Executive Committee nominations - FSES AGM 2022
Stephen Silver - PRINCIPAL
Stephen started attending classes in New York in 1974 before returning to the UK in 1977. He is now retired from a career in IT and Project Management. Among his activities in the School, he looks after the Berkshire Branch and runs the Gita study weekends, as well as tutoring online and in-person groups. Stephen was co-opted onto the Executive Committee in 2017 and again in 2018, and was elected as Principal in 2019.
Chris Rees - TREASURER
Chris joined the School in New York in 1971. He returned to the UK and joined the London School in 1972. He has been a philosophy tutor for some 20 years. He retired in 2015 as a management consultant and expert witness. He has been a trustee of three other charities, including the Education Renaissance Trust. He was President of the BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT in 2018-2019. He was elected Treasurer in July 2020.
Elina Grigoriou
Elina is a member of the M Stream, having joined the School more than a decade ago, and has been a member of the Fellowship for five years. She has served as a First Year tutor for five years and is now part of the online tutoring team. Elina has successfully hosted webinars such as the Annual Language Lecture, Teachers Day and Beginning of the Year Lecture. She is a key figure in the organisation of the ‘Wisdom of Women’ event, now in its third year and, at the beginning of lockdown, was the instigator of Awareness Live sessions on Facebook. She runs her own interior design and sustainability consultancy business and champions systemic change in commercial and residential markets.
Richard Ibbett

Richard Ibbett has been a member of the School in London for 40 years, and part of the Fellowship for 20 years, serving as Chair of the Membership Committee for 6 years. He has been a philosophy tutor for 30 years, tutoring in both the early parts, the senior school and in the branches. As an architect he has been principal of Ibbett Associates for 25 years and has been on the RIBA register of conservation architects. He has professional experience of working with clients in the charity sector including the SPES and the IEA.
Kumar Kumara
Kumar Kumara is a retired Structural Engineer. He started studying philosophy in the School in London in 1973 and moved to the North East Branch in 1976. Kumar has been the Treasurer for the Branch for the last 35 years. He has also been tutoring both early and senior philosophy groups in the Branch for the last 35 years. Kumar was co-opted to the Executive Committee in 2020.
Elizabeth Mazzola
Elizabeth joined the SPES over 20 years ago and has been a tutor for ten years.
She is now retired and her career has included being a Headteacher for 25 years, Advisory Headteacher for London Challenge Schools Improvement Service, Director of Learning Alliance Academy and Head of Special Educational Needs & Disabilities Partnership.
She is a member of the Fellowship and was co-opted to the Executive Committee in 2021.
Matthew McNeill
Matt joined the School in London in 1995. He is a Senior Business Director in the high-tech sector, focusing on Cloud Computing, Application Development, Data Analytics and AI. He is currently a tutor in the introductory and first year Philosophy department. He has over twenty years experience tutoring philosophy and assisting with study groups, and developing courses in the Horizons Programme and Advanced Economics. Matt has been a member of the Fellowship since (about) 2004.
Sherry Moran
Sherry Moran has been a member of SPES since 1982, first in New York and later London. In New York Sherry was responsible for all JP Morgan’s internal communications. On moving to London Sherry became an entrepreneur and has since owned four businesses specialising in Best Business Practice and currently a technology company that supports global pharma companies launching new medicines. Sherry has been a tutor for 26 years. She wrote and produced the History of the School video, is Creative Director of Celebrating Ceramics at Waterperry and was elected to the Executive in 2020.
Edward Saunders
Edward has been a student of the School in London for over 30 years. Originally a music graduate, for several years he took part in some of the School's music productions and was a member of Discantus. He studied law and economics in the School for many years and qualified as a barrister before becoming a solicitor in 1997. He has spent over 24 years in private practice in London and has been a partner since 2000.Edward has tutored economics in the School for over 15 years and teaches the introductory Economics with Justice courses. He is married with three sons and enjoys playing sport (particularly tennis), walking up mountains and immersing himself in cold mountain streams.
Edward was co-opted onto the Executive Committee upon John Meltzer stepping down in 2014. He became an elected member in 2018. He looks after a wide variety of the School’s internal and external legal affairs.