Our Board
The Careers & Enterprise Company is led by our Chief Executive Oli de Botton. He works closely with our board of directors, who hold collective responsibility for the overall control and strategic direction of the organisation. All our board members are volunteers passionate about our mission to ensure every young person can find their best next step.
Our Chief Executive – Oli de Botton
Oli is the CEO of The Careers & Enterprise Company – the national body for careers education. Prior to this he was a Headteacher at a school which pioneered new ways of working with employers - including the introduction of extended work placements for all Year 10s and 12s. He also co-founded the national charity Voice 21 which works with schools to promote and develop the skill of speaking in young people. Oli was one of the first cohort of Teach First teachers in 2003 and has extensive teaching experience in a range of roles. He has also worked in education policy and strategy as a government education advisor.
He says the most important thing he learnt about inspiring young people about the world of work is “when you give young people high quality experiences, they rise to the challenge – they grow in confidence and find their voice.”
Our chairperson - Baroness Nicky Morgan
Baroness Morgan is the former Secretary of State for Education. She was also Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport, Minister for Women and Equalities and Chair of the Treasury Select Committee in the House of Commons. She now sits in the House of Lords and has a portfolio career mainly focused on financial services.
Steve Holliday, Deputy Chair
Steve is a businessman and engineer. He was Chief Executive of National Grid plc from 2007 to 2016, and was a Non-Executive Director of Marks & Spencer plc from 2004 to 2014. He is Chairman of CityFibre and Chairman of Zenobe.
Dame Julia Cleverdon
Julia is the former Chief Executive of Business in the Community, former Chair of Teach First and has been a government advisor working on the Prime Minister's Talent and Enterprise Taskforce Advisory Group.
Mo Isap
Mo is Founder and CEO of IN4 Group and Founding Director, Trustee and Vice Chair of STAR Academies, a Multi Academy and Free Schools Trust, operating over 30 schools across the country. He was previously Co-Chair of the Greater Manchester LEP and is also Founder of Skills City, one the country’s leading technology bootcamps operators.
David Baldwin
David Baldwin recently stepped down as Headteacher of Churchill Community College in North Tyneside having held the role 20 years. The school was one of the first in the country to secure all 8 of the Gatsby Benchmarks. He is now Education Strategic Lead for North Tyneside Learning Trust.
Lizzie Beale
Lizzie works at Heathrow, as the Border Force Relationship Manager. Previously she was a volunteer Enterprise Adviser at Lynch Hill Enterprise Academy in Slough. She leads our Youth Advisory Group and works to ensure young people's voices are present in our work.
Mohammed Samir
Mohammed is currently a Graduate Software Developer and also a Project Advisory Board Member for the Young Foundation. He is passionate about youth issues and raising the aspirations of young people and would love to bring his experiences as a young person to the board.
John Yarham
John has been The Careers & Enterprise Company’s Deputy Chief Executive since April 2019, also fulfilling the role of Interim Chief Executive from October 2019 to February 2021. John was previously CEO of the Futures Group and has over twenty years’ experience in a range of education, skills, economic development and careers guidance roles.
Ashwin Mistry OBE ACII
Ashwin has over 40 years experience in general insurance and broking. He led a management buy-out pf BHL group in 2009, which earlier this year joined forces with the Clear Insurance Group.
He was a member of the National Skills Task Force 1997-2000, under the then Secretary of State, Rt Hon David Blunkett, examining skill shortages in the UK and in 2000 was awarded an OBE for his contribution to Careers Education. In 2014-15, he was National President of the Chartered Insurance Institute.
Ashwin has a real passion for speaking out on issues impacting all aspects of the ever-changing economic and education landscape and championing issue affecting young people and communities today.
Neil McLean
Neil was regional managing partner at global law firm DLA Piper and the inaugural chair of Leeds City College - one of the UK’s largest FE Colleges - White Rose Academies Trust and the Leeds City Region LEP. He was also a member of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.
He subsequently chaired the award winning Ahead Partnership Limited and was a non-executive director of the Harrogate & District NHS Foundation Trust and chair of Northern Consortium UK an international education provider owned by ten UK universities. He is also trustee of an environmental charity and committee member of a community benefit society.
-------------------------------------------------------
Christine Hodgson, Chair (2015-2022)