The Talent Tap Board of Trustees
Alix Williams
Trustee
Alix studied at The London School of Economics, studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics before joining the British Business Bank. Shortly after, she moved to the Pensions, as an Investment Risk Analyst where she has been for the last 18 months.
Alix has been a part of The Talent Tap since joining as a beneficiary in 2013. Having experienced the many amazing opportunities the Talent Tap can provide to young people, she wishes to get stuck in and help give future beneficiaries those same opportunities to succeed. Based in Surrey, Alix is currently studying for her CFA qualifications and in her spare time enjoys reading and baking.
Chris Donkin
Trustee
Chris is a Managing Partner at Savannah Group, an executive search and leadership consulting firm. With over 20 years experience in executive search and talent management, he has always been passionate about ensuring the best candidate is ultimately appointed, not simply the most obvious or best connected. His work therefore focuses on coaching and positioning candidates from diverse backgrounds to succeed with top employers, while challenging organisations to broaden their approach to talent acquisition.
A committed advocate for young people facing inequality, Chris has been a member of The Lord’s Taverners for 30 years, currently supporting the Board of Trustees as Chair of the Nominations Committee. He has also volunteered as a coach and mentor with Radical Recruit and spent five years coaching youth cricket with Inner London District.
His belief in the power of access and opportunity to transform lives drives his commitment to The Talent Tap’s mission of levelling the playing field for talented young people from all backgrounds.
Jessica Lythgow
Trustee
Jessica is a Senior Political Analyst at the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, where she focuses on global political engagement and building relationships across the USA, Canada, Europe and Australia. She moved into politics as a career change, having previously worked as a Buyer for both Sainsbury’s and Asda.
Originally from Bradford, Jessica studied Politics at Durham University and is now based in North London with her partner and ginger cat. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking in the Yorkshire countryside and maintains a love-hate relationship with running, having completed her first half marathon in October.
Having come into her chosen career slightly later in life, Jessica is passionate about helping young people from backgrounds like hers to have the confidence, network and knowledge to pursue what they truly want to do. She is committed to supporting The Talent Tap in its mission to help young people unlock their potential and broaden their horizons.
Kate Harris
Trustee
Kate has over 25 years of experience in the recruitment and assessment of graduates and MBAs. She has managed graduate recruitment for Lloyds Bank and worked for over seven years as UK Recruitment Director for Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world’s leading strategy consulting firms. Most recently, she co-founded a coaching company which specialised in developing skills and confidence in recent graduates, preparing them for careers in professional services.
She has worked for the University of Oxford’s Careers Service, helping students with interview skills and techniques and for the past eight years has been part of the admissions interview team for an Oxford college.
She is committed to public service, having served as an officer in the Army Reserves (Royal Signals) for nearly 10 years and held a previous trustee position with a community youth rowing club in her hometown of Oxford.
She has a degree in Modern History and recently completed a Graduate Diploma in Law.
Kate is delighted to join The Talent Tap’s Board of Trustees. She believes wholeheartedly in the charity’s vision and mission and hopes that her experience and expertise will make a difference to the lives of the young people involved in the charity.
Laura Boyle
Trustee
Laura is Head of Emerging Talent at Publicis Groupe UK, where she leads the group’s emerging talent hiring strategy across its network of advertising, media and communications agencies. With a strong focus on social mobility, inclusive hiring and equitable access to opportunity, she works to ensure that talent from all backgrounds can thrive in the creative industries.
Her passion for creating opportunities began at Teach First, where she supported initiatives to improve the educational outcomes for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Growing up in a remote part of Yorkshire, Laura understands the challenges faced by those living far from major city hubs, an experience that drives her commitment to breaking down barriers and opening doors for others.
With over 20 years’ experience in early careers talent acquisition, Laura has been instrumental in shaping initiatives that support underrepresented groups and create pathways into meaningful careers.
Matt Brennan
Trustee
Matt is Head of Asset Allocation & Research at Scottish Widows. With a background in mathematics and a career spanning different areas of the investment industry, Matt brings a deep understanding of financial markets and strategic planning, and remaining calm during periods of stress!
Matt is originally from Barnsley and he is passionate about creating opportunities for young people from underrepresented regions, such as the one he grew up in, and believes strongly in the power of education, mentorship and access to networks to drive social mobility.
As a trustee of The Talent Tap, Matt is committed to supporting the charity’s mission to unlock potential and broaden horizons for talented individuals across the UK.
Robert Willis
Trustee
Rob is a corporate partner at the law firm, CMS, where he has worked since 2005. He has been a trustee of The Talent Tap since April 2019. Rob graduated in Law and European Law from Nottingham University in 2001 (where he first met Nick Cowley – one of The Talent Tap’s founders).
Based in London, Rob is married with twin boys and, in his spare time, enjoys golf, running and watching his sons participate in all sorts of sports.
Roger Kempink
Trustee
Roger is a Partner at Apollo within the Client and Product Solutions group, where he focuses on private credit and direct lending globally. Prior to joining Apollo in 2024, he was a Partner and Head of Investor Relations, as well as a member of the Executive Committee, at Park Square Capital.
Earlier in his career, Roger spent a decade in investment banking at Lehman Brothers, Nomura and Bank of America Merrill Lynch. He holds an MS in Finance and a BS in Business Economics from the University of Amsterdam.
Originally from the Netherlands, Roger relocated to the UK in 2004 and now resides in Surrey with his wife and twin sons. Outside of work, he is a keen cyclist and hockey player.
Rupert Taylor
CHAIR OF TRUSTEES & CO-FOUNDER
Rupert studied at the University of Durham, after which he began a career in finance. Rupert spent 13 years working for a number of investment banks including Cazenove, Lehman Brothers and Nomura, working in equities and trading.
Since 2014, Rupert has set up a number of businesses and is an active investor in early stage companies. He is presently CEO of Smash Padel which is fuelling the UK’s fastest growing sport by building and operating Padel Tennis facilities around the country. Seeing how young people’s prospects can be transformed by developing their skills and confidence has fuelled his passion for social mobility.