morning cup of coffee. She uses she/they pronouns. My causes: I support and endorse LGBTQ+ charities because there are institutions and structures in society that mean people are oppressed and persecuted for who they are.
	Sophia Weary, Customer Service Executive About: Sophia joined Localgiving in 2022, she has over 10 years of experience in Customer Service, working mainly for e-commerce and tech companies, with the main focus on efficiency and providing friendly support to customers of all backgrounds. In her spare time, Sophia loves to take her camera out for walks to capture interesting photos of life in London, she is an avid knitter and likes to donate her knitting to charities and shelters. She also is a proud mum of a lovely black cat named “Baby”. My causes: Sophia loves to support many organisations but her main focus is working and donating to charities who help support those who struggle with mental health issues, diseases that affect the brain and mobility.
	Cara Ludik, Onboarding Executive About: Cara moved to England from South Africa in 2019. She has spent her career working in various customer-focused positions and is passionate about helping others. Cara can always be found with a cup of coffee in her hand and a smile on her face. In her free time she enjoys baking, playing video games and learning to play the guitar. She is delighted to be working in the charity sector and to help make a difference in the lives of others. My causes: I am an avid animal and ocean supporter. The ocean is the foundation for all life on earth and is a vital part of climate regulation. Growing up in South Africa among incredible species diversity gave me a love for animals and their importance that will never subside.
	Alexis DeCarufel, Onboarding Executive About: Alexis graduated from the University of Florida with a BA in Political Science in 2017 before moving to London in 2019. Having spent four years in the technology recruitment sector, she has a passion for front-end development and website design. As a lover of continuous learning, she recently completed a diploma in Addiction Therapy and is currently studying to teach English as a second language. She is excited to begin her involvement within the charity sector in order to positively impact local communities. In her free time, you'll most likely find her roaming the Camden food stalls or reading a good book.
	Floyd Joseph, Senior Web Developer About: Floyd has a love for developing software and is excited about using technology to make a positive difference in local communities. He is passionate about finding innovative ways to support a range of causes and enjoys working with charities to confront the challenges posed by the sector.
	Simisola Adejumo, Junior Web Developer About: Simi is an apprentice Web Developer. After her A-levels Simi spent her time teaching herself code before pursuing a career in programming. She is eager to use her new skills to take on challenges to help local communities. She enjoys reading, watching movies, going to festivals and concerts.
	Jon Hualde, Front-end Developer About: Jon is a self-taught front-end developer who started his career in real estate sales before transitioning to digital product development. He now works at Localgiving, where he helps thousands of charities and communities across Great Britain while continuing to learn new technologies. In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and scuba diving, as well as reading and exploring new cultures and places."