Pennies, the trusted leader in micro-donations, is proud to continue its longstanding partnership as the official Gold Charity Partner for the Retail Technology Show 2025, taking place on 2-3 April at ExCeL London.
About us
Meet the Pennies team.
Pennies is made up of a small but dedicated team from a huge range of backgrounds and sectors, helping make the micro-donation movement a reality.
Alison Hutchinson CBE
Chief Executive Officer
Alison has headed up Pennies since day one. Alison also holds Non-Executive Director positions at Yorkshire Building Society, DFS plc and Foresight Group Holdings, and was awarded a CBE for contribution to the economy and charity sector in 2018. She also once held the Guinness World Record for the longest stretching of a Curly Wurly.
Ann Tomsett
Commercial Director (Volunteer)
Ann is a corporate lawyer and prior to joining Pennies, she was Group Legal Director of FTSE financial services company Kensington Group plc. Along with Peter Nugent and Alison Hutchinson, Ann was there for the genesis of the Pennies movement, back in 2008.
Lori Cunningham
Chief Partner Officer
Lori has more than 25 years’ experience working in Digital across a variety of sectors including eCommerce, publishing, property and consumer IoT. She also is an active non-executive. She was Vice Chair of the Makaton Charity from 2017-2023 and currently serves as a Non-Executive Director at London Marathon Events and a Trustee at NEBOSH. Outside the office she is a passionate runner and is currently in the process of running all six of the Abbott World Marathon Majors.
Dion Christiansen
Head of Business Development
Dion works with retailers keen to join the Pennies movement, and is responsible for managing new and existing partnerships of all sizes across the retail and hospitality sectors. Prior to Pennies Dion held senior roles at the Post Office and Barclays, and in his spare time is keen on keeping fit – except at the weekends when the gym is swapped for running around the garden with his young sons.
Rob Rees
Head of Digital
Rob is responsible for our e-commerce and App partnerships. Rob has always worked in fundraising and is incredibly passionate about raising money for the charity sector. When he’s not working, he enjoys walking, podcasts and all things Welsh sport related.
Penny Norledge
Corporate Partnerships and Development Manager
Penny is responsible for growing our in-store partnerships across the retail, hospitality and leisure sectors. Penny began her career in the legal sector, followed by senior positions in the commercial and third sector. She’s passionate about raising money, is a Senior Leadership Common Purpose alumni and loves to challenge herself. When not working/volunteering she enjoys spending time looking after her pet chickens and parrot called Barry!
Paul Seaman
Strategy and Projects Officer
Paul has been with Pennies for over 10 years, bringing extensive experience from the financial services. He has been involved with charities for 50 years having run his first fundraising event when he was 10!
Holly Clawson
Head of Product and Technology
Holly has worked in the payments industry for over 25 years and heads up the Product and Technology team. Looking after the Product proposition, roadmaps and project stack. She loves to walk for miles and potter around in the garden. She has also just started a mentoring role with The Bridge Homelessness to Hope charity.
Nicola Hearn
Technical Product Manager
Nicola is responsible for scoping projects with our tech partners and ensuring solutions meet Pennies standards. She has a strong background in technical liaison roles and testing plus some experience in social enterprise. When not at work Nicola can be found tending to her large collection of houseplants and also enjoys going to the theatre.
Dapsy Tejuoso
Product Manager
Dapsy drives digital innovation and product development at Pennies, expertly guiding products from concept to launch while advocating for customers. With a knack for uncovering user needs, he ensures impactful solutions. Dapsy loves to workout, play basketball and learn about new technology in his free time.
Rozi Collier
Head of Marketing and Charities
Rozi has 15 years experience in the charity and retail sectors, and heads up the Marketing and Charities team – covering everything from partner marketing and communications to brand, charity management and impact reporting. Outside Pennies, Rozi can be found with her nose in a book or out in nature, hiking and bird-watching (on the lookout for the ever-elusive smew).
Natalie Charlotte Smith
Content Marketing Manager
Natalie has over 15 years experience in marketing and communications, and is responsible for Pennies’ end-to-end content strategy, channel processes and content creation. Prior to joining Pennies, Natalie worked as a marketing professional across industry sectors from technology to childrenswear. She is currently learning Danish and working her way up to tongue-twisters such as “Rødgrød med fløde” which, once perfected, will mean she has officially mastered the language.
Sarah Smith
Partner Marketing Manager
Sarah has 20 years experience in retail and partnership management, and is responsible for the Partner Marketing Management at Pennies. Sarah is an avid baker and cake designer selling many cakes to order, though as a working mum now her cakes are mainly reserved for her young son and family. Sarah has a passion for charity and in her spare time can often be found arranging or supporting charity events to raise money for great causes.
Hardika Kataria
Charities Executive
Meet Hardika, our Charities Executive. With a master’s degree in International Relations, she’s on a mission to make a global impact and supports our charity partners with everything from onboarding to impact reporting. She finds serenity in yoga, enjoys taking walks, and savors the simple pleasures of chamomile tea. Known for her cheerful nature and light-hearted spirit, she’s dedicated to fostering positive change in the world.
Peter Nugent
Finance Director
Peter is one of the original brains behind the Pennies movement, and heads up the Finance and Operations team. Peter has previously held senior roles at Puzzler Media Ltd, Esso Petroleum Ireland and Arthur Young Ireland (now Ernst & Young). Peter is the (self-confessed) number one consumer of the biscuits in the Pennies office.
Babita Gharti
Financial Accountant
Babita is the Financial Accountant at Pennies, responsible for managing the charity’s financial operations and ensuring accuracy in reporting. With experience in the charity sector, she is passionate about contributing to causes that create meaningful impact. Outside of work, Babita enjoys traveling to new destinations, spending quality time with friends and family, and trying out new hobbies.
Catherine Knight
Finance Officer
Catherine is responsible for the day-to-day financial transactions and credit control. Having worked in the charity sector for a number of years, Catherine loves seeing what a difference people can make. Outside work Catherine is currently busy studying AAT. When not studying, Catherine is a busy mum of two and when she has time, enjoys baking and spending time with her family.
Neil Ambrose
Systems Manager
Neil is responsible for designing, building and managing Pennies Back Office systems. Having worked previously at BBC Worldwide and UBS he has over twenty years’ experience in IT but still struggles to operate his mobile phone.
Shashank Srinivas Murthy
IT Analyst
Shashank oversees the management of the organisation’s back-office system and Salesforce. With a master’s degree in Business Analytics and three years of experience as a Salesforce Administrator, when not immersed in his professional endeavours, Shashank can often be found engaging in physical fitness activities at the gym or seeking solace in nature through meditation.
Divya Jain
IT Analyst
Divya is a member of the Finance and Operations team responsible for BAU back-office processing, creating and managing scheduled reports, and designing and developing customised interactive dashboards in Qlik. With over ten years of experience in various domains such as Digital Charity Box, Children Communications Charity, Healthcare and Travel as a business data analyst, Divya is passionate about optimising data extraction and transforming processes, enhancing report performance and reliability. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling to new destinations and spending time with my family.
Gemma Whittle
Executive Assistant
and Office Manager
Gemma is our Office Manager and assistant to Alison, CEO of Pennies – alongside Sara. She supports the day to day running of each department and also helps with the organisation of Pennies events. Gemma has recently joined her local WI and is now on a quest to make the perfect Victoria sponge.
Sara Ingham
Board Support Assistant and EA
Sara is the Support and Executive Assistant for the Pennies’ Board, including Advisory Boards and Subcommittees. She also covers for Gemma when she is on annual leave. Sara’s passions are her golden doodle Arnold, learning French, and supporting charities, particularly those that support people with spinal injuries.
Jo Wadham
Legal Consultant
Jo trained as a lawyer in the mid 90s and worked in the corporate department at Linklaters in London and Paris and then in-house at BT plc. Jo then moved with her family to the UAE where she lived for eight years and worked as a freelance journalist. When not working at Pennies, Jo can be found deep in the shrubbery indulging her love of gardening.
Start your journey now.
From retail, hospitality and technology brands looking to make a real difference, to charities looking to boost their impact, now is your chance to join the micro-donation movement.