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Our Senior Leadership Team
Our Senior Leadership Team leads our organisation. Armed with the knowledge, experience and expertise of their fields, our directors collectively hold the overview and vision to drive the organisation forward, stopping the vicious circle of fear and harm that destroys childhood and wrecks community living.
Senior Leadership Team members are:
- Matthew Reed, Chief Executive
- Damian Allen, Interim Director, Children and Young People Directorate
- Simon Burne, Director of Fundraising and Marketing
- Lily Caprani, Director of Communications and Policy
- Steve Porter, Finance and Corporate Services Director
- Laura Rawnsley, Director of Transformation
- Steve Williams, People Director
Matthew Reed, Chief Executive
As Chief Executive, Matthew is responsible for the leadership and management of our charity.
He is accountable to the Board of Trustees for delivering our objectives of transforming the lives of the most disadvantaged children and addressing the causes of the issues they encounter.
With the Senior Leadership Team, Matthew ensures that we are delivering the greatest impact we can. Matthew is also the senior public representative of The Children’s Society and our work.
Career highlights: Chief Executive of The Cystic Fibrosis Trust; Marketing Director, Christian Aid; Anglican parish priest in Merseyside and Buckinghamshire; member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.
Matthew has a degree in theology from the University of Oxford; a degree in engineering and management, from the University of Nottingham; and a master's degree in management from the University of Surrey.
Work with children: Matthew has worked with young people for 20 years and is passionate about social justice, opportunity and inclusion. He led programmes for young people in Zimbabwe.
Family: Matthew lives in Buckinghamshire with his wife Jennifer and two teenaged children.
Links: Read Matthew's media statements and Meeting Matthew Reed, a blog story by Aaron Thomas Rowles.
Damian Allen, Interim Director, Children and Families Directorate
Damian leads the directorate responsible for delivering all direct services with children and young people in our organisation.
Career highlights: Executive Director of Children and Family Services for Knowsley council, where he was responsible for the health, education, social care and well-being of some 46,000 children and young people; Assistant Principal, in Oldham; Advisor, Derbyshire county council.
Personal: Damian is a trustee of two trusts, which support a primary school in Brazil and children from deprived areas in Knowsley and Wigan; and annually raises funds for a children’s charity through a sponsored event, usually running.
Link: Read about the programmes and projects Damian is responsible for.
Simon Burne, Director of Fundraising and Marketing
Simon is responsible for raising the necessary income and providing marketing support that allow us to deliver our direct practice programmes, influence policy and change public attitudes.
Career highlights: Director of Fundraising and Communications at Acorns Children’s Hospice; Chair of the Institute of Fundraising from 2002-05; Head of Central Fundraising at The Children's Society, 1998-2000.
Personal: A proud grandfather, Simon lives in Rugby with his wife Rosalyn. He does lay preaching around Warwickshire, and acts and sings at Rugby Theatre.
Work with children: Simon writes and directs musicals for young people.
Link: Read about the fundraising and appeals that Simon is responsible for.
Lily Caprani, Director of Communications and Policy
Lily is responsible for strategic oversight of our campaigns, media, policy and public affairs, research and church partnerships work, as well as coordinating external and internal communications.
She is a passionate and committed campaigner and advocate for young people, with a particular interest in tackling child poverty and inequality.
Career highlights: Head of Communications at Rethink Mental Illness; led public relations for the Time to Change social marketing campaign; studied with the Charted Institute for Public Relations.
Family: Lily lives in Bedfordshire with her partner and teenaged son.
Steve Porter, Finance and Corporate Services Director
Steve is responsible for our professional services activities, including finance, IT, estates, legal affairs and business planning.
Career highlights: Chief Executive of PRS for Music and Group Finance Director of Tring International PLC; 25 years in the private sector and management consultancy; trained with PricewaterhouseCoopers and is a qualified chartered accountant (ACA).
Laura Rawnsley, Director of Transformation
Laura is responsible for leading the organisation's transformation programme as we put into place our renewed strategy and vision.
Career highlights: Led on operational improvement at Serco and PA Consulting; delivered significant business improvement across rail transport to education services to back office processing businesses; her work has won accolades including Best Business Process Outsourcing Improvement Programme in Europe in 2010.
Personal: Laura lives in central London and enjoys long distance swimming, cooking and travelling in her spare time. She is passionate about social justice and equality, including issues around child poverty and neglect.
Steve Williams, People Director
Steve is accountable for people performance and development, including our employees and our volunteers.
He leads teams responsible for human resources, learning and talent, volunteering, reward, diversity and shared services.
Career highlights: Human resources roles at ActionAid, the Charity Commission, Coram, Glotel and BT.
Work with children: Steve previously ran a housing project with support service for care leavers and homeless young people in Coram.
Personal: Steve lives in Surrey and is a trustee for CharityWorks, an innovative charity looking to entice talented young people to work in the charity sector.