Our team

Fiona Wilkinson is a non-executive director, a communications consultant and an accredited executive coach.  She has an extensive track record in business, including board level roles at Visa Europe, most recently as chief communications officer.  She has been a trustee of Speakers Trust since 2014, becoming deputy chair in 2019, and chair at the beginning of 2021.

“I believe that now more than ever, it is important for young people to speak up and for their point of view to be heard.  In this way we can overcome the divisions that threaten to rip our society apart.  I know from personal experience that doing that, in public, is not easy. It takes preparation, practice and guts.”

Hulda is an alumnus of Jack Petchey’s “Speak Out” Challenge! and graduate of the University of Northampton. Whilst at school she participated in “Speak Out” Challenge! training and was inspired by her experience and the power behind using your voice. So much so that she now runs two social enterprises centred in encouraging the community to use their voice and platform to make a difference. Hulda’s passion for connecting with young people to amplify their voice is echoed in her work on a daily basis.

Simon Heale worked in Asia for 22 years in shipping, aviation and investment banking before returning to the U.K. in 2001 to run the London Metal Exchange. Subsequently he has chaired and been a non executive director of a number of publicly listed companies and also a trustee of several charities. He is by training a qualified accountant.

“I realised in my 20’s that being a good public speaker was an essential skill and also realised that I wasn’t very good at it. Despite finding it challenging, I started to learn some of the key elements and went out of my way to practise. I still need to improve but no longer find it daunting and it has been an enormous asset. I was thrilled to become a trustee of Speakers Trust and do something to help young people develop this key skill.”

Andrew Rawnsley is a multiple award-winning journalist, best-selling author and critically-acclaimed broadcaster. The Associate Editor and Chief Political Commentator of The Observer, Andrew has won a string of prestigious prizes for his journalism. He has anchored political programmes on television and radio as well as making documentary series about the premierships of John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown and David Cameron. Andrew is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and an Honourary Fellow of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge.

“There is no skill more critical than the ability to communicate effectively with others. It is vital for the fulfilment of every individual’s potential, for the vibrancy of our society and for the health of our democracy. I am extremely proud to be working with Speakers Trust to help more young people to develop their skills, build their confidence and amplify their voices.”

Martin Thomas has worked in all areas of the marketing communications industry and advised some of the biggest brands. Much of his work is focused on helping organisations respond to the opportunities and challenges posed by digital media.  He has written three books on this topic, including The Financial Times Guide to Social Media Strategy.

‘The strength of the Trust is its simple yet effective delivery model, that can be delivered at scale and make a real difference to the lives of the nation’s young people. In most walks of life, the ability to speak and be heard can make all the difference – whether applying for and thriving in a job, campaigning about a local issue or simply being able to express what you think and what matters to you.’

Lizzie Runham is an experienced global HR leader with a depth of experience across the Tech, Financial Services, Healthcare and Professional Services sectors.  She has over 20 years’ experience in the field, 15 of which were in Africa, the Middle East and Asia.  Lizzie is a firm believer in the right of each person in the world to experience the dignity of work, and in organisations’ urgent responsibility to make that a reality. Lizzie is also an Independent Non Exec for Monzo.

“I believe that at the core of humanity is the story; yours, mine and the one we create together.  The work Speakers Trust do in unlocking the story & the story telling power within the next generation is both inspiring and vital and I am beyond thrilled to be part of the team”. 

Jerry won Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge Ealing Regional Final in 2019 with a speech entitled “The Power of The Voice”. Afterwards he joined our alumni ambassador team because of the friendly and supportive network it provides for young people to grow personally and professionally.As a team member, he wants to achieve a strong and united surge in young people’s self esteem alongside the accomplishment of the Jack Petchey Foundation’s objectives.

Our Jack Petchey’s Speak Out Challenge alumni ambassador programme is generously funded by our partner the Jack Petchey Foundation.

Chris won the 2019 Sutton Regional Final with his comedic speech on the impacts of climate change, highlighting the dangers that it poses from a different perspective. He afterwards joined our alumni ambassador team to continue his journey with the Speak Out Challenge and to use his experience to help make the programme even better for other young people. He hope to have a positive impact on the programme and use his past experience of the Speak Out Challenge to make it even better!

Naomi won the 2019 Waltham Forest Regional Final with a speech that looked at her grandparent’s journey from Jamaica to England in the 1930s, forming part of the Windrush generation. In doing so she wanted to share the strength and bravery her grandad had and show that we too can carry a little bit of bravery with us everyday!

She is excited to be part of the Alumni Ambassador board as she says it’s an amazing opportunity to not only be able to complete interesting courses and meet other hard working individuals but also allows her to be a role models for other young people starting their Speak Out journeys. As a young biracial women, she hopes to inspire more young people like her to participate in programmes like the Speak Out Challenge and encourage young people to speak up for what they believe in.

Amelia represents Yorkshire on our alumni ambassador board. She describes her Speak Out journey to have been: “compelling, beneficial and transformative. I truly appreciates the opportunity Speakers Trust has offered me, through which I was able to use my voice, and raise awareness regarding the issues that concern me. The Speak Out Competition taught me how valuable my voice is and that everyone has the ability to perform. The workshop and the experience significantly enhanced my confidence, as before this I too was one of the 40% of young people, that struggled to speak in groups. However, since this event, I have achieved a lot, such as publishing my poetry in an anthology and attending the young Muslim Writer’s Awards.
As an Alumni Ambassador, I would like to share my experience with others, as well as witness this development in confidence, among other students.”