The Lloyd’s Benevolent Fund is an independent charity managed by a board of trustees that support the governance and operations of the charity. Beneficiaries are supported by the Secretary, Debbie Whetstone and Trustees are supported by the Global Community Engagement team at Lloyd’s.
Lloyd’s Benevolent Fund Board of Trustees
Richard Ohlson, Chair
Richard Ohlson started in the Lloyd’s market in 1975. He joined the Underwriter MS Amlin in 2009 after a number of years working for three different Lloyd’s brokers: Sedgwick (now part of Marsh), Miller and First City (now part of Arthur J. Gallagher). He became a trustee in 2016. Richard became Chair of the Lloyd’s Benevolent Fund in 2022.
Andrew Groom, Deputy Chair
Andrew Groom started as a broker in Lloyd’s in 1985 with Sedgwick/Price Forbes moving on to Thompson in 1990. He crossed to underwriting in 1994 and subsequently helped to establish Managing Agency Partners in 2000 where he remains an Underwriting Partner. Andrew became a trustee in 2019.
Vernon Ashford
Vernon Ashford’s association with Lloyd’s started in the 1960’s, auditing and preparing the accounts for Syndicates and Members’ and Managing Agents, and subsequently becoming a Director, Finance Director and Compliance Officer of several Members’ and Managing Agents as well as a Name on over twenty Syndicates. He is involved in various Clubs and Associations in the City, including as the Treasurer of the Three Rooms Club, and became a trustee in 2018.
Mark Aylward
Mark Aylward started his Lloyd’s Insurance career in 1999 at the brokers FirstCity Insurance Brokers. After six years at the company, that included a year-long secondment to the USA, Mark then moved to join Tysers in 2005. Since being there, Mark has become a Director of the North American and International Property Team. He became a trustee in 2018.
James Cooper
James Cooper started his career as a Lloyd’s broker, working at Heath Lambert and Alexander Forbes in the noughties. Since then he has built a career as an Executive Search Consultant (headhunter) working with Lloyd’s MAs, Company Markets and Brokers. James founded and now runs Damhurst & Co, a leadership and insurance specialist headhunting business based in London.
Sally Coryn
Sally Coryn started her career in Lloyd’s in 1983 and has held Executive and Board-level roles in several Lloyd’s managing and members agencies, as well as a senior role in Lloyd’s, where she formed its Investor Relations and Market Relations functions. Sally became a trustee in 2018.
Shazia Deenally
Shazia has worked at Lloyd’s of London as an employee of the Corporation since 2013. Working predominantly in the area of international regulation and policy, Shazia has a law background and is currently a manager in the reporting team. Shazia is a member of the insurance cultural awareness network (iCAN), and is an iCAN role model, and has been a trustee since 2022.
Graham Findlay
Graham Findlay spent his career in Lloyd’s as a broker with Marsh and then since 2001 with Price Forbes and Partners Ltd where he served as a Managing Director with board responsibility for the marine business. He has previously served as a trustee of the Lloyd’s Patriotic Fund. He became a trustee in 2015, Deputy Chair in 2018 and Chair from 2019 - 2022.
Ajay Gupta
Ajay Gupta has worked in the London and Lloyd’s insurance market for over 30 years. He currently provides consultancy and advisory services to the (re)insurance market having previously been the Chief Underwriting Officer of a Lloyd’s Managing Agency. He has served on the LMA Academy and Strategy committees working across the Lloyd’s market and is a Freeman and Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Insurers.
Roger Sedgwick Rough
Roger Sedgwick Rough began his career in Lloyd’s in 1971 at CT Bowring. He became a director of Bowring Aviation and subsequently Non Marine Treaty Reinsurance specialising in Spanish speaking areas. In 1985 he became a director of Bowring Members’ Agency and in 1994 he joined Wellington Member’s Agency as a director. In 2005 Roger joined Hampden Private Capital, now Hampden Agencies Ltd. He has been a trustee since 2017.
Debbie Whetstone, Secretary
Debbie Whetstone has had a variety of roles in both the public and private sectors over the course of her career. She spent the first 15 years of her working life at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, which included postings overseas. She then joined a London Property Development and Investment company, where she worked until 2018, and more recently worked for the Department for Work and Pensions. Debbie joined the Lloyd's Benevolent Fund in September 2021 and as with her predecessors, her principal responsibility is to understand and translate the needs of potential beneficiaries for the Trustees' consideration, and to nurture a trusting relationship with our beneficiaries.