Team Profiles

SHARATH JEEVAN
CEO

Sharath has over a decade of experience in leading social innovation across the public, private and non-profit sectors, both in the UK and overseas. Sharath joined Teaching Leaders from eBay, where he headed up eBay's charity division, which he grew from concept to £5m funds raised in its first two years and participation from over 2,000 UK charities. Sharath previously held senior management positions at consultants Booz Allen Hamilton, international NGO ActionAid, the UK public sector, and in leadership development. He was educated at Cambridge and Oxford universities, and received his MBA from INSEAD.

ANDREA BERKELEY
Director of Development

Andrea has thirty years experience in London schools, recently leading Preston Manor - a specialist Science College, Leading Edge School and City Learning Centre - from ‘serious weaknesses' to ‘outstanding.' She is an associate consultant of the Institute of Education, tutoring and facilitating on NCSL senior leadership programmes and an executive coach with Tavistock Consultancy Service and Right Management, coaching chief executives in the business sector. She has contributed widely to education and social inclusion, lecturing, writing and broadcasting and serving on the boards of the Learning and Skills Council London West, Pupil Referral Units and the mental health charity Open Door.

Andrea graduated from Manchester University with an honours degree in English Language and Literature and has post-graduate qualifications in Psychology and Social Administration, Linguistics and Reading Development, Education Management, Counselling and Executive Coaching.

JAMES TOOP
Chief Operating Officer

James Toop joined Teaching Leaders after two and half years as a management consultant at Monitor Group. Before that he was a participant on the inaugural year of Teach First which he continues to support as an Ambassador on the Higher Education Access Programme and Maximum Impact Project. He graduated from Jesus College, Oxford with a BA in Modern Languages and is currently Chair of the City Fives Association, a sporting charity promoting Fives in ‘inner-city' schools

LUCY PAYTON
Manager, TL On Demand

Lucy has a background in international development, having worked for the Development Research Group of the World Bank in Washington D.C.   She then spent two years working as a management consultant with Boston Consulting Group, where she focused on organisational change projects.  She has a masters in International Relations from Johns Hopkins University and a degree in History from Cambridge University.

EMILY BURFOOT
Marketing, Recruitment and Alumni Manager

Emily joined the Teaching Leaders team in January 2009 after working for an IT consultancy, where she gained experience in marketing, sales and consultancy as well as developing her knowledge of IT. She left with the intention of transferring her skills to a more meaningful cause, and hopes to deliver better opportunities for children's education through Teaching Leaders. Emily studied Geography at St Catherine's College, Oxford, and graduated in 2006. She is also social secretary of her rowing club. 

THORA EBERTS
Core Programme Manager

Thora joined Teaching Leaders after finishing her Master’s degree in English Literature at University College London. Thora is a native of Berkeley, California, and prior to moving to London, she was a Reading and Writing Empowerment Teacher at Making Waves Education Program—a San Francisco Bay Area based non-profit organisation that fights for social justice by helping inner city kids overcome educational inequality. Thora has also worked as a Writing Tutor, and team-taught a freshman seminar as a Stevenson College Junior Fellow during her final year of university. Thora graduated from the University of California at Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Modern Literature. She currently teaches Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4 English classes on Sundays.  

MAYHUL GONDHEA
Policy, Reporting and New Projects Manager

Mayhul joined Teaching Leaders after working in both the private and not-for-profit sectors. Having graduated from Durham university, Mayhul worked for two years at the management consultancy McKinsey & Company and then went onto to work on various international development projects including working in both Belize and India. Upon returning to England, Mayhul successfully completed a master in Development Studies (MSc) from the School of Oriental and African studies. He subsequently joined Teaching Leaders in September 2009.

SAM TOMLIN
Participant Experience Manager

Sam joined Teaching leaders in September 2009, with experience of working with the team in the summer of 2008 when he did an internship. Before he joined the team full time he had just finished his undergraduate degree at Regent’s Park College, Oxford, where he graduated with a BA in Theology. He has also volunteered with an organisation called the Shaftesbury Partnership, a charity committed to large scale 21^st Century social reform. 

ISOBEL BOYSON
2010 Participant Experience Manager



Isobel joined the Teaching Leaders team in March 2010, after working on educational projects for an immigration charity in Seville, where she delivered workshops in local schools.  Isobel has also spent a year teaching English in a Spanish secondary school.  Her interest in educational opportunities began at university, where she volunteered for three years for the Cambridge Access Scheme, which works to encourage interest from schools without a history of higher education applications.  Isobel studied Theology at Emmanuel College, Cambridge, and graduated in 2008.