The University of Queensland UK Trust

ABOUT US

The University of Queensland UK Trust is a registered charity in the United Kingdom that raises funds and support for UQ. The UK Trust is also dedicated to securing gifts and grants from individuals and organisations in the United Kingdom and Europe. These gifts are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law. If you choose, Gift Aid can be claimed on all eligible donations to The University of Queensland UK Trust at a rate of 25p for every £1 you donate.

Estate planning vehicles – such as charitable remainder trusts, charitable lead trusts, charitable gift annuities, life insurance policies, and donations of stocks and securities – can be gifted to The University of Queensland UK Trust from within the UK for which you may receive a tax deduction. Please consult your financial planner to confirm what tax benefits you may be eligible for.

Board of Trustees
Paul Kelly
Chair, The University of Queensland UK Trust
BComms (Hons)/BBusMan, CA

Paul is the Global Head of Next Generation for HSBC Private Bank in London.  He has over 10 years strategy and financial consulting experience working with senior leaders across the financial services industry.  Paul is a qualified chartered accountant and UQ Commerce (Honours) and Business Management graduate and read the Master of Finance at the University of Cambridge.  He is the Deputy Chairman of the UQ BEL Alumni Council in London.

Ruth O'Hanlon Avanesova
Trustee, The University of Queensland UK Trust
BA (Hons), GradCertArts (WEP)

Ruth is a philanthropy professional with over 20 years of experience, including eight years leading bequest and legacy fundraising at UQ. In the UK, Ruth led Advancement at SOAS University of London and served as Director of Development at Sevenoaks School in Kent. She is currently helping a new London-based charity lay the groundwork for international major gift fundraising. Ruth is a lifelong student of Mandarin Chinese, Uighur, and Russian languages, having spent five years living in China and Central Asia.

Charlotte McMillan, BA LLB
Trustee, The University of Queensland UK Trust
BA, LLB

Charlotte is Director of Legal and Business Affairs at ITV plc. She has over 25 years’ experience in legal and business affairs roles with a particular focus on media and tech companies. Previous in-house positions include with TikTok, Channel 4 and Virgin Media. She also founded an early stage consumer tech business, Storychest, a private digital scrapbook for families. She lives in London with her husband and three teenage sons.

Tara Turner
Trustee, The University of Queensland UK Trust
BA, CFRE

Tara joined UQ in 2016 where she has led the Global and Institutional Philanthropy team since 2019. Prior to UQ, Tara was a member of the Canadian Cancer Society’s Leadership Philanthropy team following her work in fundraising and communications for a successful campaign to raise $200 million to build a new Children’s Hospital in her hometown of Vancouver, Canada. Tara first came to UQ as an incoming exchange student studying ethnomusicology and journalism in 2000.

Weston Bruner
Trustee, The University of Queensland UK Trust
BA, MBA

Weston joined UQ in 2016 to develop and lead philanthropy for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and in 2021 moved across campus to the Faculty of Engineering, Architecture and Information Technology. He came to UQ after supporting the development of a major gifts program at University of Adelaide, following his work at the George Washington University and the University of Michigan. Weston has also been an active volunteer for the University of Michigan Alumni Association and Access Arts Queensland.

Jim Litster, BE(Hons), PhD, FTSE, FREng
Trustee, The University of Queensland UK Trust

Jim is Professor of the Chemical and Pharmaceutical Engineering at the University of Sheffield where he was Head of Department from 2016-2021 and Vice President and Head of Faculty of Engineering from 2021-2023. He has previous academic appointments at Purdue University in the USA (2007-2015) and The University of Queensland (1987-2007). At UQ, he was Head of Chemical Engineering from 2000-2004 and Head of School of Engineering from 2005-2007.

Michelle Morton
Trustee, The University of Queensland UK Trust
Bachelor of Commerce

Michelle is a Chartered Financial Analyst with extensive experience within Investment Management across both public and private markets, working in Australia, the Middle East and the UK. Currently working in London at the world’s largest Asset Manager, BlackRock, Michelle is a Product Strategy and Investor Relations Specialist focused on fundraising for Private Markets. During her time at UQ, Michelle also played for the UQ Rugby Football Club – the Red Heavies.