Team

Zoe Amar is widely regarded as one of the charity sector’s leading digital experts. She founded digital agency and social enterprise Zoe Amar Digital in 2013. Their clients have included Sense, Anglia Ruskin University and The School for Social Entrepreneurs.

Zoe is Chair of The Charity Digital Code of Practice. She writes for Third Sector about charities and digital issues and co-founded the Social CEOs awards . Zoe and her team produce an annual barometer of how charities across the UK are using digital, The Charity Digital Skills Report. She also co-authored The Charity Commission’s digital guidance for trustees, ‘Making Digital Work.’

Zoe has fourteen years’ experience as a charity trustee. She currently sits on the board of Charity Digital Trust (formerly known as Tech Trust). Previously, she was on the Board Audit and Risk Sub-Committee at the Samaritans as their digital expert. Before founding Zoe Amar Digital she worked for 5 years as part of the leadership team at a national charity which advised nonprofits about technology. She is the winner of an Inspiring Communicator award from Charitycomms. She was recently voted one of the 25 most influential charity leaders by Charity Times.

Zoe is also the co-host of podcast Starts at the Top, which covers digital leadership and change. 

Email Zoe on [email protected] or tweet her on @zoeamar

Marc is a digital technology consultant who operates at its intersection with organisations to ensure it meets strategic and practical needs.

With a versatile background of 31 years of digital leadership and strategy experience in creative agencies and Accenture, he brought his technology solution and management skills across private, public, and non-profit sector clients from global brands to central government to charities and member societies of all sizes.

Specialised in the non-profit sector to find ways to drive supporter experience, organisation change and social impact, he uses practical knowhow, Agile/Lean/Design Thinking practices and up to date knowledge to provide a range of strategic services. These include audits, assessments, solution design, enterprise architecture, management advisory, platform selection, procurement and programme management for better digital experience and operational efficiencies.

Over the years, he has helped organisations like Christian Aid, Water Aid, British Heart Foundation, British Medical Association, the International and British Red Cross, Concern Worldwide, Dogs Trust, Youth Hostel Association, and many more transform or optimise with digital.

Other activities include branch chair of a National Autistic Society branch, NHS Trust governor and committee member, advisor for We and AI charity, Royal Society of Arts Fellow, Tech London Advocates Tech For disAbility group co-lead and social entrepreneur of a neurodiversity-led tech startup.

Suzy sits on the GB Wheelchair Rugby Board and previously was the digital trustee on The Lord’s Taverners’ Board. Passionate about disability inclusion, Suzy hosts the fortnightly Untapped podcast featuring interviews with people who are breaking down barriers to help create a more accessible and inclusive society.

As Head of Digital and then Director of Global Communications at the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), James led major transformation and content programmes that helped to reach new audiences and attract new members, whilst elevating digital competence across the organisation.

Since early 2018, James has provided independent strategic marketing and communications consultancy support to charities, agencies and membership organisations. Clients have included several Royal Colleges of Medicine, ICAEW (the accountancy professional body), Crimestoppers, the Energy Saving Trust and the Building Research Establishment.

In 2019, James was co-opted as a trustee of Icon, the Institute of Conservation, where he offers his membership, marketing and communications experience to amplify the important work of its arts conservator members.

Jen is a digital marketing consultant and travel blogger with over 10 years’ experience working in the charity and public sector. Jen focuses on creating quality online content to help improve awareness and engagement with your brand, be that through social media, SEO or Google AdWords campaigns. Jen has worked on digital campaigns for VSO, Refugee Week and numerous London councils and provides training for a variety of charities, students and small businesses on digital marketing. When not supporting others with digital marketing, Jen is writing and travelling the world for her award winning travel blog She Gets Around, and is a trustee for two local charities in the Midlands. Jen has also appeared on BBC World as their digital advertising expert.

Kirsty is a digital communications specialist and accredited trainer who specialises in social media, copywriting and digital marketing. She has helped hundreds of charity staff hone their social media and digital marketing skills over the years and understand the importance of good content. She is a regular columnist for Third Sector’s digital hub and was a judge in the 2016 Third Sector Awards. She is a trustee of the Small Charities Coalition and in 2016 won a CharityComms Inspiring Communicator Award. Previously, she was the Content and Community Manager at JustGiving.

Lisa is an experienced digital fundraiser with a particular passion for helping charities use digital channels to build and grow engaged communities. She is an occasional contributor to Third Sector magazine, and served for 2 years on the IOF National Convention Board, co-chairing the digital stream. Previously she was Senior Digital Fundraising Manager at Anthony Nolan, and Supporter Retention Manager at Breakthrough Breast Cancer, as well as spending 6 years working for a sector-leading telephone agency, where she was responsible for directing the accounts of clients like Cancer Research UK, UNICEF and Save the Children.

Madeleine Sugden is a content specialist with over 15 years of experience in digital and charity communications. As a trainer, writer and strategist, she works with organisations of all sizes to improve their skills, processes and output. She helps charities to build storytelling and persuasiveness into their digital content to improve user experience and increase engagement.

Louise is an award-winning communications expert with over ten years’ experience of working in communications teams and leading campaigns to generate high quality media coverage. Louise specialises in science and research communication and the Third Sector. She has worked for a number of national and international charities including ActionAid, British Heart Foundation, Rethink Mental Illness and the National Deaf Children’s Society. She also has extensive experience of the public sector having worked in communications and media relations roles for the NHS and in the University of Hertfordshire. Louise’s specialisms include communications strategy and planning, media relations and translating complex information into copy for wider audiences.

Helen is a writer, editor and content specialist with experience working across several areas, including: news and feature writing, copywriting, magazine and book editing, interviews, reports, social media and blogging. She has worked with several local charities to build and improve their content, particularly online. A publisher by background, Helen likes dotting Is, loves crossing Ts and you’ll never find a comma knowingly out of place. Most of all, she loves what she does and you’ll see that reflected in her work.

Helen is a Trustee of The OLLIE Foundation, a charity working to prevent suicide amongst teenagers and young people. She takes the marketing lead and also manages and creates the content for the charity’s social media channels.