UK Office
The UK director is Tom Sanderson. Profiles of our Trustees can be seen here. An International Board co-ordinates the global work of Five Talents with our partner office in the USA. Paid members of the UK team are shown below. They are ably assisted by the generous contributions of time and talent from growing tribe of volunteers.
UK Director - Tom Sanderson
Tom read Economics at Cambridge University and has a Masters in Economics from University College London. He worked as an Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Agriculture in London and spent 5 years as a community development officer in Uganda with the Church Mission Society. He helped establish the first Five Talents project in Uganda, seeing it grow to serve thousands of local entrepreneurs. On return to the UK, Tom launched the Five Talents UK office in 2005. Tom is also a Director of the Microfinance Club UK and a Governor at Monkton Combe School in Bath.
I know my background in Economics, Agriculture and Uganda is 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 incredible to see peoples' lives transformed as we share our talents which help to unlock theirs.”
Programme Manager - Anna Pienaar
Anna Pienaar supports the work of Five Talents partners in East Africa implementing both savings and lending programmes aimed at financially excluded populations. Anna has been working with Five Talents since 2008. Prior to that she was the Senior Conflict Advisor at Geneva Global - advising donors on effective giving strategies in post-conflict situations, and has also worked with Oxfam GB in Uganda, Capital for Good and the Stromme Foundation.
Anna was born in the USA and has lived in Argentina, Spain, Tanzania and the UK. Anna holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in European Studies with Spanish, a Postgraduate Diploma in Business Management, and a Masters in International Development, specialising in post-conflict livelihoods strategies.
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
Development Director - Anthony McKernan
Anthony spent 9 years with Stewardship, latterly as Marketing Director. He helped launch the online giving portal and grow the charitable giving accounts that now handle over £50m each year. Anthony has built careers in social research and marketing. He has spent time living in Botswana and was most recently Director for Donor Engagement with USPG: Anglicans in World Mission.
I love the way that generosity, good stewardship and enterprise find a sweet spot in Christian microfinance. The statistics from Five Talents programmes speak for themselves. My own family, challenged by the imperative to multiply what we have, have launched and enjoy running our own little business.
Administrator - Sarah Phillips
Sarah joined Five Talents as the Administrator in April 2011. She previously completed an internship with the Charities Advisory Trust and gained voluntary experience with both Christian Aid and Oxfam. Sarah has a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Philosophy from Cardiff University.
It is fantastic to be part of a charity that empowers individuals to transform their own lives. Equipping people with resources and training through local partners shows that the programmes are highly relevant to their cultural context and nurture the ingenuity and determination of enterprising people.
Development Officer - Mahoo Lyimo
Mahoo joined Five Talents as the Development Officer in June 2011. She previously trained as a solicitor in a leading city law firm before embarking on volunteer work across a number of development organisations. Mahoo has a Bachelor of Law degree from the London School of Economics.
The chance to work with such an ambitious and socially conscience organisation is enthralling. Having family roots in Tanzania has meant that I have witnessed, from a young age, the hardships felt across many communities. I genuinely believe that microfinance provides an invaluable opportunity for enterprising individuals to prosper, and use their talents to create a better life for themselves and their families.