MEET THE TEAM
We’re only able to do what we do thanks to the support of our amazing volunteers, partner organisations and dedicated team of Trustees.
CEO
Phil Hawkins
Phil is the founder of Aprender. He has 20 years teaching experience in the UK working in schools in London. He holds a Post-Graduate certificate in Education, the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) and a Diploma in Whole School Evaluation. He was Deputy Head Teacher for 5 years before moving to Brazil for 6 years, returning to the UK in 2016, where he now works in international education development.
Chair
Joyce Wangu
Joyce brings over 14 years of leadership across higher education and consultancy, specialising in governance, strategic planning, quality assurance, and stakeholder engagement to Aprender. She has held senior roles at Aga Khan University and Zetech University, holds an MBA in Operations Management, and is currently pursuing an MSc in Educational Management. Joyce is also a co-author and accomplished East African mountain hiker.
Secretary
Neil Walker
Neil used to work in Information Technology across many different industry sectors and brings business and corporate governance experience from the retail, financial services, information services and health industries to the Board. Now retired, he is also a trustee of a community charity, and volunteers across a number of other community groups where he helps with IT, communications and governance.
Communications, Marketing & Brand Trustee
Achieng Butler
Achieng Butler is a senior bilingual executive with over 25 years of experience in business strategy, consumer marketing, and integrated communications. She has held Chief Marketing Officer and Vice President roles at Coca-Cola, Airtel Africa, Danone, and Sun King, leading teams across 13 countries. Known for her expertise in brand positioning, digital strategy, and research and insights, Achieng is currently Managing Director of the Africa Leadership and Dialogue Institute (ALADI). She holds an MBA from Staffordshire University and is completing a Doctorate in Business Administration.
Individual & Team Development Trustee
David Plummer
David is an entrepreneur, experienced senior executive and turnaround specialist with a broad frame of reference and depth of experience gained within his own, private and public companies. He has held senior leadership positions in a number of public companies, worked in over sixty countries around the world and possesses a high level of functional expertise as well as thirty years experience of leading and managing change.
Education & Impact Trustee
Dr. Evangeline N. Nderu, PhD
Evangeline is an education policy specialist and board leader with over 25 years' experience transforming early childhood education systems across sub-Saharan Africa. As Founder of EmpowerED Strategies, she bridges knowledge generation, policy development, and implementation, working with governments and international organisations. She serves on several Boards and is an enthusiastic Toastmaster, Rotarian and cyclist. She holds a doctorate in Education Policy and Administration from the University of Minnesota.
Fundraising & Partnership Trustee
Herbert Monadira
Herbert is a senior executive and board leader with over a decade of experience across telecommunications, retail, supply chain, logistics, and learning & development. He brings deep expertise in strategy, new business development, governance, and commercial growth. He is responsible for driving sustainable revenue growth, market expansion, and strategic partnerships. He is passionate about building ethical, impact-driven, and commercially sound organisations, with a strong focus on aligning strategy, people, and systems to deliver measurable outcomes.
Safeguarding & EDI Trustee
Rhiannon Corlett
Rhiannon is an experienced and dedicated Humanities and Social Sciences teacher. She's an outstanding educator, knowledgeable, charismatic, and highly motivated to achieve the best for both students and staff. Rhiannon has a passion for unpicking concurrent societal discourse while striving to empower those around her. Rhiannon supports the Board as Safeguarding & Child Protection and Equality, Diversity & Inclusion trustee.
Digital & Innovation Advisor
Gary Bonilla
Gary was born in Puerto Rico, but has lived in the USA and is now based in the UK. His focus has always been on cultivating organisations with high emotional intelligence, capable of leaving a lasting mark on society. With a background spanning over a decade in the non-profit sector, Gary has served as both trustee and founder, guiding numerous executives and spearheading fundraising efforts.
Aprender Ambassadors Manager
Lynette Chingosho
With a background in executive search, talent acquisition and relationship-led project delivery, Lynette brings experience in connecting people to meaningful opportunities and supporting teams to work with clarity and purpose. At Aprender, Lynette works closely with the Chief Executive Officer, Trustees and team leads to recruit, onboard and engage Ambassadors, helping volunteers feel welcomed, aligned and able to contribute to the organisation’s mission. Zimbabwean by nationality, Lynette grew up in Kenya and spent six years in Namibia furthering her studies. She has travelled to eight countries and hopes to see many more, bringing with her a curiosity about people, culture and purposeful work.
Partnership Manager
Mdu Lokotfwako
Mdu is a Corporate Affairs executive with over 15 years of senior leadership across more than 19 African markets, operating at the intersection of business, government, public policy and reputation. He is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Engage To Inspire International, a Pan-African external affairs and business enablement advisory firm, and serves as a non-executive director and trustee across several organisations, bringing deep experience in stakeholder engagement, partnership building and board-level governance. At Aprender, Mdu leads the development of the strategic partnerships. Outside of work, he loved spending time with his wife, exploring new adventures. He is also a passionate music producer, which he does on his spare time.
Additional Trustee
In recruitment stage
Coming soon
Our Volunteers
Aprender is powered by an incredible community of volunteers who give their time, skills, and networks to support our mission.
From strengthening programmes to opening doors to new partnerships, their contribution helps us reach more teachers, more schools, and more children. They bring expertise, energy, and belief in what we do—helping us grow, improve, and scale our impact.
Our volunteers are not on the sidelines—they are a core part of Aprender.
We are deeply grateful to work alongside them.