New trustees join Lloyds Bank Foundation

LLOYDS Bank Foundation for England and Wales appoints three new trustees to its Board.

Colleagues of Lloyds Banking Group, Ajneet Jassey, Laura Needham, and Jayne Opperman, take up voluntary roles as board members at Lloyds Bank Foundation. The new trustees will be instrumental in the governance of the Foundation and in delivering its mission to partner with small and local charities, people, and communities working towards a more just and compassionate society.

As the Foundation reaches the midpoint of its five year strategy, Building a Better Future, one of the first tasks of the newly appointed trustees will be to assist the rest of the board and staff team in selecting a new Chief Executive and helping the organisation realise its ambitions, including advocating for small charities, particularly in the wake of the next general election.

Ajneet Jassey is a qualified solicitor-advocate, and as a General Counsel for LBG currently manages a busy portfolio and teams across the UK. She also leads Inclusion and Diversity matters for LBG’s Legal and Secretariat teams and founded the Finance and Legal Ethnicity Community. Ajneet has been closely involved in diversity initiatives, focusing on race and social mobility over the course of her career. During her time at the Bank of England, she co-chaired its Black and Ethnic Minority Network and was a founder member of its Race Action Task Force, helping develop the Bank’s race action plan.

Anjeet said: 

“I have been inspired by the Foundation’s tremendous work, directly supporting communities and small charities with the aim of achieving a more just and compassionate society. I will continue to push for change to break down barriers and, in partnering with colleagues, charities and communities, I am excited to be able to use my expertise to support this area of critical need as a member of the Foundation Board.”

Laura Needham is Group Chief Internal Auditor and has more than 20 years’ experience in risk, governance, and control. In her career, Laura has held several people leadership roles, including being the executive sponsor for gender balance. Laura is passionate about talent development, diversity, and inclusion and has led cultural change programmes to improve employee engagement.

Laura said: 

“Making a difference is important to me. I gain personal energy when I am involved in important causes that impact people and society for the better. In my position as Trustee for the Foundation, I hope I will be able to contribute to its future success and help small charities and local communities thrive.”

Jayne Opperman works as CEO of Consumer Relationships. She has more than 25 years’ experience in the financial sector, leading diverse teams focused on transforming businesses, most recently specialising in customer channels, operations and technology, and using data as a tool to support colleagues and drive personalisation.

Jayne said: 

“I’m delighted to be joining the Board of Trustees for the Lloyds Bank Foundation. The Foundation does amazing work, making a real difference in our communities. I am passionate about helping the team continue this work and to see first-hand the impact the work is having on people’s lives.”

Ann Limb, Lloyds Bank Foundation Chair of Trustees, said: 

“We’re delighted Ajneet, Laura, and Jayne have joined our Board of Trustees, each bringing a wealth of professional and personal experience to their roles. All three are passionate about advocating for small and local charities, as well as people and communities across England and Wales. In 2025, we will celebrate the 40th anniversary of the establishment of the Lloyd’s Bank Foundation, and the experience of these trustees with connections to Lloyd’s Bank will be invaluable.”

The Foundation is an independent charitable foundation funded by the profits of Lloyds Banking Group. It runs a volunteer programme through which over a thousand Banking Group staff have shared their skills and knowledge with charities supported by the Foundation and have gone on to become charity trustees.