Our board

Smart Works is governed by our Board of Trustees, who bring with them a wealth and depth of experience across a diverse range of industries.

We’re grateful for all the hard work and dedication of the members of our board. The work we do would not be possible without their guidance.

Chair

Sophie Milliken

As CEO at Moja Group, Sophie is a multi award-winning businesswoman, two-time bestselling author, podcaster, and proud mum. Sophie also enjoys championing the Northeast region and is co-founder of City Ladies Networking, supporter of Northern Power Women and our Chair at Smart Works Newcastle. Sophie was awarded an MBE for services to Business and to Education in 2022.

"As Chair of the Board at Smart Works Newcastle, my role provides strategic direction and oversight to the charity, ensuring we achieve our mission of supporting unemployed women in the North East. This includes governance, strategic planning, advocacy and representation and supporting the centre manager. It’s a role that combines governance, strategic thinking, and community engagement, aimed at driving the success and sustainability of the charity’s mission. Before joining the charity, I'd already identified this as my dream voluntary role. Supporting women, particularly those coming from challenging situations is something I can relate to as a single parent and I'm so proud to be able to contribute my time and expertise to have an impact in our region."

Treasurer, Risk and Governance

Lisa Bell

Lisa Bell is a senior professional with extensive experience with governance, risk management and control. She brings knowledge and insights relating to finance, operations, data and ESG to improve effectiveness, efficiency and safety. She is a purposeful leader with a passion for helping others and is delighted and honoured to be included in the Smart Works Newcastle family.

Honorary Treasurer

Ewa Kerin

Ewa is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Certified Accountants and has held a number of senior positions within the Financial Services industry for over 25 years at JP Morgan, Credit Suisse, Willis Towers Watson and HSBC.

“I wanted to work with a team that all shared the same passion for helping women be successful and feel good about themselves, so am incredibly fortunate to have joined the committed and talented team that is Smart Works.”

Carol Meredith

Carol Meredith became a trustee of Smart Works Newcastle in 2018. Her background as a freelance consultant includes working with regional and national charitable trusts and foundations on major grants programmes and interim CEO roles helping charities through change. She is passionate about women helping women and says she will always feel delighted and privileged to be part of the team helping women into work in the North East.

Susan Fulton

As a Human Resources and Development Director, Susan brings significant experience from the public, private and charity sectors having worked in operational and HR roles in the UK and Europe in banking, mobile telecoms, retail, housing and social care. Experience of leading change, attracting and retaining talent, learning, diversity and inclusion, working with volunteers and large employability programmes will add value to Smart Works Newcastle. An experienced Board member, Trustee of a large Special Needs Schools Academy and passionate about the North East, our talent, developing gender diversity truly enabling the aspirations of women.

"Being a Trustee helps to Enable women towards employment, feeling confident with the right clothes and support….That’s what makes a huge difference. "

Julie Cuthbertson

Julie Cuthbertson is a North East Finance professional with over 20 years’ experience working with regional SMEs, healthcare and charity sector firms to develop, finance and implement strategic growth plans. She brings her long standing relationships and experience in developing strategic partnerships to support the Referral Partner and Outreach team achieve it’s ambitious growth target. Away from work, Julie has been a regular volunteer, supporting the homeless and vulnerable people of Newcastle through the Peoples Kitchen Charity, enjoys a sea dip and spending time with her 8 year old son. She is very passionate about collaboration for the good of all and is delighted to be part of the Smart Works Newcastle family.

Lisa Graveling

Lisa has 20 years experience across marketing and reputation management across B2B, consumer and social enterprise organisations. She brings experience in media management, sponsorship, digital, social media strategy and brand development and management. She is passionate about social mobility in the workplace, equality and diversity and has been lucky to work with many amazing women in her career.

"I can remember my first ever interview, and the crisp white shirt I wore. Clothing gave me confidence then and it’s a pleasure to use my 20 years experience in commercial and not for profit marketing and communications to support the amazing team at Smart Works Newcastle."

Nicola Hands

Nicola has an extensive background in IT change, portfolio management and business transformation, and brings 15+ years knowledge and experience relating to project management, change planning and IT. Nicola is passionate about woman helping woman and champions social mobility and equal opportunities. Nicola is very privileged to work with some amazing, inspirational woman across the region and is thrilled to now include the Smart Works team and clients in that group

Lauren Croft

Lauren joins the Trustee Board of Smart Works as the Strategy and Change Trustee, bringing with her an extensive background in business transformation, specialising in healthcare and real estate. With over 15 years of experience, Lauren offers a wealth of knowledge in project management, change planning, and business transformation strategies. She is passionate about driving impactful changes and optimising processes. Lauren is dedicated to promoting equal opportunities and champions initiatives that support women in their careers. Lauren is looking forward to bringing her skills and expertise to Smart Works Newcastle and supporting to bring their strategy to life.

‘Being part of Smart Works Newcastle is a privilege. I have always been passionate about the impact Smart Works has on the female community. Bringing fashion and female empowerment together is truly inspiring! Happy to be a part of such a wonderful charity. ‘

Sarah Lamb

Sarah is a seasoned social impact manager with over a decade of experience in social mobility, inclusion, and widening participation. She has extensive expertise in advocating for and supporting individuals from socially disadvantaged and marginalised communities. Sarah has successfully facilitated and managed initiatives aimed at improving employment outcomes within these groups. She is passionate about fostering accessible aspirations and is deeply committed to fairness, equity, diversity, and inclusion.

""I'm immensely proud to be the Young Woman's Trustee as I am a real advocate for young women living across Newcastle and the Northeast. It's a real privilege to be working with an amazing team who empower and equip women with the tools they need to succeed. I’m passionate about social mobility and have a ‘duty of care’ ethos which is at the heart of everything I do and can't wait to see what we will achieve in supporting our younger clients."

Poppy Carroll

We’re delighted to welcome Poppy to the team and as a valued member of our board she will be advocating for the centre and helping to raise the profile of our service among young people and helping shape our service to better support them. Her perspective will be crucial in raising awareness of our mission and ensuring younger clients can access our service.

"As a Shadow Trustee for Smart Works Newcastle, I’m proud to champion a charity that transforms women’s lives by unlocking their confidence and potential, helping them step into the workforce with strength and self-belief."

Georgina Thornton-Brown

Georgina joins us in this exciting advisory role, helping to advocate for young people and offering fresh insight to help shape our service. Her passion for empowering women and perspective will play a key role in ensuring we continue to provide opportunities for young people across the North East.

"I feel honoured to be a part of Smart Works Newcastle and the wonderful things they do. I was interested in the role of Shadow Trustee as I am a firm believer in the positive effects that women’s empowerment and self-confidence can have. I would love everyone to experience that, and I’m excited to see how my efforts can help work towards that."

Maxine Fox

Maxine has worked in corporate finance since settling in the North East over 20 years ago. This has given her significant experience in supporting organisations across all sizes and sectors, to achieve their long-term ambitions of growth. In her current role as Head of Business Operations for a Newcastle based corporate finance firm, she is responsible for all operational aspects of the organisation. This ranges from securing and maintaining relationships with clients and networks to ensuring regulatory compliance is maintained. She is immensely proud of the far-reaching network of women she has developed over the years and is a strong voice for supporting resilience and empowerment for all.

"It is a genuine privilege to work with the Smart Works Newcastle team to spread the word of the work of the centre to my professional network. The work that the team at Smart Works Newcastle delivers is making a real and life-changing impact on women within our region. It cannot be underestimated how vital the service is and how it remains to this day, to be a service that is still needed. As a collective we work tirelessly to deliver an impact and it is a genuine honour to be associated with the Smart Works."

Who we are > Our board

Our board

Smart Works is governed by our Board of Trustees, who bring with them a wealth and depth of experience across a diverse range of industries.

Chair

Treasurer, Risk and Governance

Honorary Treasurer

Support our mission

Who we are > Our board

Our board

Smart Works is governed by our Board of Trustees, who bring with them a wealth and depth of experience across a diverse range of industries.

Chair

Treasurer, Risk and Governance

Honorary Treasurer

Support our mission

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