Richard Burden
Richard Haines Burden is a British Labour Party politician who was Member of Parliament for Birmingham Northfield (1992-2019). He served as Shadow Transport Minister (2013-2016) and (2016-2017).
The Rt Revd Dr Michael Doe
The Rt Revd Dr Michael Doe is Preacher to Gray’s Inn, one of the four Inns of Court, and Assistant Bishop in the Diocese of Southwark. He holds a particular concern for the churches in the Holy Land and for the contribution of all faiths – Christian, Muslim and Jewish – to the search for peace with justice in Palestine and Israel. Previously Dr Doe served as the first Bishop of Swindon (1994-2004) and General Secretary of the Church of England mission agency, USPG (2004-2011).
Sir Vincent Fean, KCVO
Sir Vincent Fean was a member of the British Diplomatic Service (DS) 1975-2014. His last post was Consul-General, Jerusalem (2010-14). Prior to serving in Jerusalem, Fean was Ambassador to Libya, and previously High Commissioner to Malta.
Baron Frankal
Baron Frankal is the Chief Executive of The Portland Trust. Baron spent several years in the Sultanate of Oman, restructuring the aviation sector and launching Visit Oman. He then worked at the British Embassy Muscat for the Department of International Trade. He has served as an Honorary Consul and Non-Executive Board member of two NHS Trusts.
Frances Guy
Frances Guy is CEO of Scotland’s International Development Alliance, a network of members working on global sustainable development. She was previously Gender Team Leader for the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) regional office in the Arab states based in Jordan (2017-21) head of Christian Aid’s Middle East team in London (2014-17) and representative for UNWomen in Iraq (2012-2014). Between 1985- 2012 she worked in the British Foreign Service, serving as Ambassador to Yemen (2001-04) head of the FCO’s Engaging the Islamic World group (2004-2006) and Ambassador to Lebanon (2006-2011).
Sandra Hamrouni
Sandra Hamrouni enjoyed a 30-year career with the British Council – as Country Director in Bahrain, Occupied Palestinian Territory, Cyprus and Algeria and Teaching Centre Manager in Tunisia, Syria, Oman and Spain. As Country Director in oPT she led educational, arts and cultural relations programmes and initiated and developed Higher Education Scholarships for Palestinians. Now in its twelfth year, HESPAL has enabled over 200 Palestinian academics to follow Masters and PhD programmes at UK universities. Alongside her work for the Balfour Project, Sandra serves as Chair for Fobzu (Friends of Birzeit University).
Dr Imad Karam
Dr Imad Karam is the Executive Director of Initiatives of Change International, a global network of people of diverse cultures and backgrounds, whose mission is to inspire, equip and accompany change makers in the pursuit of a just and peaceful world. Imad is also an award-winning documentary filmmaker.
Timothy Mattar – Treasurer
Timothy Mattar is a Chartered Accountant and has worked in the finance industry for nearly 40 years at Board level and as CEO of various institutions. His focus has been on private equity and other areas of private markets including real estate, hedge funds and private debt. He has worked at Investcorp both in the Middle East and globally (1995-2024), Banque Indosuez (1990-1995), Arthur Andersen (1988-1990) and Grant Thornton (1983-1988). He has a BA in History from London University.
John McHugo – Secretary
John McHugo is author of A Concise History of the Arabs, Syria: A Recent History, and A Concise History of Sunnis and Shi’is. He has also published on the legal interpretation of UNSCR 242, the British and French Mandates in the Middle East and the Jewish Egyptian nationalist James Sanua (Ya’qub Sanu.’) He was Partner in a City of London law firm and worked on international boundary disputes in the Middle East.
Dr Peter Shambrook
Educated at the universities of East Anglia and Cambridge, Dr Peter Shambrook holds a PhD in Modern Middle Eastern History. He is author of Policy of Deceit Britain and Palestine 1914-1939 (2023) and French Imperialism in Syria, 1927-1936 (1998). Peter’s current research is focused on British government policy regarding the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence and he serves as a Historical Consultant to The Balfour Project. He served as Programme Director of British-Arab Exchanges (1974-1987).
Dr Phyllis Starkey – Vice-Chair
Dr. Starkey was Member of the House of Commons for the Labour party (1997-2010). Over the course of her career, Dr. Starkey served as Chair of the Select Committee for Communities and Local Government (2005-2010); PPS to Denis MacShane (2002-2005); member of the Modernisation of the House of Commons Select Committee (1999-2001) and National Chair of the Local Government Information Unit (1993-1997). Before entering Parliament, Dr. Starkey had a double career as a research scientist, leading her own research group in Oxford, and as a politician in local and national politics.
Professor Roger Spooner OBE – Co-founder
Roger Spooner co-founded the Balfour Project in 2011 with his wife, Dr Monica Spooner, who served as the first Chair. Roger had an academic career in immunogenetics, during which he was awarded an OBE for services to animal breeding research and edited the journal Animal Genetics. He chaired British-Arab Exchanges for 12 years.
Alison Waugh – Treasurer
Alison Waugh has been Treasurer for Balfour Project since 2018. Prior to her retirement, Alison worked in education, specialising in IT support for special needs. Waugh co-founded the charity Abused Men in Scotland in 2010 where she continues to serve as a Trustee and Acting Treasurer.
Andrew Whitley – Chair
Andrew Whitley succeeded Sir Vincent Fean as Chair of the Balfour Project on 1 June 2022. He has been a Trustee since 2018. In 2017 he founded GeoPolitical Advisory Services, a conflict mediation consultancy working in the Middle East. A retired senior United Nations official, Andrew spent much of his working life in the Middle East, including seven years in Israel and Palestine. He is also a former journalist with the BBC and Financial Times.