Meet the SMT

Although they are a relatively small team, they have a big job to do ensuring that the mission and aims of YouthNet are in full focus. Below is a background of their journey and what their individual roles are now.

Fiona Dawe, OBE, Chief Executive

Fiona Dawe is our Chief Executive and leader at YouthNet. Following a short marketing career in fast-moving consumer goods, she became a full-time Community Service Volunteer working with young offenders. She then joined CSV, placing young people as volunteers and developing special projects; including enabling disabled people to lead independent lives facilitated by full-time volunteers.

She then held senior management positions at OUTSET, a national charity providing IT training and employment for disabled people. Immediately prior to joining YouthNet, she worked for the National Centre for Volunteering, where, as Director of Policy and Development, she was responsible for the strategic development of volunteering across all economic sectors in England, influencing social policy and leading high profile campaigns.

She is currently a trustee of the Charity Technology Trust and has been on a number of Boards and advisory groups, including the Guidance Council, Kensington and Chelsea Volunteer Centre, the Home Office Active Community Directorate and v, the charity set up to champion youth volunteering in England. A Fellow of the RSA, she was awarded an OBE for services to the voluntary sector in January 2003. 
Married to an architect, she is the mother of two teenagers.

Claire Easterman, Operations Director

Claire is our Operations Director at YouthNet; as such she is responsible for the management of YouthNet's services both to our beneficiaries and content partners. This includes our websites, content, online services and communities. Claire has held a number of roles at YouthNet, all of which focussed on project management and the smooth delivery of services to our beneficiaries.

She arrived at YouthNet after a sojourn in Newcastle producing an education site for One North East (oh the glamour of regional development agencies), prior to which she'd worked on a wide variety of new media/digital projects. These included: This Morning Online, Cold Feet Online, Tyne Tees TV online and LWT online; and the very first site to be viewed on through a set-top box for Granada Media.

Without giving everything away when she isn't at YouthNet, Claire can often be found exploring London's architecture, seeking out the most obscure of museums and creating one DIY disaster after another in her ramshackle home in Bow.

Sarah Hooker, Development Director

(maternity leave March – November 2010)

Sarah is our Development Director, which means she and her team are responsible for generating the income YouthNet needs to run its services for young people.

Sarah joined YouthNet at the beginning of 2005 as Head of Corporate Development, soon moving into the post of Deputy Development Director, before taking up the Development Director post in late 2009. Sarah joined YouthNet from a background in corporate fundraising, gained through almost six years with Action for Children (or NCH as it was in those days). Prior to that, she worked in recruitment and headhunting, latterly with Hays Executive.

Sarah likes a good challenge and counts the London Marathon, trekking to Everest Base Camp, Macchu Picchu and the summit of Kilimanjaro amongst her favourites. In March 2010, she takes on her biggest challenge to date – becoming a mum for the first time! Sarah is off on maternity leave from 1 March – 31 October 2010.

Jade Stapleton, Director of Central Services

Jade started at YouthNet in 2003 as one of two staff in the Central Services Team. During her time here Jade's role has grown and changed with the organisation. Six years later she leads a department of four as the Director of Central Services, ensuring the smooth running, effectiveness and excellent administration of the organisation.

Before starting at YouthNet, Jade spent a year temping in the charity and not for profit sector after her arrival in London from Melbourne, where she worked in book and music retail after spending 5 years deciding what she wanted to be when she grew up (otherwise known as an Arts degree). Jade is qualified as an NLP Practitioner and uses this technique to inform her approach to her work.

Jade is involved in her out of work hours in a charity that teaches young people about sustainability and energy use and runs a pedal powered sound system.  A perpetual part time student, she is also a qualified Holistic Massage Therapist.  She lives with her partner and two cats called Obi and Leia in East London. 

Emma Thomas, Communications and Marketing Director

Emma joined us in February 2010, as Communications and Marketing Director, responsible for building YouthNet's reputation and ensuring young people know about our great services.  

Her career began in the jungle of Nepal, tracking tigers on elephant-back and convincing wealthy guests that the jungle was 'perfectly safe'; despite prowling tigers at night, cobras inside their tents and the odd charging rhinoceros!  Moving to a more conventional career in corporate and marketing strategy, she worked for the WH Smith Group, helping amongst other things, to overcome Board sceptics who didn't believe online shopping would ever take off! Then at a consultancy, developing brands and new products for the likes of GlaxoSmithKline, Nestle, Barclays and Bulmers. 

She has since led the marketing and communications for major brands, including freelance stints with Shelter and Tate Britain, as well as the last 8 years at the BBC.   Highlights there include: being paid to go to Edinburgh Fringe and Glastonbury, working with various comedians to promote Radio 4 comedy, launching new digital radio stations and leading award winning on and off air campaigns.  Most recently, she was Head of Marketing in the Future Media & Technology team, responsible for an eclectic mix of bbc.co.uk, BBC mobile, BBC Learning and adoption of digital marketing across the organisation.

Her passion for far-away places remains, with several career breaks to travel and volunteer in Latin America, Asia and most recently East Africa. She also loves London, making the most of the diversity it offers, from cultural to comedy and keeping up her Spanish and salsa. 

Oliver Wood, Technical Director

Oliver joined YouthNet in August 2003, initially on a short term contract to re-architect do-it.org.uk. Two years later Oliver became the Software Web Development Manager overseeing the technical delivery of all our web projects.  Now he oversees the Technical department ensuring that our services, infrastructure and technology meet the needs of our users.

Before joining YouthNet, Oliver worked in the private sector for software houses delivering projects like web service platforms, synchronization servers and a Universal Description Discovery and Integration registry, the last one immersing him in the exciting world of taxonomies.

Oliver holds a Masters degree in Information Technology but also has a degree in Historical Studies and considers himself not to be purely a geek as he is happy discussing the futurist period in art as well as the state of rugby union laws with the best of them.