UK Office
Paid staff are shown below. We are extremely grateful to all the volunteers who help us in so many ways.
UK Director - Tom Sanderson
Tom is married to Rachelle and they have 3 children. Tom was an Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Agriculture in London for 10 years. He then spent 5 years with Church Mission Society in Uganda working as a Development Officer for the Anglican church. He helped people to improve their standards of living by diversifying their agriculture and starting income generating activities. During this time he also helped establish the first Five Talents project, seeing it grow to serve thousands of local entrepreneurs. He returned with his family to the UK in July 2005, and since October 2005 is leading Five Talents UK.
I know my background in Economics, Agriculture and Uganda is now being put to good use in Five Talents. I have seen for myself the immense impact that a small loan has on a family business and I am convinced that Five Talents is the best way to help people to help themselves. It is not easy, and loans are not for all people, but I am certain that God will honour our efforts to multiply the Talents!”
Development Director - Rachel Millward
Rachel Millward joined Five Talents in August 2007 as Development Director. She previously worked as a Credit Analyst in the Credit Risk Management and Advisory Department of Goldman Sachs in London for 11 years. Rachel has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with German from the University of Northumbria at Newcastle.
I am so excited to be part of this small yet ambitious charity. I joined Five Talents last year as their Development Director and prior to this I worked at Goldman Sachs for eleven years. In my first few months at Five Talents I had the privilege of visiting our projects in Tanzania and Uganda and witnessed firsthand the incredible impact these loans are having on our clients’ lives.
Programme Development Manager - Anna Pienaar
Anna has a Bachelor of Arts degree in European Studies with Spanish, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management, and a Masters in International Development. She has had experience in education, business and charity sectors, and previously worked for Geneva Global as Senior Sector Analyst for Conflict Recovery.
I am particularly interested in trying to capture the social impact of microfinance on families, such as improved education, healthcare and nutrition. Having seen microfinance work in the toughest situations, such as post-conflict reconstruction, I know it is an effective tool in building livelihoods and indirectly lifting whole communities out of poverty.
Programme Assistant - Anna Bachmann
Anna joined the Five Talents team in March 2010. She previously worked as a corporate lawyer in Sydney and served on the executive committee of the homeless charity, Cana Communities. Over the last ten years, Anna has worked on development projects in Zimbabwe, Costa Rica and Vietnam. Anna has both a Bachelor of Arts degree and a Bachelor of Laws degree from The University of Sydney. As a Boulton Groom and Commonwealth Trust scholar she completed a MPhil (with Distinction) in Social and Political Science and will return to Cambridge University to undertake her Doctorate as a Dr Orde Poynton Scholar later this year.
I am continually humbled and inspired by the drive and perseverance of our clients. In some of the toughest situations on earth, these remarkable men and women are committed to building a better life for their children, their communities and themselves. Five Talents' model of microfinance - which combines financial literacy, business training and pastoral care with community led financial service provision - helps them achieve this with dignity and empowerment.
Administrator - Katie Frank
Katie joined Five Talents in April 2010. She previously worked in account management for a telephone fundraising agency and prior to that was working in media. Katie has a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from the University of Southampton and a Postgraduate Diploma in Development Studies from London South Bank University.
Having grown up Zimbabwe and seen first hand the ingenuity, resourcefulness and innovation of entrepreneurs, I am so pleased to be part of an organisation that strives to encourage the determination of the active poor so they can determine their own future using their talents.