Our Team
Our Team
Directors
National and Regional
Alan Tower
National Director
For a number of years Alan worked in Bolivia in Theological Education. This was followed by a role in the UK and international leadership team of Latin Link. Alan joined Friends International in 2016, firstly as a Regional Development Director and then later as National Director.
Iván Neira
Regional Development Director
(North, England & Wales)
Iván is from Chile and has spent more than half of his life serving in Global Mission. He joined OM Ships in 1989 and met his wife Joanne there. He served as Deck Officer, but from 2000 was part of the senior leadership team for OM UK. Iván joined Friends International in 2020.
Sarah Dawkins
Regional Development Director
(South West England & South Wales)
Sarah is northern through and through, but has been exiled to the South since 2008. She’s been involved in student ministry since encountering the grace of Jesus for herself at university. Her passion is in reaching people who otherwise may not hear the gospel whilst they study in the UK. She can often be found with coffee!
Susanne Koch
Regional Development Director
(South East England)
Susanne grew up in Germany and has lived in five different countries, including time in Spain working as an IFES Team Leader. Susanne knows how life-changing sharing the gospel with students can be as she became a Christian as an international student. When she is not working, she is excited about cycling, running and hiking.
Pete Edwards
Regional Development Director
(Scotland, Ireland, and NE England)
Pete has been with Friends International since 2002. He has experience in the university sector and has a deep understanding of both practical local ministry and strategic national ministry.
TRUSTEES
The Board of Trustees
Dr Stroma Beattie
Chair of Trustees
Stroma has international experience as a member of the leadership team for a large Christian sending mission. She is a medical professional in the complex world of NHS structures, funding challenges and pursuit of favourable patient outcomes.
Geoffrey Spence
Chair of Finance Committee
Geoffrey is a Non-Executive Director of Jersey Ports, and the Nazareth Trust, a Scottish charity which owns and operates the Christian Hospital in Nazareth, Israel. He is Chairman of Elders at Danbury Mission Church, and has served as Global Head of Infrastructure, Resources and Energy for Lloyds Bank plc.
Dr Jon Salkeld
Jon worked as a staff member for Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF). He spent a number of years as Director of Corporate and UK Partnerships at Anglia Ruskin University and currently works as a freelance training consultant.
Rev Henry Lu
Rev Henry Lu serves as General Director of Chinese Overseas Christian Mission (COCM) in ‘reaching Chinese to reach Europe’, and has a Master’s degree from All Nations Christian College.
Nay Dawson
Nay Dawson works with the International Fellowship of Evangelical Students (IFES) in training across Europe. She also heads up the Passion for Evangelism network training female evangelists.
Jonathan Smith
Jonathan Smith is MBA and HR qualified. He has worked widely in the UK, for Christian mission agencies as well as secular companies, and abroad, including Taiwan and Switzerland.
Cilla Slater
Cilla has served as a local Branch member for Friends International in Guildford and worked among students as a Staff Worker for Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF).
Natasha Rayan
Natasha is the World Mission Minister at All Souls Church, Langham Place, a prominent and historically significant location for international student ministry. She has previously worked for Universities and Colleges Christian Fellowship (UCCF) as Team Leader for London.
Bob Mallet
Bob Mallet has many years’ experience as a Solicitor in London.
