Staff & Trustees

Our key Staff Members and Trustees.

Staff

Charlotte Prendergast

Chief Executive Officer

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

Programmes & Partnerships Manager

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

Programme Officer

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

Leadership Mentor

Kemar Rowe

Leadership Mentor

Timothy Omoruyi

Leadership Mentor

Tobi Ajose

Scholar Mentor

Favour Arabambi

Scholar Mentor

Norell Brown

Scholar Mentor

Trustees

Winston Davis

Chair

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

Secretary

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

Treasurer

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

Trustee

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

Trustee

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

Trustee

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

Parent Trustee

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.