Meet The Team
The Directors
Whenever time allows Jill travels the world in search of sharks to dive with
Jill Thorburn
Director
Jill has over 25 years experience in social work leadership and management in all areas of children’s services.In her spare time Yvonne enjoys creative writing and auto/biography
Yvonne Anderson
Director
Yvonne’s career has been spent in the public and voluntary sectors, across education, health and social care.
Mary danced with Leonard Cohen in 100 degree heat at the Coachella festival; she didn't realise it was him until he got up on stage!
Mary McKenna
Non-Executive Director
Mary is a well known technology entrepreneur and angel investor. She co-founded successful public sector focused e-learning company Learning Pool.
Chand Chudasama
Non-Executive Director
Chand is a strategy and corporate finance advisor. He is also a Partner at an accountancy and advisory firm and supports a portfolio of high growth businesses.
The Mind Of My Own Team
Natalie has loved Scuba Diving since she was 18 which has taken her to 9 different countries to see their native fish, recently completing her 100th recreational dive in the Maldives!
Natalie Ward
Operational Director - Business Development
Natalie has over 10 years sales experience from market leading tech companies, moving to Mind Of My Own to help deliver their mission in tech4good.
Emma really enjoys travelling and while in India, qualified as a yoga teacher. In her spare time Emma teaches yoga in studios and online.
Emma Thompson
Business Development Lead
Emma has worked in education for 16 years and most recently helped to set up a brand new school as the Co-Headteacher. She is passionate about supporting young people to find and share their voice.
In her free time, she loves cooking, spending time with her family, hiking and keeping her sourdough starter alive.
Susy Carioni
Business Development Lead
Born and raised in Italy, she moved to the UK in her mid-twenties.
Susy comes from a not-for-profit background, she loves supporting customers and helping people.
Celia loves trying weird food in every place she visits. The last one was fermented shark in Iceland
Celia Martinez
Business Development Lead
Celia is a native Spanish speaker and has over 10 years’ experience in the education sector, both as a teacher and in managerial roles. In her spare time you can find Celia running or practising yoga. She loves travelling and going on adventures!
A native Austrian, Veronika loves travelling, cold water swimming and manages her own wellbeing by practising mindfulness, going for walks, cooking nutritious meals, and finding joy in the little things.
Veronika Chidemo
Business Development Lead & Trainer
Veronika has worked has an extensive background in education as a teacher, Assistant Head (Pastoral Care and Wellbeing), Deputy Designated Safeguarding Lead and Designated Mental Health Lead. Before Veronika’s career as a teacher, she worked in Child Protection for the Police, where her passion for Safeguarding and its role in Education was born.
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In her spare time Rachel loves spending time walking in the bush and at the beach
Rachel Mackay
Business Development Lead
Rachel has worked in New Zealand social services for over 20 years as a social worker, manager and changemaker. She is passionate about strengthening the safety and wellbeing of children, youth and their whānau and about finding ways to creatively leverage technology to help do this.
Before joining Mind Of My Own in 2016, Hunter spent 2 years working in ski resorts across Europe. Hunter loves travelling whenever possible and has travelled in more than 45 countries worldwide!
Hunter Jones
Operational Director - Account Management
Hunter has been improving customer experiences for more than 13 years. Having implemented a range of software and services in many large, multi-national organisations, Hunter’s focus turned to tech4good when he joined the Mind Of My Own team in 2016.
Charlotte is an honorary clerk of a small local charity aimed at helping disadvantaged families in her local area.
Charlotte Frith
Account Manager
Charlotte has been an account manager for just over 14 years, prior to that she was a travel agent. She was born in Chester, but grew up in Yorkshire with frequent visits to Madrid.
Melissa is often accompanied in her work by Bruce the Boxer!
Melissa Hull
Account manager
Melissa worked for many years in business development and account manager for various law firms.
Tom spent time teaching English in Sri Lanka, teaching children and adults conversational English.
Tom Cella
Account Manager
Tom has experience working in criminal justice, delivering and managing digital products and programmes in UK prisons.
Amanda loves nothing more than making jams, pickles and infusing
Amanda Mieras
Finance Manager and Business Support Co-ordinator
Born in the Middle East, educated in the UK, having lived in Kent for 40 years has relocated to The Cotswolds, having had 2 jobs whilst in Kent she is now concentrating on where her heart is in Mind of My Own and making preserves and chutneys.
Fin has a creative outlook with passion for photography, tailoring and music. He can play multiple instruments!
Fin Henderson
Business Development & Community Coordinator
Fin is a student gaining experience at Mind Of My Own in business operations and communications. His previous experience has been in managing music events and has even been on tour with the Gypsy Kings.
Vinishree loves everything arts & design, teaching at 200+ workshops spreading the spirit of creativity. She finds joy in walking into beautiful landscapes & capturing them in her paintings.
Vinishree Solanki
Service Designer
Vinishree has over 16 years of multi-disciplinary design experience across service design, user experience design, industrial design and architecture. She has designed and delivered many digital products successfully which have wider impact on people & environment.
Roz has a passion for animals in particular horses having worked in all equine disciplines and carrying out equine rehabilitation.
Roz Allan
Account Management & Information Security Officer
10 years Team Leader experience in a call centre environment supporting highest level of care to both internal and external customers.
When Neil isn't being a daft dad, he is a self confessed petrol head! This year Neil is hoping to visit and race round the famous German circuit - Nurburgring and is also hoping to go and see a Formula 1 race later on in the year!
Neil McKechnie
Associate Commercial Manager
Neil has over 15 years’ experience advising Boards and Executive Directors within the private and third sector in commercial and business management.
Simon had a misspent youth as a semi-professional skateboarder travelling around the world for the last 25 years.
Simon Lewis
Graphic Designer
Simon has worked the creative industry for 20 years and has directed a creative agency. He is lucky enough to have worked alongside many amazing companies, Mind Of My Own being the best!
Iris loves small planes and flew one across (part of) the South Island of New Zealand. Wisely enough, she was not allowed to land it!
Iris Steen
Press Manager
Iris has almost 30 years’ experience of managing communications for not-for-proft organisations within the social care, health and housing sectors.
Lauren is an accomplished horse woman and regularly competes in show jumping and endurance riding.
Lauren Bellis
Social Engagement Assistant
Lauren works for Mind Of My Own alongside studying for her LLB Law degree.
Natalie lives on the coast and relaxes by regularly swimming and paddle boarding in the sea.
Natalie Trentham
Expert Consultant and Trainer
Natalie has worked in Children’s Social Care for over 35 years, working across sectors as a practitioner, senior manager and Ofsted Inspector.
Nicola enjoys travelling and spending time with her dog Rocky
Nicola Higham
Trainer
Nicola has over 20 years experience working with children and families as a social worker manager and as a strategic lead in residential care
Jane spends all of her spare time with her two daughters, usually ferrying them from activity to activity.
Jane Wheeler
Trainer
Jane worked for 18 years within Children’s Services within both Early Help and Children’s Social Care leading on involving children and young people in decision making about their own lives and also on the services they receive.
Since the age of 18, a year has not passed that Megan hasn't had a new tattoo.
Megan Geddes
Trainer
After graduating with a Social Work degree Megan found her passion for residential childcare and has worked in this field now for 8 years.
Arlene lives in Glasgow with her husband Euan and their two young children.
Arlene Kyle
Trainer
Before becoming a trainer for Mind Of My Own, Arlene was managing director for a residential childcare company that supported children and young people affected by trauma, abuse and neglect. She was responsible for 18 residential children’s homes and two schools across Scotland.
Avril completed a renovation of an old haus in Austria. She is also a qualified yoga teacher, enjoys running, skiing and more recently taking part in triathlons
Avril Howarth
Trainer
Avril has over 20 years experience as a senior manager in the fields of Education, Health and Social Care, the Voluntary and Community Sector
The Neontribe Team
In his spare time Nick runs his own video game development company.
Nick Wade
Front-end Developer
Nick moved into software development by completing a degree as a mature student, and has since worked on websites, apps, games and VR.Charlie is known for the sartorial elegance of his waistcoats!
Charlie Strange
Senior Web Engineer
After over a decade developing the IT capabilities of a sector-leading claims management company, Charlie briefly tried his hand directing a SME focused IT services company in Norfolk,Harry has been master of ceremonies at both gladiatorial arena and a jousting tournament.
Harry Harrold
Product Manager and Neontribe Lead
Harry helps Product Owner Yvonne balance competing needs of delightful usability, technical feasibility and easy saleability to help Mind Of My Own thrive.