Supporting victims of financial crime

Themis Foundation supports victims of financial crime through advocacy and the provision of grants to charities that focus on tackling modern slavery, human trafficking, and other financial crimes.

Financial crime is a very real and evolving problem. It has been described as “a cancer in our society” and “an issue of international security.” Not only is the scale of illicit activity in the trillions of £s, but the impact on all of our businesses, the economy and society is profound. 

There are now an estimated 50 million people worldwide caught up in modern slavery, and over 130,000 in the UK alone. Modern slavery is a financial crime that can have devastating consequences for victims.

Themis Charitable Foundation has been established as a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Charity number: 1198427, by a group of people committed to improving the lives of victims of financial crime and seeking to prevent exploitation, and by Themis. 

Themis Foundation channels the extensive expertise and networks of Themis in the financial crime space for the good of others. Themis Foundation is independent from Themis and governed by a separate board of Trustees.

Themis is a purpose driven technology firm engaged in supporting businesses to detect and disrupt financial crime.

Trustees

Hope Sherwin – Chair

Hope is a deeply committed social impact consultant with 12 years’ experience advising clients on managing social performance and community risks related to large-scale projects in emerging markets. 

Before joining Themis, she built and lead the Middle East business practice of Synergy Global Consulting specialising in the oil and gas, mining and infrastructure sectors.

Hope has worked with a range of clients on CSR and sustainability related projects, and was instrumental in the establishment of the Arabia CSR Network in the UAE.  She has strong expertise in impact assessment, stakeholder engagement, sustainability management systems, social investment, community relations, audit and review.  Hope has worked widely across the Middle East and Africa.

She has an MSc in International Development from the University of London (School of Oriental and African Studies) and in 2018 she also completed an MA in Human Rights and Global Ethics focusing on migrant worker rights in Qatar. LinkedIn.

Olly Belcher (Donnelly) - Trustee

Olly founded the charity Shivia in 2008. She drives Shivia’s overall strategy and fundraises to support the operations in India. Olly has an MSc (Distinction) and MA Geography (First Class Honours) both from Oxford University. She based her Undergraduate and Masters theses on issues affecting the poor of West Bengal, India. She travelled extensively in India and Nepal before joining the World Bank in Washington DC where she was awarded the World Bank Youth Innovation Fund.

She returned to London to work for Accenture Strategy and started on her plan to launch Shivia. Olly sits on the board of the charity MAITS and is President of St Edmund Hall (Oxford) Association, representing 11,000 alumni and relations with the college. She previously sat on the committees for Leonard Cheshire International, St Mary’s Ascot School Alumnae and the board of Moonpig Foundation. She was the UK Ambassador for the NGO, BASE, working with very poor communities in West Nepal and remains heavily involved with the foster home, Familia, in West Bengal. Olly has received various awards for her charity work: in 2009, she was selected as one of Management Todays ‘35 women under 35’; in 2014, she won the ‘Women of the Future, Community Spirits’ award; in 2015, she was selected for the Financial News Extra Mile 40 List; in 2016, she was selected for the St Edmund Hall Oxford 35 ‘Women Inspire’ Collection and in 2018, in recognition of the National Year of Women, Olly was selected as one of 12 women to be displayed at the School of Geography and the Environment representing diversity of achievements among female alumnae. Olly is delighted to be a Trustee of the Themis Foundation and hopes to bring her experience in the sector to set the Themis Foundation down the right path from the start. (LinkedIn)

Gavin Lockhart-Mirams - Trustee

Gavin has 15 years experience providing robust, independent advice to police leaders, criminal justice agencies and others working in the public safety sectors. Having graduated with a First Class Master’s Degree and worked as a management consultant, Gavin was recruited in 2006 to help set up a research unit on crime reduction for the leading think-tank in the UK before joining the Cabinet Office. In that role Gavin worked as a Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister. 

Gavin has published 16 public reports into subjects as varied as gun crime and prison reform. He has been asked to be an expert witness for the British Parliament’s Select Committees and to speak on UK radio (BBC) and television (BBC, Sky). (LinkedIn)

James Wightman - Trustee

James is Chartered Accountant and Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. After qualifying with Baker Tilly in London he moved into industry, spending 4 years working for Inchcape Plc in Global Internal Audit, M&A, Treasury and Investor Relations at a time of significant business and Balance Sheet restructuring.

Since 2010 James has worked in the UAE for one of the world’s largest sovereign wealth funds, Mubadala, helping set up their Treasury Function, both for Mubadala and their Commercial Finance Joint Venture with GE – Mubadala GE Capital.

James has a strong controllership and governance background and, having audited and worked in companies affected by Financial Crime, is passionate about the impact Themis has in mitigating companies Financial Crime Risks as well as the social impact Themis has on those affected by Financial Crime. (LinkedIn).