Meet the Trustees!
Our trustees use their insight, knowledge and expertise to shape the direction and the running of the charity.
Read more information below about our trustees:
Joyce Connell
Co-founder (Chair)
Joyce is the founder of the Oxbridge Mentoring Scheme and co-founder of Insight Outreach. She has an MA (Oxon) from Oxford University and completed an MSc at Birkbeck University whilst previously working full-time for His Majesty’s Government.
She discovered a passion for education while writing her dissertation, researching and comparing educational systems at home and abroad. She created Insight Education in 2006 which ran the precursor of the Oxbridge Mentoring Scheme. In the same year, she was elected to the board of governors at one of England’s leading academies where she set up a similar in-house programme. She has an excellent track record of mentoring students from diverse backgrounds into Oxford, Cambridge and other top UK universities. Passionate about raising aspirations among bright students, promoting equal opportunity and social mobility, she co-founded Insight Outreach so the Oxbridge Mentoring Scheme could benefit many more students.
Nik Cerutti
Co-founder (Vice-Chair)
Nik graduated from Jesus College, Cambridge in 2018. There, he studied Natural Sciences, specialising in chemistry. Nik applied to Cambridge from a large state school sixth-form college in Nottinghamshire with low acceptance rates to Oxford and Cambridge. Nik is highly motivated by improving access to Oxford and Cambridge for students from state schools.
Having tutored since 2012 and academically mentored since 2016, Nik decided to establish Insight Outreach with co-founder and trustee Joyce Connell. Nik acted as project lead and coordinator for the first year of Insight Outreach’s Oxbridge Mentoring Scheme. Even though Nik will hand over management of the Oxbridge Mentoring Scheme while he travels the world before starting his graduate job in 2019, he will continue to fulfil his duties as trustee in overseeing strategic direction of Insight Outreach.
Simon McMaster
Legal Compliance
Akshar Abhyankar
Partnerships Lead
Akshar is a History & Modern Languages student at Pembroke College, Cambridge. As a former Oxbridge Mentoring Scheme mentee, Akshar is driven to improve access to education and opportunities for young people across the country.
His passion for Insight Outreach is visible in his long engagement with the organisation. Akshar began his journey with us as a student on the first year of our Oxbridge Mentoring Scheme in 2018. He returned to support us as an impact analysis volunteer in 2019, as a Social Impact Intern in 2020, co-founder of the Cambridge Hub in 2021 and then Lead Mentor for the OMS essay-writing strand in 2022. Akshar has experienced every level and aspect of the charity, and is now working on developing our partnerships with private and charitable organisations alike to further our mission and grow our charity.
Vinnie Sivadev
Strategic Partnerships Lead
Vinnie graduated with a Masters in Aerospace Engineering from Southampton University and an MBA from Oxford University. As a young adult, Vinnie noticed the lack of diversity in the socio-economic backgrounds of her peers as she progressed from a London state school to a Russell Group university, to a job in the City.
She started her career as a Management Consultant, delivering projects to private companies and the Government. She has since held many roles in operations and strategy at multinational companies in the technology industry.
Passionate about diversity and inclusion, Vinnie founded and led D&I initiatives for every institution she has been part of, championing issues from disability to social mobility. She has volunteered with social mobility charities such as Teach First and Young Enterprise and served as Vice-Chair of a school governing body to support disadvantaged children.
Her experiences has led her to join Insight Outreach as Trustee Lead for Strategic Partnerships and she is excited to support a future generation of students move up the ladder through education and mentorship.
Natalie Wallis
Treasurer and Fundraising Lead
Originally from Liverpool, Natalie is state school educated and the first in her family to attend university. After being rejected from Cambridge for an undergraduate degree, she completed her BSc at the University of Nottingham. She then secured an offer for a fully funded PhD at the University of Cambridge, successfully graduating in 2024.
Natalie is now a part time post-doctoral research associate at the University of Cambridge and full-time Outputs Development Manager at the University of Liverpool. Natalie has been a community volunteer for several years alongside full-time study and part time teaching positions. She was also on a variety of committees whilst at Cambridge, tackling issues on welfare and equality in the student community.
This combination of personal and professional experiences has made Natalie incredibly passionate about increasing the accessibility of high-quality university education. She is now utilising her diverse skillset to support initiatives at Insight Outreach as Trustee Treasurer and Fundraising Lead.
Louise Welch
Secretary and Operations Lead
Louise is an Operations and Strategy professional with over two decades working in the video games and technology industry in UK and Spain, most recently at Sony PlayStation in global and regional roles. She speaks fluent Spanish, holds an Executive MBA from Warwick Business School and is currently serving as a Strategic Board Advisor with Be the Business, a UK not-for-profit organisation.
Louise gained a place at a local grammar school in South London and became the first person in her family to attend university, gaining a BA Honours degree in French and Spanish from the University of Southampton. As a direct result of her background and experiences, Louise believes in the power of mentoring to help others achieve their goals.
She is passionate about diversity and inclusion, having served as volunteer co-chair of the employee network group Women@PlayStation, and as PlayStation’s Engagement lead collaborating closely with the UK charity The Prince’s Trust to support disadvantaged young people improve their confidence and professional experiences through mentoring support, interview practice and CV help. These experiences inspired Louise to join Insight Outreach as a Trustee as the Lead for Operations & Strategy.
Umer Ehsan
Technology Lead
Umer is a Director of Technology with fifteen years of experience working in leadership roles across Government and the Media industry. Umer has always been a passionate advocate for the power of mentoring, and has set up support schemes in both academic and professional settings.
Umer was part of the first generation of his family to attend university, gaining an LLB in Law from SOAS, University of London. Having initially pursued a legal career, Umer decided to switch to technology in his mid-20s when joining the Civil Service Fast Stream. Umer credits the many fantastic mentors who supported him on this journey for giving him the confidence and capability to successfully move into a completely different career at that stage.
Umer is cares deeply about diversity and inclusion, and currently sits on the News UK Diversity Board as well as being an active contributor to its Women in Tech initiatives. Umer joined Insight Outreach as a Trustee in 2023, focusing on streamlining its technology workflows and building out a digital strategy to help it scale seamlessly, increasing its reach and impact.