Joe brings a wealth of diverse experience from across the corporate and third sectors to his role as Chair. He began his career in music, performing and recording professionally before realising he wasn't the next ‘Badly Drawn Boy’ and entering the corporate world before he turned 20. Starting as an Incident Manager at Cable & Wireless, Joe progressed quickly into senior IT roles—including Global IT Service Management, Project Delivery, and Strategic Leadership. He eventually left his hometown of Manchester in 2015 and moved to Stirling, just in time for England to be beaten by Iceland in the Euros.

A lifelong and passionate advocate for the third sector, Joe later served as the Operations Manager for Transition Stirling’s Wellgreen site. In this role, he led a team of staff and volunteers to grow the Community Food Project, helping to provide a dignified alternative to food banks.

Now a Senior Risk Consultant in finance, Joe was invited to join the Board of the Citizens Advice Bureau in late 2023. Having served as Vice Chair alongside being the Chair of the Risk Committee, he was appointed Chairman in November 2025.

Outside of his professional and board commitments, Joe is a passionate supporter of Manchester City FC. He continues to enjoy music and spends much of his time with family and friends.
 

Sophie has been a part of the Citizens Advice Network since 2011, having undertaken many roles from Volunteer Admin to Youth Advice Development, Generalist Adviser to Chair of Stirling Bureaux Board, whilst working closely with CAS on the Policy Forum and Development Committee.

When not CABing, she is a depot operator with Scotrail, driving trains around the Maintenance Depot. Sophie enjoys keeping busy with Tennis or learning new skills as well as lounging with her 3 Cats. 

Mike has recently stepped down from a 35 year career in the bingo sector, most recently with Carlton Bingo as a Director.

He is looking to support CAB locally in a voluntary role to assist Stirling CAB in delivering and achieving its priorities and key agenda. 

Spare time is spent following Queen of the South football club (more in hope than expectation!) and pretending to be good at golf when the weather allows. 

Sarah came to Stirling Citizens Advice in early 2023 in response to a request to provide HR advisory support and people strategy at board level. Sarah is an MCIPD qualified People Professional, Phenomenologist, Negotiator, Mediator, Conflict Resolver and People Coach. She has an extensive and proven history of over 25+ years in third sector, SME’s and NDPB’s and local authority including the Scottish Prison Service and Stirling Council Social Work Services. Further to running her own consultancy her substantive role is Senior Business Partner and People Manager with Scottish Canals. 
Sarah lives in Larbert with her husband and two teenage girls. She admits to being a bit of a geek, a life long learner and has an almost unhealthy obsession with Stirling University - she returns every few years to undertake more study (but is sitting the next three out at the request of her daughter). She also loves a good glass of red wine, sailing, walking, conversation, supporting her football team and entertaining. When done altogether, it becomes quite a Clarkie Party!! 

Aileen was born and educated in Northern Ireland. After obtaining a social policy degree she worked in CAB in Belfast and then as a Housing Manager in the NI Housing Executive. Following a move to Scotland she lectured in Social Policy at both University of Glasgow and Stirling University before taking up a role as Equality Opportunities Manager in Central Regional and then Stirling Council. Over 20 years ago she moved into the field of economic development and housing where she held a range of senior strategy, operational and partnership roles in both the public and private sector across the UK and New Zealand. Her final role before retiring was Strategic Director of the Scottish Cities Alliance, a partnership between the seven Scottish cities and the Scottish Government. 

I live in Stirling with my wife and our two children, Lottie and Luca, and feel privileged to call this community home. Outside of work, I love live sport and spending time with friends and family — it’s those shared experiences and connections that matter most to me.

Professionally, I work in a role with a strong technical foundation, but what I value most is the human side of it. My approach has always been people first — building relationships, listening carefully, and focusing on how we can make a meaningful difference in people’s lives. Being part of Stirling Citizens Advice Bureau is a natural extension of that belief and a way for me to give back to the community we’re proud to be part of.

Dr Ama Lawani joined the Citizens Advice Bureau as a member of the Board of Trustees in 2025. She is a Lecturer at the University of Stirling, and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Her teaching and research explore leadership, project team behaviours, and change management, including the behavioural and contextual factors that shape individuals, workplaces, and organisational cultures. Ama currently serves as a Team Lead in the Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion unit at Stirling Business School and enjoys delivering impactful talks on resilience, empowerment, and personal development, with a strong commitment to engaging and supporting diverse communities.

Zelda is a Deployment Project Manager working in the cybersecurity SaaS industry, where she leads complex implementation projects and supports organisations in adopting secure technologies and processes. Through her professional experience, she brings skills in structured problem-solving, stakeholder communication, and risk awareness to the Board.

She has long had the desire to contribute to a non-profit organisation and was keen to support a local service that plays such an important role in the community. Having lived in Stirling for the past three years, she wanted to give back by using her professional expertise in a meaningful way.

Outside of her professional life, Zelda enjoys yoga and meditation, and spends much of her free time walking and exploring nature around Stirling.

Kenechi Nwagbo is a dual-qualified solicitor, admitted to practice in both Nigeria and Scotland, and a seasoned governance consultant. Her multi-disciplinary approach to law and business is underpinned by an extensive academic foundation, including a Master of Laws (LLM) from the University of Lagos, an MSc in International Human Resource Management from Cranfield University, and an MSc in International Business from the University of Stirling.

Throughout her professional journey, Kenechi has provided comprehensive legal advisory services and managed the company secretariat for over 70 companies across diverse industries. She is recognized for her ability to ensure regulatory compliance while advising on complex contractual obligations and allied legal matters. Her expertise extends into the core of organizational leadership, where she facilitates board inductions, conducts corporate governance audits, and leads evaluations to enhance board effectiveness and performance.

Beyond her advisory practice, Kenechi is an invaluable resource for professional development and social empowerment. She is deeply passionate about mentoring undergraduates, providing strategic business start-up insights to aspiring entrepreneurs, and championing the advancement of women to break through established professional barriers.
 

Wendy Otieno joined CAB in January 2026, driven by a desire to give back to the Stirling community and connect with Scottish people and culture. This is her first volunteering position, and she is excited to contribute collaboratively within the organization.

With a passion for digital media and a decade of experience spanning communication, human rights, and digital media strategy, Wendy has worked across both private and non-profit sectors, bringing expertise in development communications, grant management, website and social media management, corporate strategy, stakeholder engagement, and event planning, all of which will be instrumental in supporting CAB's strategic goals and outreach efforts.

She is currently completing her MSc in Digital Media and Communication at the University of Stirling. Wendy is always eager to learn and explore new interests, in her free time, you'll find her dancing bachata, traveling to new destinations, and embracing opportunities to grow both personally and professionally.