CARYS
BARNES

HEAD OF MARKETING
AND ENGAGEMENT

Carys Barnes is our head of Marketing and Engagement, growing our reach across the country.

Drawing on over a decade in school partnerships and education charity marketing, she builds relationships with schools, trusts, local authorities and caterers to grow our impact. She brings energy and enthusiasm to everything she does. Outside work, she’s chasing her four-year-old twins, heading out to a spin class, enjoying art and culture, or enjoying a spicy marg with friends.

MILLIE
BARNES

MEMBERSHIP
OFFICER

Millie Barnes is the membership officer supporting our member schools.

She supports the Chefs in Schools Membership network, acting as a point of contact for members and developing materials that promote confidence and peer-to-peer knowledge sharing. She brings a smiley face and a goofy laugh to the team. Outside work, she loves being in nature, especially foraging for edible plants.

ADAM
BERNSTEIN

CHEF
TRAINER

Adam Bernstein is a chef trainer helping schools cook exciting food from scratch.

He works day-to-day with school kitchen teams, upskilling staff and supporting schools to run their catering in-house and produce exciting, nutritious food from scratch. He brings calm under pressure, real dedication to the role, and a deep pool of knowledge. Outside work, he enjoys London’s culture and food scene, koji fermentation, and cooking for the people he loves.

NERISSA
BUCKLEY

SENIOR
CHEF TRAINER

Nerissa Buckley is a senior chef trainer championing school food as a craft.

Nerissa empowers a community of chefs and kitchen teams to champion school food as a craft, giving children joy and nutrition alongside food education. She bridges professional culinary standards with community impact, bringing a seasoned perspective that elevates kitchen teams. Outside the kitchen, she explores the world through its food, visits wineries, and recharges with a good book by the sea.

caroline
carey

senior partnerships
Manager

Caroline Carey is the senior partnerships manager raising the funds that power our work.

She looks after Chefs in Schools’ corporate partners and charitable trusts, while always keeping an eye out for new ones. She brings a positive attitude and loves a good chat over a cuppa. Outside work, she lives on the Romney Marsh with her family and enjoys reading, running and sea swimming.

ANNE
DAL BELLO

PHILANTHROPY
MANAGER

SHANIKA
DE SOUSA

PROGRAMME MANAGER:
THE MEMBERSHIP

Shanika De Sousa is the programme manager helping schools build stronger kitchens and better food.

Shanika leads the Membership programme, supporting schools through guidance, training and site visits to help them build confident teams and lasting improvements. She brings a calm, practical approach, turning complexity into clear, workable plans. Outside work, she’s usually doing jiu jitsu, out on a run, or catering events.

NAOMI
DUNCAN

CHIEF
EXECUTIVE

Naomi Duncan is our chief executive, driving Chefs in Schools’ mission forward.

She champions our work externally, builds alliances and drives the strategy that pushes our mission forward. She brings ambition, drive and a resolute focus on solutions, plus a weekly visit from office mascot Boo the staffie. Outside work, nothing beats cooking for people she loves, ideally over a fire, with a spot of camping thrown in.

ELLA
EDWARDS

RESOURCE AND 
CONTENT OFFICER

Ella Edwards is our resource and content officer, creating practical resources that help schools improve their food environment.

Ella creates clear, practical resources, helping schools make changes to the food environment that shape young people’s lives and education. She brings a good listening ear, a great cup of tea, and plenty of energy for improving the food environment in schools. Outside work, she loves hosting and cooking for friends, often thinking about the next meal before the current one’s finished, and is happiest travelling somewhere she can climb a mountain or get into the sea, or paddleboarding closer to home in Brighton.

DANIELLE
GLAVIN

DIRECTOR OF
EXTERNAL AFFAIRS

Danielle Glavin is our director of External Affairs, raising awareness of our mission.

She leads efforts to raise awareness of Chefs in Schools’ mission and work. She brings a knack for finding solutions, and a surprising amount of rare-breed pig trivia. Outside work, she enjoys BBQs, baking and walks on the moors.

ZAHRA
KIYANI

HEAD OF
PROGRAMMES

Zahra Kiyani is our head of programmes, overseeing delivery across our School Chef Educator, Membership and Transformations work.

She oversees delivery across our core programmes, supporting the team of programme managers to make sure schools get the guidance, training and support they need. She brings creative and strategic thinking, spinning plenty of plates at once with a positive, anything’s-possible mindset. Outside work, she runs a radio show, designs her own clothing line, and is (slowly) learning Dutch.

JESSICA
KOPP

CHEF
TRAINER

Jess Kopp is a chef trainer making school food more flavourful and sustainable.

Jess trains school chefs and educators to make school food more flavourful, nutritious and sustainable, with a focus on seasonal cooking, reducing waste and food education. She’s practical, positive and calm under pressure, and always up for a coffee and a chat about food. Outside work, she enjoys baking, dog walks in the woods, and picnics on the beach.

REBECCA
MCGAWLEY

MEDIA AND
CONTENT MANAGER

Becky McGawley is our media and content manager, telling the human stories behind our work.

Becky finds the human stories behind Chefs in Schools’ work and shares them with the wider world. She brings a love of language, a nose for a story, and the ability to get along with almost anybody. Outside work, her focus is food: cooking it, eating it, and dreaming about it.

LEE
MITCHELL

CHEF
TRAINER

Lee Mitchell is a chef trainer on our School Chef Educator Programme.

He brings a wide range of experience to identifying efficient solutions to problems as they come up. Based in Devon, he enjoys kayaking, camping, growing his own food and cooking over fire.

adiba
osmani

CHIEF OPERATING
OFFICER

NICOLE
PISANI

CHIEF INNOVATION
OFFICER

SAM
PHILLIPS

DIRECTOR OF
PROGRAMMES

Sam Phillips is our director of Programmes, driving delivery across the charity.

Sam drives the strategy and delivery of our three core programmes across Innovation, Training and Membership. Always calm and measured, he can be counted on to bring positivity, or bread. Outside work, he enjoys running, bread, beer and his dog Ziggy, ideally all at once.

polly
praill

co-director of 
partnerships & engagement

Polly Praill is co-director of Partnerships and Engagement, building high-impact partnerships.

She supports her team to build high-impact partnerships with funders, schools and commissioners, helping more children enjoy nutritious, delicious school food. She brings a calm, supportive presence to everything she does. Outside work, she loves life by the sea with her family.

SRESHTA
SRIDHAR

SENIOR PROGRAMME
MANAGER

Sreshta Sridhar is the senior programme manager transforming school lunch provision.

She supports schools to transform their lunch provision and build children’s food literacy. She brings a calm energy that helps the team get things done thoughtfully and efficiently. Outside work, she loves to travel, explore new cultures and seek out hidden gems.

RUTH
STONE

CAMPAIGNS AND
POLICY MANAGER

Ruth Stone is the policy and campaigns manager turning driving change through policy and campaigns.

Ruth’s role is focused on turning Chefs in Schools’ frontline experience into clear policy positions and compelling campaigns that drive change. Having coordinated the School Food Review before starting in this role, they bring serious knowledge of the school food system and the school food policy landscape, and just as importantly, a lot of sunshine and silliness to the office. Outside work, they’re an amateur stand-up comedian and drag king.

Aarthi
Thangavel

PROGRAMME MANAGER:
SCHOOL FOOD PROJECT

Aarthi Thangavel is the programme manager delivering our School Food Project.

She manages delivery of the School Food Project, coordinating partners across the Beacon, Explorer and Discovery school models, running live-learning sessions and designing the systems that hold the coalition together. She bridges big strategic vision with the practical detail that makes it happen. Outside work, she’s always learning a new language, building her music repertoire, and squeezing in as many dance classes and gigs as she can.

NASSIM
TAHAMTANI

PROCUREMENT
MANAGER

Nassim Tahamtani is our procurement manager, sourcing ethical supply partners for schools.

Nassim identifies suitable, ethical supply partners for Chefs in Schools’ network of schools. He brings over 20 years of procurement experience to the role. Outside work, he writes and records his own songs.