With nearly 30 years’ experience connecting businesses and schools, EBP South provides established, high-quality programmes which inspire young people about future career options and help them on their journey to the world of work.
Working alongside forward-thinking businesses our proactive approach provides social mobility for young people, opportunities to challenge job role stereotypes and support for industries with emerging skills gaps, delivering a diverse, skilled workforce.
Starting in primary school, we offer a pipeline of opportunities to engage with tomorrow’s employees, and in such challenging times our partnership work as a single point of contact for businesses and schools has never been more important.
As a result of EBP South’s leadership, over the next five years more than 75,000 young people will connect to businesses, benefitting from ambitious, life-changing interactions that over an extended period, positively impact students’ attainment and attendance.
With nearly 30 years’ experience connecting businesses and schools, EBP South provides established, high-quality programmes, which inspire young people about future career options and help them on their journey to the world of work, to young people across Hampshire and the surrounding areas.
Jennie joined the EBP South Board of Trustees in January 2025 and was appointed Chair of the Board in May 2026. Her ambition for EBP South is to ensure the organisation continues to create meaningful work experience opportunities for young people, helping them build confidence, skills, and brighter futures through strong partnerships between education and employers.
With more than 25 years of experience in people leadership, organisational development, and executive coaching, including over 20 years working alongside senior leadership teams and Boards, Jennie is passionate about helping people and organisations thrive through strong leadership, collaboration, and culture.
Having worked both in the UK and internationally, she brings significant experience in leadership development and relational intelligence, supporting organisations to build healthy, high-performing environments. Jennie is also the Co-Founder of Lead with Kairos, a leadership consulting business and a Trustee on the Board of Promise Inclusion, a charity supporting adults and children with Learning Disabilities and their carers.
Katie joined the EBP South Board of Trustees in March 2026. Her ambition for EBP South is to ensure that more young people, particularly those who may not have ready access to professional networks, gain meaningful exposure to the breadth of careers available to them, and feel confident taking their first steps into the workplace.
Katie brings over 20 years’ experience as a General Counsel and senior executive. She has advised boards on complex regulatory and governance matters, and supported ambitious organisations through growth, transformation, and investment. A qualified UK solicitor, she also holds an Executive MBA, and now provides fractional legal and advisory support to founder-led businesses through her own consultancy.
Beyond her professional work, Katie is passionate about helping young people develop broader skills for life in her role as a Scout Leader, and spending time outdoors.
Sarah joined the EBP South Board of Trustees in 2017 and was elected to Chair of the Trustees in 2019. Her ambition for EBP South is to ensure we have a sustainable organisation and that we continually evolve our services to meet the needs of young people today and in the future.
Sarah has over 30 years’ experience in Human Resources and has held UK and International Director Roles in large organisations including Safeway, Clarks International, New Look and Southern Co-op.
Since retiring from corporate life in January 2024, in addition to her role at EBP South, she has become a volunteer ‘School Reader’ working with primary children to improve their literacy and comprehension skills and has recently taken on the role of Co-ordinator for the Solent HR Group, a networking group for HR heads based in the Portsmouth, Southampton and W. Sussex area .
For pleasure Sarah enjoys running, cooking and musical theatre.
Chris has been an EBP South Trustee for about 10 years and is currently Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. As a serving headteacher he values the opportunities to help young people better understand the world of work and meet local employers presented through EBP South’s work.
He would like to see EBP South build more connections between local students and local employers looking for their next generation of staff. he also enjoys running and the space it gives to think.
Adam has been a member of the board since since January 2023. He has held senior HR positions across a number of industries including; technology, financial services, sales and manufacturing. He also holds an MBA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
Adam is passionate about connecting businesses with young people during their education, so they can gain invaluable exposure to the world of work and the variety of career opportunities available. His interests include Travel, Walking, Music and Technology.
Lizz has been a member of the Board of Trustees for 16 years and is particularly focused on EBP South’s marketing and communications
Her ambition is for EBP South to evolve the way it works with businesses and students, to find new and different ways of impacting young people’s lives through enhancing their knowledge and experience about the world of work. She would like to see this impact extending across many more students and companies. This will mean growing our resources, in ways that are sustainable in the years to come.
Lizz is also a qualified yoga teacher who also loves walking and going to the gym. She is a new grandmother, an avid reader and enthusiastic cook.
Harry Kutty is the Headteacher of Cantell school, one of the largest 11-16 schools in Southampton. In his time as Headteacher, Harry has overseen rapid development and growth in the school making it now one of the most successful and heavily oversubscribed schools in the City. In 2017, Harry helped to create the Aspire Community Trust, a group of 9 schools who work together to improve the life chances of over 3000 young people from the age of 4 to 16. Harry has been the Chair of the Trust since 2019 and worked with his fellow Headteacher`s to successfully navigate their communities through the COVID-19 pandemic.
More recently, Harry has taken on the role of Non-Executive Adviser to Hampshire Country Cricket club working with the board to break down social inequalities in the sport and increase participation and representation.
Simon has been on the EBP South Board since March 2022. He is a Chartered Accountant and a Director of value-for-money studies at the National Audit Office, the government’s external auditor. He uses his experience of scrutinising financial information to support EBP South’s Senior Management Team in overseeing the organisation’s finances and helps bring insightful financial updates to each Board meeting.
He is also Chair of the finance sub-committee. His ambition for EBP South is that it can continue to provide life-changing opportunities for young people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, setting them up for a successful future career. In his spare time he is a keen runner and cyclist, and an avid Torquay United supporter.
Matthew Samuel – Camps Managing Partner at Vail Williams LLP
