Committees

About

Sufina is Director of John Ellerman Foundation, an endowed grantmaker aiming to advance wellbeing for people, society and the natural world, through its grantmaking, investing and operations. She has a background in strategy, impact, policy, grantmaking and adult social care. She has an Executive MBA with a Strategic Leadership specialism.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Sufina is a member of our Grants & Evaluation Committee.

About

Fiona is CEO at Skills Federation, the voice of employer-led sector skills bodies. Prior to this she has held senior positions at West Midlands Combined Authority and Learning and Work Institute. Fiona has more than 25 years’ experience of developing and implementing evidence-based policies and programmes across skills and employment.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Fiona is a member of our board, and also serves on our Grants & Evaluation Committee.

About

Joel Buchanan is a multi-award-winning social entrepreneur and the Chief Executive of Quintessentially Foundation. Before joining Quintessentially Foundation, Joel spent a decade in his previous role as Founder and CEO of Tutors United, a social enterprise which hires, trains, and pays university students to tutor primary school pupils. Joel scaled the organisation across 7 cities to hire 650 university students and tutor over 4,000 pupils. Joel is currently a trustee of The Rank Foundation and a non-executive Director of Pathway Fund. Joel is a former trustee of the multi-national charity School for Social Entrepreneurs and a former Non-Executive Director of Youth Futures Foundation.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Joel is a member of our Grants & Evaluation Committee.

About

Claire Camara is an experienced and dynamic Global leader and throughout her career, she has demonstrated a deep commitment to supporting young people, championing equality, and creating pathways to opportunity. Claire has held senior people leadership roles in a number of globally recognised organisations, including at EssenceMediacom and The Co-operative Group. Her career also includes transformative work in major international events, such as the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Baku 2015 European Games, where she played a key role in building diverse talent pipelines and leaving a legacy of opportunity for young people.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Claire is a member of our People & Governance Committee.

About

Jess is an experienced youth voice advisor, working with organisations to ensure youth voices are embedded effectively in decision making, and to create impactful opportunities for young people. Jess also works as a policy designer at the Department for Education, specialising in user-centred design and applied behavioural insights.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

Jess is a member of our board, and also serves on our People & Governance Committee.

About

Neil is the Director of HR and Communications for Severn Trent.  He has worked across multiple industries and sectors, including media, retail, B2B and the public sector. Neil sits on the Board of the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education and on the Social Mobility Commission’s Employer Panel

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Neil is a member of our board, and also serves on our People & Governance Committee.

About

Veda Harrison is Director of Creative Confident Communities at the Esmee Fairbairn Foundation. She has worked across the cultural, community and corporate sectors, leading programmes with the Money and Pension Service, NatWest Group, the Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, NESTA, UK Youth, Southbank Centre and the Royal Borough of Greenwich. She is a member of the Church of England Strategic Mission and Ministry Board and Fellow of the RSA.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Veda is a member of our board, and also serves on our People & Governance Committee.

About

Guy Goodwin has over 25 years’ experience in leadership roles in the public and charity sectors, most recently as CEO of the charity NatCen until his retirement in 2024. He has extensive knowledge of research, data, measuring impact and with the use of evidence in policy making  

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Guy is a member of our board, and also serves on our Audit, Finance & Risk Committee.

About

George Greaves brings over a decade of expertise in further education, apprenticeships, and youth employment, underpinned by DEI and lived experience. As a Non-Executive Director at Youth Futures Foundation, he uses his skills in governance, funding, and collaboration to improve employment outcomes for marginalised youth and drive systemic change

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

George is a member of our board, and also serves on our Grants & Evaluations Committee.

About

Melanie Montanari has over 20 years’ experience as a civil servant, currently as Director for Housing Strategy and Markets at the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. Her role involves oversight of a complex portfolio of Government funding programmes including Help to Buy, and acting as the shareholder director for Homes England, the Government’s housing delivery agency. Melanie brings a wealth of policy expertise relevant to youth employment, including leading on both labour market policy and personal tax at HM Treasury

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Melanie is a member of our board, and also serves on our Audit, Risk & Finance Committee.

About

Kris is a finance professional and has held senior leadership roles in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. He has been involved in managing and creating sustainable and profitable businesses and driving efficiencies and has considerable senior management experience, most recently as Director of Finance & Resources at the Scout Association and prior to that as Deputy CEO of the disability charity, Sense. Kris has held Board positions in the UK and the US, is currently Senior Independent non-executive director at Youth Futures Foundation and serves as a Board member and Chair of Finance Committee at the Integrated Care Board of Suffolk and North East Essex. He also serves as a trustee and Chair of Audit Committee of Diabetes UK.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Kris is a member of our board, and also serves on our Audit, Finance & Risk Committee.

About

Jenny North is the Director of The Clothworkers’ Foundation, a role she has held since March 2022, where she leads their grantmaking and social investment work. Previously she was Deputy CEO at Dartington Service Design Lab. She has also held senior positions at Impetus and Relate. Jenny is Chair of London Funders, and was previously a Trustee and Non-Exec Director at the Social Investment Business.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

Jenny is a member of our board, and also serves on our Grants & Evaluation Committee.

About

Ruth Busby OBE, is the People and Transformation Director for Great Western Railway (GWR) and Network Rail’s Wales and Western Region, leading the people agenda with a focus on engagement, kindness, inclusion and diversity, and health and wellbeing. Ruth is also involved in a number of industry wide activities including leading Rail Wellbeing Live, and sponsoring the Samaritans study into the Mental Health of Railway Workers in 2023. Ruth was awarded an OBE for services to diversity in the rail industry in the 2024 New Years Honours list. Ruth joined GWR in March 2018, having previously worked in Defence, Higher Education, and the Civil Service, where she started her career in policy development. Ruth is also a qualified coach.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Ruth is a member of our board, and also serves on our People & Governance Committee.

About

Seyi has been the CEO of Centrepoint, a charity focused on giving homeless young people a future, since 2009. He is passionate about ensuring young people, especially those who are on the margins, have the support they need to engage with education and training, and then get into, stay in, and thrive in employment. Seyi was awarded an OBE in 2016 for services to youth skills, employment, and homelessness and an honorary doctorate in 2024 for outstanding contribution to public life.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures?

Seyi serves as the Chair of our board, and is also on our Grants & Evaluation Committee.

About

Carla Rossini is the Director of Global Operations at The Leading Edge Alliance, and a former Finance Director at Johnson Matthey Plc. She is passionate about collaboration between businesses and communities.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Carla is a member of our board, and also serves on our Audit, Finance & Risk Committee.

About

Steph is Chief Executive of Leeds Community Foundation and GiveBradford and was previously responsible for raising and distributing over £20million a year at Charities Aid Foundation alongside leading its strategic advisory function for government, companies, and major donors. Steph has established, led, and worked in partnership with numerous grassroots and national charities over the years and began her career in Yorkshire as a youth worker giving careers advice to young people excluded from school. Steph is both an RSA and Windsor Leadership Fellow, has an MBA, and is a trustee of the Leeds Rhinos Foundation.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Steph is a member of our Grants & Evaluation Committee.

About

Robert Welch is Group Company Secretary of Monzo. He has over 20 years’ experience in leadership roles across a variety of public companies, was Securities Champion of the Dormant Assets Scheme and brings to Youth Futures a wealth of experience in governance, risk management, remuneration and compliance.   

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Robert is a member of our Audit, Finance & Risk Committee.

About

Peter Wells is Professor of Public Policy Analysis at Sheffield Hallam University. He led the evaluation of the National Lottery Community Fund’s Talent Match programme. He has authored over 100 publications, many on the evaluation of public policies. He is the co-director of the ESRC funded Collaborative Centre for Community Connectedness.”

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Peter is a member of our Grants & Evaluation Committee.