Meet the Trustees

Mark Simms OBE

Chairman

Mark Simms OBE is Chair of the London Early Years Foundation (LEYF), bringing more than 35 years’ experience in charity leadership, social enterprise and public service. He is committed to giving every child the best possible start in life and to the role early education plays in supporting families, tackling inequality and strengthening communities. Mark is also Group Chief Executive of P3 Charity and Rugby Portobello Trust, leading organisations that support more than 80,000 people each year through housing, homelessness, mental health, youth and community services. His leadership of Rugby Portobello Trust, which works alongside children, young people and families in North Kensington, brings directly relevant experience of early years provision, family support, education and youth programmes.

A former mental health nurse with lived experience of homelessness, Mark brings a practical and personal understanding of the challenges families face and the difference that timely, compassionate support can make. A former Interim Chair of the Charity Commission for England and Wales, Mark has held a range of board and public appointments across civil society. His approach to governance places the people an organisation serves at the centre of its decisions, with a strong emphasis on safety, quality and accountability. Awarded an OBE for services to social enterprise, Mark champions organisations that combine social purpose with sound finances and the ambition to change lives. As Chair of LEYF, he brings that commitment to high-quality early education and care, particularly for children and families facing disadvantage.

Rena Mizuno Spencer

Treasurer and Chair, Finance Committee

Rena is a finance professional and a former Big 4 Partner with over two decades of experience in capital markets, financial reporting and audit, built in New York and London.

Rena has advised global clients across the Americas, Asia and EMEIA on capital market transactions including US IPOs and M&A/carve-outs, as well as on internal controls/risk management and complex accounting matters. Her clients were mainly in financial services but also included other sectors such as technology and life sciences. She is a US Certified Public Accountant (CPA).

Having grown up in Japan and across Latin America before university in the US, and with a sibling with special needs, Rena has seen how much a child’s opportunities can depend on where they start in life and the support they receive. She cares deeply about equality and inclusion and believes good early education should be there for every child, whatever their background.

Som Holliday 

Chair, Social Impact Committee

Som was a Partner at the global management consultancy, Bain & Company, a children’s author and the proud mother of a young daughter.  She has spent the last 15 years helping leadership teams transform the performance of their organisations.  Som is passionate about social impact, and has led strategy projects for a number of local and international NGOs.  

Tony Perkins MBE

Chair, Remunerations & Nominations Committee

Tony is Chief Executive of LHA London, a registered charity providing affordable and secure accommodation for young working people and students.

He has 30 years experience in redevelopment and construction projects and is Company Secretary of LHA London & LHA Services. Tony also works with the LHA Fund to support small London housing charities.

Ravi Verma

Ravi is an experienced finance executive who has worked across Broadcast Media, Hospitality and Leisure industries, working for owner-managed, FTSE 100 PLCs and private equity-backed businesses. Ravi specialises in providing strategic direction and operational efficiencies that recommend actions on how to add value and support the growth of a company.

A member of multiple Capex committees, Ravi has overseen +£1bn of capex projects across multiple geographical locations. Ravi is also the Chair of the ESG leadership team at Gravity Media, responsible for driving the Sustainability and Diversity and Inclusion strategies.

Anu V Sarkar 

Anu Sarkar (she/her) is Global Head of Leadership Strategy and Development at Deutsche Bank, with over 20 years’ experience across Banking and Engineering. She is a trusted partner to senior leaders and brings expertise in leadership development, succession, talent management, training, D&I and organisational development, particularly in change-focused roles.

Born in India and having lived in several countries, Anu values diversity and cultural awareness in shaping business and society. A qualified Executive Coach, she has worked extensively with senior leaders and emerging talent, and is a regular speaker on leadership, diversity and equity. She is passionate about equity in education, seeing early years as the foundation for nurturing diverse future leaders.

Kirsty Reed

Kirsty joined as the Lead Safeguarding Trustee in 2022, Kirsty is experienced at working with all levels of an organisation to provide insight, expertise, a reflective space and developing joined up approaches to change theory, strategic planning and transformation.

With over 20 years experience working within education, the voluntary and community sector and the public sector, leading and transforming services for babies, children, young people and their families with particular expertise in early childhood systems, early support and early help.

James Hicks

James is a Chartered Surveyor and Head of Corporate Real Estate at Gilead Sciences where he is responsible for the global real estate portfolio. He specialises in developing and implementing innovative real estate solutions that align with the strategic goals and objectives of the organisation. He holds an MSc in Real Estate Development from the University of Westminster and a BA in History from the University of Leicester. James is a passionate advocate for social mobility and enabling greater access to careers in the real estate sector.

Mary Wynne Finch 

Nursery Ambassador

Mary was born in North Wales and has lived in London for over 30 years, with time abroad in Paris and Milan working in sporting events and at the British Consulate. A Welsh speaker fluent in French and Italian, she later trained as a nursery teacher and has spent 25 years teaching in London’s private sector nurseries, driven by a belief in the role of early education in creating a more equal society.

For over 30 years, she has been a Patron of the Rainbow Trust Children’s Charity, supporting families of seriously ill children. She is also a Trustee of Oriel Plas Glyn-Y-Weddw and serves as LEYF Nursery Ambassador, visiting nurseries and linking them with the Board.