Meet the team

I’m the CEO at IPSE, and have been on Boards for over 20 years, more than half of that as CEO of member organisations. I’ve spent many years through my career as a contractor, and still have a contracting business, so the opportunity to head up the only organisation dedicated to the self-employed was too good to turn down.

What I love about IPSE is that we all have a common vision, to a fair environment where self-employment is an aspirational and sustainable career option. Everything we do is based on creating that future, not just for the 5 million that are already self-employed but for so many more that would love to make that leap.

My leisure time is very much archetypal home counties man – good food and wine, bad golf, slow cycling (yes, lycra is involved, I can only apologise) and taking my new 60kg puppy for walks!

I see the future of the organisation as being a real community for the self-employed. Bringing together the talent of our professional staff and highly skilled members in delivering our vision. Success is all about using our combined capabilities, and the more we can grow the more we can influence on behalf of our members and support their own successes.

I am the Director of Policy at IPSE and, previous to this, I worked as Deputy Director of Policy for a number of years before being promoted in 2020. I’ve always been interested in politics and worked for an MP before joining IPSE.

I believe in what IPSE stands for – supporting and empowering those who work independently. I’ve gotten to know quite a few of our members over the years and it’s always interesting to learn about them and their businesses. IPSE has given me incredible opportunities, including appearing in front of select committees, consulting directly with senior government ministers and speaking in the media.

I have two young kids and a very energetic dog which keep me busy. I get to play golf occasionally and embarrassingly enough and I still enjoy skateboarding!

I believe IPSE is a vitally important organization. The self-employed are under-represented in government, yet so much policy impacts their daily lives. I want IPSE to grow in size and influence and to help make self-employment an aspirational and sustainable career choice.

My role at IPSE is Director of Membership and my career has been focused on growing and engaging communities. My main focus has been entrepreneur-led businesses and SME’s but, having also briefly run my own company, I understand what it takes to start something from scratch and make it successful, so I was excited to pivot slightly and work with the self-employed.

My favourite thing about my role is the people, I love meeting people that are passionate about what they do, understanding their challenges and then playing a small part in their growth and development. I also fully believe in the power of the network and how people helping people makes a huge difference to all aspects of life.

The thing I admire the most about IPSE is that we are here to help connect and advocate for the individual person, offering that collective voice and business support for all stages of the members' journey.

I’m passionate about British Wine, so I can often be found supporting local vineyards. I’m also a big foodie so I like to have friends over and spend time with my family and our dog.

My goals are to continue evolving IPSE to ensure it’s the organisation of choice for all self-employed people and that it offers great value to members now and in the future.

I have been working within membership organisations for the past twelve years. I am a qualified accountant and I really enjoy number crunching and solving complex business and financial problems that may occur in the business. Before joining IPSE, I worked in various fields including Education, banking and commercial sectors. As the Director of Finance at IPSE, I am responsible for overseeing all financial aspects of the organisation and ensuring that we remain financially stable.

IPSE's dedication to the well-being and success of independent professionals is commendable. Whether it's through its mission and values, the events it organises, the member benefits it offers, or their research efforts, IPSE consistently demonstrate their commitment to advocating for the rights and interests of the self-employed. Being a finance professional, I am honoured to be part of the IPSE team, work with such talented individuals, and contribute to IPSE's vision.

As a mother of two young children, spare time is a rare luxury for me. But on the rare occasions when I do have a moment to myself, I enjoy nothing more than spending it in the kitchen, cooking up a storm for my friends and family. I also have a passion for travel and love to explore new places, immersing myself in different cultures and learning all I can. Oh, did I mention that I love watching Gogglebox too.

My goals for the organisation are to ensure that it remains a powerful voice for those who work for themselves and to develop innovative and effective solutions for the challenges facing independent professionals in today's rapidly changing economy. I am confident that IPSE will continue to play an important role in shaping the future of work for years to come.

I am the Head of Marketing and Technology at IPSE, and I’ve worked here since 2017, looking after our brand, creative, content, social, technology systems, etc. with our great team! After finishing my Master’s degree I sort of fell into marketing at an international manufacturing company once I completed an internship there. They gave me a lot of space and resource to develop my skills and knowledge in the area, which I’ll always be very grateful for. I found a real passion for how marketing and the systems around it are at the centre of what businesses do to succeed.

IPSE just has a good soul – it is filled with people that want to do something every day that makes the lives of the UK’s self-employed better. Being a not-for-profit helps drive that feeling and enables us to do a lot more for the cause than would be possible as a for-profit business. It is very rewarding to be able to work at both the governmental level and the individual level directly with our members.

I have a young daughter, so that fills a lot of my time, often traveling to see family around the country, and taking advantage of all the things London has to offer for little ones. Food and drink are a huge passion for me, so I’ll often be adding to my cookbook collection, trying a new wine or beer, or be in the kitchen cooking/making a mess. The daughter makes going to gigs much less frequent, but I still try and get to a few when I can. Other than that, I’m a sports fan, playing or watching, basically anything to the pain of my Partner.

Lots of exciting changes are happening for IPSE and I can’t wait to see the results. We hope we can make IPSE the best community of self-employed in the world, learning more about our members and providing them with everything they need to make their businesses a success.

I joined IPSE eight years ago after leaving a career in the retail industry. I knew that I wanted to forge a new career where I was more connected to people and I found this in IPSE’s membership team. Over the years have worked my way up to Head of Membership but what I have always loved, from day one, is helping our members and hearing about their unique journeys into self-employment.

I have two favourite things about IPSE.. the first is, the support we give to our members through our carefully considered benefits and partner offers. I truly feel that there is something for everyone here, whether they are just starting out, running their own successful business or maybe just looking for a community of like-minded people. The second thing is the people I work with. We’re a small company but full of great people who really champion the self-employed and believe in what we do!

I live in the country side, just outside of London, and have two young children so we’re often out on nature walks and collecting sticks. As we’re close to London we also love taking the kids to museums and galleries too. I also love baking banana bread whenever I get some spare time (and spare bananas!)

Self-employment is very close to my heart, having grown up with a freelancer dad and now being married to a freelancer too, I am genuinely proud of the work we do at IPSE that directly impacts this sector of the economy. The benefits and fulfilment I have seen people gain from self-employment is so inspiring, there’s so much potential out there and I would love to see IPSE helping more and more people realise their dreams.

My role is that of a Membership Co-Ordinator, I respond to members' queries through all channels, manage memberships and help the work of other departments as well as in processing insurance claims.

I like our mission and I like the working environment and how approachable everyone at IPSE is.

In my spare time I play the guitar, I like learning about history and geopolitics, travel as much as I can, and I also study UX design.

I'd like to see IPSE become a more significant voice in campaigning for the self-employed and - where possible - help influence government policy. As for myself, I'd like to help improve our systems and processes and would also like to learn more about the policy side.
 

My role is Membership Account Manager within the membership team at IPSE and the thing I really like about it is getting the chance to speak to various members about what they do and why they started their journey's.

My favourite thing about IPSE is the events! They're a good chance to network with people and understand changes within the various industries our members work within.

In my spare time I like to watch and play football, listen to music and go to festivals/concerts. I also enjoy going for a good drink or two . . . . or three with friends as well as street food/visiting new restaurants.

My goal for the organisation or within IPSE is to create a community in which engagement between members and myself is second to none. I also wish to be the go to individual for members when they want to understand a certain aspect of their membership or how to engage with it.

I'm a Member Relations Executive at IPSE; my role is to liaise with members on all IPSE products and support members with queries. I have an extensive career background in client and customer liaison within multiple fields and in various industries. My favourite thing about the Member Relations role and what attracted me most to the role is the opportunity to help members who are both starting out and established in their self-employed journey.

My favourite thing about IPSE is the many benefits IPSE provide to their members under a number of different packages/products. I like that there is an offering for anyone that is self-employed and looking for any type of support, and the way in which the benefits are grouped. A one-stop shop!

In my spare time I enjoy spending time with family, cooking, travelling, and going to the gym.

I would like to see the Membership team expand, expansion of even more partnerships with IPSE and offerings for the self-employed. My goal is to support IPSE with their plans for reaching out to various, diverse and niche industry SMES to become Members.

I’ve worked for membership associations for almost my whole career and enjoy creating events for members, enabling them to meet each other and grow their businesses.

As the Head of Events at IPSE, my favourite thing is hosting the IPSE Freelancer Awards. It’s a time to celebrate the achievements of freelancers, and it’s clear to see the positive outcomes that being nominated for an Award has on a freelance business. The joy when someone finds out they have won an Award is special!

IPSE’s role will continue to be more important than ever, having an impact on Government policy in helping the self-employed sector to thrive. I’d love to put on more valuable events for members enabling them to meet each other and supporting them on their freelance journey.

In my spare time you’ll find me at the allotment, socially playing tennis, catching up with family & friends and aimlessly watching a wide variety of property shows.

My role at IPSE is Head of Partnerships. After 7 years of being self-employed in Marketing and Partnerships, I was introduced to IPSE. I soon learnt that IPSE was an invaluable membership group for the self-employed and freelance sector. IPSE brings likeminded individuals together and enables them to realise their goals in their chosen business sector.

My favorite thing about IPSE are the eclectic events, initiatives and member benefits they have. It's amazing to network with so many interesting individuals and to find out about their self-employed journeys. Over time, I hope that IPSE continues to thrive and that we can grow our membership group further and wider afield.

In my spare time, I love to cook. My adoration for cooking stems from my 14 years working with Raymond Blanc as his Director of Marketing & Communications. His passion was infectious to all those around him. My cooking has evolved over the years and I now grow some of my own produce at home in the garden which has helped me become more sustainable. Cooking is a great way of bringing family and friends together and as Raymond often says “when you cook it should be an act of love” – this I completely agree with.

I originally joined the team at IPSE as part of the membership team when I first moved to the UK from my native Canada over six years ago. I’ve now been in the marketing team for 5 years, but still love to get involved wherever possible across all teams in the organisation! I’ve had a passion for marketing since my early teens, taking part in business case study competitions throughout high school and getting my first marketing role as an intern at the head office of Clarks Canada at 16 years old. Since then, I’ve worked for various organisations in roles across marketing, PR, and communications.

As a not-for-profit organisation, IPSE is completely driven by its vision to create a fair environment where self-employment is an aspirational and sustainable career option. You can see that in the way that every member of staff is passionate about keeping the organisation moving forward and doing right by our members and the wider self-employed. My favourite thing that IPSE does as an organisation has to be the events. It’s amazing to see the hard work that goes into creating an event come to life. Plus, getting to meet our members in person is always a highlight for me.

For most weekends of the year you’ll find me travelling around the country playing ice hockey for London’s Streatham Storm! Playing and watching sport has always been a big part of my life, and ice hockey is my go-to for making friends and staying active. Otherwise, I love using gardening and landscaping as a creative outlet, and hanging out at a good pub with friends.

In the past few years, we’ve seen a huge shift in people’s perspectives on work/life balance and having ownership of your own time. As a result, I think more and more people are going to see the benefits of self-employment in that not only are you working on your own terms, but also doing whatever you’re passionate about.

My job revolves around designing, developing, and maintaining IT processes and solutions that align perfectly with IPSE's operations and goals. My journey into this field started with a fascination for investigations and problem-solving in general. I realized that problem-solving was a crucial aspect of any endeavor, but I struggled to apply it effectively in real life. That's when technology stepped in and became a significant part of my life.

What I love most about IPSE is its mission and values. They actively promote and support the interests of self-employed individuals, advocating for their rights and financial well-being. It's inspiring to see an organization dedicated to fighting for a cause, and I take pride in being associated with IPSE. Moreover, the people behind this cause are amazing – there's never a dull moment with anyone, and I feel that everyone involved is a champion in their respective field.

During the Covid lockdown, my perspective on life shifted, and I developed a newfound passion for cooking. Trying out new cuisines has become a delightful hobby for me. Additionally, I've decided to prioritize self-care by dedicating one day each month to disconnect from my phone and laptop, allowing me to go for refreshing walks, visit beautiful places, and explore hiking trails (Lake District is the place to be).

Volunteering with my local council has also become a fulfilling part of my life. I contribute a little of my time every month, engaging with people of all age groups and listening to their experiences. Moreover, I have started leading small sessions where I share insights on using IT effectively and delve into captivating world history topics. These activities have not only enriched my life but also allowed me to make a positive impact in both my community and personal growth.

My role is to help IPSE develop its thinking on the policy issues our members care about most, and ensuring that these views are listened to in Westminster and beyond. I closely monitor what’s happening in Parliament, the news, and the sectors our members work in; I also draft IPSE’s responses to detailed government consultations and inquiries launched by parliamentary committees; and, helping to shape debate through our blogs, newsletters and campaign materials.

Before joining IPSE, I worked for another trade body in the automotive sector performing a similar role. Having left university with a degree in Public Policy, getting into a line of work where I can help business and government to understand one another felt like a natural step.

What makes IPSE quite unique is that, rather than representing a specific sector or industry, we stand for an entire way of working. Because of this, you’re constantly exposed to a huge range of inspiring stories and achievements in the world of business; whether its at big events like the IPSE Freelancer Awards, or our webinars and meet-ups, I enjoy getting an insight into worlds I might otherwise know nothing about.

I enjoy being active in some way, whether I’m at the gym or escaping to the peace of the woodlands for a bit of a hike. I also spend more time than I should hunting for rare finds in clothes shops and plotting the outfit I’m going to wear to an event in a year’s time. If I’m not doing any of that, there’s a good chance I’m just catching up with friends over a cold pint.

IPSE has already grown from a campaign group to a fully-fledged trade association, and we’re releasing new products and services tailored to freelancers all the time. In future, I can see IPSE being a true one-stop- shop for the self-employed, helping to make all areas of the self-employed
journey as smooth as possible and giving freelancers more time to dedicate to their businesses.

I’m Senior Research and Policy Officer and I head up IPSE’s research that supports our campaigning efforts in Westminster and beyond. Without a doubt, the most rewarding part of the job is being able to share the experiences of IPSE members, whether it be through our research, our media coverage or in our conversations with politicians.

I’ve seen first-hand the valuable support that IPSE provides its members (as shown with the MSC investigations over the past year) and I’m proud to represent such a vital cohort of the UK’s workforce.

Away from the office and our many discussions about IR35, you can find me enjoying football or in a local pub (perhaps both!).

I am the Finance Officer for IPSE. I have been in accounts for 18 years and have worked for various companies, but I always enjoy it best when I work for a ‘Not For Profit’ company as you are helping to give back to the members rather than making profits for a commercial company.

My favourite thing about IPSE is the Freelancer Awards as it is a fun night of celebrating and recognising all of the hard work that the self-employed, and freelancers do. It also gives people a chance to come together and share their experiences.

In my spare time I like to go for walks around our beautiful countryside with my 1-year-old cockerpoo Rebel. I also love to listen to music and singing, and I am a member of my church choir.

I see a bright future for IPSE as it grows. I believe as more people learn about who we are and what we do, we will become a household name for the self-employed and freelancers to go to when they need help and/or support and membership will become a vital tool for everyone working for themselves.

My role within IPSE is CRM Manager and I fell into this area of expertise by accident, a decade ago, while working in fundraising. I was helping track event participants and realised I was quite good at it. Ten years later and I am still going.

My favourite thing about IPSE is the whole concept of the organisation; the way IPSE works to support all of its members by offering everything it can. It’s a great asset to our members and I am excited to be a part of that.

In my spare time (when I find some) I am building a car and I often design various different products and projects.

I see IPSE being bigger and better than we are now and growing to be an even more powerful voice in the self-employed sector.
 

I’ve been fully immersed in the design and art fields since a very young age. This was due to the country I was raised in and the creativity of my parents; I’m sure this has contributed to shaping the designer I am today.

The thing I like the most about IPSE is its brand mission of helping self-employed workers by building them a supportive net. This support is primarily to help these individuals thrive within self-employment rather than for any kind of lucrative purpose. I feel this is very close to my personality, and therefore I fully embrace and value it.

When I can, travelling is the thing I enjoy doing the most. It doesn’t matter to me if the destination is far or close to home, the important thing is to feed the heart and the mind with new experiences and cultures. On top of this, I’m also a great Pilates and Yoga fan.

Helping the company create a distinctive brand identity, raise brand awareness, and helping design a new website are some of my key goals at IPSE. These are all very exciting challenges!

My role at IPSE is Social Media and Content Executive. I decided to venture into social media marketing because it allows me to utilise my creativity, my organisation, and my skills as a photographer.

IPSE is a great company that encourages support, advice and most importantly community amongst its members. As someone who has dabbled in freelance work previously, I admire that IPSE offers the ultimate helping hand in starting up a business and succeeding in self-employment and how beneficial this is to freelancers.

I’m a beach girl at heart so in my spare time I love to be by the coast, surfing, paddleboarding and capturing the scenes on my camera. I also love to spend time with friends, often with a few drinks and an inevitable boogie.

I see the organisation growing massively in the coming years. IPSE will hopefully be a more widely known name and the community of members will become stronger and more vocal.