Our Boards

We are a registered charity in the UK, a 501 (c) (3) organisation in the US and a Section 21 non-profit in South Africa. Each charity is governed by its own board, while sharing mission, vision and values. Lifeline Energy was founded in the UK in 1998.

United Kingdom

Peter Mountford

With 15 years' experience as a financier, Peter Mountford is a director of a number of private and public companies and is a non-executive director of RWS Holdings plc. He is the co-founder of Bradmount Investments Limited, which was formed in 1995 as a private investment company. Mr Mountford is a chartered accountant and was one of the founding directors of Arthur Andersen Corporate Finance. Between 1989 and 1991, he was seconded to the Takeover Panel where he advised on many high profile takeovers and public company transactions. Through Bradmount Investments he has developed a portfolio of investments in a variety of companies and is also a member of the Securities Institute.

Brian Pohl

Brian Pohl is a founding partner in EMCP, a venture capital and advisory firm with offices in London and Dubai. Mr Pohl is originally from Canada, where he earned an MBA from McGill University and worked in telecoms and technology spin-outs. He also holds an MSc in Finance from London Business School, where he served a three year term on the Alumni Board and its Executive Committee.

Lieutenant General Sir Michael Willcocks KCB

Lieutenant General Sir Michael Willcocks KCB is the Gentleman Usher of the Black Rod for the House of Lords and serves as the Queen's representative in Parliament. Previously, Sir Michael was the UK military representative to NATO and the EU in Brussels. Commissioned into the Royal Artillery from RMA Sandhurst in 1964, Sir Michael has a distinguished military background.

Minhaz Manji

Minhaz Manji is the latest addition to the Lifeline Energy Board of Trustees. Mr Manji is the Director of Monteacute House Ltd which owns and operates hotels in the UK under license from InterContinental Hotels Group. He is also the Chairman of the UK Forum for Franchise Owners' of Express by Holiday Inn hotels. Mr Manji has been in the hospitality industry since 1992 but used to be Head of Nikkei Derivatives at Credit Suisse First Boston from 1989-1991. In addition to being a TiE UK Charter Member, he is a Mentor for senior Scotland Yard officials, Director of the Prince’s Trust Ethical Minority Advisory Group and an Advisory Board Member for IHG (EMEA).

South Africa

Alan Rubin Chairman

Alan Rubin is Director of Corporate, Legal and Operations at MortgageSA. MortgageSA is South Africa's leading origination company and is a previous winner of South Africa's Top Non-Listed Company award. Mr Rubin was previously a partner at the Cape Town-based law firm Bernadt Vukic Potash & Getz. Mr Rubin has been a director of Lifeline Energy in South Africa since its inception. He is also a Trustee of the Jacques Kallis Scholarship Foundation Trust.

Gregory Groenmeyer

Greg Groenmeyer is currently the Head of Application Development at Sanlam Personal Finance, a large South African financial services company. Greg has more than 30 years' experience within the ICT sector, and has previously held senior positions at JP Morgan, i to i Technologies, Old Mutual, and Southern Life. Besides his specialisation and expertise within the ICT sector, his other areas of expertise include strategic consulting, scenario planning, organisational change management and enabling organisations through the innovative use of technology.

Joan Joffe

Joan Joffe has been actively involved in the IT and telecoms industry since 1960. She joined cellular network operator, Vodacom, before the company launched in 1994. At Vodacom she filled the roles of GM Marketing and Group Executive Corporate Affairs and Communications. Before retiring from Vodacom in 2003, she chaired the Vodacom Foundation. Ms Joffe is a founding member and director of broad-based women's empowerment group, Nozala Investments. Ms Joffe also serves on the boards of several companies and is a member of the advisory board of the University of Pretoria Engineering Faculty. She is a former Businesswoman of the Year, a holder of a Wits University Lifetime Award for Entrepreneurship and is a trustee of several non-profit organisations.

United States

Edmund Burns

Edmund Burns is the managing partner of the New York City law firm Burns, Kennedy, Schilling and O'Shea. He specialises in corporate and commercial law and is also a trial lawyer. Mr Burns holds a law degree from Fordham University and an undergraduate degree from UCLA.

Kristine Pearson

Kristine Pearson is the Chief Executive of Lifeline Energy and leads Lifeline Energy strategically and operationally in the UK, US and South Africa. Ms Pearson has held this position since January 1999. Previously, she was an executive with a large South African banking group. Ms Pearson is a fellow of the Schwab Foundation of the World Economic Forum, a lifetime fellow of the World Technology Network and serves on the Women's Leadership Board of the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. She is the 2005 recipient of the James C. Morgan Global Humanitarian Award.

Colleen Rini

Colleen Rini is Director of Development of Cathedral Kitchen, based in Camden New Jersey, which operates extensive feeding and other relief programmes for the disadvantaged and marginalised. In this role, she is responsible for fundraising for a $3.5 million capital campaign to find a new building to expand the programme. Previous experience includes directing a business and life skills training program for public high school students in disadvantaged areas. In this role Ms Rini has created a corporate partners giving programme that increased corporate giving significantly, and has worked to expand major individual gifts to more than double the 1998 results.

Peggy McLeland

Peggy McLeland is active in community and civic affairs in Alexandria, VA in addition to managing family businesses. Previously, she was an Executive Assistant to Texas Congressman Pete Geren of Texas for many years and prior to that held a variety of positions in business in Virginia and Texas. Peggy is a graduate of the University of Texas.

Stephen Stonberg

Stephen Stonberg is Head of Business Development at Brevan Howard Asset Management. The Brevan Howard Group has offices in London, New York, Washington, Hong Kong, Dublin and Tel Aviv and employs over 240 professionals in the management of over $11 billion in assets. Previously, Mr Stonberg was Managing Director at JP Morgan Chase in London, where he was Global Head of Strategy and Business Development for the Investment Banking Division. He holds an MBA from Harvard University.