Our key Staff Members and Trustees.
Staff & Trustees
Staff
Charlotte Prendergast
Charlotte joined SYLA as CEO in 2022. With a background in school leadership and 20 years’ experience of shaping interventions to raise educational attainment and broaden young people’s horizons, she steers SYLA’s strategic growth and development.
Committed to eradicating educational inequalities, Charlotte has led education projects in Ghana, Sudan, and Jamaica.
Ariane Mercurius-Taylor
Ariane joined SYLA in 2022 and oversees SYLA’s Young Leaders, Scholars, Alumni, and Parents programmes. She has previously designed community outreach programmes and has 20 years’ experience as a private tutor.
Passionate about paving the way for young people, equipping them with the skills needed to live successful lives.
Daniel McNair
Daniel joined the SYLA team in 2022 as a former youth pastor from the US, where he first grew a passion to see youth thrive.
Daniel now harnesses this passion in his work at SYLA to lead the operational delivery of SYLA’s Saturday Leadership Academy, mentoring programme, and various other key communication channels.
Charlie Reynolds-Thompson
Kemar Rowe
Timothy Omoruyi
Tobi Ajose
Favour Arabambi
Norell Brown
Trustees
Winston Davis
Winston is an entrepreneur with a degree in Marketing and Psychology. He has founded several successful businesses and is currently the director of Avenue Heating.
Winston has a passion for social equality and has raised funds for various charitable causes.
Max Woodbridge
Max is a Senior Consultant with Deloitte where he partners with some of world’s largest organisations on their most complex organisational challenges.
A South London local and in his personal time, has worked with numerous youth charities in the community.
Veronica Johnston
Veronica is a Chartered Accountant and has a diverse professional background covering audit, tax, financial planning and analysis and operational finance.
Veronica has worked in the higher education industry for the last 10 years and is passionate about supporting young people to succeed educationally.
Ansumana Bai-Marrow
A Managing Director at TPG Angelo Gordon. He read Economics with Development Studies at University of Sussex and holds an MBA from Imperial College London.
He was raised by his mother, on council estates in Bow and Peckham, and is passionate about helping young people from similar backgrounds.
Caren Onanda
An Associate Senior Leader at a south London secondary school, embarking on a Doctorate in Education to research the journeys of Black educators in the UK.
A hub leader for the Young Black Teachers Network. Caren is passionate about improving the life outcomes of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Timothy Oladimeji
A Director of the Staff Wellbeing at a Multi Academy Trust, with expertise in cultivating a supportive school environment and team growth. As a passionate educator, he is dedicated to student success and progression.
Timothy is also a School Governor and a Parish Councillor committed to community welfare.
Valentina Okoro
Valentina is public sector professional and a passionate fundraiser who has led fundraising initiatives for a local primary school and as a Parent Trustee for SYLA.
As a mother of two boys who attend SYLA, Valentina is invested in the mission to support Black boys to succeed in life.