The Team

We are all expats that have moved to the UK from different places around the world.  Being in a new country is a challenge no matter how many times you have relocated but it is also very exciting.  The FOCUS team is here to answer questions, listen to concerns and make your time in the UK enjoyable and fun!

Executive Director, Alessandra Gnudi
I have been with FOCUS for 10 years and have been fortunate to work with  talented expats from all parts of the world who have contributed greatly to this amazing organisation. I am so proud of all our achievements and look forward to celebrating our 30th Anniversary in 2012. A real Italian, I have come to consider myself a Londoner after many years of living in this great city. I studied marketing communications in Boston, where I lived with my husband for a few years, and law in Bologna, which remains one of my favourite Italian cities.

Director  of Events and Seminars, Nancy Dickinson
A born and bred New Yorker I never imagined I would build a life in the UK. However expanding my horizons while studying in Paris and Florence I decided there was life beyond the ‘big city’. Living, working and raising a family in London over the past 15 years I have come to call London home. The hidden gardens and unique streets of London continue to fascinate me even if I do crave a New York ‘slice’ now and again!

Director of Membership and Resources, Ana Beatriz Alencar
I moved to London from Rio de Janeiro  with my husband in 1997. We came to stay 2 -3 years but we just fell in love with the city! There is something for everyone, for every age : amazing different cuisines, fantastic parks, great theatres....and it is so easy to travel from here to other incredible destinations. Our children were born here and they are as much English as they are Brazilians. I am of course a 'carioca da gema', but I also feel like a true 'Londoner'!

Director of Sponsor Relations, Eva Stock
I originally came to London via Brussels as a student and would never have imagined that I would still be here nearly 20 years later! Having started my career in financial services, I took an extended break when my kids were small, and then discovered FOCUS. Having worked in Marketing and on the Editorial team, I am currently looking after Sponsor Relations. While my American accent will betray my origins, after all these years I consider myself a Londoner.

Director of Finance, Maria Alexopoulou
I moved to London in 2008 with my husband and two children. Originally from Sparta, Greece, I have spent all of my adult life abroad - Canada, Norway, Switzerland, Austria and the UK - and I keep asking myself how a born southerner like myself always ends up in cold place? I even married a Russian! I can assure you, however, that while the weather in London can be occasionally disappointing, the experience of living in this great city will never be.

Members Manager, Eva Unt
I moved to London with my family from Estonia, which is a really small country with a population of only 1.5 million . It took us some time to get used to the huge city, but now we love it! So many parks, museums, great events and so much to do with children! You are never bored when you live here! The other great thing is that I started to write a blog about my adventures in London and I discovered that I like writing a lot. If you can read Estonian, you can give it a try here.

Members Manager, Valeria Fleury
Since I was a child, I have always been fascinated with the "old world". However, having lived outside my sunny Brazil since 1996, I confess I do miss the sunshine sometimes. But London has so much to offer in return: the beautiful parks, cultural events, museums and theatres, and most of all the closeness to continental Europe. You can have a taste of so many different countries, cultures and history. If ‘home is where your heart is’, I can definitely say that London is my home.

Marketing Manager, Paola Longobardi

FOCUS Magazine

Magazine Editor, Lisa Daniels
I’m originally from North Carolina in the U.S., and after spending several years living in New York, moving to London with my husband in 2009 was a refreshing change! For such a large city, London is still amazingly green, and there is so much to do and see. For an art historian like myself, this city couldn’t be more rewarding. I do miss the warm sunshine and sweet iced tea of my home state, but I’m learning to appreciate a hot ‘cuppa’ too!

Image Editor, Cindy Stern
London could not be a better place for a photographer. I arrived in London four years ago and haven’t put the camera down since. From the daily life on the streets to the historic monuments -- everywhere you turn there is something to capture the eye. I was introduced to FOCUS when I first arrived from New York, and am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the FOCUS team and share my photos of the UK and beyond.

Art Director, Rebecca Hunt-Davis
Having lived as an expat abroad, it has been a privilege to design the Focus Magazine since 2009. I have lived in India and Pakistan with my husband, which must be the polar opposites of London. Although I am British , I understand the life of expatriates and FOCUS is an invaluable service.