Our Team

Neil is an experienced leader working across government, business and civil society nationally and internationally. He joined WIG as CEO in 2023 at a time when the charity’s purpose of improving cross-sector collaboration and leadership to boost investment, economic growth and prosperity has become ever more important.

Neil is also Chair of the WorldSkills Global Research Council, having served eight years as CEO of WorldSkills UK, championing the productivity benefits of international benchmarking to raise standards in apprenticeships and technical education to world-class levels, working with governments, education and industry partners.

Neil was previously Deputy Director-General and Chief Operating Officer at the UK business organisation the CBI, working for 12 years at the highest level of the business and government interface nationally and internationally. Prior to that he worked on European employee relations in global IT services and publishing, following completion of his PhD on race discrimination in the workplace in Germany. Neil was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to LGBT diversity and inclusion.

As Director of Strategy and Programmes, Tom is responsible for overseeing the WIG Events & Content team and the Membership team. The main focus is to ensure WIG continues to be the leading platform for constructive collaboration between government, industry and the not-for-profit sector. Tom originally joined as Head of Content and Events in 2017.

Before joining WIG, Tom worked across both government and industry. He ran the energy division for a commercial conference company, worked within the Department for International Trade, and developed new business for an independent TV production company that worked exclusively with not-for-profits.

Tom graduated from UCL with a BA (Hons) in History and subsequently picked up a Masters in International Security and Global Governance from Birkbeck.

Outside of WIG, Tom is a keen Tottenham Hotspur fan and spends time exercising, and walking his dog.

Katy manages our Talent and Leadership Programme function, designed to maximise cross-sector learning through cross-sector knowledge exchange.

The Talent and Leadership function runs the Charity Next Fast Stream secondment programme, arranges and facilitates cross-sector secondment and mentoring opportunities and works with organisations to recruit cross-sector, diverse experts onto Non-Executive and Trustee boards.  She also manages our award winning experiential cross-sector leadership development programmes for future leaders through to C-suite experts.

Before joining WIG, Katy worked as a Director for Badenoch & Clark and Adecco, a specialist professional services recruitment company, personally specialising in senior level recruitment to Social Housing, Not-For-Profit and Local Government, as well as sitting on their operational board with responsibility for corporate social responsibility, culture and leadership development.

She sits as a Trustee for a Grant Giving Charity. And in her spare time, when not looking after her three children, she enjoys swimming, running and skiing.

Bio Coming Soon

Haimanot is a senior finance executive at WIG with over 10 years of experience in the industry. She has a deep understanding of the financial reporting and a passion working together with the team and expanding the organisation financial processing system. In her current role at WIG, she work closely with Head of Finance to provide outstanding financial support for the team and financial success for the organisation. Haimanot hold a Bachelor’s degree in Finance & Accounting from London Southbank University and she is a part-qualified for ACCA.

James supports strategic delivery, governance, and internal coordination across teams, helping ensure that decisions at Board and executive level are effectively aligned with organisational goals.

He previously held senior operations roles in the arts and leadership development sectors, leading multi-site teams and developing collaborative process and system solutions across the UK, Europe, the US, and Singapore, always with a people-first design approach. He is passionate about enabling high-performing, purpose-driven teams and fostering meaningful and successful professional relationships.

Beyond work, James enjoys brewing kombucha, cycling, jamming on his saxophone, playing basketball for Hoxton Heat, and family adventures with his wife and three sons.

As a Membership Manager, Josh supports the team in facilitating cross sector relationships between our members. Part of his role is to help manage relationships with our members, ensuring engagement and satisfaction whilst also keeping an eye on the general scope of our membership. Josh Also takes charge of the general day to day running of our mentoring platform- Mentor Match.

Before WIG, Josh has worked at other not-for-profit and membership focused organisations, including internationally, having been based in both Sydney and Auckland. He also holds a degree in Politics and International Relations from Loughborough University.

In his spare time, Josh is a keen runner and tennis player and also loves to travel.

Dani joined WIG’s Leadership team in 2018. She is the Programme Manager responsible for WIG’s Exchange Programme, Senior Leaders Programme, and multiple bespoke programmes. She works closely with programme participants and facilitators to design experiential learning interventions tailored to the cohorts needs.

Dani looks after WIG’s organisational visits, where she works with our members to understand their key priorities and challenges and pairs them with another organisation, who have faced similar challenges and can offer valuable insights. Recent sessions have focused on, recruitment and retention, organisational culture and sustainable innovation and transformation.

She also focuses on our alumni strategy, delivering creative sessions to engage our alumni community of over 2,500 and continue to connect the sectors.

Dani holds a BA Degree in Sociology and Criminology from the University of Nottingham where she was also a member of the Soup Runner’s Society. In her spare time, she enjoys attending Reformer Pilates classes, travelling and skiing.

Gina supports WIG members on their leadership journey and manages key relationships with partner organisations, ensuring they get the most from our cross-sector programmes. She brings over 10 years of experience spanning international development, government, NGOs, health, and the creative industries.

With a background in international law and a passion for inclusive, reflective leadership, Gina designs and delivers impactful learning experiences that support collaboration, personal growth, and meaningful change. She holds a BA in Politics, Philosophy and History and an MA in Human Rights and International Law.

As Leadership Programmes Manager, Hannah is responsible for the management and continued development of WIG’s leadership programmes. 

Prior to joining WIG, Hannah designed and delivered programmes for executive leaders in the education sector, and has also produced learning and development programmes for the wider public sector. 

Hannah holds a BA (Hons) degree in History and Political Science from the University of Birmingham. Outside of WIG she enjoys baking and is a volunteer for Homeless Action in Barnet.  

As Marketing Manager, Lydia drives a diverse range of marketing campaigns, supporting WIG to reach and engage its members and key audiences.

Lydia has worked in both the not-for-profit and education sectors. She started her career in marketing and development at Emergency Infant Services, a non-profit in Oklahoma, USA, and then moved to a communications role at a multi-academy trust in the UK. Lydia graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BA in English Literary and Cultural Studies with minors in business and Spanish.

Outside of work, she likes to read, explore museums, and go on walks.

As a Marketing Executive , Hunde supports the Marketing team across a wide range of areas, including social media, email marketing, brand design, data reporting and various ad-hoc projects. His work helps ensure WIG maintains a consistent, professional brand presence both internally and externally - promoting WIG’s services and reinforcing its position as the go-to organisation for cross-sector collaboration in the UK.

Before joining WIG, Hunde graduated with a degree in Marketing Management and began his career in the private sector, working in IT solutions and e-commerce, where he coordinated marketing campaigns and events. With a background spanning creative copywriting, design and digital strategy, Hunde brings a strong mix of marketing essentials to the team.

Outside of work, Hunde is passionate about fitness and spends much of his time in the gym. He’s also an avid football fan and a loyal Manchester United supporter.

As a Communications Executive, Abhushan supports the Marketing team in engaging its members and key audiences through the WIG monthly newsletter, website and multimedia content.

Abhushan has a decade of experience in journalism and over five years of expertise in development communications. Before joining WIG, he handled communications for various intergovernmental and non-profit agencies, including RIMES, UNDP Nepal, and BBC Media Action Nepal. Abhushan recently graduated with a joint Master's in journalism, media, and globalisation from Aarhus University in Denmark and the City University of London.

Outside the office, Abhushan loves to bike, play tennis and football. He also loves to cook, travel and explore new cultures. 

As Events and Content Executive, Masooma is responsible for coordinating a range of WIG events. She also supports with the administrative side of WIG events, also helping manage digital content. 

Masooma has recently graduated with a degree for BA Politics and International Relations from the University of Essex. In her spare time, Masooma enjoys reading, cooking, and watching sports.

As Membership Executive, Edivaldo assists membership inquiries, providing support to Membership Managers in enhancing member satisfaction and retention.

Prior to joining WIG, Edivaldo’s commitment to community service is evident through volunteer work for charities such as Cancer Research UK and WizKidzz. Holding a BA in Education and Social Science from St Mary's University, Edivaldo has since worked in the not-for-profit sector, contributing as a Membership Services Coordinator for the Richmond Chamber of Commerce and a Social Media Trustee for Steel Pan Trust.

Outside the office, Edivaldo enjoys attending immersive exhibitions, exploring art galleries, cooking for friends and learning new languages.

As Executive PA to WIG’s CEO, Nicki provides dedicated support focused on the preparation, coordination and follow‑up of the CEO’s meetings and engagements. Working closely with the wider WIG team, she helps ensure activity involving the CEO is well‑coordinated, externally focused and aligned with organisational priorities, supporting effective collaboration with members, partners and stakeholders.

Nicki’s career began in client service and project management after graduating from Dundee University with an MA (hons) in English and Philosophy. She worked in the financial service sector, before moving on to work for various full-service marketing, advertising and events agencies. This was followed by several years in the Exhibition Industry, delivering on trade shows in Spain, the UAE and China, managing a bespoke database system. After starting her family, she became self employed as a Lifestyle PA/EA and further developed her focus on data management, working with a variety of CRM systems.

Outside of work and family commitments – she’s a certified football and hockey mum! - Nicki enjoys spending time with her friends, visiting galleries, theatres and cinemas, especially immersive events. She also enjoys Pilates, and occasionally cold water swimming.

As Policy Events & Content Manager, Ola is responsible for producing and managing a wide range of WIG events, leading the programme for Technology and Innovation and Skills and Healthy Workforce themes.

Prior to joining WIG, Ola worked on developing and running government technology events. She graduated with a BA in Politics and Spanish from King's College London, and an MSc in History of International Relations from the London Schools of Economics and Political Science. 

Outside of WIG, she enjoys learning German, supporting Everton and spending time with her chihuahua, Pickford. 

In his current role, Rupert is the Secondments Programme Manager at WIG that connects the public sector with private & third sector hosts to foster cross-sector learning & collaboration. This includes overseeing an annual secondment programme run in partnership with the Cabinet Office placing approximately 60 fast streamers each year with not-for-profit hosts. Rupert also manages senior secondment brokerage for senior civil servants securing unique cross-sector placements and knowledge exchange.

Rupert also supports the wider Talent services, including secondment vacancy management, and NED and Trustee vacancy management.

Before joining WIG, Rupert was an experienced political campaigner in both the UK and US working on the presidential campaigns of Joe Biden & Cory Booker and for the bi-partisan campaign group Best for Britain. He also has extensive experience of working in PR, spending 2 ½ years working at the award-winning agency, Forty Shillings.

Outside of work you can find Rupert researching new recipes to try, exploring a museum or trying to tire out his Newfoundland puppy on a walk.

Alessandro supports WIG’s day-to-day operations across events, facilities, procurement, systems and internal processes, helping colleagues deliver smooth, professional and well-organised work across the organisation.

Before joining WIG, Alessandro gained experience in hospitality, property, events and business operations, developing a practical understanding of service delivery, supplier management, team support and process improvement.

He studied Business Management with The Open University and continues to build his knowledge across project management, compliance, health and safety and operational leadership.

Outside work, Alessandro enjoys life drawing, reading and creative projects, with a particular appreciation for performative arts.

Arianna is the Talent and Leadership Executive at WIG. She is responsible for assisting with Non-Executive Director and Trustee recruitment, mentoring, secondments and leadership programmes. She also supports communications, manages CRM systems, and contributes to business development, helping to foster cross-sector collaboration.

Prior to joining WIG, Arianna graduated with a BA in Philosophy and Politics from Lancaster University and an MA from University College London. In her spare time, she enjoys cycling, painting and reading. 

Fiona is a Leadership Programme Senior Executive at WIG, a position she has held since joining the organization in 2023. In her role, she is responsible for leading the coordination and delivery of a portfolio of WIG Leadership Development Programmes, with a particular focus on WIG Masterclasses. Fiona also supports Programme Managers on other WIG Leadership Development Programmes, working closely with the Head of Leadership to review processes and procedures to continuously improve the quality and reach of WIG's leadership development services.

Prior to joining WIG, Fiona was an experienced learning and development professional with over 20 years of experience across various business sectors. As a registered I-O psychologist in Hong Kong, she is passionate about helping people grow, develop, and lead successful professional and personal lives.

Fiona is also a proud mother of two daughters. In her leisure time, she enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and water sports

As a Membership Manager, Rob supports members in maximising their membership by helping them engage in the events, leadership and networking opportunities at WIG. He also supports WIG by approaching new members who would add great experience and insight to the wider membership.

Before WIG, Rob worked for a number of education companies and a trade association, spanning both K12 and HE sectors. He also holds a degree in Politics from the University of Nottingham and a Masters in History from the University of Leeds

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Outside of WIG Rob is a keen cricketer, birdwatcher and enjoys spectating snooker and rally around the world.