I’m an anthropologist by training and that makes me curious about people and adept at observing and mapping the cultures they build when they come together to do great stuff. On a professional level I have utilised these skills to become an effective and serial public sector founder – creating a series of new institutions to address unmet social need, over a government career of 15 years I have designed, developed and established programmes across policy areas including Education (Primary Academies) Local Government (Public Sector Audit Appointments), HM Treasury (The National Infrastructure Commission) and most recently the re-establishment of the Social Mobility Commission. My passions can be linked to my upbringing as a working-class girl from an immigrant household where I was first in family to university. Underpinning everything is a concern to do as much as I can for the most socially excluded and seeing what I can do to advocate on their behalf. As such I love to talk and design solutions to deal with poverty, inequality and improving social mobility. Where I can I role my sleeves up and try to make that happen I do. Currently I do this by being a local authority registered foster-carer and sitting on the boards of the Trussell Trust - the anti-poverty charity and of Clarion – Europe’s biggest provider of social housing. I’m a long-term supporter of the arts and have a passion for creative education projects. I founded the education programme of the Bold Tendences a public art space at the top of Peckham’s multi-story car-park. I am on the board of the Chisenhale Gallery and am a Director of the London Interdisciplinary school a brand-new Higher Education offering in the UK. In terms of how I work I’ve been told I’m creative, fast, passionate, and collaborative always seeking to work in a way that keeps people and integrity at the centre. If you have interests in common reach out – I love to meet energised change makers.