Semi-finals Panellist - The Wings of Hope

semi final panellists

At the semi-finals, WOHAA teams present their projects to a distinguished panel of judges, which includes High Commissioners, Members of Parliament, business leaders, CEOs, professors, artists, journalists and many others. Explore some of our esteemed past panellists below.

SIR DAVID JASON

Chair Winston Churchill Memorial Trust

Famous for his roles in Only Fools and Horses, and Frost. A true British icon, he has become one of the most loved TV stars of all time. In 2006 he was voted Britain’s favourite TV star by the public. His varied roles from Del-boy in Only Fools and Horses, to the serious inspector in Frost show his remarkable and diverse talents. Sir David has been our chief panellist in WOHAA from the start, and got involved with the Wings of Hope after being touched by the story of one of the orphaned children supported by the charity. We at the Wings of Hope are very grateful to him and Lady Gill for giving their time so generously.

THE RT. HON. LORD DHOLAKIA

Professor Lord Parekh was appointed a life peer on 10 May 2000 as Baron Parekh. He taught at the London School of Economics and at the University of Glasgow before finding a long-term position at the University of Hull where he currently resides. He is the author of several well-known texts on philosophy and politics, and was awarded the Padma Bhushan by the Government of India in 2007. He is a long-time supporter of the Wings of Hope.

LORD BHIKHU PAREKH

ROBERT PESTON

Robert Peston,used to the BBC’s Business Editor, is probably most known now for being one of the first journalists to report on the credit crunch. After he left Oxford, he quickly rose through the ranks as City editor for the Sunday Telegraph, and Editor of the Financial Times. His many accolades include the Harold Wincott Journalist of the Year Award. He is the current political editor of ITV News

LORD MCNALLY

A former Leader of the Liberal Democrats in the House of Lords and Deputy Leader of the House of Lords. Lord McNally’s political career started from when he was elected Student Union president at the University College London and has advanced through British politics.

DEBORAH MEADEN

As the only female panellist in the BBC series Dragon’s Den, she gives the other dragons a run for their money. Her shrewd, insightful and bold entrepreneurial style has led her to not only develop brands like the YouDoo doll from Dragons’s Den, but also to make a significant impact on the leisure and retail industry. Now passionate about developing investment opportunities she has a particular interest in environmental issues.

ADRIAN CHILES

As the Most Watched British presenter in 2008 with a cumulative audience of over 1 billion viewers, Adrian is no stranger to dealing with candidates under pressure as presenter of BBC’s Apprentice: You’re Fired! An avid football fan, Chiles has also presented Match of the Day 2 and also presented ‘The One Show’ daily on BBC 1.

MICHAEL REBELO

Michael Rebelo took up the post of Managing Director of Saatchi and Saatchi London in June 2008, with responsibility for driving new business. He is currently the CEO of Publicis Groupe, Australia and New Zealand.

GWYN BURR

RAJNI SRIRAM & Dr. RAM SRIRAM

Mrs. Rajni Sriram and Dr. Ram Sriram are Co-Founders of the Wings of Hope, and have seen the Wings of Hope Achievement Award evolve into a household name amongst students. They are extremely pleased to see such good progress, but are keen for more students from all backgrounds in the UK to get involved in the WOHAA. Dr R S Ram is also the Chairman of the Supreme Group which is the UK’s largest manufacturer of eco-friendly bags and promotional items, crafting items for some of the UK’s top brands such as Tesco, The Co-Operative, Debenhams and Boots.

JACKIE COOPER

Jackie Cooper is currently Global Creative Chair of Edelman PR. In 1987 she co-founded JCPR, the eponymous award winning consumer PR agency in London, running campaigns including O2, Allied Domecq, Mary Kate & Ashley, Wembley Stadium and the final flight for Concorde. She moved to Edelman in 2004, when she served as creative director and vice chair of London, leading campaigns such as the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty and Every Child has a Right to Play for Unilever, as well as Wonderbra and the Halo 3 launch for Xbox.

MATTHEW AMROLIWALLA

Matthew is a familiar face on BBC News 24. After leaving Durham with a Law and Politics degree, he became a chartered accountant, and then joined the BBC in 1990. He has covered some of the most significant events of the recent past for News 24, reporting in Bosnia, in Northern Ireland, during the Gulf War, and covering 9/11 in New York.

BARONESS SCOTT

Baroness Scott is one of the youngest female peers and the President of the Liberal Democrats. She is a great supporter of the Wings of Hope and a member of the UK Delegation to the European Commission.