People

For over 30 years, Mukesh has played a role in the international corporate world in areas such as Risk, Audit, Compliance and Business Management, with such prestigious names as British Airways. In more recent years, he has undertaken several, largely non-executive, roles with pension funds and within the Third Sector. Mukesh has a Master’s Degree in Management & IT, and also holds a specialist qualification of CISM – Certified Information Security Manager – issued by ISACA. With particular skills and experience in asset allocation and strategy, he also acts as Chair of the Local Pension Panel which oversees a fund selection in excess of £1 billion. He has also presided as Chair to many charities and Third Sector organisations. In his “downtime”, through his involvement with the Hounslow Rotary, he has co-founded a project called “Rotary World’s Greatest Meal to Help End Polio”. Married with three children, he has recently become a grandfather of three.

Rob qualified as an accountant in 1985 and over the next thirty years worked at several large financial institutions in the City, where he was mainly responsible for finance, regulatory and control issues. From 2001 until 2015, he was Finance Director of Sucden Financial Limited with a wide remit of responsibility covering Finance, Risk Management, IT and Regulatory Compliance. In 2015, he began volunteering with the London Capital Credit Union. He was a member of the supervisory committee and also worked in a customer facing role. In 2018, Rob moved to Oxford and joined the Oxfordshire Credit Union. He says, “The OCU will grow and benefit the community in the coming years and I want to help it achieve its aims”. In his free time, Rob loves to cook, is studying Spanish and is a keen golfer and runner.

Tina joined the Board of the Oxfordshire Credit Union in the winter of 2018. Tina is a leading Marketing and Procurement Consultant with over 25 years’ experience in the sector. She has worked with many of the UK leading brands on their marketing and procurement strategies ensuring that they are using the right suppliers and agencies to deliver against their marketing budgets and objectives. She is both a Chartered and Fellow of the CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply) and leads their Marketing Group to share best practice. Living in Thame, Tina is the Chair of her village’s Residents Association and is also involved in the marketing of their local volunteer run Thame Cinema. She is really interested in supporting the team at OCU on all things especially marketing and procurement related issues.

Eliane Pony has been an active member of the credit union for  almost a decade, volunteering with two London based credit unions. She is an accredited (ASDAN) Money Mentor and has helped people overcome debt by spending wisely and staying away from loan sharks. Her involvement with community projects started when she became a member of London Citizen in 2011 for projects such as the Living Wage and City Safe Havens.  Eliane holds a degree in Marketing and Communications and brings that  knowledge to develop and increase OCU membership. She has discovered the wonderful sport of Rugby and enjoys watching her sons playing every week ends. Eliane also speaks French fluently and currently works for a homeless charity in Reading. She is also involved in churches social events.

Alison joined the Board of the Oxfordshire Credit Union in the summer of 2016, having been a member for nearly three years. She works in Higher Education and specialises in distance, online and flexible learning, now in a self-employed capacity doing consultancy projects for different organisations. Alison comes from Jersey and lived in both Spain and France for a number of years teaching English as a Foreign Language before moving back to the UK and settling in Oxford in 2003. She sings in the Oxford Bach Choir, attends the University Church of St Mary the Virgin, and has recently picked up her French Horn again after many years of disuse. She is passionate about providing opportunities for people to save as well as spend, and to be able to borrow at reasonable interest rates and is training to be a coach, learning skills which she hopes will allow her to work alongside individuals who might benefit from support in learning to manage their finances.

  Steve Edwards has just joined Oxfordshire Credit Union as a board member.  Steve has spent over 30 years in sales and marketing and brings a wealth of experience to the board.  He has a passion for helping the less privileged, including homeless and addicts, establish or re-establish themselves solidly in society, and is involved in a number of charities working to this end.  Steve has five children and loves cycling and travel.