Meet the team

We are a charity that works to drive social mobility and raise aspirations. We empower people of all ages with the confidence, skills and knowledge to move forward in education, training and employment.

Trustees

Our Board of Trustees plays a crucial role in helping us to support greater numbers of young people and adults through high quality and professional career, employment and training services.

Two Career Connect trustees having a conversation at a table at the ConnectUs event. One trustee is stood up and one is sat down.

Mike Storey, Patron

Mike Storey is the Patron of Career Connect. He is a member of the House of Lords and leads and speaks for his Party on Education. He is also Vice Chair of the all Parliamentary Group on Education. He is a member of the House of Lords Select Committee on Communications and Digital. Mike was the former Leader of Liverpool City from 1998 to 2005 and was proud of the role he played in regenerating the City and it was his successful idea to bid and achieve European Capital of Culture in 2008. He is a former Headteacher of two schools and is the Patron of the Royal Life Saving Society.

Trustees

Lorraine Dodd, Chair of the Board

After a career in finance and investment management, I’ve continued my life-long interests in education and health which I strongly believe are key areas for the well-being of local communities and families.

A headshot of Lorraine Dodd, Chair of the board

Dr Lauren Ballaera, Trustee

Lauren is Chief Impact and Strategy Officer at The Brilliant Club, a UK-wide charity whose aim is to support less advantaged students to access the most competitive universities, and to succeed when they get there.

A headshot of Dr Lauren Ballaera, Career Connect Trustee

Steven Leach, Trustee

Steven is a career development specialist who has worked in secondary, tertiary, mainstream and SEND settings. In addition to careers guidance, Steven supports school and college leaders seeking accreditation for their careers programmes as a mentor and assessor for the Quality in Careers Standard.

A headshot of Stephen Leach, Career Connect Trustee

Tom McBride, Trustee

Tom McBride is the Director of the Ending Youth Violence Lab, a new initiative dedicated to building the evidence on effective approaches to serious social problems that impact on the lives of children.

A headshot of Tom McBride, Career Connect Trustee

Moriah Nell, Trustee

Moriah Nell is a global, entrepreneurial business professional and has worked with organisations around the world, from charities to Fortune 500 companies. She focuses on navigating growth and change through innovation, collaboration and the application of digital technologies.

A headshot of Moraih Nell, Career Connect Trustee

Kate Pettifer, Trustee

Katie Pettifer is a senior civil servant.  She worked on criminal justice and social policy in a range of different roles over the past two decades, most recently as the Director for Offender Policy and Youth Justice in the Ministry of Justice.  She also spent several years at Ofcom, the UK’s independent communications regulator, and she is now the Chief Executive of the Food Standards Agency.

A headshot of Kate Pettifer, Career Connect Trustee

Andy Rannard, Trustee

A teacher since 1996, senior leader since 2004 and Acting Head / Headteacher since 2015, Andy has worked in both inner-city and comprehensive secondary school settings. He believes strongly in the importance of ‘giving something back’, has served as a governor in primary and secondary schools for 10 years and is currently a governor of an inner city academy and an outstanding Sixth Form College.

A headshot of Andy Rannard, Career Connect Trustee

Sue Smith, Trustee

Sue Smith is Director of Finance and Assurance at Halton Housing, a leading housing association that owns and manages over 7,000 homes across Widnes and Runcorn. She leads on finance, performance, governance and assurance, keeping Halton Housing running financially on track. Sue is passionate about helping individuals realise their potential and bridging the gap between learning and employment.

A headshot of Sue Smith, Career Connect Trustee

Elaine Sweeney, Trustee

A Chartered Accountant with over 20 years’ experience in the Finance Departments of global Financial Services and Logistics companies across UK and Europe, Elaine is a member of a national prizewinning finance team. She possesses extensive leadership, financial control, financial reporting and financial systems skills.

A headshot of Elaine Sweeney, Career Connect Trustee

Leona Letts

Leona Letts is a Senior Policy Officer at the Race & Health Observatory, a charity that works to address inequalities in healthcare. Before that, she was on the Wellcome Trust’s graduate scheme, where she developed experience of global health policy and participatory action research, with a keen focus on health equity. Leona has a passion for driving inclusion and has experience in various voluntary roles supporting young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.

A photograph of Leona Letts, Career Connect Trustee

Jess Evans

Jess is passionate about promoting evidence-based policy and service design, creating meaningful opportunities for young people and driving impactful youth engagement across all levels of decision making. Having recently graduated from the University of Cambridge in Psychology and Behavioural Sciences, Jess is currently a civil servant at the Department for Education supporting user-centred policy design and digital delivery.

A head and shoulders photo of Jess Evans, Career Connect Trustee

Jo Reilly

Jo Reilly is a freelance consultant working on criminal justice reform. She has worked with SHiFT, a national charity which seeks to break the destructive cycle of children and young people caught up in crime, to define and structure their ambitions for systems change. Her previous roles include Head of the Serious and Organised Crime Unit in His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, Senior Adviser in the Prime Minister’s Implementation Unit, Head of Performance and Planning at the Legal Aid Agency, and Public Affairs Adviser to the Archbishop of Canterbury.

A photo of Jo Reilly, Career Connect Trustee.