Future First Global has appointed Abigail Nokes as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), taking over from Kelvin Hughes who stepped down earlier this year.
The appointment coincides with a broader period of growth and change at the organisation, with new appointments at board and staff level too.
Abigail is the longest standing member of the Future First Global team and previously supported the development of Future First UK, where she led a team of Alumni Officers supporting hundreds of state schools and colleges across the UK.
She is joined by two new members of her team. Stella McKenna, previously at International Service, joins as an Alumni Consultant and Bobby Dean, formerly of Restless Development, joins as an Advocacy and Communications Manager.
At the board level, Dr. Sarabajaya Kumar has stepped up to take on her Interim Chair role on a permanent basis. Dr. Sarabajaya has been involved in the movement to build alumni networks in state schools for around ten years.
She is joined by two new trustees – Dan Keyworth, whose day job is as Director for Customer Engagement for Blackbaud, and Marwa Farouq who works as the Vice-President of People, Organisation and Culture at Teach for All.
Incoming Future First Global CEO Abigail Nokes, said:
“I’m really excited to be taking on this role at such a busy period of growth and potential. It is a pleasure to welcome new people to the Future First Global team, at all levels, and I look forward to working with them to help create fairer societies across the world.”
Jake Hayman, co-founder and Future First Global Trustee, said:
“Anyone who has worked with Abi will know that her diligence and drive combined with humility and deep, deep subject matter expertise make her the perfect appointment as a new leader for the organisation.
“I’d like to take the opportunity to thank Kelvin, who played a critical role in building some exciting relationships for the organisation and we wish him all the best for what’s next.”