Our People
Eileen Gallagher OBE, Chair of Trustees
Our Chair of Trustees, Eileen is founder and former CEO of Shed Media Group – the drama company responsible for Bad Girls, Footballers’ Wives and Waterloo Road. As former chair of PACT, the trade association for independent film and TV producers, she successfully lobbied for changes to the 2003 Communications Act which created the media regulator, Ofcom.
Kate Harris, Co-founder and Trustee
Previously VP American Express Corporate Services. Track record in leading business critical global relationships; strategic business planning and budget management. Lifelong feminist/lesbian activist: worked at Brighton Women’s Aid. Former volunteer fundraiser for Stonewall.
Bev Jackson, Co-founder and Trustee
After a career as a teacher and university lecturer in English literature, Bev spent 17 years as a translator at the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Now a freelance academic translator, largely in art history. A founding member of the UK Gay Liberation Front and former activist in many areas including refugee rights, she is the author of A Month with Starfish.
Lord Young, Trustee
Labour Party Life Peer; former General Secretary of National Communications Union; Joint General Secretary of the Communication Workers Union. Previous Parliamentary Under Secretary of State at Department for Innovation, Universities & Skills, later at Department for Business, Innovation & Skills. Ex-Governor of the BBC.
Dermot Kehoe, Trustee
Dermot Kehoe is an experienced Communications specialist. He has worked in strategic communications, public policy and journalism including in financial services, the NHS, Home Office, ITV, Channel 4 and the BBC. Dermot’s first involvement in LGB activism was fighting the introduction of Section 28 whilst studying in Manchester, which led to him becoming Vice President of the National Union of Students. Dermot is married to a Welshman and has 5 children and step children and six grandchildren.
Rhona Hotchkiss, Trustee
Rhona Hotchkiss was a Registered Nurse specialising in ITU before becoming an advisor to Scottish Government. After serving as an Executive Director at the Board responsible for setting & monitoring Health & Care Standards in Scotland she joined the Scottish Prison Service as Deputy Governor & then Governor in Charge of 3 Scottish Prisons including having overall responsibility for the entire Women’s Prison Estate. She retired in 2019 and is now Trustee of a health related charity, Chair of North Ayrshire Women’s Aid and a Director at Beira’s Place.
Dan James Smith, Trustee
Dan is a communications, employee engagement and branding expert, having led teams at some of the UK’s most well-known transport brands, including British Airways, Virgin Trains, and London North Eastern Railway.
His work has earned him multiple industry accolades at the Institute of Internal Communication and from the Chartered Institute of Public Relations.
He’s also served as an independent adviser on the Citizens Advice People Committee, helping steer people-focused strategy at a national level.
He’s a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and the Institute of Internal Communication, and holds degrees in communications, marketing, and business.
Kate Barker, Chief Executive Officer
Kate Barker is a copywriter, strategist, speech writer and columnist who founded and ran an award-winning London creative agency. A communications adviser to political parties, think tanks and campaign groups, Kate has recently published her first novel.
Dr Az Hakeem, Patron
Dr Az Hakeem is a Fellow of The Royal College of Psychiatrists and a renowned medical psychotherapist with a specialism in gender dysphoria. Az is an effective communicator who speaks eloquently at conferences, contributes to films and is sought after by the media for his expertise.
He is an absolute authority in his field and someone who is always unafraid to challenge the orthodoxy. We are extremely proud that he will be part of our team.
Richard Kirker, Patron
Richard Kirker’s 30 year professional life, from 1978, was spent challenging homophobia and campaigning for the rights of same-and-bi sex attracted people. Helping form alliances and coordinating broadly-based initiatives within charitable, faith, public, educational, and political sectors to promote the well-being of lgb people was his life’s work. But, he says “in view in particular of the onslaught on women’s and lesbian rights, spaces, and chances, as well as brazen aggression and threats to employment and free speech, by an emboldened class of intolerant enforcers and censors, the LGB Alliance is helping restore sanity, compassion, and common-sense where it is most needed. This is no more important than in legislation, universities and schools, medical care, safe-guarding, and public policy, as well as sports, art, culture, and academia.”
“The stakes are high. Our rights and freedoms are threatened. Supporting the Alliance is the best chance of protecting the progress we all took for granted for too long. It is focussed only on doing that.”
Robert Wintemute, Patron
Professor of Human Rights Law at King’s College London, lawyer and expert in successful LGB court cases in Europe and Latin America, signatory of the 2007 Yogyakarta Principles (now critical of Principles 3 & 31).