Board of Trustees
Ralu Nistor Lustermans
Chair of the Board
I joined The Advocacy People’s board in 2021 and became Chair in 2024.
I have a deep passion for enabling people of all genders and backgrounds to be at their best and get the right support when they need it, which is what the advocacy service delivers. My role with the board is to be a critical friend and voice of reason for the Senior Leadership Team ensuring that we can provide the best services to our clients.
My professional background is in Internal Audit with a particular focus on auditing IT processes and governance. Having held various internal audit roles in global organisations and in various countries in Europe, I developed an expertise in internal control effectiveness, transformation project assurance, process improvement, risk management and organisational culture. I am also a business coach, mental health first aider and advocate of well-being at work; I believe effective results can be achieved by empowering employees to be the best they can be.
On a personal level I am a proud step-mom of a young adult son and a proud mom of two young super energetic boys; our family is a nest of diversity and inclusion.
I am very proud to be part of The Advocacy People’s journey and support them support others.
Irene Bews
Trustee
I joined the Advocacy People as a Trustee in June 2019. I sit on the Board and the Audit committee, and work with the Board and senior management to set the overall strategy and ensure implementation is a timely and resourced manner. I utilise my skills and expertise gained from my professional financial career, and I help to liaise with the finance team in order to ensure the appropriate financial information is made available to the Board and that we, as a charity, remain in good strong financial health.
I am delighted to be on the Board and help take forward the extremely important role of The Advocacy People, as I am committed to empowering people to ensure they can express their views and have their voices heard.
I worked for over 20 years in Higher Education, with most of these years as Director of Finance at Aberdeen and Kingston Universities. I retired from Kingston In December 2017, and now take an active part in my local community and have taken up various voluntary roles.
Tim O'Brien
Trustee
I joined the Board in September 2018. With a passion for social justice, I see advocacy as paramount in empowering vulnerable people. As a Trustee, I fully support The Advocacy People’s vision, mission and values. My experience and skills help ensure that we continue to provide an efficient, quality service to all people who need support to make their voice heard.
After starting out as a teacher in the East End of London, I have spent most of my career as a senior leader in the Further Education and Training Sector, working at colleges across the country, as well as in East Sussex. My particular skills and experience are in business planning, quality assurance and improvement and have been developed through ensuring adults and young people gain the skills required to help them overcome the barriers that hinder them reaching their full potential.
Alison Steel
Trustee
I joined the board in 2020. I was a newspaper journalist for ten years before embarking on a career in public relations and marketing. I ran my own public relations business for five years and held senior roles in the commercial and public sectors.
I retired in 2018 as Director of Marketing and Communications at Kingston University, London, and now concentrate on voluntary activities. I am a trustee and director of Hastings Literary Festival. I am passionate about the power of good communications and I’m keen to do what I can to support The Advocacy People in helping vulnerable people to make their voices heard
Sutin Yang
Trustee
I joined the Board in 2021 and have a strong belief in empowering people to have their voices heard to improve our service systems such as healthcare. My position as a portfolio manager working with socially impactful tech organisations means that I have seen first-hand the transformative change that social impact organisations can make.
I started my career with over a decade of experience in various financial market and investment roles in J.P. Morgan before becoming a social entrepreneur and starting an FSA authorised property crowdfunding platform to help people get on the property ladder. In 2019, I joined Social Tech Trust to build their venture support platform to support socially impactful tech organisations to grow. I have a keen interest in the triple bottom line of social, user, and financial value of organisations and socially impactful tech and innovation. I look forward to helping The Advocacy People in its mission to help anyone who needs independent support to speak up and improve people’s lives.
Niamh Lennox-Chhugani
Trustee
I joined the Board in 2023 and share The Advocacy People's focus on putting people who are not always listened or attended to at the very centre of services and decision-making. I am a health systems researcher and policy advisor working internationally to promote person-centred and coordinated care for people and communities. I started my career 35 years ago as a clinician and currently lead an international policy research foundation. I bring this international perspective to The Advocacy People along with a commitment to its mission and goals reflected in the everyday practice of its people.
Neil Tarbit
Trustee
I joined the Advocacy Board in 2024 with the goal of providing knowledge and guidance on how The Advocacy People can innovate to further improve client experiences. As a passionate inclusion ambassador, I closely align with The Advocacy People’s mission to provide an independent voice to those who need it most.
With almost three decades of experience in technology, I have held various senior leadership positions across enterprise, large corporate, and startup organisations in both the private and public sectors. I am a strong advocate for using technology as a Force for Good.
As a devoted husband and father, I believe that speaking up is not a privilege—it’s a right.