TRANSPARENCY INTERNATIONAL - Key Persons
Ara Marcen Naval leads global advocacy for Transparency International's Defence and Security Programme, working towards raising awareness of the nexus of corruption, conflict and insecurity. Ara is a human rights specialist who previously work as Deputy Director for Global Issues at Amnesty International, where she headed up the organisation's global research, campaigning and advocacy on issues including the arms trade, torture trade, policing weapons, and the use of inhumane weapons around the world and other disarmament related issues. With over two decades in policy development and advocacy, she has worked on various arms control issues, including the Arms Trade Treaty and was centrally involved in the global campaign to secure the 2013 Arms Trade Treaty, which came into effect in December 2014 and the Torture Trade that is currently being discussed at the UN level. Ara holds an LLM in Law and a masters in European Union law and policy and a number of specialised courses in Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law.
Job Titles:
- Senior Investigations Lead
Ben leads Transparency International UK's research and investigations into Britain's role as a hub for the proceeds of international corruption. This encompasses working to highlight the country's shell company industry to give criminals nowhere to hide, strengthening Britain's defences against dirty money and ensuring the UK offers no impunity to corrupt individuals. He has researched and written seven reports including "At Your Service" which analysed the role played by UK businesses and institutions in laundering the money and reputations of corrupt individuals and regimes.
Job Titles:
- Head of Business Integrity
Chara is Head of Business Integrity at Transparency International UK. In this role she provides operational leadership of the UK Programme's Business Integrity work and oversees the team's research, policy development and engagement with the private sector through the business integrity forum. Chara is a UK-qualified lawyer with expertise in human rights, compliance and responsible investment. Previous roles include at Business & Human Rights Resource Centre, ShareAction and the International Bar Association.
Job Titles:
- Senior Consultant at Transparency International Defence and Security
- Senior Researcher ( US )
Colby Goodman is a Senior Consultant at Transparency International Defence and Security (TI-DS) and an expert commentator on US security assistance abroad. At TI-DS, he conducts research and provides advice on corruption risks within the international arms trade and other forms of external assistance to defense forces.
Mr. Goodman has fought to reduce corruption risks and prevent harm in US security assistance over the past 15 years by uncovering some of the deeper challenges and illuminating ways to address these challenges. Three-parts policy sleuth and one-part advocate, he exposed key corruption-related risks in US counterterrorism aid and in changes to US controls on commercial arms sales as the former Director of the Security Assistance Monitor program. Government officials or congressional staff have used his insights to stop illegal trafficking networks in Africa, enhance US oversight over gifts of US military weapons and training, and push for effective controls on commercial arms sales around the world.
Colin is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of Transparency International UK. This includes people, finance, technology, legal and compliance. He supports the governance in his role as Company Secretary and acts as Safeguarding Officer. The team he leads are focused on developing a high trust culture, delivering efficient operations and ensuring effective compliance and risk management.
Daniel joined Transparency International UK as Chief Executive in 2019. Under his leadership, TI-UK has helped to secure significant legislative reform to close down loopholes allowing dirty money, the proceeds of corruption, into the UK economy. He has overseen our forensic investigations of corruption in Covid-19 procurement, formally feeding into the UK Covid-19 Public Inquiry. Daniel has served as an expert witness to the Committee on Standards in Public Life, along with committees in both Houses of Parliament, as part of our work to increase integrity in politics. He is a regular media commentator on standards in government, political financing and global corruption.
Before joining TI-UK, Daniel served for nearly 6 years as the Chief Executive of the global media support organisation, Internews and has worked on transparency, governance and media initiatives across three continents for Article 19, Albany Associates, Fondation Hirondelle, UNESCO, the University of Pennsylvania and others. He spent his early career as a journalist, editor and broadcaster.
Denitsa is responsible for conducting qualitative and mixed-methods research projects, producing and facilitating literature reviews, synthesis studies and case-based studies on key topics. She holds a Bachelor of Social Sciences in Politics and International Relations from the University of Manchester and has previously worked as Junior Research Executive at YouGov as well as a policy intern for the Administration of the President of Bulgaria at the Unit of Strategic Policies, Analyses and Prognoses.
Job Titles:
- Head of Research
- Research Project Manager
Dr. Michael Ofori-Mensah is Research Project Manager at Transparency International - Defence & Security (TI-DS) where he is responsible for managing the delivery of the Government Defence Integrity Index (GDI). Until August 2018, Michael was Director of Research at the Institute of Economic Affairs, where he spent 8 years leading research and coordinating a broad range of national and international projects. He has contributed to several public policy reform initiatives in the area of governance and constitution review in Ghana. Michael has also provided technical support to many key institutions including Ghana's Parliament, which he has advised on legislation such as the Presidential (Transition) Act. In 2011, he was a Member of Ghana's legally mandated petroleum revenue oversight body - the Public Interest Accountability Committee (PIAC). Michael has undertaken research on economic and political issues and authored several publications on institutional reform, anti-corruption and public financial management. Michael has extensive experience in the financial sector having previously worked as an analyst at firms such as Citigroup in the UK and Fidelity Investments in the USA. He holds a PhD from the University of Edinburgh, an MSc (Econ) in Political Economy from the London School of Economics (LSE) and a BA (Hons) in Economics and Politics from the University of Kent.
Dr. Patrick Kwasi Brobbey is a Research Project Manager - Government Defence Integrity Index (GDI) responsible for managing the production and the delivery of the GDI. Patrick is a politics and international development expert who specialises in public opinion formation, governance, conflict, and peacebuilding. Prior to joining Transparency International, Patrick was an LSE Fellow at the Department of Methodology at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), where he conducted independent research and taught on methodology courses designed for social science research, in general, and politics and international development research, in particular. He has also served as a Research and Evaluation Consultant for organisations like World Vision International, International Organization for Migration (IOM), and International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN) and has provided strategic advice on aspects of Kenyan elections to concentrate financial and technical assistance to the Governance Team, DFID Kenya and the Donor Group on Elections. Patrick's work has yielded academic, policy, and journalistic publications. He holds a PhD in African Studies from the University of Edinburgh, an MA in Political Science from McGill University, and a BA (First Class Hons.) in Sociology with Political Science from the University of Ghana.
Job Titles:
- Defence and Security Gender Specialist
- Specialist at Transparency International Defence
Dr. Sabrina White is a gender specialist at Transparency International Defence and Security. She holds a PhD from the University of Leeds and was recipient of an Economic and Social Research Council Grant to investigate accountability for sexual misconduct in UN peacekeeping operations. Her work focuses on gender, integrity systems and anti-corruption measures in the defence and security sectors. She has contributed to academic and NGO publications, including for the U4 Anti-Corruption Resource Centre, the European Journal of International Security, and several books. Sabrina has worked with the UK government's Protection from Sexual Violence Initiative, contributing in consultations with the United Nations Association-UK to the development of the Murad Code and on action on sexual exploitation and abuse in UN peacekeeping. She has also taught at Regent's University London, the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University and at various summer programmes at universities in Thailand and Sierra Leone.
Job Titles:
- Director of Policy & Programmes
Fighting corruption by day, studying internal audit reports by night, Duncan leads the public policy, business integrity and research teams of Transparency International UK, the British chapter of the worldwide anti-corruption movement. His work aims to improve integrity in business, stop the flow of dirty money arising from corruption, and to secure integrity in our politics. Formerly a Member of Parliament, and still a chartered management accountant, he also serves as a Non-Executive Director of the South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trust, chairing their audit committee.
Job Titles:
- Senior Policy and Campaigns Officer
Emily works on multilateral advocacy for Transparency International's Defence and Security (TI-DS) team, advocating a better integration of anti-corruption into defence, security and peacebuilding policies, strategies and practices. She joined TI in October 2021 working initially for TI Global Health, until moving to TI-DS in January 2023. Emily holds an MSc in International Development from the University of Manchester.
As People Business Partner Gloria is involved in the development and delivery of TI-UK's people strategy and priorities. She also provides subject matter expertise and advisory service to the Chief Executive, Chief Operating Officer and the Senior Management Team across the broad spectrum of people management disciplines with lead responsibility for performance management, learning and organisational development. Gloria has a degree in Law and History and is MCIPD qualified with multi-sectoral experience in people management. She is passionate about organisational development through leadership and management development. Her previous experience include supporting senior managers and HR teams remotely in different countries and through field visits. Her interests include International Development, Integral Mission of the Church, mentoring and coaching, occupational psychology, and DIY herbal and skincare remedies.
Harsha supports the Finance Team with the transactional process. Prior to joining the team she worked for non-profit organisations in various finance and administrative roles.
Job Titles:
- Research Project Officer for the Government Defence Integrity Index
Irasema is a Research Project Officer for the Government Defence Integrity Index (GDI). She is a researcher specialising in corruption and governance. She completed her PhD in Politics at the University of Sussex where she made significant contributions to the Centre for the Study of Corruption. Her doctoral project employed mixed methods to explain the power dynamics facilitating corruption risks in public procurement. Irasema also has extensive experience working in the Mexican public sector, which includes leading projects that enhanced fiscal transparency and public participation.
Isabelle joined the Transparency International Global Health programme in June 2022 as a consultant. She is responsible for project management and supporting partner chapters in project implementation. Her background lies in development project management and anti-corruption research, particularly on public procurement. Isabelle has previously gained work experience in Uganda, Madagascar and Bolivia conducting field research and working in local NGOs. She graduated in Global Public Policy (MA) at Central European University in Budapest and IBEI Barcelona, focusing on the governance of development cooperation.
James oversees Transparency International UK's financial planning and delivery. He is a qualified accountant who has held various finance roles in the not for profit sector.
Jem is an Advocacy Officer working on Transparency International UK's strategic engagement with Parliament and civil society to further the organisation's goal of eradicating corruption in the UK and abroad. Jem joined in February 2023 and prior to this worked in partnerships at the Institute for Government, where he secured funding by engaging with commercial, academic and foundation-based partners in the UK and internationally. He completed a Master of Public Policy from the University of Sydney in 2019.
Job Titles:
- Senior UK Media and Communications Manager
Jon manages media and communications for Transparency International's UK programmes including work on illicit finance, money and politics and political integrity.
Jonathan leads the TI Global Health Programme, which works advance progress towards Universal Health coverage by ending corruption in the health sector. Jonathan sits on the WHO-GNACTA steering committee on behalf of the programme. With a background in global health, and Jonathan has experience of working in a number of countries, including Bangladesh, Malawi and Nepal to strengthen health systems.
Job Titles:
- Nations and Regions Programme Manager
Juliet (she/her) is based in Edinburgh and leads our work in Scotland. She also monitors Wales and Northern Ireland to identify opportunities for TI-UK in those countries. She is Chair of the Open Government Partnership Scotland Civil Society Steering Group, working collaboratively with government on transparency of and public participation in decision making.
Job Titles:
- in 2021 As Senior Events Coordinator
- Senior Events Coordinator
Keri joined Transparency International UK in 2021 as Senior Events Coordinator. She leads on convening across the organisation, providing dedicated support to the Business Integrity programme and flagship events including the Annual Lecture.
With dedicated events experience in the not-for-profit sector, Keri brings expertise communicating about a range of topics from effective democracy to responsible investment, gender equality and climate change. She has organised events on behalf of Westminster Foundation for Democracy, ShareAction and ODI. Keri graduated with a BA in War Studies and History from King's College London.
Kevin is undertaking a PHD which is joint-funded by Transparency International UK and Nottingham University. Kevin's research critically examines the extent to which the ‘capture' of policy, regulatory and state institutions and processes by the banking sector help account for the UK's financial crisis and subsequent responses.
Job Titles:
- Research Project Officer for the 2025 Government Defence Integrity Index
Lea is a Research Project Officer for the 2025 Government Defence Integrity Index (GDI). Prior to joining us, she was a Defence Budgets and Forecast Analyst at Janes - a defence open-source intelligence company based in London. Lea holds a MA in International Peace and Security from King's College London and a BA in European Studies from University College London.
Maeve is a Senior Research Analyst specialising in corporate integrity. She supports the operation and management of the Corporate Anti-Corruption Benchmark and is passionate about creating new tools and resources which allow businesses to understand and leverage the value of acting ethically. She also helps develop the Business Integrity team's research and thought leadership projects, including examining the integral role of anti-bribery and anti-corruption in corporate sustainability. Previously, Maeve worked as a Senior Research Analyst in the market research sector and as a Research Assistant at Trinity College Dublin. She holds a BA in Middle Eastern and European Languages and Cultures from Trinity College Dublin.
Margot leads Transparency International UK's strategic engagement and policy work with Westminster, working toward the goal of ending corruption in the UK and the UK's role in facilitating corruption abroad. Margot previously worked for Margaret Hodge MP, coordinating the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Anti-Corruption & Responsible Tax, as well as investigator for Global Witness, uncovering corruption in the extractive and logging sectors.
Michael is a Graduate Research Fellow supporting Transparency International's Defense and Security team in Washington, DC. He has extensive research experience in arms control and proliferation - specifically small arms and light weapons - and has worked for the Small Arms Survey, the University of Sydney's School of Public Health, the Centre for Armed Violence Reduction, and others. His past research has focused on the small arms trade and armed violence in Southeast Asia, where he has conducted field research and written about the subject. In addition to his research background, Michael is also an officer in the Swiss Army. He is currently pursuing a master's degree at Johns Hopkins University's School of Advanced International Studies in Washington, DC, with concentrations in International Economics and Conflict Management.
Mohamed works on projects related to strengthening accountability and transparency in the defence sector together with national chapters across the West Africa and MENA region. Before joining TI, up to 2021, Mohamed worked with Options Consultancy as a Senior Programme Manager and Technical Advisor on sexual and reproductive health and rights programmes across West Africa and Asia. Mohamed has also worked with Oxfam in Tunisia in various programme roles on issues relating to governance of public policies, fiscal justice, gender justice, civic space and youth empowerment.
Natasha joined TI-UK in July 2016 as HR Manager. She is CIPD qualified and is responsible for supporting and advising the organisation on all HR matters, including policy & procedures, reward & remuneration and employee satisfaction. Prior to joining TI-UK she was in a similar generalist role at the British Red Cross, supporting their UK Operations.
Job Titles:
- Senior Coalition Coordinator
Peter joined TI-UK in August 2022 as the Senior Coordinator of the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition (UKACC), developing and promoting the advocacy efforts of key civil society organisations relating to anti-corruption and illicit finance. With colleagues in the UK team, he engages with Parliament and Government to advance these policies. Prior to this role, Peter worked on anti-corruption issues in Washington D.C. with Financial Accountability and Corporate Transparency Coalition (FACT) and joined us from a House of Commons Whips Office.
Rachel has worked on anti-corruption policy for over a decade, focussing on corruption in the UK and the UK's role as a safe haven for dirty money. She heads up TI-UK's external-facing team, which also hosts the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition Secretariat, and leads TI-UK's government-facing work. She has held roles as Chair of the Economic Crime Civil Society Organisations Steering Group (CSOSG), Co-Chair of the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition, and was a founding member of the UK Open Government Network steering group.
Rory's work aims to raise corporate anti-corruption standards. He leads project teams working on quantitative benchmarking and analysis, thought leadership and policy development. He also engages at the senior level with companies to create a dialogue on the company's priorities for improvement, and regularly chairs industry workshops. Recent work includes leading a research project into the relationship between successful impact investing outcomes and strong approaches to anti-corruption, and the links between corruption and other ESG factors such as environmental and labour standards.
Rose is a Research Officer specialising in political corruption. Her work covers issues of money in politics, lobbying, the revolving door and open governance. She was a key researcher and writer of Transparency International UK's 'House of Cards' report which explored access and influence in UK housing policy and contributed to other reports, such as 'Track and Trace', which explored Covid procurement. She's previously held roles at Democracy Club and Spotlight on Corruption, and completed an MA in Corruption and Governance from the University of Sussex.
Rose leads Transparency International UK's strategic engagement with Westminster, working toward the goal of ending corruption in the UK and the UK's role in facilitating corruption abroad. Rose is also an active member of the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition (UKACC) where she contributes to the group's advocacy on political corruption and illicit finance.
Job Titles:
- Director of International Engagement
As Director of International Engagement, Sara oversees Global Thematic Networks based at TI-UK, addressing corruption in the global health and the defense and security sectors; working closely with other TI chapters around the world and the Berlin secretariat. She also steers TI-UK's bilateral partnerships with other chapters to strengthen corruption prevention and identify opportunities to increase shared impact. Sara brings senior leadership experience in designing, delivering and overseeing international development programmes to a high standard in 18 countries; working in different institutional capacities, including consultancy services, the UN, a donor agency and a private foundation. Her expertise in the generation and strategic use of evidence, innovation design and thinking, influencing tactics, adaptive programming, engagement with multi-sector accountability coalitions, and co-creating solutions with impact are used to fight corruption.
Job Titles:
- Corporate Partnerships Manager
Sola Joined Transparency International UK to lead on our corporate stakeholder and partner engagements. Raising the profile of our Business Integrity membership and promoting successful outcomes on behalf of our Business Integrity Forum and Anti-corruption Benchmark partners. She is distinguished at nurturing long-term, reciprocal partnerships and carving out unique collaboration and growth opportunities through a career built in strategic and commercial relationship management.
Job Titles:
- Senior Development Officer
Sophie joined Transparency International UK in January 2022. She is responsible for providing support for fundraising and proposal development. She works across multiple fundraising streams, as well as creating and managing her own portfolio of supporters. She has previous experience working in fundraising and engagement in a number of NGOs in South America. She graduated from the University of East Anglia in 2021 with an MA in Conflict, Governance and International Development. ‘
Job Titles:
- Head of Research and Investigations
Steve is responsible for overseeing Transparency International UK's research and investigations, and is our specialist on corruption in UK politics. Before joining TI-UK in May 2015, Steve worked as a Senior Policy Adviser at the Electoral Commission. He has over a decade's policy and research experience, including working with complex legislation and messy data.
Job Titles:
- Coalition Communications Manager
Stevie has worked in communications for some of the UK's biggest brands, including seven years spent at leading charities Macmillan Cancer Support, the National Trust, and Marie Curie. He now leads comms for the UK Anti-Corruption Coalition (UKACC), helping coordinate partners in order to communicate more effectively with government, influencers and the public.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Senior Executive
Sue provides organisational and administrative support to the Chief Executive, coordination of the Senior Leadership Team and ensures that the governance arrangements of the Board, various Committees and Advisory Council are effectively supported and delivered.
Job Titles:
- Officer for BIP
- Senior Programme Officer
Tilly became a programme officer for BIP in April 2018. She is responsible for providing high level support to the BIP team across all activities while also leading the due diligence process for new stakeholders and supporting the running of the Business Integrity Forum. She joined TI-UK as an intern in October 2017. Tilly holds a MA in Governance and Corruption and a BA in Politics both from the University of Sussex.
Tom joined the Transparency International Health Initiative in February 2018 to develop the advocacy and research work streams of the flagship, DFID funded, Open Contracting for Health Project. Tom joined the team having previously worked on International Development projects focussing on Health, Women's Economic Empowerment & Governance. He holds a Master's degree in Corruption and Governance from the University of Sussex.
Job Titles:
- International Programmes Officer
Yi Kang is responsible for enabling Transparency International Defence and Security to operate efficiently and effectively, by delivering rigorous operational and programme administration support across our global portfolio. He is dedicated to the mission to strengthen transparency, accountability and oversight systems in a traditionally opaque and secretive sector. Yi Kang brings in multi-sectoral expertise, having being part of a wide range of civil society organisations, charities, and international law firms. He holds a Masters in Corporate Law from the University of Cambridge and a LLB Law Degree from the Queen's University of Belfast. Yi Kang speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and Malay.