Welcome to our new trustees

I am truly delighted to welcome Diana, Judy and Saqib. They bring an invaluable diversity of experience, knowledge and skills to further strengthen our board at this key moment in our ten-year strategy. Their passion and skills will be an invaluable addition to the Operation Smile team and will support our commitment to provide free, safe surgery and comprehensive care to children with cleft conditions around the world.

Maria Moore, Chair of the Board of Trustees

Meet the new trustees

Diana Dalton – Senior Civil Servant

Diana is a Senior Civil Servant at the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) with a career anchored in international development. She currently heads up FCDO’s work on gender and equalities, working to advance the rights and opportunities for women and girls and marginalised groups around the world. Previous FCDO roles include Head of the Research Department, Head of the UN and Commonwealth Department and Country Director for the expansive UK development operation in Bangladesh. Before joining the UK’s civil service, Diana held different leadership and operational roles in the international development NGO sector, including Country Director for Voluntary Service Overseas for the Thai and Myanmar programme and Global Communications and Advocacy Manager for the International Save the Children Alliance. After many years working in London and overseas, Diana moved to Scotland and is now based in Edinburgh.

It’s a huge privilege to be joining Operation Smile’s Board of Trustees. I have worked in international development my whole career and seen the work of many organisations around the world. It’s clear to see the value of the work of Operation Smile, and the difference it makes to families and communities all over the world. I look forward to offering any new perspectives I can to help as the organisation continues to evolve its work and deliver even more.

Diana Dalton

Judy Nyaga – Company Secretary

Judy is currently the Company Secretary of Standard Chartered Bank Kenya Limited and Regional Head for Corporate Governance in Africa & Middle East.
Judy brings more than twenty years of legal and corporate governance experience in the banking industry to her role as trustee, with a strong track record of driving improvement in the effectiveness of boards in Kenya and across Africa, Middle East, ASEAN and South Asia.

I am thrilled to join the Board of Trustees and greatly looking forward to working with the rest of the Operation Smile team. I have been a great admirer of the global achievements of Operation Smile, and I am excited about the positive, life-changing impact we can provide to children and adults with cleft conditions worldwide. I bring with me a strong background in legal and corporate governance, and I am confident that these skills will be an asset to the board and to our overall progress towards the ‘Next Decade’ strategy.

Judy Nyaga

Saqib Alam – International Lawyer

Saqib is an international lawyer and Partner at Morrison Foerster who advises global companies, boards and individuals facing business-critical issues and helps them resolve matters from a legal and reputational standpoint. Practicing in London for the last 15 years, Saqib has represented companies and individuals in regulatory investigations, litigation and corporate crises covering dozens of countries around the world. Saqib graduated from King’s College, University of London, with first class honours in Law in 2006. He has previously served as a Justice’s Law Clerk in the Supreme Court of Singapore and as an Assistant Registrar in the High Court of Singapore. Saqib is admitted to practice law in New York, England and Singapore.

I am honoured, privileged and excited to be joining the Board of Trustees of Operation Smile UK. Together, I hope to continue Operation Smile’s decades-long legacy of giving children around the world the gift of a beautiful new smile and a brighter future through cleft surgery and comprehensive care.

Saqib Alam