The Board

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

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

Bernadette Kelly became Permanent Secretary at the Department for Transport in 2017.  Bernadette has had a long career working across Government on public policy in relation to business and the economy.  Bernadette also promotes social mobility across the Civil Service.  She was awarded a Damehood (DCB) in 2022.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Bernadette is a member of our board.

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

Lord Simon Woolley is a political and equalities activist. He is the Founder and Director of Operation Black Vote, the Chair of the Advisory Group to the Race Disparity Audit and is a former Commissioner for the Equality and Human Rights Commission. Simon was knighted in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours list for services to race equality. He was made a life peer in October 2019.

What they are involved with at Youth Futures

Simon is a member of our board.