Team and Governance
Meet the Minds Behind the Mission
Our Team
Susanna Kempe
Chief Executive Officer
Susanna’s professional experience includes over 15 years in senior leadership roles in international B2B and learning businesses.
She began her career at the Institute for International Research (IIR) where she first worked with Lord Laidlaw, rising to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). When IIR, was acquired by Informa Plc in 2005 Susanna was appointed CMO of the enlarged group. Susanna subsequently joined Emap Ltd as Chief Marketing & Strategy Officer and CEO of Emap Networks, that group’s conferences business. Later she became CEO of the fashion industry forecaster WGSN and was latterly Group Content and Marketing Partner of the leading strategy consultancy Brunswick Group.
A German-American raised and educated in the UK and a committed internationalist, Susanna has been involved in globally trading businesses throughout her career, directing activity in the Americas, across continental Europe, and the Asia Pacific.
She believes experiencing and appreciating different cultures promotes better global understanding, creativity and leadership. She is passionate about the power of education to transform lives; and is committed to developing a new generation of diverse leaders who are curious, bold and determined to act with integrity.
Susanna read English and Philosophy at Newnham College, University of Cambridge. She has five half blues in swimming and water polo, and played netball and rowed for Newnham.
Susanna Kempe
Chief Executive Officer
Matt Waugh
Chief Financial Officer
Matt is a Chartered Accountant and the CFO of Highland Group Holdings Ltd, Lord Laidlaw’s private investment group. He is a widely experienced and commercial ACA with 20 years PQE providing financial leadership to entrepreneurial companies and groups in the SME market.
Matt qualified with a small City firm and, after spells with Grant Thornton and an international property retail group, he spent the last ten years as CFO for several private family offices. These families have engaged in a broad range of commercial investing activities as well as being actively involved in various philanthropic causes.
Matt Waugh
Chief Financial Officer
Niall Santamaria
Chief Investment Officer
Niall leads the evaluation, selection and due diligence processes for Laidlaw Scholars Ventures (LSV).
Following investment, he actively collaborates with LSV portfolio companies, providing strategic advice, fostering growth, and exploring financing opportunities. Leveraging his extensive network of founders, executives, investors, and advisors, Niall facilitates key introductions that drive value.
Before joining the Laidlaw Foundation, Niall gained extensive experience in operational, consulting, and investment roles, with a primary focus on the digital media sector. His expertise also spans retail, consumer goods, and financial services.
Niall holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Cambridge, an MBA from the London Business School, and is a CFA Charterholder. He is a firm believer in the opportunities that education offers, and is passionate about ensuring broader access to high-quality provision.
“The direction in which education starts a man will determine his future life.” – Plato
Niall Santamaria
Chief Investment Officer
Amy Moore
Director, Laidlaw Scholars Leadership & Research Programme
Amy is the Programme Director of the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership and Research Programme – a global initiative that equips undergraduate students to become ethical, research-driven leaders. She leads the strategic vision and implementation of the programme, fostering strong partnerships with universities, NGOs, government departments, businesses, and charities to ensure a transformative experience for students committed to making a positive difference across all sectors and geographies.
Before Laidlaw, Amy led the US-UK Fulbright Scholarship Programme, working with students, academics, professionals, and teachers across every discipline. She has gained 15+ years working within Higher Education and is passionate about cultural exchange and the benefits it can bring to impactful research and solving global challenges. Prior to this, she led faculty-led programmes hosting US students in the UK and managed a busy student services. She studied American Studies at Sheffield University and University of Pittsburgh, USA.
Amy Moore
Director, Laidlaw Scholars Leadership & Research Programme
Nikol Chen
Design, Research & Community Engagement Lead
Nikol is a multidisciplinary designer and researcher with a passion for amplifying social impact through evidence-based, human-centred initiatives. At the Laidlaw Foundation, she leads projects that enhance educational programmes and partnerships, extending our reach on a global scale.
Drawing on her background in design and anthropology, Nikol integrates ethnographic research with design thinking to tackle complex challenges with nuance and depth.
She holds a BSc in Human Sciences and an MSc in Anthropology from University College London.
Nikol Chen
Design, Research & Community Engagement Lead
Hannah Watton
Marketing Manager
As Marketing Manager at the Laidlaw Foundation, Hannah engages and expands a global network of over 2500 scholars. She harnesses social media and creates compelling content to connect with the community and promote collaborative initiatives. Working closely with the executive team, she provides support to optimise their performance.
Before joining the Laidlaw Foundation, Hannah was an academic tutor, mentor and Laidlaw Scholar. She led collaborative projects and fostered teamwork between communities. She has recently completed an undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature at University College London.
Hannah Watton
Marketing Manager
Amanda Andersson
Marketing Assistant
As Marketing Assistant at the Laidlaw Foundation, Amanda supports the Foundation’s global scholar community through strategic communications and community engagement. She contributes to social media, outreach and content projects that strengthen an engaged and connected community.
A Laidlaw Scholar and final year Neuroscience student at University College London, Amanda is currently undertaking research at the Francis Crick Institute, following earlier work at UCL’s Centre for Advanced Biomedical Imaging. Her research interests unite a focus on therapeutic development with a dedication to making scientific progress broadly accessible.
Amanda’s commitment to widening access and equity in higher education underpins much of her work beyond the lab. Her experience spans student initiatives that improve access to opportunity and strengthen community. As President of the UCL Laidlaw Society, she leads outreach, application guidance and peer mentoring for prospective scholars and strengthens the scholar community across the university. She also serves as the Lead Departmental Representative for the Department of Neuroscience, Physiology and Pharmacology at UCL.
Amanda Andersson
Marketing Assistant
Our Trustees
Lord Laidlaw of Rothiemay
Founder and Chairman
Lord Laidlaw is a committed philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, and accomplished sportsman.
A graduate of Leeds University and Columbia Business School, Lord Laidlaw founded the Institute for International Research Ltd (IIR) which became the world’s largest conference and training company. He sold it in 2005 for $1.4bn to Informa Plc. He has since gone on to build a large property company and invest extensively in sustainable energy, including the Veja Mate Offshore Wind Farm where he was the majority owner. His most recent project is building a renewable power resource in Rwanda.
A committed internationalist, he considers it vital for the next generation of leaders to have and understand global connections. His generous philanthropy, funding academies and scholarships, centres on two core beliefs; firstly that inspirational education can break the cycle of poverty, and secondly the need for a new generation of diverse, passionate and adaptive leaders with a world view. The Women in Business movement that Lord Laidlaw funds, both helps to build a more diverse future leadership and pays tribute to the many women who helped make IIR so successful.
Lord Laidlaw of Rothiemay
Founder and Chairman
Lord Laidlaw is a committed philanthropist, serial entrepreneur, and accomplished sportsman.
A graduate of Leeds University and Columbia Business School, Lord Laidlaw founded the Institute for International Research Ltd (IIR) which became the world’s largest conference and training company […]
Sir David Carter
Trustee
Sir David was the product of a comprehensive school in South Wales and was the first member of his family to go to university where he studied for a Music degree at Royal Holloway College, London. Making a difference to the lives of children has been a huge motivation to him throughout his career. He began his career as a Music teacher in 1983 and went on to become a Local Authority Music Advisor, a Headteacher, an Executive Head and, between 2007 and 2014, the CEO of the Cabot Learning Federation, a multi-academy trust in Bristol.
In 2014, Sir David was appointed to be the first Regional Schools Commissioner in the South West and took up the position of National Schools Commissioner (NSC) in December 2015. As NSC, his focus was firmly on building capacity so that the trusts that run our most challenging schools can sustain improvement over time.
From 2018 to 2021, Sir David was the Director of System Leadership at the Ambition Institute and now works with a number of schools and trusts advising them on their strategy. In August 2020, Sir David published his book “Leading Academy Trusts: Why Some Fail, but Most Don’t”.
Sir David is a trustee at several charities including Centrepoint, which aims to eradicate youth homelessness. He is also a trustee at the Laidlaw Foundation. Sir David continues to place family, music, golf and Cardiff City FC at the heart of his relaxation time and continues to be very proud of being awarded a knighthood for his services to education in 2013.
Sir David Carter
Trustee
Linda Doyle
Trustee
Linda Doyle is the 45th Provost & President of Trinity College Dublin, University of Dublin. In August 2021, she began her ten-year tenure in this role after serving as Trinity’s Vice President for Research.
As Professor of Engineering & the Arts in Trinity, Linda’s research expertise is in the fields of wireless communications, cognitive radio, reconfigurable networks, spectrum management and creative arts practices. She was the founding Director of CONNECT – the world leading Science Foundation Ireland research centre for future networks and communications, She has raised over €70 million in research funding in the past decade and published widely in her field.
Linda has advocated for change in spectrum management practices and has played a role in spectrum policy at national and international levels. Currently, she is Chair of the Ofcom Spectrum Advisory Board in the UK. She has been a passionate advocate for women in STEM and has been involved in several programmes to encourage wider access to third-level education.
Dr Doyle holds an undergraduate degree in Electrical Engineering (B.E.) from University College Cork, and an M.Sc., Ph.D., and P.G.DIP. STATS from Trinity College Dublin, the University of Dublin. She is a Fellow of Trinity College Dublin.
Linda Doyle
Trustee
Kathryn Hess
Trustee
Kathryn Hess Bellwald is a full professor of mathematics and life sciences at the EPFL in Lausanne, Switzerland and a member of the Academic Board of the Swiss National Science Foundation. She was born and educated in the United States, obtaining her Bachelor of Science in mathematics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and her PhD in mathematics from MIT.
From 2021 through 2024, Kathryn was Associate Vice-President for student affairs and outreach at EPFL. In this role she oversaw the introduction of the Laidlaw Scholars program at EPFL and launched numerous other initiatives for the benefit of EPFL students and the larger EPFL community. She created and led the EPFL Mental Health Task Force, which proposed targeted measures for improvement based on a unique mental health survey of the entire EPFL community and established an annual Mental Health week. She spearheaded the creation of the Bachelor Excellence Fellowship Scheme, as well as summer research programs for bachelor students, both with tailored transversal skill training, and a bespoke preparatory program for refugee and migrant students. She also led the development of tailored interventions for first-generation students, to improve the student experience and retention.
Kathryn is chair of the Advisory Board of the Martingale Foundation, the mission of which is to enable and nurture talented individuals from low-socioeconomic backgrounds to thrive within world-leading postgraduate research. She is also the founder of the Euler Course at EPFL, which offers children with very high mathematical potential an accelerated route through the usual secondary school mathematics program, followed by an early introduction to university mathematics.
Kathryn Hess
Trustee
Naveen Kler
Trustee
Naveen holds an LLB from London School of Economics, LPC from BPP Law School and an MBA from London Business School. Naveen is currently working in strategy at McKinsey and Co’s London office. At McKinsey, Naveen also sits on the London office’s Women Initiative leadership team.
Naveen embarked on her MBA as a Laidlaw Scholar and, during her time at London Business School, held multiple leadership positions, including Co-President of the Women in Business Club 2021/2022 and student lead in the School’s Diversity Committee. She was also the recipient of multiple awards, including the Dean’s Award (awarded to only 2 of 1,600 graduating students) and named Top 100 Best and Brightest MBAs by Poets and Quants.
Prior to her MBA, Naveen completed her training contract and qualified as a solicitor in the UK with the leading international law firm, Herbert Smith Freehills, where she practised M&A law in London and Singapore. Following her legal career, Naveen worked for the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation, the world’s largest foundation focused on improving the lives of children, where she focused on building the impact investing and commercial solutions practice (USD 600M in grants and investments) across women’s education and sexual health in East Africa and India.
Naveen Kler
Trustee
Eloïc Peyrache
Trustee
Eloïc Peyrache has been Professor of Economics at HEC Paris since 2003. After serving as Associate Dean in charge of pre‐experience degree programs (2009-2018), he became Dean of Programs (degree
programs and executive education) in February 2019. In parallel, he has founded the Center in Entrepreneurship and Innovation at HEC Paris and has been in charge of HEC Paris’s equal opportunity policy. In October 2020, he has been appointed Director General and Acting Dean before being nominated General Director and Dean of HEC Paris in January 2021.
Graduated from the Ecole Normale Supérieure Paris-Saclay, he holds a masters degree in Mathematical Economics and Econometrics from the Toulouse School of Economics where he obtained his PhD after being a visiting doctoral students at Northwestern University and University of Autonoma in Barcelona.
He is a board member of several companies and non profit organizations. He is also President of a Foundation supporting Social Mobility in Education.
Eloïc Peyrache
Trustee
Laidlaw Women in Business Board
We empower current Scholars and alumni to reach their full potential in both their careers and personal lives. Through the Laidlaw Women in Business Board, we ensure that Laidlaw Women redress the persistent underrepresentation of women in senior leadership roles, championing women to lead across every sector & geography and lift others as they rise.
Surayyah Ahmad
Surayyah Ahmad is a Founding Partner at Sabou Capital (formerly Aduna Capital), which provides funding and technical support to high-growth SMEs in West and Central Africa with a gender lens. She also supports UK scaleups through her role as a scale-up Advisor at Barclays Eagle Labs. Additionally, she sits on multiple startup advisory boards, mentoring and supporting founders from underserved regions. Surayyah is currently pursuing an MBA at the University of Oxford, specializing in finance and impact investing. She also serves as Co-Chair of the Oxford Africa Business Alliance, working to foster engagement between Oxford’s business community and the African continent.
As an experienced operator, Surayyah founded and successfully exited an e-commerce and fulfillment service company with operations in both Nigeria and the UK. She is deeply passionate about empowering women and driving economic development in underserved markets through private enterprise and investment.
Surayyah Ahmad
Co-Chair
Oxford Saïd Business School
Mária Sobčáková
Originally from Slovakia, I spent the past nine years living in the Czech Republic, where I built my career in luxury brand management. At L’Oréal, I developed brand communication through digital media, influencer collaborations, PR, and events. I also launched Power Talks, a flash mentoring program that has already helped over 150 young women in Czechia build confidence. Now, as I further my education at HEC Paris with a strong focus on the luxury industry, I am working toward transitioning into a more business-oriented role within the French luxury market.
Mária Sobčáková
Co-Chair
HEC Paris
Bler Bahidi
As a Laidlaw Scholar and MBA candidate at IE Business School, I am passionate about fostering global connections, driving strategic growth, and championing diversity in business. With over a decade of experience across three continents, I specialize in investor relations, financial communications, and market expansion, leveraging my expertise to build meaningful stakeholder engagement. Fluent in five languages, I thrive in cross-cultural environments, shaping partnerships that fuel innovation and economic development.
Bler Bahidi
Secretary
IE Business School
Manali Amitav
Manali is a Laidlaw Scholar pursuing her MBA at London Business School. Previously, as a Manager at the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, she worked on high impact deep technology and innovation advisory projects. She was instrumental in co-drafting the Deep Tech Startup Policy for India, after consulting with over 200+ start-ups and investors. Prior to this, Manali worked as a trader with a Singapore-based fintech start-up. She has cleared Levels I and II of the CFA Exam and worked in traditional finance roles such as algorithmic trading, trade execution and financial analysis. In 2019, she was awarded the Young India Fellowship where she started a social impact initiative on financial inclusion.
She is passionate about leveraging her diverse experiences to work at the intersection of technology, finance and impact; helping impactful start-ups scale and capture value.
Manali Amitav
Events Coordinator
London Business School
Hetal Katewa
Before starting my MBA at IE Business School, I worked in banking and consulting, gaining valuable insights into the corporate world. However, my true passion lies in impact entrepreneurship, and I am building my startup alongside my studies. Growing up in India, I always aspired to study at leading global institutions, and the Laidlaw Foundation has been instrumental in making this dream a reality. I am driven to pay it forward by fostering leadership, innovation, and meaningful impact. I am committed to using this platform to create opportunities for the next generation of women leaders.
Hetal Katewa
Events Coordinator
IE Business School
Marie Lydie Tedom
HEC Paris MBA student, a marketing professional with 8+ years of experience. Through a decade of volunteering, I have impacted 600+ women and girls, creating spaces for financial inclusion, career growth, and leadership development. I believe true empowerment comes from a powerful sisterhood; one that uplifts, amplifies, and creates opportunities. As Communications Lead for the Laidlaw Women in Business Board, I am committed to building a legacy where women feel limitless and unapologetic in their ambitions.
Marie Lydie Tedom
Communications Lead
HEC Paris
Daniela Boquete Tudesco
Daniela Boquete Tudesco is a Media and Entertainment industry leader, currently Senior Director, Streaming Partnerships at Paramount. She develops, launches, and scales content services, bridging technical and business functions to lead product strategies that drive growth, optimise user engagement, and expand market reach.
She is pursuing an Executive MBA at London Business School, deepening her expertise in leadership, strategy, and finance. A passionate advocate for women in business, Daniela is dedicated to mentorship, leadership representation, and advancing female career progression.
Daniela Boquete Tudesco
Communications Lead
London Business School
Ajibola Bolanle
Ajibola is an infrastructure investment specialist at the Nigerian Sovereign Wealth Fund, with previous experience as a management consultant at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). Passionate about advancing infrastructure development in Nigeria and across Africa, she has dedicated her career to social impact and economic growth, particularly in infrastructure financing. With a background in economics, her long-term goal is to drive sustainable finance and capital mobilization for infrastructure projects across the continent.
Ajibola Bolanle
Mentorship Lead
Oxford Saïd Business School
Divya Chaurasia
Divya (MBA2025) had to overcome several challenges to pursue an education. But her drive and talent allowed her to secure a role at Google where she excelled at working with teams across diverse industries on a worldwide scale. The MBA programme at London Business School (LBS) was the perfect next step. Thanks to the Laidlaw Scholarship, she is now evolving her leadership skills as the President of the First-Generation, Low or Intermediate-Income (FLII) Club, with the aim of returning to the tech industry to make impactful change for minority communities.
Divya Chaurasia
Mentorship Lead
London Business School
Natasha Makhubele
Natasha is a qualified chartered accountant with experience in audit, accounting advisory and management consulting within a Big Four audit firm. She has worked with clients across diverse industries, providing strategic guidance on complex accounting transactions and helping enhance the efficiency and effectiveness of finance operations.
She holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree and a Postgraduate Diploma in Accounting from the University of Cape Town.
Natasha is passionate about building meaningful relationships with people. As the Alumni Relations Lead, she looks forward to growing a strong, engaged Laidlaw Scholars and Alumni community.
Natasha Makhubele
Alumni Relations Lead
Oxford Saïd Business School
Radhika Patel
Radhika is an MBA2024 graduate from London Business School. She is currently an Investment Manager at Zouk Capital, working in the Infrastructure private equity space with a focus on the energy transition. Before this, she spent five years in the investment team at Pantheon and started her career as an investment banking analyst at RBC. She is a keen traveller, enjoys staying active and is passionate about creating a more sustainable planet.
Radhika holds a BSc in Economics from University College London and spent a year studying at UCLA during this time.
Radhika Patel
Alumni Relations Lead
London Business School
Laidlaw Scholars Advisory Board
In partnership with both alumni and current Scholars, we fine-tune the Laidlaw Scholars Leadership & Research Programme to ensure it reflects the needs and aspirations of our vibrant community and paves the way for increasingly profound and transformative journeys for future Scholars.
Samuel Acosta-Fernandez
University College London
Krithik Ashokkumar
Georgetown University
Tyler Carriaga
University of Toronto
Ashley Gutierrez-Torres
Duke University
Lizzie Hall
Durham University
Bhadra Panicker
Trinity College Dublin
Maria Ramadan
University of Leeds
Veronika Wannack
EPFL
Wong Seng Ying Amber
The University of Hong Kong
Anjelica Young
Columbia University
Annual Review 2025/2026
Discover how we are making strides in education, leadership, and global change. Delve into stories of transformation, innovation, and the incredible journey of our Scholars and partners over the past year.
