The Veterans’ Foundation has appointed five new trustees to its Board as it prepares to celebrate its 10th anniversary in July 2026 and enter its next phase of growth.
The appointments will further strengthen governance and leadership, bringing expertise from the armed forces, international diplomacy, defence, global business, communications, and humanitarian operations.
Since founding in 2016, the Foundation has awarded more than £34 million in grants to over 550 charities that directly help serving personnel, veterans, and their families across the UK.
By backing charities that deliver vital services — from mental health care and homelessness support to employment training, crisis intervention, and community programmes — the Foundation ensures its grants make a measurable difference and change lives where it matters most.
The five new trustees are:
- Catriona Laing CB – Senior British diplomat at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and former British Ambassador and UN Special Representative, with extensive experience in foreign policy, conflict environments, and international leadership.
- Celia Liu – Executive Adviser for Private Equity with over 20 years’ experience in finance and executive leadership, having held Regional CEO and CFO roles across Europe and Asia in the facilities management, security, and outsourcing sectors.
- Catherine Spencer OBE – Catherine Spencer OBE has over 15 years of senior leadership experience across the charitable, defence, and health sectors, including three CEO roles. She has led The Seafarers’ Charity, served as Chief Executive of the Army Families Federation, and is now CEO of Cochrane. With her family part of the Army for nearly 30 years, she understands firsthand the impact service can have.
- James Banks – A former Captain in the Royal Artillery, with tours in Iraq and Afghanistan, followed by a career in journalism, James is a Senior Vice President and Head of External Communications at Rolls-Royce, Civil Aerospace. He brings extensive experience in international communications, reputation management, and strategic campaigns.
- Steven Smith – Steve Smith was a career officer in the British Army, specialising in logistics, intelligence and high-threat, counter-terrorist bomb disposal. He is now CEO of Care4Calais and has extensive leadership experience across humanitarian NGOs and defence intelligence.
They join existing trustees including Maggie Pedder, an HR professional with experience in retail and finance who also ran her own consultancy and spent 30 years as a military spouse, and Guy Cartwright, CEO of the Royal Company of Merchants of the City of Edinburgh, who served 18 years in the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers with operational tours in Northern Ireland and Bosnia. In late 2025, Andrew Anderson succeeded Peter Mountford MBE as Chair after a decade of transformational leadership; Andrew is a Chairman and investor in many European technology companies and previously served seven years in the Parachute Regiment.
Andrew Anderson, Chair of the Veterans’ Foundation, said:
“We are fortunate to welcome trustees with senior leadership experience from international business, global diplomacy, major corporations, humanitarian organisations, and the Armed Forces. That experience strengthens our governance and strategic oversight, ensuring we remain ambitious and focused on delivering meaningful impact for the Armed Forces community over the next ten years.”
Jane Gurney, CEO of the Veterans’ Foundation, added:
“As we mark 10 years of impact, our focus is firmly on the future. The Veterans’ Foundation backs the people who deliver life-changing support for veterans and their communities across the UK. With a strong Board and leadership team in place, we plan to deepen our impact and support more organisations that make an active different for veterans in vital areas such as mental health, housing and community-based support.”
