Nine Vice Presidents were nominated by the Catholic Union’s Council and approved at last night’s AGM. They will serve alongside Baroness Hollins, President of the Catholic Union.
- Sarah Bool MP
- Professor Charles Egbu
- Patricia Ferguson MP
- Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP
- Sojan Joseph MP
- Angus MacDonald OBE MP
- Frank McNally MP
- Brendan O’Hara MP
- John Studzinski CBE.
Richard Collyer-Hamlin, Chair of the Catholic Union of Great Britain, says: “Each Vice President brings a wealth of expertise and support to the work of the Catholic Union as we continue to address the pressing challenges of the day. This eminent group includes politicians from across the political spectrum, academia and business. I am most grateful to them for accepting Council’s invitation to help the Union in this particular way.”.
The Catholic Union exists to give a voice to Catholics in public life
A full list of our Vice Presidents can be found on our website.
Sarah Bool MP
Member of Parliament for South Northamptonshire since 2024.
Sarah grew up in Rutland and went on to read Modern History at Oriel College, Oxford, after which she moved to London for her Law Degree. She began her training contract at a Magic Circle Law firm in 2012, qualifying as an Associate into Commercial Real Estate in 2014, before moving to a Mayfair based firm in 2017 where she was a Senior Associate until July 2024. Sarah is Chair of the Executive Committee of the Society of Conservative Lawyers and PPS to the Shadow Home Office.
Professor Charles Egbu PhD PPCIOB HonRIBA FCIOB FRSA FHEA
Vice Chancellor, Leeds Trinity University
Professor Charles Egbu is Vice Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University (LTU), UK. He was formerly Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education & Experience) at the University of East London. Before then, he was the Dean of School of the Built Environment and Architecture, London South Bank University, UK, where he held the Chair in Project Management and Strategic Management in Construction. He has also held academic posts at University College London (UCL), University of Salford, Leeds Metropolitan University, and Glasgow Caledonian University. He has authored more than 15 books and published over 300 academic papers in journals and conference proceedings. He was President of the Chartered Institute of Building (June 2019 – June 2020) and admitted into the Worshipful Company of Constructors in May 2017. He received the Freedom of the City of London in 2017. In 2023, he received an Honorary Fellowship Award (HonFRIBA) from the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) for his contribution to Architecture. Professor Egbu is also a member of various higher education sector bodies, including Universities UK (UUK), MillionPlus – Association of Modern Universities in the UK, Cathedrals Group of Universities, Yorkshire Universities, and University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC).
Patricia Ferguson MP
Member of Parliament for Glasgow West since 2024.
Before entering Parliament, Patricia served as a Member of the Scottish Parliament for Glasgow Maryhill and Springburn and was in the Scottish Cabinet of First Minister Jack McConnell from 2001-2007. Patricia Chairs the Scottish Affairs Select Committee in the House of Commons.
Rt Hon Damian Hinds MP
Member of Parliament for East Hampshire since 2010.
Damian has held a number of positions in Government including Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, Minister for Employment, Secretary of State for Education, Security Minister, Minister of State at the Ministry of Justice. In opposition he was appointed Shadow Education Secretary and is currently serving as a member of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee and is also joint Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Down Syndrome.
Sojan Joseph MP
Member of Parliament for Ashford since 2024.
Sojan worked in the NHS for 22 years, primarily in mental health services, holding the roles of ward manager, matron, mental health nurse and Head of Nursing for the community mental health services in Kent and Medway. He took on his first political role in 2023, after winning a seat on Ashford Borough Council to represent the Aylesford and East Stour ward. Sojan is co-chair for the APPGs on Mental Health, Global TB, and Adult Social Care.
Angus MacDonald OBE MP
Member of Parliament for Inverness, Skye and West Ross-shire since 2024.
Angus is a former Lib Dem Councillor for Fort William and Ardnamurchan and has a particular interest in the economic viability of the Highlands, the care sector, the armed forces, coping with over tourism and the potential impact of renewables in the Highlands. Before entering politics, he served as a lieutenant in the Queens Own Highlanders with three years as an Investment Manager at Martin Currie in Edinburgh before founding Edinburgh Financial Publishing in 1990. Angus also served as the Vice President of The National Trust for Scotland and founded the Moidart Trust to help small companies grow and flourish. He founded the Caledonian Challenge which raised approximately £15m for charity over 20 years. He was awarded an OBE for services to the Highlands.
Frank McNally MP
Member of Parliament for Coatbridge and Bellshill since 2024.
Frank served as a Labour councillor or Mossend and Holytown ward on North Lanarkshire Council from 2012 and was appointed the Education Convener in 2016. He has been named by Third Force News as the founder of North Lanarkshire Council’s school meals programme 365 to support under-privileged children and families in the region. At the age of 28, he became the youngest chair of a major service in Scotland. Since December 2024 he has sat on the Work and Pensions Select Committee and was appointed to the UK-EU Parliamentary Partnership Assembly in January 2025. Frank was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Scotland Office and Secretary of State, Douglas Alexander MP, in the 2025 UK Government reshuffle.
Brendan O’Hara MP
Member of Parliament for Argyll, Bute and South Lochaber since 2015.
Born in the east-end of Glasgow in 1963, before entering parliament in 2015, Brendan was an award-winning television producer/director, having worked extensively with Sky, BBC and ITV, among others.
In his decade at Westminster, Brendan has held several positions including being his party’s spokesperson on Defence and DCMS, as well as serving a stint as the SNP’s Chief Whip. Immediately prior to the 2024 General Election, he spoke for the SNP on Foreign Affairs and sat on the parliament’s influential Foreign Affairs committee.
As well as being the SNP Middle East Spokesperson in this parliament, he is currently chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Groups on Genocide Prevention, the Yazidi’s, Greenland, and International Law, Justice & Accountability.
John Studzinski CBE
Founder and Chairman of the Genesis Foundation.
An American-born British asset manager, investment banker and philanthropist, John Studzinski is Vice Chairman and a Managing Director of global investment management firm PIMCO. With over 40 years of banking and investment experience, he has previously embraced senior roles at Blackstone, HSBC Group and Morgan Stanley. He holds an MBA from the University of Chicago and a bachelor’s degree from Bowdoin College.
A dedicated philanthropist and thought leader, he is Founding President of Arise which was established in 2015 to support frontline work against modern slavery and serves as a Commissioner on the Global Commission on Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking.
Mr Studzinski also serves on various boards, including the American Associates of the Saint Catherine Foundation, Benjamin Franklin House, Castle Howard, FAPE, Jacob’s Pillow, St. Patrick’s Cathedral, and The J. Paul Getty Trust. He was recently installed as Chancellor of Leeds Trinity University. Additionally, he co-founded the Christian Art Network.