Vanessa joined LEAD International’s Training team in October 2007 as Training and Development Officer.
Prior to LEAD Vanessa worked as Curriculum Manager, before becoming Curriculum Director at UK-based charity Common Purpose, an organisation that runs leadership development programmes designed to give leaders the inspiration, knowledge and connections they need to produce real change. The move to LEAD International sees Vanessa pull together her training and knowledge of leadership development, experiential learning practices and background in environmental sciences and development.

Before Common Purpose, Vanessa was based at the Centre for Land Use and Water Resource Research at Newcastle University. As a Research Assistant she explored water scarcity in the UK and the emergence of farmer-organised abstraction groups. Vanessa has a BSc. in Environmental Earth Studies and MSc. in Environment and Development, worked as a volunteer for both Water Aid and Action Aid, and has taught English as a second language.