Released on: 17 June 2021
NCT’s Board of Trustees has elected a new Chair, Stephanie Maurel, Vice Chair, Sarah Brown, and Honorary Secretary, Ema Ojiako.
Clockwise from top left: Sarah Brown, Ema Ojiako and Stephanie Maurel.
Stephanie Maurel is Chief Executive of the Corporation of Church House. Previously, she was Chief Executive of Concordia, a charity promoting international volunteering. Stephanie has been a trustee of NCT since 2017.
Stephanie is passionate about the rights of women and girls and is a trained mentor supporting women working within the charity sector. She is also a lead mentor for a charity working with teenage girls from deprived backgrounds.
Current Chair of Trustees, Jessica Figueras steps down at the end of July, after becoming Chair in June 2017. Jessica, is a tech industry strategy consultant and Vice Chair of the UK Cyber Security Council.
Jessica Figueras said: “The last year brought many tough challenges, not least having to move all our services online to support our community of pregnant women, partners and new parents throughout lockdown.
“Our NCT team, practitioners and volunteers responded with energy and determination, ensuring families felt less isolated. I believe it’s shown how critical our support is for new parents and I’m proud of all that we’ve achieved together over the last five years.”
Stephanie Maurel said: “I’m delighted to take on the role of Chair, with full confidence in the strategic vision that the Board has agreed for recovery and renewal beyond Covid-19. We want to build an open and inclusive culture as one NCT team to support all parents, from all backgrounds, in their communities.
“I know it’s the passion of the people who work or volunteer across NCT that will be vital. I’ve seen the drive of all our teams and it’s my favourite thing about working in the charity sector. I’m excited and looking forward to helping lead us into the future.”
Honorary Secretary Ema Ojiako, joined the NCT Board in 2021 and is currently Director of Human Resources and Organisational Development - Operations at NHS England and NHS Improvement.
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 serves on the Board of Directors as a trustee with the charity CAP UK, a debt counselling charity.
Vice Chair Sarah Brown is a lawyer, currently working for the Medical Protection Society. She has extensive public sector experience and has previously worked for the General Medical Council, Greater Manchester Police and in local government. Sarah has been a trustee at NCT for four years.
Together, the NCT Board of Trustees brings a range of professional skills and lived experience including governance, research, public health, people and culture, civic society, digital and change management. Several trustees also hold active roles as NCT branch volunteers and practitioners.
Trustees are elected or appointed on a four-year term (or five-year as President) and may serve up to two terms in each of the roles of President, appointed Trustee and elected Trustee. During 2020 NCT set out a reinvigorated plan to improve and embed the charity’s approach to equity, diversity and inclusion. This included taking positive action to increase the diversity of its Board of Trustees.
More information about governance at NCT can be found here.
