The Board of Trustees is ultimately responsible for the governance of our charity and ensures that we are acting in the best interests of parents, who are our beneficiaries.
They set the strategy, policy and financial framework for our charity and have overall direction and control.
They also have responsibility for ensuring our charity complies with the law and the safeguarding of our charity’s assets, including its money, property and reputation.
NCT's Board is composed of a minimum of nine and maximum of twelve trustees. Up to eight trustees are elected by the membership and up to four are appointed by the Board.
The Board of Trustees is supported in its work by two board committees:
- Audit, Risk and Scrutiny – covering the adequacy of financial control, external reporting of performance, and budget and risk management.
- Nominations and Remuneration - covering people issues, inclusion, trustee recruitment and remuneration policy for senior management and other key groups.
Voluntary independent members work alongside trustees on each of the committees to support these specific governance areas. The independent members are not trustees but are appointed as co-optees on the committees to bring additional skills, experiences and perspectives to our governance work.
The Nominations and Remunerations Committee are responsible for assessing the current Board's skills, experience and diversity, and oversee the election and appointment of trustees. In 2020, we took positive action to increase the diversity of our Board and Committees. We were delighted to welcome five new trustees and independent Committee members to support strong governance at NCT. You can read more here.
NCT also has a trading company, NCT Trading Limited, to conduct commercial activities to procure profits for the purpose of paying them to the charity. An independent director sits on the board of the trading company.
If you would like to contact our trustees - please email board.secretary@nct.org.uk.
Our trustees
Joëlle Warren MBE, Chair of Trustees
Joëlle Warren MBE was appointed to the Board of Trustees in October 2024.
She founded Cheshire’s first Community Foundation and sits on Boards for a local youth charity. She is also Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Cheshire and a Lay Canon of Chester Cathedral.
Prior to joining NCT, Joëlle was Executive Chair of Warren Partners, the executive search firm she established and later transferred over to employee ownership having achieved B Corp status.
She has held roles on the CBI’s SME Council and is Deputy Chair of the North West Business Leadership Team. She received an MBE in 2016 for services to business. She has previously held roles as Deputy Chair of Manchester Metropolitan University and was appointed by the Prime Minister to chair the Crown Nominations Commission for the appointment of the Archbishop of York.
Throughout her career, Joëlle has focussed on the principle of ‘treating others as you want to be treated’, and she is an advocate of social justice and equality and diversity.
Sarah Brown, Vice Chair of Trustees and Board Safeguarding Champion
Sarah Brown is a lawyer, currently working for the Medical Protection Society specialising in regulatory law. She has extensive public sector experience and has previously worked for the General Medical Council, Greater Manchester Police and in local government.
As a parent, Sarah knows from her own personal experience how invaluable support is during the first 1,000 days. Sarah believes that NCT, and the people she has met through it, have provided a lifeline for her on the toughest of days and feels very fortunate to have that support and know how and where to access relevant services.
Sarah was elected to the Board at the 2017 AGM.
Elizabeth Duff, President
Elizabeth’s journey with NCT started at an antenatal class before the birth of her first child, followed by volunteering for her local branch and resulting in advising on policy at NCT for 15 years.
Elizabeth holds a wealth of voluntary and professional experience in the maternity sector. In her role at NCT, she was invited to join the 2015 National Maternity review that resulted in the 'Better Births' maternity policy, and she was also a member of the implementation board of the Scottish government’s 2017 maternity policy 'The Best Start’. Elizabeth has also held several local voluntary roles, including chair of Camden Community Health Council; vice-chair of the MSLC; and vice-chair of the RCOG’s Women’s Network, as well as previous Trustee roles.
In her spare time, Elizabeth has an interest in local history, and has recently qualified as a walking tour guide in the London Borough of Camden. Her two daughters and two grandsons also live in London, and she is grateful to be able to spend regular time with all of them, as well as enabling her to closely relate to today’s challenges and opportunities for parents.
Elizabeth was elected to the Board as President at our AGM in 2025.
Ema Ojiako, Honorary Secretary
Ema is currently employed as the Executive Director of People at Norfolk and Waveney Integrated Care System.
She has held senior Human Resources positions in public and private Healthcare. Ema is a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, an Employment Tribunals Lay member with Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service and also serves on the board of Directors as a trustee with the charity CAP UK.
Ema was appointed to the Board in 2021.
Charles Richardson, Honorary Treasurer
Charles has more than 20 years experience in senior finance roles in healthcare and financial services; most recently having been Chief Financial Officer of Bupa's businesses in the UK.
Charles trained as a Chartered Accountant with Arthur Andersen, and is also a Chartered Tax Adviser and an Associate Member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers.
Sherry Bevan, Trustee
Over the years Sherry has developed strong links across NCT practitioners, volunteers and staff. She’s taken on many volunteer roles including branch coordinator, newsletter editor, and London Regional Coordinator. Plus she continues to volunteer locally at Baby First Aid and Nearly New Sales.
Sherry qualified as a Breastfeeding Counsellor in 2010. For three years she worked for Baby Café while also facilitating sessions in antenatal classes which she continues to this day. She launched Baby Café in her local area in 2022.
With more than 30 years’ experience in technology, Sherry joined NCT staff as User Engagement Lead for the Parentforce project. She took on additional data protection responsibilities and coordinated our GDPR efforts. Sherry was President between 2019-2025, and was elected as a Trustee in 2025.
Sherry is mum to two daughters and has been married to Tony for more than 30 years. She’s a runner and a successful leadership coach.
Colin Cassidy, Trustee
Colin is a Principal Security Consultant with over 25 years of experience in IT, including software development and cybersecurity, from mobile applications to Critical National Infrastructure.
Alongside his technical expertise, Colin focuses on process management and continuous improvement, developing and maintaining quality frameworks while mentoring colleagues to achieve positive outcomes in challenging environments.
A long-standing member of NCT for over 23 years and a father for 22, Colin has supported his local branch through Nearly New Sales, and co-developed the branch newsletter for four years with his wife, an NCT antenatal practitioner and breastfeeding counsellor. In his spare time, he can usually be found walking his rather feisty border terrier! Colin was elected to the Board in 2025.
Keshia Firth, Trustee
Keshia is a communications and marketing leader living in Wales. She has over a decade of experience in helping nonprofits reach their organisational goals through audience engagement, brand development and high-impact marketing strategies. She is currently Strategic Engagement Manager for Care for the Family, and on the Leadership team for the 'Starfish Alliance' Cardiff regional camp for looked-after children.
Keshia is passionate about helping NCT thrive for years to come. NCT was part of her and her husband’s journey as first-time parents, and put them in good stead for all the ups and downs of parenting, so seeing 'empowered and confident parents in every household' is something Keshia truly believes in. She wants to make a difference for this generation of families, both parents and children.
Keshia was elected to the Board in 2025.
Julien Haye, Trustee
Julien’s background covers strategic planning, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), finance, risk management, and non-profit leadership. He has actively advised NCT on EDI matters, shaping our strategy, mission, and values.
As a parent to a toddler, Julien deeply understands NCT's vital role in supporting parents. He brings a unique perspective as an LGBTQ+ parent and is dedicated to advancing NCT's mission. He has a passion for empowering parents and advocating for underrepresented voices. Active in Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives, Julien supports organisations like The Diversity Role Models and Stonewall, bringing a strong voice for comprehensive support and recognition of all parents within NCT.
Julien was elected to the Board in 2023.
Elaine Lambe, Trustee
Elaine was elected to the Board at the 2017 AGM, and has been an NCT member and volunteer for over 15 years in a variety of different roles including eight years as the West Midlands Regional Coordinator and six years as a Breastfeeding Peer Supporter. She was a founding member and volunteer of Southam & Villages branch.
Elaine is currently working as the manager of a charity running a community centre in south Warwickshire. Previously, she ran her own business and taught children with autism. Elaine has volunteered in a variety of roles with different community groups and charities over the years and is currently volunteering as a Special Educational Needs and Disability Parent Carer representative.
Mikayla Pencross, Trustee
Mikayla has been an NCT antenatal practitioner and breastfeeding counsellor since 2020. She is based in Birmingham and played a pivotal role in the early days of the Sutton Coldfield Baby Cafe.
Mikayla has a diverse career history which includes communications, and managing projects from healthcare reconfigurations to private sector transitions. She has served on the management committee of a national Quaker youth theatre organisation and brings lived experience of homelessness and neurodivergence.
She is committed to NCT's equity, diversity, and inclusion priorities.
Mikayla was elected to the Board in 2023.
Committee members
Salima Shariff, voluntary independent member of the Nomination and Remuneration Committee
An accomplished senior HR leader recognised for building board-level strategies that transform people and culture functions across the international arena. As a passionate leader and trusted collaborator, she helps to build workforces that will create a sustainable future for the world and everyone within it.
Throughout her career Salima has championed diversity and inclusion. She is currently responsible for developing and executing the strategic vision to identify the best talent in the industry. She supports a network of thousands of employees to reach their full potential and support them on their path to success, regardless of the walk of life they have come from. Salima helps to make people happy in their work – which she thinks makes it the best job going.
Salima has a BSc. in Chemistry from Imperial College and a MA in Human Resource Management from Middlesex Business School and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development.
Christiane Baetz, voluntary independent member of the Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee
Chrisi is a highly experienced Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) with a career spanning nearly two decades across regulated and non-regulated sectors, including Financial Services, Utilities, Chemicals, Private Equity, and Consulting. She has extensive expertise in governance, risk management, and cyber security, having led the development and implementation of robust enterprise-wide security strategies that strengthen organisational resilience and protect against evolving cyber threats.
Chrisi brings strong oversight experience, advising boards and senior leadership on risk, assurance, and regulatory compliance, and is committed to promoting effective governance within complex environments.
Outside of work, Chrisi enjoys travelling, exploring different cultures and cuisines, spending time with her family and friends, walking the family greyhound, and staying active through boxing.
Naomi Horsfall, voluntary independent member of the Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee
Naomi has been a member of NCT since her first child was born in 2016. Now a mother of 3, she combines parenting with working within business consulting for Grant Thornton. Naomi has been a member of the Audit, Risk and Security Committee since 2018.
Naomi has over 10 years of experience of working with a variety of clients to audit and assess their finances, manage risk and optimise operations.
Naomi is passionate about positive parenting and promoting the important social and peer benefits NCT can facilitate between new parents. She helped establish and run the successful ‘Mondays up the Malverns’ sling walking group and ‘Welly Tots’ toddler walking group. She is also a regular volunteer at NCT Feed and Change tents, including at events such as the Malvern Show.
Faran Johnson, voluntary independent member of the Audit, Risk and Scrutiny Committee
Faran is a highly experienced change and transformation professional, currently she is Chief People Officer at the Motor Insurers’ Bureau. Previously, she was Chief People Officer at the UK Health Security Agency, NHS Test & Trace and Channel 4; and Managing Director of a social movement, Engaging for Success, formed to promote employee engagement as a better way to work that benefits individual employees, teams, whole organisations, communities and the UK.
Her 30 year career spans both the private and the public sectors, operating in senior executive, consulting and board roles across media, private equity, financial services, entertainment, service, retail and charity organisations. She specialises in transformation - including strategy design and execution, behavioural, cultural and leadership change, and improving organisational performance. She has sat on boards, remuneration and audit, risk and compliance committees of listed and trustee-led organisations.
Faran, whose passions include cooking and creating belonging within communities, lives in London and has two sons.
