Pepi Sappal is a communications and PR leader with more than 20 years’ experience across journalism and corporate communications. She helps organisations shape credible conversations around workplace inclusion, wellbeing and responsible business.As Founder of Fair Play Talks, Pepi works at the intersection of DEI,ESG and corporate communications, supporting leadership teams to level the playing field, communicate with clarity and turn purpose into measurable impact.

Originally trained as a journalist, she has written for publications such as The Wall Street Journal,Dow Jones, Forbes, HR Magazine and The Guardian, and has led global PR and communications functions advising senior leaders through growth and change. She was recognised in the EMpower Top 100 Future Leaders 2025 and named a Top 50 Diversity Power List Honouree 2025/26.

As a cancer survivor and committed ally, she brings lived perspective as well as professional expertise to her work. “I’m honoured to join the Asian Sports Foundation at such a pivotal moment in its journey. I look forward to bringing my experience to help amplify the Foundation’s voice and strengthen its long-term impact. Sport and movement are powerful catalysts for healthier, more connected communities, and I’m proud to play a part in advancing that mission.”

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Anglie Johns is an impactful People Director and Executive Coach, specialising in authenticity, culture and leadership. She works with individuals, organisations and business schools to develop transformational leaders and build high-performance cultures.

“I am passionate about cultural intelligence and helping people grow their capability to work better with those who are different from them. That’s why I’m so excited to support the Asian Sports Foundation as a trustee.”

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Zaynab Osman is an impact-driven researcher and founder of Bee Impact Consultancy, specialising in bespoke evaluation within sport for development. With nine years’ experience, predominantly in football, she is a leading voice in social impact measurement.

Her achievements include designing the UEFA Women’s EURO 2022 Legacy social impact framework and serving as impact lead for two Premier League club charities. Combining grassroots insight with elite-level expertise, Zaynab empowers organisations to move beyond data points and maximise their social value.

"Growing up, sport was more than a game to me. It was a place where I found a community and a sense of belonging. I hope to use my contributions to the ASF to ensure those same opportunities are accessible to all Asians."

Dr Ahmed has been working as an NHS Doctor for over 20 years and is an NHS GP in Cheshire. Through his passion for sport he has also found himself in the world of sport, for work and also  both professionally and amateur level, for the same time. He is also the Lead Doctor at Sale Sharks Rugby Union Club

Over that time he has become passionate about how physical activity and sport can have a huge impact on physical and mental health.

"We were not born to be stationary, and I am constantly looking for ways to bring what I learn in professional sport to everyday life, so that we can all benefit ourselves, and our communities."

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Hamant Verma is an experienced and versatile communications professional who champions the power of sport to improve health, confidence and community connection. Hamant has worked in political lobbying, public relations and journalism, with a strong focus on business and economics.

He has held senior roles across mainstream and media focussing on niche audiences, including serving as editor of Eastern Eye. There he led successful campaigns on policy reform and on ensuring schools teach a fuller understanding of Britain’s global history, as well as modernising its annual British Asian Rich List.

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Richard is an in-house lawyer with West Bromwich Albion Football Club and a solicitor with more than 25 years’ experience. He previously worked in private practice for 15 years before holding in-house legal roles with both Sunderland and Lincoln City Football Clubs. Richard has supported the Asian Sports Foundation in the role of Company Secretary for a number of years.

Paul is a Chartered Certified Accountant with over 24 years of financial experience in the public sector, including

local authorities education, and health. Paul brings his wealth of expertise to support the board and team as the treasurer.

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Chandni is Chief Operating Officer for Vascroft Contractors Ltd, a fellow Chartered management accountant (FCMA), Graduate from CASS City University Business school, and is responsible for the strategic and operational growth of the business.  She is passionate about the need to ensure the construction Industry is forward thinking and moving with the technological changes, to mitigate the skills, economic and sustainability challenges that lie ahead.  With over 24 years’ experience in project financial appraisals analysis, budgeting, Board reporting, and ERP implementations spanning across accountancy, legal, engineering, construction, telecoms retail industry, she has gained valuable commercial financial acumen, enabling her to keep Vascroft’s high-level strategy front-and-centre, while understanding the details of day-to-day execution and operations to ensure what needs to happen does happen.

She is Freedom member of the City of London Livery Worshipful Company of Constructors, an advisory board member of E2Exchange.   She is a Trustee of Vascroft Foundation UK charity and ambassador for several UK charities Project Giving One Kind Act SKLPC UK.  Chandni is an active volunteer in many humanitarian charitable organisations a keen traveller, with a strong affiliation to India as an NRI.  In her spare time an avid cyclist participating regularly on long distance challenges to raise funds for several charities such as SEWA UK,  British Asian Trust, Diabetes Uk for the betterment of people’s wellbeing and society as whole in the UK and beyond.   As a type 2 diabetic for last 23 years, her reversal diabetes journey stems from her passion for Sport and “Sewa” selfless giving and believe they work in tandem instils these values in her two daughters.  She advocates the message of wellbeing and lifestyle changes can set you up for a better mindset and progression through life in a healthier way.

Her daily affirmation is to keep a positive mindset: “Believe in yourself and your goals will be reached. The climb will be tough but you CAN get there!”

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Andy Reed is the Director of SajeImpact the Sports Think Tank and Loughborough University Institute for Sport Business.

Formerly the MP for Loughborough between 1997-2010, Andy has a strong association with Sport Policy having served as the Parliamentary Private Secretary to Sports Ministers and adviser to various Ministers and Sports bodies during his time in Westminster.

He Chaired the Parliamentary Sports Caucus and was secretary of various All-Party Sports Groups including the All Party Sports Group. He introduced the 10 Minute Rule Bill paving the way for the Treasury CASC scheme for Community and Amateur Clubs & was responsible to the Prime Minister for the Labour Party 2010 sports manifesto. He played a vital role in the 2012 Olympic bid and delivery of the Games. As part of the government he led case for the increased funding for UK Sport in the lead to 2012 whilst in the Treasury. In his time he became known as the ‘Backbench Voice for Sport’

He was Chair of the Sport and Recreation Alliance from 2010 to 2016 – the umbrella body for the 320 National governing bodies and associations of sport and after a spell on the Board until 2018 he is now a Vice-President. He led on sport policy and the Health agenda for the Alliance.

He Chaired his local Leicestershire County Sports partnership but after 12 years he stood down when governance term limits were introduced. He also sits on the Boards of Special Olympics GB, British Basketball League Foundation and was with Sports Chaplaincy UK until 2018. He was a Member of the RFU Rugby World Cup Legacy Group for his region. (2013-18)

In 2011 he established with other colleagues, the independent Sports Think Tank (www.sportsthinktank.com) to enable the sports sector to have its own policy and evidence based Think Tank space in Westminster and Whitehall. The Think tank is highly respected for its thoughtful and challenging approach to sports policy matters.

In 2015 he joined the Board of the Chartered Institute for the Management of Sport and Physical Activity (CIMSPA). He is was interim Chair for 18 months until September 2018 when he also stepped down after ensuring the Body was financially secure, met its governance requirements and recruited a strong replacement as Chair.

Outside of sport Andy also served on the Board of the biggest Children’s international development agency – Worldvision UK between 20102 and 2018. He still services on his Local Enterprise Partnership Board – Leicestershire LEP and the Governments Sports Business Council.

In 2012 Andy was awarded the OBE for services to Sport and the Community in Leicestershire, after Chairing the 2012 Olympic Leicestershire Legacy Group and chairing Leicestershire and Rutland Sport.

In 2012 he helped launch the new International Sports Management MBA at Loughborough University Business school and teaches around the world on Sport Policy and development. He was made a visiting professor of Sport Policy and Development in 2014 at Liverpool John Moores University. He also advises the new Institute for Sports Business based at the Loughborough University in London campus on the Olympic park and works closely with the world leading sports University.

He is a regular keynote speaker at sports events across the UK and Ireland.

His company SajeImpact has helped a variety of sports bodies and brands to communicate their messages to policy makers, having worked with sports charities like Sports Leaders UK, the YST as well as with leading brands like Nike on their Designed to Move Campaign. Other clients have included the ASA, Sporting Equals, Sports Aid, Sports Coach UK, the LTA, the RFU and London Sport.

Andy believes sport can be used for social transofrmation and works with a wide range of sports foundations and charities – School of Hard Knocks, Leicester Tigers Foundation, British Asian Rugby Association, Asian Sports Foundation.

Andy supports a number of sport start-up sport and fitness Tech companies and works to encourage new social enterprises in sport. He works with Loughborough University Physical Activity & Public Health Research Group, based in the School of Sport, Exercise, and Health sciences.

Andy always had a passion for economic development and regeneration and joined the Leicester and Leicestershire Enterprise Partnership in 2015 to promote the economic impact of sport and to widen the understanding of the health and wellbeing agenda and its economic impact on the economy.

In 2015 Andy launched the campaign for a Sport Impact Fund www.sportimpactfund.com to widen the availability of new financing for the sport sector.

In 2016 Andy was appointed by the Sports Minister Tracey Crouch to lead the Review of the County Sports partnerships as part of the government’s new Sporting Futures Strategy. The report was published in the Summer of 2016 and the role of CSPs and their new performance framework was designed and launched in 2018.

He still regularly plays rugby for Birstall RFC and the Commons & Lords XV where he has been Club President and now Hon Vice President. He advises Leicester Tigers Foundation and the British Asian Rugby Association and works closely with the Asian Sports Foundation.

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Janet has been involved in developing and delivering sport she was at school. She trained as a Specialist PE teacher at Lady Mabel College then worked in secondary and primary schools for 20 years and took a leadership role after completing the National Qualification for Headship.

Taking part in sport and volunteering has been a large part of Janet’s life. She has worked as a coach in a number of sports in local community clubs. This eventually led to her taking on the role of Chair for Lincolnshire Volleyball and becoming the National Development Director for Volleyball England.

Whilst taking a break from teaching Janet was employed by Volleyball England to help write their first Whole Sport Plan. During the past 10 years Janet has been a Non-Executive Director at a number of organisations including the County Sports Partnership Network, Volleyball England, Lincoln City Foundation and Activity Alliance. When she finished teaching she took up a post at the Lincolnshire Sport where she became the CEO in 2010. In 2017 she left Lincolnshire Sport to take up the CEO role at Volleyball England where she remained until October this year when she retired.

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An accomplished third sector CEO, leader and advocate. Offers comprehensive experience establishing and maturing charities that harness the power of sport and football to enhance communities and promote wellbeing, education, economic regeneration and inclusion. Provides specialist expertise in generating sustainable sources of income for charities.

Has a demonstrable track record working with Boards to create compelling visions and strategies and inspiring management teams to implement them through robust business planning, financial management and governance. Embraces change, drives innovation and gets the best from people by harnessing their skills and experience. Devotes time to building colleague, stakeholder and Board relationships based on confidence, trust and credibility.

Having combined the Chief Executive role at the ASF in a voluntary capacity with running his own consultancy supporting sports charities and community organisations. Angus now continues to support the team with capacity building.

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Sat is Chief Executive of The Fortel Group of businesses and joined the family-owned business as Operations Director in 2005 after achieving a 1st Class BSc in Computer Science and Business Studies from the University of Birmingham and a career in investment banking with the US bond brokerage firm, Bear Stearns in Canary Wharf.

Sat represents the second generation of the family and has been the driving force behind the accelerated growth of the company, doubling the business over the last five years. Sat and the management team strive to support the local community and religious venues and a variety of charities, which in the past have included British Heart Foundation and The Sikh Channel through numerous fundraising events. He is also involved in the economic development of Walsall Borough through a founding member seat on the Public/Private joint initiative The Walsall Economic Board, a member of his local PPG and an alumni member and regular attendee of The Sunday Times Fast Track 100 events.

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For more than 30 years Jug Johal has been an avid supporter of rugby, playing at club level for Scunthorpe RUFC and Moseley RFC and at county and international level for India Rugby.

Jug has been campaigning for equality and inclusion of Asian communities in sport for the past decade, having co-founded the British Asian Rugby Association in 2004. Jug’s latest project with the support of the ASF Board of Trustees and its ambassadors will continue with this campaign by supporting National Governing Bodies, National Governing Organisations, clubs and committees at a strategic level to deliver tangible projects which break down cultural and religious barriers and provide sporting benefits to an under-represented minority ethnic community.

Jug is also an executive board member at Northern Lincolnshire and Goole NHS Foundation Trust and has collective responsibility for ensuring that the Trust is able to deliver high quality and effective services at all times at its three hospitals and community sites. Jug leads the directorate of estates and facilities ensuring that the estate and service strategies are in place to ensure a safe, secure and high quality patient environment both within the Trust and to other organisations to whom the Trust provides estates and facilities services.

Jug, who lives with his family in Lincolnshire graduated as a Sports Therapist and has a Master’s degree in Leadership in Health & Social Care.

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Lord Patel, a social worker by background, initially worked in inner city Bradford and then established a number of Third Sector agencies working with those misusing drugs and those with mental health problems; later moving into academia working with a number of universities.

He entered the House of Lords in 2006 as an independent peer and was later appointed Minister in the Government Whip’s Office in the House of Lords. Lord Patel has held a number of high-profile public appointments on national boards and committees, including the Home Office’s Advisory Council for the Misuse of Drugs, the Care Quality Commission, and was also Chairman of the Mental Health Act Commission and Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

In 2018, Lord Patel of Bradford was appointed by the Secretary of State for Education and the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care as the Chair of Social Work England. Social Work England is the new regulator for all child, family and adult social workers in England.

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