THINK AHEAD - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Senior Finance and Operations Manager
Job Titles:
- External Relations Manager
- Member of the External Relations Team
Alex joined Think Ahead in 2021 and supports the external relations team's activity across the organisation. Before Think Ahead, Alex was part of the communications team for Mental Health First Aid England, moving to the third sector after working for a public relations agency and some broadcasting work for the BBC. He is interested in politics, and is passionate about storytelling and challenging mental health stigma.
Job Titles:
- Professional Development Lead
Alexia is Professional Development Lead and was previously a Practice Specialist. She is an experienced mental health social worker, qualifying in 2007 with an MA from Durham University. Since then she has worked in local authorities and NHS Trusts in Durham, Newcastle and London boroughs of Westminster, Hackney and Tower Hamlets. She has worked in adult, older adult and forensic mental health services as a social worker and AMHP. Alexia is passionate about supporting students in placement learning and became a practice educator in 2015, leaving frontline practice to join the Think Ahead programme team in 2018.
Job Titles:
- Member of the External Relations Team
- Policy & Research Manager
Alice leads on our policy and research work, helping the organisation to promote innovations that deliver effective mental health support. Before joining Think Ahead, Alice was the policy lead at homelessness charity Jimmy's. She has co-produced various research projects spotlighting peer-led substance misuse support for carers, mental health support within homelessness hostels and modular housing as a solution to homelessness.
Job Titles:
- Senior Practice Specialist
Amanda joined the team of Practice Specialists in April 2019. She has been a Social Worker since 1996 working mainly in the North West within statutory, voluntary and public sectors. She has worked in the Local Authority Children & Families with Disabilities Team, for the NSPCC as a Children's Service Practitioner, and in CMHTs as a Senior CAMHS practitioner. She is also a qualified Practice Educator, Systemic Family Practitioner and Coaching/Mentoring who enjoys developing others in their social work experience.
Amrit leads the programme and development of the Alumni Community. Before Think Ahead, Amrit was an educator and founded a social enterprise which won various awards and featured in the Global Entrepreneurship Summit. She studied History at SOAS, University of London, specialising in colonialism. Amrit is also an accomplished musician, touring internationally since 14. Her notable performances include Glastonbury and the UN General Assembly alongside the Marley family. She is also a Global Youth Ambassador for Sarah Brown's charity TheirWorld.
Catherine joined Think Ahead as a Practice Specialist in 2022, having previously worked as a Consultant Social Worker with Think Ahead participants in Suffolk for the past two years. Catherine qualified from the University of East Anglia as a Social Worker in 2015 and has mainly worked within adult community mental health teams within Trust and Local Authority settings in the East of England. Catherine qualified as a Practice Educator in 2020 and supported Think Ahead students as she wanted to encourage and support participants to qualify in Social Work with more mental health knowledge. Catherine is passionate about inspiring participants and is motivated to encourage advocacy for individuals with mental health and remain creative when supporting them.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Donald is active in the charity and social enterprise sector, with his background in development finance and venture capital. Donald has successfully set up and invested a number of venture capital funds for CDC and Actis in India. He chairs a social business in Latin America and, until recently, a health charity operating in 12 of the poorest developing countries. Donald is also Treasurer of IPPR.
Job Titles:
- Finance
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Operations Director
Doug is responsible for managing the coffers of Think Ahead, along with the HR, IT Facilities and Business Operations functions. He comes to us having spent three years in a similar role at Gingerbread, the Charity for Single Parent Families. Prior to that, Doug's career covered both the public and private sectors. He is a listening volunteer and training officer at Samaritans and in his spare time is studying with the Open University for a degree in English Literature and Creative Writing.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Chief Executive of Health Education England
Navina is the Chief Executive of Health Education England and former Chief Executive of East London NHS Foundation Trust (ELFT). She has over twenty years' clinical experience in psychiatry, medicine and paediatrics, and came to East London in 1997 as a Consultant Psychiatrist. Navina has been involved in Medical Education at Barts and The London Medical School as Honorary Senior Lecturer, Associate Dean. She has considerable experience of working across organisational boundaries, especially with Local Authorities, Voluntary Sector, Acute and Community Services and Primary Care. More recently she has taken an active role in the development of local Integrated Care Systems. She was also involved in the development of the NHS Long Term Plan and the NHS People Plan.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Chief Executive of the British Association of Social Workers
Ruth is Chief Executive of the British Association of Social Workers and has been a qualified social worker since 1994. Ruth was formerly Director of Social Work for South West London and St George's Mental Health Trust and Research Fellow at St George's University of London. She is Chair of the national Social Care Strategic Network for mental health, and an advisor to the Chief Social Worker for adults. Ruth is currently working with the Department of Health on the ‘Social Work for Better Mental Health' initiative, and she is a spokesperson for social work and social care in a variety of other forums.
Job Titles:
- Member of the External Relations Team
- Senior External Relations Manager
Emma leads on our media, social media, brand and messaging. Passionate about the power of storytelling, she's works hard to bring our charity's work to life through the words of others. Before joining Think Ahead Emma was a PR and media manager at Macmillan Cancer Support. She's worked across an array of charities and started her career at the global PR agency Weber Shandwick.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Recruitment Team
- Recruitment Team Administrator
Ferdusi joined Think Ahead in 2022 and supports the team and applicants in the recruitment process. Before Think Ahead, Ferdusi had worked in higher education doing outreach and in a local authority working with schools to improve careers curriculum. She has an English Language and Linguistics degree. She has an interest for the arts and enjoys photography.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Recruitment Team
- Head of Recruitment
Gaia heads up the team who recruits all of the Think Ahead participants. Before Think Ahead Gaia worked in a similar role for a provider of The National Citizen Service.
Georgina is responsible for our management accounts, budgeting, reporting and financial systems development. Prior to joining Think Ahead, Georgina worked within project finance management at Middlesex University where she was responsible for a large portfolio of projects and contracts including the Think Ahead Programme.
Job Titles:
- Programme Delivery Associate
Hayley oversees the operational delivery for the in-person Recall Days and Summer Institute, as well as daily communications on Slack and the programme inbox. Before Think Ahead, Hayley predominantly worked and volunteered for non-profit organisations, in engagement and project management roles, particularly with children and young people.
Job Titles:
- Business Development Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
Ivan leads the charity's development and delivery of new business opportunities, with a focus on mental health workforce. He joined Think Ahead in 2015 and has previously worked as Recruitment Director, interim Chief Executive and Programme Director. Before Think Ahead, he was Head of Staffing at The Challenge, recruiting thousands of youth workers for the National Citizen Service programme, and led a national programme for WorldWide Volunteering, promoting voluntary work in schools, prisons and care homes.
Izzy joined in 2022 as a Practice Specialist. She has been worked within Children Social care and mental health services for over 18 years, working in a variety of health and local authority settings in the North East of England. Izzy worked in adults CMHT's has managed an Older Peoples adult mental health services and a Ongoing assessment and intervention team. She is also worked an AMHP for several years. She has the Practice Educator qualification and is passionate about social work education.
Jacqui joined Think Ahead in April 2016 as a Practice Specialist supporting the first programme cohort and became Lead Practice Specialist in 2018. Jacqui qualified as a social worker in 1993, working mainly in East and Central London throughout her career. She has been a frontline practitioner and practice educator, a senior practitioner and team manager in teams including learning disabilities, adults, and older adults. Jacqui holds a role as an independent vice chair of a fostering and adoption panel.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Chief Executive of Transform Society
James is the Chief Executive of Transform Society. Previously, he headed up the Teach First graduate recruitment department and saw Teach First grow from a ‘modest' recruiter to become the largest graduate recruiter in the UK. James was previously European Head of Graduate Recruitment at Credit Suisse. He was previously the Chair of the Board for Police Now and is currently on the Board for Unlocked Graduates.
Job Titles:
- Programme Team Administrator
Jenni joined Think Ahead in 2022 and provides administrative support across the programme team including responding to participant queries and supporting them with their expenses. Before Think Ahead she completed a MA in Gender and Politics and spent time in Chicago studying Politics and History. She also has an interest for film, music and swimming.
Job Titles:
- People and Operations Manager
Jess is responsible for HR and operations at head office, looking after our staff and particularly focussing on staff culture and development. In 2021, she completed a CIPD qualification in Human Resource Management. Prior to this role, Jess was the executive assistant to our CEO and our HR administrator.
Job Titles:
- Senior Programme Partnership Associate
Jingyi works with our partnerships of NHS Trusts and Local authorities, growing and engaging our network. She also works with our Service User and Carer Reference Group and academic partner to ensure lived experience is reflected in the programme. She has previously worked in other charities such as Prostate Cancer UK and Groundworks London.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Recruitment Team
- Delivery Recruitment Manager
Joe is part of the recruitment team and is responsible for running attraction campaigns, screening potential candidates, managing assessment centres, and assisting participants joining the programme. He has experience in a variety of recruitment and project-based roles within the housebuilding, education, and charity sectors. He has an undergraduate degree in English Language and Literature and is currently undertaking a Postgraduate Diploma in Counselling and Psychotherapy. He is a big fan of Fulham FC.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
John joined Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust in June 2014 as Chief Executive. He is also Chair of the Children and Young People's mental health inpatient Quality Improvement Taskforce across England. His earlier career included roles as a Chief Executive of a Primary Care Trust in West Yorkshire between 2010 and 2013 and as Chief Executive of Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust between 2006 and 2009. Prior to his NHS career John worked as a Civil Servant in the Department of Health and prior to that as a school teacher in South Yorkshire.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Recruitment Team
- New Business Recruitment Manager
Katie joined Think Ahead after working for a health and social care recruitment organisation in London, supporting people in gaining employment in the NHS and support work sector. She is an International Relations graduate from the University of Birmingham and has a keen in interest in government policy, particularly surrounding mental health.
Job Titles:
- Member of the External Relations Team
- Senior External Relations Manager ( Maternity Leave )
Katie joined Think Ahead in 2016 when our first cohort were just about to start the programme, and has really enjoyed being part of the organisation's growth and development since then. Katie's role involves sharing stories of our participants and the people they support, in order to help more people to understand the value of social work and the broader mental health workforce. Before joining Think Ahead Katie was a journalist and then worked for a disabled children's charity.
Job Titles:
- Executive Assistant and Projects Administrator
Katy is responsible for HR and Operational work alongside being an executive assistant to Think Ahead's CEO Philippa Mariani. Before joining Think Ahead, Katy was studying at SOAS University of London and has a MA in Politics. She has also spent time volunteering for Amnesty International, working in the charity's Artists and Events team.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Levi was a participant on the Think Ahead programme from 2016 to 2018, joining in our very first year. She started her social work training with South West London and St George's Mental Health NHS Trust, and has since moved to Manchester where she continues to practise as a mental health social worker. Working in a Community Mental Health Team, Levi supports people experiencing a range of severe mental health problems, such as psychosis, personality disorders, and eating disorders. She is currently training to become an Approved Mental Health Professional at the University of Manchester.
Marina joined Think Ahead as an Operations Assistant, supporting the Finance and Operations Team. Marina is a recent law graduate who has spent the past two years studying for her LLM. Marina is also passionate about history, politics and literature, having studied History at the University of Southampton.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Nicholas is a former public policy editor at the Financial Times and is currently a senior fellow at the Institute for Government and the King's Fund. He is also a visiting professor in social policy at the London School of Economics, an honorary fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, and author of the award winning The Five Giants: A Biography of the Welfare State, along with other publications including A Terrible Beauty: A short history of NICE (the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence). He worked previously for the science journal Nature, the Press Association, The Times and The Independent.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Recruitment Team
- Recruitment Associate
Paula joined Think Ahead after working for a housing and addiction charity in Bristol, where she supported in campaign development across teams, such as gambling. She also worked at the University of Bristol Careers Service, providing support to graduates and students with interviews and applications and building relationships with employers from Transform Society.
Job Titles:
- External Relations Director
Penny is responsible for our external relations strategy and brand. Before Think Ahead, she headed up the communications team at domestic abuse charity SafeLives. Penny has worked in digital and media teams for organisations such as Comic Relief and The Prince's Charities. In 2017, she became a Clore Social Leadership Fellow, specialising in gender equality. She also has an MA in Journalism and is a keen writer.
Job Titles:
- Programme Development Manager
Perran is responsible for programme policies, processes and the monitoring and evaluation of the Think Ahead programme. She came to this role having spent the last 7 years working in the delivery of training programmes, including those with a focus on children's social work and teacher training.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Member of the Leadership Team
Philippa was appointed as Chief Executive at Think Ahead in December 2022. She is an experienced charity leader and has worked in mental health and social care service delivery since 2006, in an advocacy charity, a user-led disability charity and a housing association providing supported living and residential care for people with mental health care needs. Before that she was Director of Development at a national children's charity and Head of Consumer Affairs at BT. Philippa joined Think Ahead directly from her role as CEO at Mind in Croydon, where she developed strategic delivery partnerships with NHS Trusts, Integrated Care Systems and the voluntary and community sector. She has a law degree and an MBA.
Phoebe joined Think Ahead in 2023 having previously worked as a Senior Social Worker in Children's Services and with Step Up to Social Work as a Regional Practice Educator in London. Phoebe has a passion for working in a trauma-informed, relationship focused way, centred on amplifying the voices of people using services. She wants to continue to support trainees to become reflective, collaborative and empowering social workers for the people they support and to champion the role of Social Work in Mental Health.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Programme Director
Rachel is responsible for the delivery and quality assurance of the Think Ahead programme. Rachel has over 15 years of experience within the charity sector. Most recently she was working as Head of Operations for a large national social integration charity delivering a large youth and community programme to tens of thousands of young people each year.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Recruitment Team
- Recruitment Associate
Rose joined Think Ahead in 2022 having, previously, recruited diverse staff teams to lead and mentor 15-17-year-olds on NCS residential programmes. From 2014 she built collaborative, inclusive relationships with universities, colleges and local authorities. With over 13 years specialist experience in teaching, training and projects; Rose led the development of IT excellence and innovation in more than 40 primary and secondary schools including pupil referral units for Camden Borough. She is passionate about making positive change in people's lives.
Job Titles:
- Head of Partnerships and Development
Roxanne joined Think Ahead in 2019 and is responsible for our external partnerships. Roxanne has 20 years experience working within the charity sector, 15 of these as a frontline mental health practitioner within homelessness and criminal justice services. Roxanne is passionate about improving services for service users and before joining Think Ahead she worked closely with many different social care organisations, consulting on and providing training around assessment and support planning. Roxanne also leads our Service User and Carer Reference Group.
Job Titles:
- Co - Founder
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Partner
Sharon is a partner and co-founder of Q5, an international consultancy specialising in organisation change. She has been a consultant for over 20 years and has worked with a wide range of FTSE 100 companies across most industries both as an external and internal consultant supporting leaders of those businesses to review, change and ensure their organisation is fit and healthy. She previously worked at BAA and Accenture. She is a fellow of the CIPD and has an MBA from City University Business School. Sharon leads the Q5 foundation which works with a number of mental health charities including Think Ahead and MQ.
Job Titles:
- Programme Engagement Manager
Sian is responsible for the team delivering programme logistics and communications to participants- she oversees the participant experience and leads Think Ahead's Retention and Engagement strategy. Before Think Ahead, she worked in the charity sector leading events, and lived in Saigon for three years teaching at and managing an English language centre.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Recruitment Team
- Recruitment Associate
Sumitra works across both the Recruitment and Programme teams. She supports applicants during the application process and continues to do so once they join the programme. Before Think Ahead she completed a BA in Liberal Arts from the University of Leeds. She has worked primarily in admin and education related roles. She has always been passionate about the charity sector and volunteered for various charities based in Leeds and Mumbai.
Tom joined as a Practice Specialist in 2022. He has an MA in Social Work and a PG Cert in Higher Education. Tom has worked as a Social Worker in Child Protection, including as a Senior Social Worker in a specialist adolescent ‘edge-of-care' team; in Youth Justice; and in CAMHS. Tom has also worked as an AMBIT (Adaptive Mentalization-Based Integrative Treatment) Trainer at the Anna Freud National Centre for Children & Families, and as a Practice Tutor on the Frontline programme. He is passionate about collaborative and compassionate approaches to Social Work.