DON HANSON FOUNDATION - Key Persons
Andrew Fox is one of the four Life Trustees appointed when the UK charity was founded by Don Hanson in June 2007 and now serves as Chairman of the Trustees. Andrew also serves as Chairman of Internet Mobile Communications Ltd, a successful fast-growing profitable Chelmsford-based communications company seed-funded by Mr Hanson, a substantial shareholding of which company forms part of his Estate.
Andrew started his business life as a Eurobond trader in London. He moved to the Commonwealth Bank in Australia and in 1992 he founded Pacific Gemini to develop financial services in the Russian Far East. Andrew was a founder of the Vladivostok Stock Exchange and remains Chairman of Tiger Securities, an established investment company there. He is a member of the Institute of Fundraising.
Andrew is a graduate in Economics, Pembroke College, Cambridge. He holds British and Australian citizenships, and he is fluent in Russian. He serves as British Honorary Consul to the Russian Far East, having been so appointed by Her Majesty's Government in 1998.
Andrew and Don met after a ‘Face Value' article in the Economist in October 1996 about Andrew's work in Russia where Don had investments. After that Don became a shareholder and director of Andrew's business as well as investing together for nearly twenty years in Russia, Thailand, Australia, America and Vietnam involving much travel, many company visits with global partners over the years and some golf.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Secretary
- Treasurer
- Economist
Gary works as an economist in Washington DC. Previously, he taught economics in the U.S. and Russia. He was a Fulbright Scholar in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine and he worked on assignments in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Siberia.
Gary has a PhD from Emory University and is a Certified Public Accountant. In addition to his daytime job, he teaches as adjunct faculty in the certified financial planning program at the University of Virginia's site in Falls Church VA.
Gary first met Don Hanson in 1999 while working on a project led by Don and Andrew in Uzbekistan. He later had contact with him relating to ventures that Don and Andrew were pursuing in the United States.
Job Titles:
- Director
- Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
Simon's career has spanned thirty years, many as a partner at a global Big Four consulting firm.
His current professional portfolio includes roles as a senior adviser to a global consulting firm, with a focus on the Middle East, as well as an adviser and/or NED to governments, NGOs and corporates in a wide range of sectors especially in the U.K and emerging markets.
Clients have included major U.K. government departments as well as ministries and state owned enterprises including long term residential stints in the Asia-Pacific region (6 years) and latterly the Middle East (4 years and currently). He has also advised multilateral development agencies, especially the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, on public sector reform in emerging and post crisis/conflict zones.
He has advised various government departments and prime ministers since 1989 including three years on secondment to Whitehall during the Blair public service reforms of the early to mid 2000s.
Simon has a wide range of sector experience including health, pharma, transport, telecoms, education, cyber, corporate intel/security, technology, energy and heritage, and takes an active interest in thought leadership. He led several global health sector initiatives, had his own newspaper column and has been interviewed in the media on public policy issues.
Simon is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine, a former Associate Fellow of the ICAEW, a member of the IoD and international affairs and security focused think tanks including Chatham House and RUSI.
Simon first met Don in 1998 and was regularly in contact with him until his passing. He was educated at Cambridge University, London Business School and Insead.
Job Titles:
- Manager, Schools Program and Hanson Box Coordinator
Stewart McPherson joined the Don Hanson Charitable Foundation team in 2018.
Stewart manages and coordinates the Hanson Box project, including designing and overseeing the creation of educational resources under the direction of the Trustees, and coordinating the packing and delivery of completed Hanson Boxes to schools across the UK and the Overseas Territories.
Stewart's background includes extensive engagement with students and schools across the UK, including lecture tours, authoring numerous children's books and presenting educational wildlife documentaries designed for children. Stewart also handles the expansion of the Hanson Box concept across the Anglosphere, as well as commercial sale of books where copyright and royalties belong to the Foundation.
Stewart was educated at Durham University in the UK, and Yale University in the USA.