Dr Ruchika Gupta joined Community Foundation for Surrey in 2024 as a Trustee.

She is an experienced NHS GP, splitting her time between patients, working as a clinical director and deputy Chief Medical Officer for Surrey Heartlands Integrated Care Service, and managing a portfolio of early-stage start-up investments.

Ruchika is passionate about maintaining physical and mental wellbeing; she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, cooking and travelling. She is proud to have achieved a black belt in Kuk Sool Won in 2022, and represented her club in the European Championships.

Nick is an experienced entrepreneurial P&L Managing Director, Chairman, CEO and NED with an international  track record within renewables, technology, oil/gas/chemicals, B2b, start-ups,  consumer products, agricultural and charities.

Nick Chairs the Surrey Young People’s Fund and the UK Born in Africa charity.

Diana Whittington is the Special Projects Director at the Financial Times, a position she has held for many years.  Prior to this, she was the Managing Director of Financial Times Conferences & Events, establishing it as a profitable global business.   Diana has organised major events all over the world, many involving working with governments and international organisations at the most senior level.

Before joining the FT, Diana worked in public relations for ICFC (now 3i) and Young & Rubicam – the international advertising agency.   She has undertaken consultancy projects for many organisations including Extel, the DTI, the IFC (part of the World Bank) and Chatham House and worked with the UK Government on the Commonwealth Heads of Government (CHOGM) meeting in London.

Diana has been involved with The Passage – the charity for the homeless in London and SCAS – the Surrey County Agricultural Show. She has lived in Surrey for over 50 years.

Neelam Devesher steps into the role of Chair of Trustees, having previously been a trustee. Neelam will use her experience and skills to strengthen our reach within the most vulnerable communities living and working in Surrey.

Neelam has lived in Surrey for twenty years, and has worked in public sector organisations at senior management level. She has set up numerous projects focused on improving the quality of life for the most vulnerable in our communities. She is committed to finding solutions to help address inequity, racism and discrimination and is passionate about promoting equality of opportunity, inclusion and fairness for all vulnerable communities.

She currently chairs the Surrey Minority Ethnic Forum and also the Surrey Police Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel. In 2021 Neelam was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for Surrey. Neelam is originally from Yorkshire and is of Indian and Hindu heritage, has two children and four grandchildren.