The Rt Hon Baroness Chalker of Wallasey (Chairman)

Baroness Chalker is founder and chairman of Africa Matters Limited, which provides advice to businesses, governments and other international organisations on developing business in sub-Saharan Africa. She is also a non-executive director of several major companies, as well as an adviser to the World Bank.

Lynda Chalker has been a member of the Lower and Upper Houses of the UK Parliament for over thirty years. For eighteen of these, she served continuously as a Minister in Margaret Thatcher and John Major’s Governments. Between 1986 and 1997 she was Minister of State at the Foreign & Commonwealth Office, holding responsibility for Africa and the Commonwealth and from 1986 to 97 also Minister for Overseas Development.  She was made a Life Peer in 1992.

Lynda Chalker dedicates significant time and energy to many major charitable organisations as well as to her business.  Between 1998 and 2006 she was Chairman of the Board of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.  Current appointments include Chairman of the Board of Medicines for Malaria Venture (MMV), Honorary Vice President of the British Red Cross, Advisory Council member of the African Medical and Research Foundation, Trustee of the Investment Climate Facility for Africa, President of Practical Action (formerly the Intermediate Technology Development Group) and Vice-President of WaterAid.    She is a founder Board Member of the Nelson Mandela Legacy Trust.