NEWS F ROM ARO UND THE W OR L D
Matthew Crudgington (School House 94)
Still based on the shores of Lake Geneva, I’m now working as
non-academic Director at IMD business school, focusing on family
businesses and their learning journeys. Wonderful Lizzie, our nine-
year-old Onabella (halfway there), five-year-old Bastian (who thinks
he’s Messi), as well as the occasional triathlon, are keeping me
young at heart.
Lorena Galvani (GIH 94)
For the past five years we have been restoring a Menorcan country
house and gardens. It is available to rent all year round and we
would like to offer past and present Sevenoaks families and staff
a ten per cent discount on quoting ‘Sevenoaks’. You can find us at:
www.magistergardens.com
2000-2009
Nicholas da Costa (IC 01)
I was elected one of the Liberal Democrat Councillors for Alexandra
Ward in the London Borough of Haringey in May 2018.
Kristina Novick (née Maletz) (Sennocke 01)
My husband Nicolas and I welcomed the birth of our second child,
Julia Daniella Novick. We live in upstate New York, where I am
practising radiation oncology.
Claire Baker (née Hazle) (GIH 03)
My husband Ross and I celebrated the birth of our first child Isla Nell
Baker on 3 June 2017 in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire.
Alice Hopkinson (Austen 06)
Ross Carmichael (Groves 96)
I am now married with two children and moved to Sevenoaks
four years ago after a decade in London. I’m looking forward to
celebrating my 40th birthday in the same location and with the
same Sennockians with whom I celebrated my 18th! I married Adam Caines in Tuscany on 24 June 2017.
Ruth von Eichborn (née Bruckermann) (GIH 97) Helen Taylor (OS 04)
In February 2017, our daughter Katharina was born. Unfortunately,
my husband Andreas died in a mountain climbing accident in August
when our daughter was only six months old. I am living in Munich
and would be happy to hear from any OS and GIH classmates
abroad and in Germany.
Oli Harris (Groves 98)
Last year I and two others founded Championship Horse Racing,
which is a rights holder for a series of large events in horse racing.
One of our first ports of call was to build the brand identity and
creative assets. I remembered that Chris Godfree (Sackville 98)
had worked at a large ad agency and might be able to help. I had not
seen Chris for at least ten years but via Facebook and LinkedIn I got
in touch. He was now working at an agency called RedBee, who had
a pedigree in sport and broadcasting. Fast forward to February this
year and we launched the company with their design, web design
and other creative assets at the fore. This all in the year of our 20
Year OS anniversary.
Stanley Pignal (IC 99)
After two and a half years as a correspondent for The Economist
in Mumbai, I am due to move with my wife Elvira and now three
young boys to Paris, where I will continue to cover economic and
business themes for the paper.
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Thomas Koskella (IC 03)
2017 was a big year, with our wedding in China and relocating to
Singapore. If any classmates are passing through Singapore, it would
be great to catch up!
Sonia Chandaria (OS 06)
On 18 November 2017, I became the first winner of the European
leg of the Kalashram Kathak Competition held in London. I thus
represented the entire Indian diaspora at the Grand Finale held
in Mumbai on 21 December, alongside the winners from various
Indian cities. The competition aims to provide a public platform for
young, upcoming Kathak dancers to showcase their talent to a more
mainstream audience. At the London final, Pandit Birju Maharraj’s
premier disciple Saswati Sen expressed her joy to see such a high
standard of Kathak dance in the Indian diaspora and an excitement
to show India the beauty and uniqueness that non-resident
practitioners bring to the art form. I am currently on a corporate
career break pursuing Kathak dance as a full-time profession. My
recent highlights include performing at Somerset House for London
Fashion Week (February 2018) and featuring in Vogue for the same.
In April, I returned from a performance tour across the USA with
the Sujata Banerjee Dance Company, and in May I performed as the
headline act for the Inspire Women Awards.
I returned to the UK this summer after a rewarding three-year
exchange posting with the French navy. On return to the UK I
had the honour of being promoted to Lieutenant Commander in
October 2018. Alessa Popovic (GIH 06)
I took on a new challenge in May 2018 as Senior Business
Development Manager at BTL, a young blockchain technology
firm listed on the Venture board of the Toronto Stock Exchange.
I have moved to London and am looking forward to meeting Old
Sennockians in the city.
Paras Maalde (formerly Shah) (IC 04) Samuel Johns (Taylor 08)
I’d like to share my good news! I recently became a father to a
lovely boy whom we have named Evren Shah. Evren was born on
11 January 2018 in London and weighed in at 7lbs. My wife,
Mehwaesh, and I are thrilled with our new bundle of joy! Based in Kathmandu, Nepal, and in partnership with PSD Nepal,
a local Nepali organisation, I’m helping to set up and run the first
ever in-country Himalayan plastic recycling scheme. Based in the
oldest national park of Nepal, Langtang National Park in Rasuwa
district, established in 1976, we are recycling and upcycling plastic
waste in the park. At present we are clearing around 15,000 plastic
(PET) bottles per month, to be recycled in Pokhara Industrial Park,
at Himalayan Plastic, and also converting plastic waste into petrol,
kerosene, and reduced diesel fuel, using a pyrolysis machine, in
partnership with the Nepali Academy of Science and Technology.
The scenery is stunning. The work is exhausting, yet rewarding.
The local communities are a blast to partner with. And the Nepali
mountains and Himalayan range never fail to amaze.
Sarah Campin-Fordham (née Fordham) (GIH 06)
In February 2018, I married Michael Campin in Wellington,
New Zealand; and we became the Campin-Fordhams. Wellington
has been my home for the last five years, and I love it dearly.
In April, I started an exciting new job as a Senior Policy Advisor for
the Department of Conservation, joining a team that is developing
policies for the protection and management of New Zealand’s
unique natural heritage. When not working, I have been getting
involved in local performing arts. I enjoy singing, dancing and
acting with different groups around the city. In June I tried my
hand at production management for the first time. If you are
an Old Sennockian living in or visiting NZ, it would be great to
hear from you.
ALUMNI REVIEW
2010-2017
Joanne Clara Sy (Sennocke 2010)
I am now based in London and was commissioned by Akram Khan
Company to compose for Portraits in Otherness, a dance production
performed in June at Sadler’s Wells Theatre in London, which is set
to tour in Europe and Asia. As an alumna of Sevenoaks School,
I was offered the opportunity to work with Hong Kong Philharmonic
Orchestra last year, where my orchestral piece ‘Moved’ received its
world première as part of my instrumental EP release ‘Lifted’. The
solo pieces from the EP were then performed in London and Seoul
in a concert series, and went on tour in the major cities in Israel
this summer. Over summer, I began scoring for a new short film,
Daughter, which is scheduled to release next year.
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2017-2018
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