Announcing Three New Directors Join HWFI CDT Board
We are delighted to announce the appointment of three new Directors to the Board: Michael Tsiagbe, Jonny Weston, and Cecilia Ruberto. Their diverse expertise in investment, design, and community development will strengthen the CDT's mission to deliver sustainable, community-led development across Hackney Wick and Fish Island.
Since 2017, the CDT has achieved significant milestones, with recent highlights including:
Secured a landmark 99-year lease on our first property, marking a significant step toward long-term community ownership in Hackney Wick
Launched The Loop, a first-of-its-kind micro demonstrator hub for the circular economy, positioning us at the forefront of sustainable development in East London
Became the lead partner delivering the Hackney Town Hall, which allows us to broaden our engagement and ensure community voices are included in local decision-making
These strategic appointments mark a significant step in the CDT's evolution from a grassroots organisation to an established community anchor with the capacity to deliver complex, large-scale projects. With expertise spanning infrastructure finance, social design, and international community development, the expanded Board positions the Trust to unlock new funding streams, secure larger assets, and scale our model of community ownership across East London.
Please meet our new board members…
Michael Tsiagbe is an investment professional specialising in the structuring, financing and delivery of mission-critical real assets. He began his career in property development, playing a key role in delivering the UK's first co-living project in London, before moving into more complex forms of social infrastructure, including emergency, key-worker and workforce housing. His broader interests and activities now extend to economic infrastructure and operational real assets, where he focuses on strategies that enhance social resilience, support local industry, and drive long-term economic development.
Jonny Weston is a designer passionate about the role of creativity in creating positive and sustainable social change. With two decades of experience in the social impact and non-profit sectors, he believes that design only works if it puts everyone's lived experience at the heart of process, product and strategy. Increasingly working on place-based projects, Jonny aims to use design as a way to uncover personal stories, local histories and identify the things we share as citizens, participants and residents.
Cecilia Ruberto brings extensive experience in community development and international policy work. With a background spanning diverse cultural contexts, she is committed to fostering inclusive, sustainable change in urban environments.
The Board now consists of Sam Hansford, Brian Akintokun, Jenna Clark, Paul Reynolds,, William Chamberlain, Juliet Can, Michael Tsiagbe, Jonny Weston, and Cecilia Ruberto.