The Human behind the work
I've worked in and around the charity sector for 22 years — including almost 15 of them at Macmillan Cancer Support, where I moved from corporate partnerships into leading a £19–25m high-value fundraising strategy, and eventually ran Macmillan's corporate planning and performance function.
Macmillan was my training ground. I worked under four different CEOs, learned from genuinely brilliant colleagues, and had the chance to do things I'm still proud of — from helping change how the financial sector offers travel insurance to people affected by cancer, to redesigning how planning, budgeting and change worked for an organisation of 3,000 people.
As Macmillan itself changed, I realised I wanted to take that experience somewhere it could go further: to smaller organisations who can't necessarily afford a strategy director of their own, but face exactly the same hard decisions about how to get unstuck from "the way it's always been done."
I especially love working with CEOs who are new in role and need help setting a clear, ambitious direction from day one.
In May 2019 I went fully independent. Since then I've worked with organisations including the MND Association, Fight for Sight, Carers First, Make A Wish UK, Gingerbread, Guide Dogs UK and Farm Africa — on everything from strategic reviews and growth strategies to income diversification and change delivery. I love the variety, and how much I learn from moving between organisations. It's also let me stay in a sector I care about while being around more as my two children grow up.
I'm not here to hand you a glossy report and disappear. I sit alongside you, get into the detail, and help turn a plan into something your team can actually deliver.
How I work
Roots & Wings
There's a quote I come back to: "There are two lasting gifts we can give our children — one is roots, and the other, wings." It's how I approach my work too.
Roots is about understanding an organisation and its mission before we work to change it — its history, it’s core mission, its people and what it's already good at.
Wings is about having the courage to aim high, while staying realistic about what people in the organisation can deliver. That means being honest about the hard stuff — whether savings, structural change, difficult conversations — and handling it with care, not just process.
What I stand for
Relentless about impact:
Change that lasts, not activity for its own sake.
Ambitious, but pragmatic
Big goals, realistic plans.
Be you, be me
I do my best work when I show up honestly, including with dyslexia and menopause. I'd rather you did the same.
Investing in the future
Read below about the 93% Club.
Serious fun
If we're not finding some enjoyment in the work, something's wrong.
Straight-talking, kindly done
Honest feedback, delivered with care.
Life outside work
When I'm not in a boardroom, I'm usually outdoors — a hike, some yoga, or an open-water swim or sauna, normally with our dog Summer in tow. I live in Surrey with my husband and our two children.
The 93% Club
Paying it forward
93% of people in the UK went to state school, yet they're significantly under-represented in senior professional roles. I'm a product of the state school system myself, so for every project I take on, I donate to The 93% Club — the UK's largest network for state-educated students — to help fund a membership place for someone building their career.
It's a small thing, but it means the work we do together has a ripple effect beyond just our project.