Team
Queen's Crescent Community Association's (QCCA) board of trustees is talented, visionary and ambitious for the charity. Its members bring a broad range of experience and skills to steering the organisation. Many of them live or work locally.
Over the years they have shown tremendous leadership in growing the organisation and diversifying service provision for the local community.
Ismail Jalisi is a dynamic professional with a wealth of experience and a robust academic background, holding a Ph.D. from Imperial College London. Currently serving as the Director at Cygnus Solutions in London since August 2020, he has been instrumental in leading the organisation through innovative solutions and strategic initiatives for the past three years and five months.
In addition to his role at Cygnas Solutions, Ismail has contributed to academia as an External Lecturer at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, Scotland, since April 2021. His commitment to education is reflected in his two years and nine months of dedicated service in this role.
With a diverse professional journey, Ismail spent 6 years with Aker Solutions, where he held the position of Group Lead from April 2018 to August 2020. During this period in Winnersh, Berkshire, United Kingdom, he showcased his leadership skills and played a pivotal role in steering the group towards success.
Ismail Jalisi's diverse background, encompassing leadership, engineering, and compliance, positions him as a multifaceted professional with a strong commitment to excellence in both industry and academia.
Livia Paggi is an Italian-Jewish New Yorker who has embraced Camden as her home for over a decade.
Recently moving to Queen’s Crescent, she was drawn to the vibrant and diverse community reminiscent of her upbringing in New York City. Recognising the vital role of the Queens Crescent Community Association (QCCA) in the area.
Her professional background includes working on political and social issues globally, having built and sold a political risk advisory business. In this regard, she offers expertise in HR policies and talent retention, recognising their significance for organisational continuity and resilience.
Livia's extensive experience in business development and client relations manifested through hosting events and successful fundraising, positions her to contribute significantly to QCCA's fundraising efforts.
During the pandemic, Livia played a pivotal role in setting up the Hampstead Volunteer Corps, showcasing her leadership as a team captain in coordinating assistance to vulnerable neighbours.
Alex Geddes is a seasoned professional with 29 years of dedicated service at McKinsey & Co, a renowned global management consultancy. In his current role as Chief Operating Officer for the Global Finance Function since 2021, he oversees 450 professionals across operations, compliance, technology, transformation, and innovation teams.
Previously, from 2011 to 2020, Alex served as the Global Chief Financial Officer for Industry practices, managing the financial strategy, growth, performance, and compliance of substantial business units comparable in size to FTSE 250 companies. His extensive experience within McKinsey includes various management roles in the UK office and the global finance function.
Alex excels in a collaborative and consensus-driven approach to decision-making and problem-solving, well-suited to McKinsey's global partnership model. His expertise lies in strategic planning and execution, ranging from small company acquisitions and integration to establishing new operating units from scratch. He is currently leading a global initiative to harmonise and modernise the finance function across 70+ countries.
Lucian Randall, a former parent and customer at our Caversham nursery, currently serves as a trustee and chair of the board of directors. In his professional life, Lucian provides content, research, and engagement services across diverse industries, from science books for a young audience to complex infrastructure projects.
Renowned as the author of acclaimed biographies of Viv Stanshall and Chris Morris, his work has been praised as "fluently written and impeccably researched" by the Observer.
Lucian's skills extend to project management, structural editing, and managing freelance staff. As a biographer, he has authored notable works such as Noel Gallagher: The Biography, Disgusting Bliss: The Brass Eye of Chris Morris, and Ginger Geezer: The Life of Vivian Stanshall.
Lucian's editorial and writing career spans various roles, including being an editor and writer at Freelance, a project editor at Carlton Books, and a commissioning editor at John Blake Publishing. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in English literature from St David's University College, Lampeter, Wales, and attended Christ's College, Finchley.
John Cochrane is the representative of QCCA’s partner charity, Gospel Oak Action Link Youth Club (GOALYC}, and has lived locally for over 30 years. He completed a full career as an officer in the British Army (colonel) and nine years as a senior civil servant in the Ministry of Defence.
He was appointed an Officer of the British Empire {OBE) in 1983 for service peacekeeping in Lebanon. He has wide experience of team work, analysis of raw data, preparation of verbal and written briefs and reports, and of governance issues. He is an active member of St Michael’s Church, Camden Town, where he coordinated a successful application for a grant from English Heritage, making the church safe and accessible.