Executive Leadership Team
Controller
Air Vice-Marshal Chris Elliot
After gaining her degree from Glasgow University, Chris joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1985 as an Air Traffic Control Officer. She has served at many RAF airfields, including Brize Norton, Valley, Leeming and Marham. Following promotion to Squadron Leader and an appointment as the Senior Air Traffic Control Officer at Linton-on-Ouse, she moved to the Operational Requirements (Air) Directorate in the Ministry of Defence and then attended the Advanced Command and Staff Course (ACSC) in 2000.
Following promotion and a staff appointment supporting the Commander-in-Chief Personnel and Training Command/Air Member, she was appointed as Officer Commanding Operations Wing at RAF Northolt and then returned to the ACSC as Directing Staff. As a Group Captain she joined the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2010 prior to her appointment as the Commanding Officer at RAF Halton.
On promotion to Air Commodore, she left her role in Programmes and Plans at AIR Command and joined No 22 (Trg) Gp as the Director of Ground Training and Senior Air Staff Officer. She retired from regular service in June 2020 in the rank of Air Vice Marshal, her last role in being the Chief of Staff Personnel/Air Secretary.
She was a Trustee of the RAF Sports Federation for 8 years and left the Charity after handing over as Chair in February 2020. She joined the RAF Benevolent Fund in April 2020, taking over as CEO. Married to James, Chris has two teenage children and enjoys photography, running and dog walking and squeezing in her passion for skiing, motorbikes and cooking, around a busy family life.
To contact Chris, please email her EA Kirsty Jackson at kirsty.jackson@rafbf.org.uk.
Director of Operations
Air Commodore Simon Harper OBE MA Chartered FCIPD
Air Commodore Simon Harper joined the Royal Air Force in November 1988, having served over 2 years in the Royal Navy. Commissioned as a Personnel Officer, Simon has undertaken a range of HR roles across many locations in the UK and deployed in Afghanistan. He is a former Trustee of the RAF Benevolent Fund and the RAF Sports Federation.
In 2012, Simon assumed command of RAF Halton and graduated from the Royal College of Defence Studies in 2015 having co-authored a paper, ‘The Military Instrument in the 21st Century’, which was published as part of the Churchill 21st Century Leadership Programme. He was promoted to Air Commodore in 2016 and completed appointments as the lead for HR policy and, latterly, RAF ground training policy and strategy. On leaving the RAF, Simon assumed the volunteer reserve position as Regional Air Officer for the South-East of England.
Simon is married to Carolyn and has 2 adult sons. He maintains his keen interest in football having led UK Armed Forces Football since 2016 and remains a passionate supporter of both Portsmouth FC and, changing sports, Hampshire Cricket.
To contact Simon please email directors@rafbf.org.uk.
Director of Resources
Victoria Akinboro
Victoria has worked at the RAF Benevolent Fund since December 2013 and has held a number of roles before being appointed Director of Resources in January 2022.
Victoria has a BSc in Economics and is an accountant by profession. After training in practice, she started her career in the commercial sector, but the significant part of her extensive experience has been in non-profit organisations where she has held several roles leading and transforming Finance functions.
She leads the Fund’s Finance, IT and Facilities, HR, Governance and Data Protection teams. Her responsibilities include supporting the development of the Fund’s strategy, ensuring that long term financial sustainability is secured and that the infrastructure supporting welfare and income generating activities is efficient, effective, and fit for purpose.
Victoria is a Trustee and member of the Finance Committee of two other charities. To contact Victoria, please email directors@rafbf.org.uk.
Director of Fundraising
Ben Alonso
Ben joined the RAF Benevolent Fund as our Director of Fundraising in July 2023. He leads the Fundraising, Communication and Engagement teams who engage with the RAF Benevolent Fund’s supporters who give their time, money and voice. The team strives to ensure that the RAF Benevolent Fund can be there for not only serving and ex-serving RAF personnel, but also the whole of the RAF Family, including dependants and carers for however long it takes.
Ben has over 14 years’ experience and has a proven track record in successfully delivering fundraising growth and maximising income opportunities for organisations. He has held a number of senior roles in fundraising at national and regional charities as well as completing an interim CEO post in 2022 before joining the RAF Benevolent Fund.
Ben has a MA in International Conflict Analysis and PgDip in Charity Marketing and Fundraising. Ben lives in London, is a keen winter sport enthusiast and enjoys travelling.
To contact Ben, please email directors@rafbf.org.uk.
Associate Director Strategy and Impact
Dr Christina Floe
Christina studied Psychology and Physiology at Oxford University before continuing with a DPhil in social psychology, researching inter-group relations through fieldwork and quantitative studies. After the doctorate she worked further in evaluation and statistics in a social impact consultancy, designing strategic frameworks and evaluating the impact of charitable and government organisations across the UK. She more recently headed up Social Impact at an education foundation, and joined the RAF Benevolent Fund in October 2024, to lead our Strategy and Impact directorate as a maternity cover for Hannah Brooking.
"Strategy & Impact are all about driving our data insights into strategy, to ensure that we are delivering on our aims as effectively as possible, and keeping feedback from the RAF Family at the heart of what we do. The team helps the Fund be people-focused and innovative in the support we give beneficiaries, now and in the future."
Christina is a 4th dan in karate and occasionally still teaches on the weekend, when not on a dog walk or formatting a spreadsheet.
To contact Christina, please email directors@rafbf.org.uk.
Director of IT
Andrew Joubert
Andrew Joubert is a seasoned technology leader with over 15 years of experience driving transformative IT initiatives across education, corporate, and charitable sectors. As Director of Technology at the RAF Benevolent Fund, Andrew spearheads the organisation’s digital strategy, harnessing cutting-edge solutions to enhance operational efficiency and support the fund’s mission of providing lifelong welfare to the RAF family.
Renowned for his strategic vision, Andrew has a proven track record of optimising IT infrastructure, reducing costs, and delivering scalable innovations. At The Whitgift Foundation, he led a major IT overhaul, unifying 25+ disparate systems and achieving a 35% reduction in total cost of ownership by transitioning to a fully cloud-based environment. His leadership has secured multi-million-pound investments and improved service delivery, with highlights including a 50% reduction in device deployment times and a 25% uplift in SLA response times through team restructuring and cloud adoption.
With expertise in cloud computing, cybersecurity, and agile methodologies, Andrew has managed large teams and budgets, aligning technology with organisational goals to drive efficiency and modernisation. Passionate about creating meaningful impact, he is committed to ensuring the RAF Benevolent Fund remains at the forefront of digital excellence, delivering innovative solutions that empower its vital work for the RAF community.
To contact Andrew, please email directors@rafbf.org.uk.