Alasdair Gifford
Chairman
Alasdair first served as a Director on the BCU board in 2021, returning as a contractor the following year to support the organisation upgrade to a new technology platform. He rejoined the board in 2025 and was appointed Chair in 2026.
Alasdair has worked as a Data and Business Analyst for organisations across multiple sectors and organisations for over 25 years, working with financial spreadsheets and IT system implementations.
Born and raised in Bedfordshire, he is a keen walker who enjoys exploring the county.
Daniel Canty
Secretary
Dan joined the BCU board as a Director and Board Secretary in 2024 supporting governance processes including organising the monthly Board meeting and the members’ Annual General Meeting in collaboration with the staff.
He has worked mainly in management and administration in the context of the regulation of engineering education, with experience of working with, and supporting, numerous boards and committees.
Dan has lived in Bedfordshire since 2004 and is a big fan of the county’s beautiful countryside that tries to walk everyday rain or shine.
Charles Mills
Treasurer
Charles joined the BCU board in 2023 and became Treasurer in 2024.
He qualified as a chartered accountant while working with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells. Since then he has been employed in various senior financial roles in financial services, pension schemes and charities, and retired in 2022.
Charles moved from Nottingham to Bedford in 1987 and is involved with Bedford Hockey Club, Bedford Marianettes (an amateur theatre group), and Cantamus (a local chamber choir).
Ian McEwen
Director
Ian joined the BCU board in 2019 and was appointed Chair in 2020, navigating the organisation through the Covid lockdown. He stepped down as chair in 2026 but remains a member of board.
He worked as an international banking analyst for a number of years.
Ian has previously been a trustee of a number of charities, including the Harpur Trust, and in that capacity spent nine years as chair of governors at Bedford Modern School.
Roz Wright
Director
Roz Wright joined the BCU board as a Director in 2026.
She is an MBA-qualified accountant with over 23 years’ experience at Santander, where she progressed to senior management level. She has since worked in other financial institutions and gained additional experience during a two-year tenure at the housing association bpha.
Roz has held a wide range of roles, including strategic planning, management accounting, regulatory reporting, systems accounting, and project implementation. Her responsibilities have required regular liaison with key regulatory bodies, including the PRA, the FCA, and the Bank of England.
Originally from Devon, Roz moved to Bedford from Rushden in 2007. She is currently studying for a Master’s degree in Photography and has undertaken a variety of voluntary roles, notably serving as a school governor for six years.
Saqhib Ali
Director
Saqhib joined the BCU board in 2023 and currently serves as a Director.
He has over 30 years’ experience as a qualified finance professional and has held executive and non-executive roles spanning healthcare and public service, including over a decade as a Non-Executive Director and Audit Chair within the NHS.
Saqhib is the founder of ZeroPA, providing interest-free micro-finance non-cash lending and financial education to financially vulnerable individuals, and Chair of Madad UK, a charity offering emergency grants, with a retail store in Bedford and Watford, and is a Parish Councillor.
Haroon Iqbal
Director