Chief Executive
upReach’s vision is of a society in which everybody has an equal opportunity to realise their full career potential, regardless of social background. upReach helps young people achieve their career potential and influences the hiring behaviours of top organisations to create an equal opportunity culture that values greater diversity within their workforce.
We were looking for an inspirational leader to sustainably grow this award-winning organisation to its next level of impact by significantly increasing reach, geography, partnerships and impact. The CEO would also provide supportive leadership for a young, passionate team, enabling them to achieve the best in their roles. Experience of leading in a growth environment and of building solid relationships with a broad range of stakeholders would be key. We searched for these individuals within social mobility organisations, universities, CSR departments, the top four consultancy firms, corporate foundations, the wider social justice charity space and the social enterprise sector. Our search led to 10 initial candidates being interviewed, resulting in a short list of five candidates.
Nick Bent, CEO and Co-Founder of the multi-award-winning education charity The Tutor Trust, was appointed to the role. Nick brings a track record of successful leadership across the charity, business, government and think tank sectors in both senior professional roles and a variety of non-executive, advisory and trustee positions. In July 2020, Nick received his first public appointment, as a member of the Advisory Board for the Children’s Commissioner for England. Nick has a Masters from Harvard and degree from Oxford University. He is also a proud 2017 Clore Social Leadership Fellow and a Fellow of the RSA.