About UsOur Trustees

Cliff Hampton

Cliff Hampton became Board Chair in June 2016. Cliff has over 30 years of Investment Banking experience with Phoenix Securities, Donaldson, Lufkin &Jenrette and Chaired Lexicon Partners for 11 years and Fenchurch Advisory for 3 years.

He was previously the Chairman and Founder of Marshgate Developments Limited. He was Chairman of Godolphin & Latymer School for five years until 2018 and continues to sit on the School’s Bursary Fund, Development and Finance Committees. He was a founding partner of Vamizi, a luxury island retreat and conservation project in Mozambique.

He was appointed Global Chairman of Opportunity International in November 2018.

Michael Crofton-Briggs

I have been a chartered town planner for 40 years including as Oxford City's most senior planning officer. I became a trustee of OIUK in 2017. I have been fortunate to see OI’s work on the ground and am struck by the substantial challenges that our clients face. However, I continue to be bowled over by their energy and ability to overcome these with support from OI. Their optimism for the future is both infectious and humbling. As a Trustee my aim is to support our staff provide greater opportunities to even more clients to reach their potential.

Nigest Haile

Nigest is the Founder & Executive Director of the Center for Accelerated Women’s Economic Empowerment (CAWEE), Trade Promotion Organisation involved in promoting women exporters. Nigest has over 30 years’ experience in enterprise development with a focus on women's enterprises, currently involved in facilitating intra-African trade, women taking the lead, among four countries: Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya and Rwanda.

She is one of the founders of Ethiopian Women’s Commercial Bank (Enat Bank). She is currently Advisory Board member for Women in Africa ( WIA) and Executive Board Member for Healing Hands of Joy.

Roger Witcomb

I’ve had a long and varied career. I’ve been a schoolmaster, university lecturer, Bank of England economist, oil company executive, power company finance director, headhunter and competition enforcer. I’ve been director of a water company, an estate agent and a wind generator, I’ve worked for FAO and I’ve developed infrastructure projects in Africa and Asia. But nowhere have I come across more creativity and commitment to make the world a better place than in my 20+ years of association with OI. Giving the poor access to financial services may not sound very exciting, but it is, and it’s incredibly important, and OI does it very well.

Sam Bamert

Sam has broad experience spanning a 25+ year career across the finance, fintech and charity sectors. She worked for almost 20 years for Barclays during which she engaged intensively in a number of diversity initiatives. She then founded a fintech with a mission to address financial exclusion for credit worthy yet under-served small and micro businesses in the UK, pioneering the development of behavioural science and inclusive models combining leading technology with human interaction to optimise outcomes.

She previously served as Trustee and Treasurer for a UK based charity that helped society’s most vulnerable children by providing therapy through school-based intervention. 

Simon Martin

I worked as a lawyer in investment management for 28 years before retiring from paid work in 2021. I’ve been a trustee of OI since 2022, as well as serving as a trustee of my local church. I’ve been involved in OI for many years as a supporter and in 2017 had the opportunity to take my family to see the work being done by OI and local partners in Ghana. I’m always inspired by meeting clients, especially during country visits, and seeing how their resilience, skills and creativity transforms families and communities. It’s a privilege serving them.

Tineyi Emmanuel Mawocha

Tineyi is the Africa Regional Director for Opportunity International. He joined Opportunity International in 2014 as CEO of Urwego Opportunity Bank (UOB) (Rwanda), then CEO of Opportunity Bank Uganda from 2016 to 2020.

Tineyi has over 20 years experience in commercial and retail banking as well as microfinance. His initial training was in hospitality management and he worked in this industry in the UK and Zimbabwe.  Tineyi is an advisor and faculty member of Accion’s Board Leadership for Impact programme. He is also a member of the Governing Council for Waterford Kamhlaba United World College of Southern Africa.

David Thomson

I currently serve as CEO at All We Can having joined in September 2024.  I’ve spent the last 30 years in a variety of senior roles and parts of the world in the humanitarian and social justice sector, where I’m known for inspiring change and helping organisations become fit for purpose and fit for the future.  I am deeply passionate about seeing change happen and driving the change needed to make the world better – a world where all people live equal and free.  I’m excited to be joining the OIUK Board to help advance sustainable and resilient livelihoods with and for some of the world’s most disenfranchised people.  I have 3 adult children and live with my wife in Oxford.  

David Burndred

Having spent a good part of my career in the UK and international impact investment fields I am delighted to be able to bring insights and perspectives from these roles to Opportunity International. I am currently a Senior Advisor at Better Society Capital, a leading UK social impact investment institution, having previously been their Chief Financial Officer for seven years.

Earlier in my career I spent nine years at British International Investment (previously CDC Group) as an Investment Manager based in Africa and UK, growing and managing a portfolio of impact investments. I have also held senior financial leadership roles in the professional services and technology sectors and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with PWC.

Alongside Opportunity International UK, I also currently hold voluntary sector governance roles at St Paul's Cathedral, London and the Commonwealth Secretariat. I am also Chair of a successful community sports organisation and member of the Grants Committee for a City Livery Company.