Meet the Board of Trustees

Professor Kamil Omoteso

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Professor Kamil Omoteso was appointed chair of the board of trustees in 2017. He is a professor of Accounting and Governance, and the Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the College of Business, Law, and Social Sciences at the University of Derby. He was also the founding Chair of the Educational Support Initiative for Africa (ESIfA), which has donated over 75,000 books and academic journals to universities across Africa.

Professor Omoteso is an experienced educator and has held roles at De Montfort and Coventry universities. In 2015 he was the recipient of the Outstanding Author Contribution at the Emerald Literati Network Awards for Excellence.

Originally from Lagos, Nigeria, Professor Omoteso has spent his career educating, and counselling others to better understand accountancy, and he joined Human Appeal’s Board of Trustees to give back to vulnerable communities.

Mr Omar Mashjari

Member of the Board of Trustees

Dr. Omar Mashjari is a dynamic force at the intersection of law, academia, and leadership, dedicated to serving humanity. He currently holds the position of Associate Director in the College of Business and Law at the University of the West of England (UWE Bristol), having previously served as the Associate Head of Department at Bristol Law School.

Dr. Mashjari has a PhD in Law from the University of Leeds, a Master of Laws (Distinction) from the University of Law and a Bachelor of Laws with Honours (First Class) from the University of Liverpool. He was the recipient of the prestigious Leeds Research Scholarship and is a Fellow of the Royal Society for Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

Dr. Mashjari is also a qualified Solicitor of the Senior Courts of England and Wales as well as an accredited Civil and Commercial Mediator. His strategic leadership skills have earned him the distinguished status of Chartered Manager (CMgr FCMI) and Fellow from the Chartered Management Institute.

He was appointed Human Appeal's youngest-ever trustee and is currently the President of Human Appeal France. He has made other significant contributions, such as serving as Associate Non-Executive Director at North Bristol NHS Trust, where he helps shape the future of healthcare services. The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority appointed him to the Development Board of the Race Equality Hub in 2021, where he led on the UK's first investment bank for minority-ethnic businesses.

As an experienced educator, Dr. Mashjari was previously the Director of Global Engagement at the University of Westminster and an International Director at another university. He has shaped the academic landscape and garnered recognition for his teaching excellence, including being awarded the Competition Law Higher Education Lecturer of the Year by the Legal Awards 2022. He also holds a PG certificate in Teaching and Learning from the University of Westminster and is a Fellow of AdvanceHE.

Dr. Mashjari’s multidimensional skill set positions him as a thought leader, strategic advisor, and impactful contributor to both the legal and humanitarian sectors.

Dr. Ken Baldwin

Member of the Board of Trustees

Dr. Ken Baldwin graduated from the University of Oxford with a first in Physics, and completed a PhD at Loughborough University focused on risk-sharing in Islamic contracts. He is also qualified as a chartered accountant and previously worked in investment banking.

A revert to Islam, Dr. Baldwin moved to the Middle East in 2000, where he worked for a number of Islamic banks, including the Islamic Development Bank in Jeddah.

Since 2015, he has worked as an assistant professor teaching finance at Coventry University, where he’s pursuing research into the theoretical reinforcement of Islamic banking.

Dr. Baldwin joined Human Appeal’s Board of Trustees in December 2020.

Dr Abdulrahman Alhefny

Emergency Medicine Specialist

Dr Abdulrahman Alhefny holds a Fellowship of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine (FRCEM), awarded in 2022, and previously gained Membership of the Royal College (MRCEM) in 2018. He also holds a Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBCh) from Ain Shams University, graduating with a "Very Good" grade in 2005.

He served as a Specialty Doctor in Emergency Medicine at North Manchester General Hospital, part of Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, from September 2020 to July 2024. During this time, he worked on a 10 PA rota in one of the busiest district general hospitals in North Manchester, overseeing the care of over 100,000 patients annually in both adult and paediatric emergency services.

Dr Abdulrahman Alhefny has held leadership roles, particularly during night shifts, ensuring patient safety and operational efficiency. He is actively involved in junior and middle grade doctor education, quality improvement initiatives, and clinical governance activities, including audits, incident reviews, and governance meetings.

His previous roles include Registrar in Emergency Medicine at Erfan and Bagedo General Hospital in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia (2015–2020), as well as various clinical posts in Egypt, including Emergency Medicine Resident at Ain Shams University Hospitals and Medical Officer roles in both the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Health.

He is a member of the Royal College of Emergency Medicine and the Saudi Society of Emergency Medicine.

Ms Bilkis Shittu

Member of the Board of Trustees

Bilkis Shittu holds a B.Sc. (Hons) Accounting (First Class Division) from the University of Benin, Nigeria, and graduated with a Masters in Business Administration from Manchester Business School. She holds the prestigious of Fellow at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Bilkis provides tailored accounting, tax and advisory services for service-based small business owners, supporting high-earners to manage their finances through tax efficiency, consultations and guidance. She was appointed Member of the Board of Trustees in October 2024.

Dr Rajnaara Chowdhury Akhtar

Member of the Board of Trustees

Dr Akhtar has a PHD from the University of Warwick, a Master of Laws in Human Rights from the University of Nottingham and a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Leicester. She is a Fellow of Advance HE, and a qualified solicitor, having trained with international commercial law firm Eversheds LLP.

As a socio-legal academic researcher with a focus on family law, child law and gender and law, Dr Akhtar has conducted extensive empirical research on family law and family justice processes in the UK, Qatar, Australia and South Africa. Her international academic experiences include the roles of Scholar in Residence and Adjunct Associate Professor at Georgetown University in Qatar, Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Sydney Law School and Visiting Research Fellow at the University of Cape Town.

Dr Akhtar is Editor of the leading journal, Child and Family Law Quarterly and Co-Editor in Chief of the Law, Social Justice and Global Development Journal. She was appointed Member of the Board of Trustees in October 2024.