Trustee Board

Trustee Board

Guiding your union

Our Trustee Board monitors, guide and ultimately takes responsibility for the way that the students' union operates. Our trustees are made up of the full-time members of our elected Officer Team, appointed current students (or 'student trustees') and appointed external trustees who bring a wealth and breadth of experience. Together, they help form the strategic direction of De Montfort Students' Union (DSU), ensuring we meet the needs of all of our members at De Montfort University (DMU).
External Trustees
Student Trustees
Officer Trustees
Trustee Board Minutes

External Trustees

De Montfort Students' Union Trustee - Geoff Kershaw

Geoff Kershaw

SME and Large Corporates Professional

Chair of the Board

Bio
With over 25 years of experience working in SME’s and large corporates, Geoff brings a wealth of commercial, change management and leadership experience to the board. He has worked in the UK and internationally for Walgreen Boots Alliance (formerly The Boots Company), as part of the strategy development team at Barclays Bank and latterly as Managing Director or Thorntons Retail, part of the Ferrero UK Group.

 

Currently Geoff runs his own business as an SME mentor and consultant, he is co-founder of a Dubai based Retail and Wholesale business and a Non-Executive Director of The Retail Summer School Ltd.
De Montfort Students' Union Trustee - Phil Gilks

Phil Gilks

Higher Education Professional


Bio
Phil has developed a career within the sector that spans both universities and students’ unions. Currently the Chief Executive of City University of London Students’ Union and the co-chair of the City, University of London Race Equality Charter Self-Assessment Team. Phil started his journey in students’ unions as a student staff member before being elected President of Brighton Students’ Union. He has since worked for the University of Chichester Students’ Union and both the students’ Union and University at Queen Mary University of London.

 

Phil has joined DSU as an External Trustee to give something back to the sector and help DSU in the next steps along its journey. Phil is particularly interested in supporting DSU to develop and implement its new strategy, ensuring future success.
De Montfort Students' Union Trustee - Laura Arends

Rita Bullivant

Director of IT & Change


Bio
Rita was born and grew up in Leicester, her educational life and a substantial part of her early career was also based in Leicester.

 

Currently she is (in a professional capacity) – Director IT & Change for the Melton Building Society and has spent her career working in a variety of industries and volunteer roles at strategic levels including CPRE Leicestershire and the City of Leicester Museums Trust and was a magistrate for over 20 years.

 

At home she is married with 2 daughters, a dog, cat and plenty of fish.
De Montfort Students' Union Trustee - Beverley Shears

Beverley Shears



Bio
Beverley Shears was appointed as an independent governor in August 2020. She Chairs the People and Culture Committee and is a member of the Remuneration Committee.

 

Beverley’s career has seen her carrying out a number of leadership and HR-related roles, including Head of Customer Experience for the Olympic Delivery Authority, Director of Offender Management East Midlands at the National Offender Management Service, Group HR Director for the Ministry of Justice and Department of Constitutional Affairs, and Deputy Managing Director and HR Director for Stagecoach South West Trains Ltd. More recently, Beverley has founded her own change consultancy, Blue Amaranth Consultancy Ltd, which provides advice on coaching, service transformation, organisational development, and people engagement strategies.

 

Beverley has non-executive experience on the board of the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, the British Transport Police Authority, and the Lincolnshire Partnership Foundation Trust.

Student Trustees

De Montfort Students' Union Trustee - Badhri

Badhri Sai Purnima Raj Durgapu

Student Voice Leader for Employability

Bio
Badhri (he/him) is a dedicated student leader and recent MSc Computing graduate from De Montfort University. In the 2025–26 academic year, as Student Voice Leader for Employability, Badhri works to connect students with meaningful career opportunities, bridging the gap between academic learning and real-world experience.

 

In 2024–25, he served as the International Students’ Liberation Officer, where he led high-impact initiatives including the Flexible Futures – Tuition Fee Flexibility Reform, which proposed more student-friendly payment structures, emergency relief pathways, and stronger institutional support for international and marginalised students. He also launched the On-Campus Placements Initiative, partnering with Careers & Employability to create part-time role pipelines for students, particularly those with work-hour restrictions.

 

Beyond DSU roles, Badhri has been an active Wellbeing Officer for the DMU Telugu Society, fostering a safe and supportive environment through mental health awareness, cultural integration, and community events. As a Course Representative, he amplified student feedback to influence academic improvements and strengthen the overall learning experience. Badhri’s leadership is defined by inclusivity, collaboration, and action. On the Trustee Board, he aims to ensure that decisions remain forward-thinking, inclusive, and grounded in the needs of all students.
De Montfort Students' Union Trustee - Precious

Precious Ikechukwu

Student Voice Leader for Academic Experience

Bio
Precious is currently completing an MSc in Project Management while serving as the Student Voice Academic Officer at DSU. She has experience as a student faculty representative and is passionate about student advocacy, leadership, and effective stakeholder engagement across higher education and beyond.

 

Dedicated to amplifying diverse student voices and fostering inclusive environments, Precious combines her commitment to sustainable development with a proactive approach to driving meaningful change. Recognized with a volunteering award at DSU for her dedication to the student community, she aims to use her skills in project delivery to positively impact the student experience at DMU.
De Montfort Students' Union Trustee - Aamira

Aamira Waghmar

Student Voice Leader for International Student Experience


Bio
Originally from Daman, India, Aamira is now currently serving as the Student Voice Leader for International Student Experience. She chose to become a trustee of the DSU because she truly believes in the power that student voices hold to shape a more inclusive and supportive university experience - especially for thos who have travelled far from home for their studies.

 

Having experienced the ups and downs of adapting to a new culutrue and education system, Aamira is passionate about making sure no international student feels isolated or unheard. As a trustee, her aim is to push for better communication channels. more cultural exchange opportunities, and accessible support systems that reflect the diverse backgrounds of the student community. For her, the role is more than representation - it's about action. She wants every international student to feel confident, connect, and cared for at DMU.
De Montfort Students' Union Trustee - Dilpreet

Dilpreet Kaur

Student Voice Leader for Inclusion & Wellbeing


Bio
Dilpreet is a second-year undergraduate student studying BSc (Hons) Cyber Security. Alongside her studies she is serving as the DSU Student Voice Leader for Inclusion and Wellbeing for the academic year 25-26. Her goal is to help create a supportive space where each student can flourish in their own way. Alongside this leadership role, She is passionate about cybersecurity. The increasing threat to digital data and personal identity concerns her greatly. Dilpreet is committed to learning more about building cyber-safe space.

 

She has always believed that “when life gives you a chance to do something, make the most of it.” That’s exactly what she will be doing through her role—making the most of the opportunity to be a strong voice for others and driving meaningful and positive change.
De Montfort Students' Union Trustee - Twig

Twig Smalley

Student Voice Leader for Communities


Bio
Twig recently graduated from DMU with a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and is now continuing her studies with a MSc in Occupational Psychology, alongside working full-time at the Students' Union. She is passionate about inclusion, accountability, and improving communication across the SU to better represent and support students. As a former national league basketball player, she has always valued teamwork and is still enjoy encouraging others to get involved in sport, even while recovering from injury. She is excited to help shape a more open and engaging Union for all DMU students.

Trustee Board Minutes

Trustee Board Minutes
Minutes are kept accessible on the website for 2 years. If you would like to see minutes up to 4 years to date please contact dsuinfo@dmu.ac.uk

 

December '23
March '24
June '24
August '24
November '24
April '25
June '25
Union
Further Information
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De Montfort Students' Union The Campus Centre Mill Lane Leicester LE2 7DR
De Montfort Students' Union | Charity Number:1138587