Riding for the Disabled Association (RDA) is delighted to announce the appointment of Helena Vega-Lozano as the organisation’s new Chair of Trustees.

The appointment was agreed by member vote at the Annual General Meeting on the 17th of November, where Helena received unanimous support from across the RDA community.

Helena brings extensive experience and expertise to RDA having served in Executive and Board roles across the private sector and not-for-profit. She also has a strong connection to RDA’s mission through her lifelong passion for horses and animals, as well as her charitable work supporting disadvantaged young people and adults.

As a senior Partner and Consulting Board member at Deloitte, Helena leads the firm’s relationship across a number of major clients and heads the Sustainability practice within Deloitte Finance. She is also on the firm’s Diversity Council. During her 17 years as a Partner with Deloitte, Helena has gained a wide breadth of knowledge and experience across business leadership, including governance and strategy, finance and performance management, talent management, risk oversight and technology.

Helena is also Chair of the Trustees at Mare and Foal (an equine rescue charity) and is a Volunteer Counsellor for Childline (NSPCC) handling front line calls and on-line engagement with young people using the Childline service.

On joining RDA, Helena was delighted to share the following: “Since a child my lifelong passion has been ponies.  Thomas, my trusty first pony, instilled in me the transformative power of the human-equine connection and I saw the impact this made when I lent him to my local RDA Group, who gave him a home for life.

That childhood passion has come full circle, leading me to the amazing work that RDA does. As the Chair of Trustees, it is a privilege to be able to blend my business experience with my passion for horses, as well as supporting young people and adults.

I am looking forward to drawing on my experience across both the private and charitable sector, together with the wealth of knowledge within the RDA community, to help shape the vision and direction of RDA on the next stage of our journey. “

Frances Lochrane, Interim Chair, stepped down at the AGM and welcomed Helena in as Chair: “It has been my great privilege to serve as Interim Chair this year, and I am delighted to hand over to Helena. Helena brings experience, energy, and enthusiasm and under her leadership I am confident that RDA will continue to go from strength to strength.”

Riding for the Disabled Association looks forward to the positive impact that Helena Vega-Lozano’s personal and professional commitment will bring to the organisation as it continues its mission enriching lives through horses.