Our people

Jeff has been Chair of Ronald McDonald House Charities UK since 2012.  He has an extensive professional background at a senior level in advertising and marketing, having worked around the world advising some of the largest global companies.

An economics graduate of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, he was later awarded an honorary doctorate for his role in creating their Alumni Fund, which provides a range of support for current students including scholarships for those coming from more deprived backgrounds.  He was a member of the University’s governing body for nine years and continues to advise the University on fundraising.

Although based in London, he is also Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Scottish Ensemble, a leading string orchestra.  The Ensemble takes live music into schools and cancer support centres, as well as performing concerts across Scotland and around the world.

His decision to join the Charity’s Board came from a recognition of the importance for any parent of being able to be close to their sick child in hospital.

Anu became a Trustee of the Charity in 2011. She is a Consultant in Paediatrics with plenty of experience in both inpatient as well as outpatient care for children. She is currently employed by a Clinical Research Organisation as a Medical Director specialising in clinical trials in children and infectious diseases. In addition, she attends a paediatric outpatient clinic regularly. Anu is a keen supporter of the charity as she witnesses the need for parent accommodation for families whose children are hospitalised in her role as a paediatrician.

Simon has been an independent Trustee since 2008 and has been particularly involved in the development of strategic planning of the charity. He was closely involved with the merger and creation of the new Evelina London House at Guy’s and St Thomas’s NHS Trust, and the re-organisation of fund raising for all of the Ronald McDonald House Charities Houses. He was formerly Director of Marketing at British Gas and a Managing Director of Centrica.

Sydney has extensive knowledge and expertise in finance, operations, and the commercial sector at a global level. She has spent her entire career in the advertising and marketing industry, holding C level positions at DDB (Omnicom Group), Razorfish and, most recently, at Vivaki (Publicis Groupe), where she was the Chief Financial Officer acting as the lead commercial and operational partner for all Publicis media and digital agencies throughout EMEA. She was previously involved with Ronald McDonald House Charities in the US for over 10 years where she held the position of President of the Board of Governors for Ronald McDonald House Charities – Western Washington & Alaska. Sydney is Principal of SKH Consultants and has two grown children living in the Seattle area. She enjoys hiking, tennis, kayaking and sailing.

Henry is a chartered surveyor with 25 years’ Board level experience, including 15 years with McDonald’s. Having worked for McDonald’s since 2008, Henry has a clear understanding of the Charity’s contribution to families with sick children in hospital. As Vice President of Development for the Corporation, he is responsible for the asset management of McDonald’s’ property portfolio, leading the deployment of construction-based rollout projects and increasing restaurant openings. A passionate supporter of the Charity, Henry has been personally involved in numerous fundraising activities. Henry is married with four children and in his spare time enjoys travel, sailing, golf and cricket.

In a previous life, Ron worked as a Dairy Farmer but after visiting a Franchising Fair in 1998, he became interested in venturing out as a McDonald’s Franchisee. Ron has always been interested in supporting his local communities and so it’s with great excitement that he has decided to join our Board of Trustees in 2016 at Ronald McDonald House Charities UK. In his spare time Ron is an avid season ticket holding Manchester United fan, cyclist and a keen sports watcher. He is also a bit of a petrol head.

Smita is a Partner of Forsters LLP a leading law firm based in the West End of London, which focuses principally upon the real estate and private client sectors.  She is a real estate lawyer and has many years of experience in acting for clients with diverse property interests, ranging from developers, investors, funders, and occupiers.  Smita was one of the founding partners of the firm and was Head of the Commercial Real Estate group from 1998 until 2003.  She became Senior Partner of the firm in 2014 and held that role for two four-year terms.

As a McDonald’s Franchisee with a portfolio of eight restaurants in Yorkshire, Anne has worked closely with the Charity for the past 15 years and is extremely passionate about our cause. Since purchasing her first restaurant in Wakefield, West Yorkshire in 2008, and currently having nine restaurants, Anne has taken part in several international cycling fundraising events and recently raised £30,000 with a Ladies Lunch in Leeds, West Yorkshire, for 275 guests. With a background in IT, having worked in both sales and operational management, Anne brings to the role great communication skills, and a vast network of connections. She is driven to achieve results, with a winning mindset and a passion for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK and our purpose.

Andrew is Vice President, Communications and Corporate Affairs at McDonald’s UK and Ireland, having joined 2019. He is responsible for all communications across the business, including brand reputation, consumer and corporate PR, corporate affairs, internal communications and regional communications. He also leads proactive reputation-building efforts and crisis management.
Andrew started his career in management consultancy and has since led communications functions for high-profile brands such as Cadbury, the John Lewis Partnership, Royal Mail Group and Dentsu. Andrew is also a qualified executive coach and served as a trustee of the Royal Voluntary Service.
Since joining McDonald’s, Andrew has provided leadership on the business-critical Trust agenda and played a pivotal role in crisis management.
Andrew is married with two daughters, and lives in London. He is a keen tennis player and runner.

Anne became a Trustee in July 2023, following her retirement. She previously worked for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK for 26 years, most recently in the role of Director of Strategic Partnerships. Before that, she was instrumental in driving the Ronald McDonald House build programme, developing 13 of the 14 Houses in the current estate.

She is really excited to be able to join the Board and continue to support the House teams around the UK, who have such a critical part to play in the care of families with sick children. Anne describes herself as being ‘lucky’ to have spent time with both families and NHS representatives who have told her what an important role our Houses play in the overall medical landscape.

Anne has a degree in Modern Languages, and a background in restaurant management (for McDonald’s – back in the 1980s!).

Outside her professional life, Anne is a keen runner, and enjoys representing her local club, as well as participating in parkrun on a Saturday morning – particularly whilst travelling around the country in her campervan.  Now that she is retired, Anne is also enjoying having more time to spend with her family, particularly her two young grandsons.

Commercially focused and results-driven McDonald’s Finance Director Dee Ralph became a Trustee in July 2024. Motivated by the work Ronald McDonald House Charities UK does to support families through the most challenging of situations, Dee is passionate about helping to raise more awareness and support.

Having spent many years working in the foodservice industry, Dee brings to her role proven leadership skills, financial acumen, business insight, ideas, and experience of strategic and operational growth planning. She will be instrumental in supporting the Charity’s Estates and Facilities Management, and in helping to make connections between McDonald’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and the Charity, to help secure the best advice, and overcome challenges to strengthen income generation.

Outside of her busy professional life, Hertfordshire-based Dee has a passion for fitness and has been practising martial arts for seven years, holding a 2nd Dan black belt in Taekwondo. She also teaches fitness classes and does personal training for a small number of individuals looking to hit their personal targets. More than anything, she enjoys spending quality time with her family, be it on dog walks, bowling or at the cinema.

Ella joined the Charity in November 2022 from her previous position as CEO of Think Ahead, a national mental health charity, which she co-founded in 2014. As CEO, Ella led a team which contributed greatly to the lives of thousands of service users across the UK through the recruitment, training, and development of the mental health workforce. The charity has grown from a small start-up to become a nationally respected institution…

Lauren Gotlieb has been leading the Marketing and Communications function of Ronald McDonald House Charities UK for over a decade. Whether it’s planning campaigns or conducting research into target audiences, Lauren develops strategies to reach existing and new supporters, raising awareness of the Charity and increasing support for our vital work. Lauren is also responsible for organisational strategy; bringing her planning and leadership expertise, and commitment to the cause, to making a positive impact on the Charity’s overall aims. In her spare time, Lauren enjoys playing the piano, watching films and discovering new restaurants.

Tony is our Director of Partnerships. He has a vast relationship portfolio working both in the Corporate and Charity sector and looks to ensure partnerships are maximised for mutual benefit with the ultimate aim of supporting our mission. Tony admits to not having much free time, but always seeming to find some when Manchester City are playing! He can also be found swinging a golf club now and then.

Sonya is the Charity’s Director of People and UK Operations and has responsibility for the operational and financial running of existing Ronald McDonald Houses. Sonya works with other key members of the leadership team on establishing and building new Ronald McDonald Houses, working closely with National Health Trusts to identify new sites for accommodation projects. In her spare time Sonya is an active netball player. She is also a keen cook and enjoys spending time with her family.

Sudarshan is responsible for the long-term financial health of the Charity and oversees a team across finance, data, and IT. His responsibilities include ensuring accurate financial planning and reporting, implementing systems that leverage new technologies, and effectively managing the financial assets to ensure the financial sustainability of the Charity. In his spare time, Sudarshan enjoys playing badminton, pursuing new recreations, and spending time with his family.

An experienced values driven leader and strategic fundraiser. Louise leads the Income Generation, Marketing, Communications and Digital Teams to inspire the public and companies to support the vital work that Ronald McDonald House Charities UK provides for families across the UK.

Before joining Ronald McDonald House Charities UK Louise held other senior positions across the sector, including Refuge, Stonewall and the NSPCC. Louise is proud to be a member of the LGBTQI+ community and has championed equality, diversity and inclusion throughout her career. Louise’s main focus outside of work are her three young children.