Our people

Cliff is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chair of its Nomination Committee. 

He is partner at Lewis Silkin LLP and founded and leads its Media & Entertainment group and its complementary advisory business, Eleven. 

He advises major names in media, entertainment and technology. He has worked in and around the music industry for over 25 years, holding senior roles at Warner Music UK and Capital (now Global) Radio before joining Lewis Silkin in 2006 as a partner. 

Cliff has significant experience in the world of charities in the creative industries with experience as a former company secretary to Capital Radio’s Charities and as a former Trustee of Sound & Music. 

Melanie is Chief Commercial Officer at Audoo – the music tech company revolutionising public performance royalty reporting through improved music recognition data. Previously Mel worked at Facebook as the International Head of Music Publishing Partnerships, EMI Music Publishing and Sony ATV. Melanie is also a current board trustee for The Ivors Academy Trust. 

Founder and CEO of Deviate Digital, with a career in the music and technology industries spanning over two decades, Sammy brings a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of the challenges facing music professionals today. Her work has championed innovation, artist empowerment, and industry-wide transformation, aligning closely with Music Minds Matter’s mission to ensure everyone working in music can build thriving and sustainable careers. 

Reni is currently Vice President, Legal and Business Affairs at Warner Music International and Co-Chair of their Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic employee resource group. 

Jim Benner is the Global Music Lead of War Child.

He joined War Child UK in 2013 and helps the charity and its partners to use music-related fundraising to secure millions of pounds in funding for children affected by conflict.

In the UK, he played a key role in launching War Child’s biggest annual fundraisers – the Winter Wassail gala fundraiser (with Carey Mulligan and Marcus Mumford) and the flagship BRITs Week series, securing it as a fixture in the UK music industry. 

Stephen is an expert in delivering executive coaching, having achieved in 10,000 hours of experience. He had his own mental health challenge, which was the catalyst to his training for nine years as a Person-Centred Counsellor and Gestalt Psychotherapist. This gives him a unique insight into mental health and the opportunity to contribute to the charity and speak from personal experience. 

Juliette has over 23 years’ experience in telecommunications. Media and not-for-profit organisations with experience in HR Strategy, Coaching and Mentoring, Training and Leadership Development, Recruitment and Retention, Performance Management, Compensation and Benefits, Wellbeing, Engagement and Inclusivity. 

Paul has over 20 years’ experience in entertainment retail including time as Head of Music for Entertainment UK. He began his Amazon career in the physical music team, taking on the category leader role for physical music and DVD, before moving to digital music to oversee the launch of two Amazon Music streaming services. 

Louisa’s background is predominantly in the retail industry. Having qualified as a Chartered Accountant, she moved to her first public company finance role in 1989.

In 2016 she moved into charity finance as CCO and Company Secretary of a nationwide care organisation and is currently with the Bristol Old Vic & Theatre Royal Trust as Finance Director. 

Gareth holds over 10 years of experience in marketing across technology and music, and is currently Global Head of B2B Marketing at FUGA. Gareth has previously worked at TuneCore as head of UK, Australia and New Zealand. 

HR Director, United Talent Agency.

Sarah has over twenty-five years’ experience within the charity sector, and as Chief Executive leads the strategic direction of both Help Musicians and Music Minds Matter.

She joined the charity in 2019, having spent many years at the Royal Albert Hall leading their marketing, communications and visitor experience areas.

Sarah studied Music at Kingston University and her passion for music lives on; although time to play the cello and piano is a little more limited today. 

Laurie leads research, innovation, service design and delivery at Music Minds Matter. With close to two decades experience in service design and leadership, Laurie has worked with every scale of service, from leading UK wide health service transformation for NHS England, to designing bespoke digital services for smaller, high-need communities. Past employers and clients include Big Issue, National Institute of Health Research, Department of Health and other government bodies, Stonewall and other national not-for-profits. In every service, Laurie strives to create an insights-driven culture where innovation thrives and people come first. A lifelong music lover and raver, Laurie is passionately curious about the world and lives of all those working in music and is determined to put their experiences at the forefront of every service at Music Minds Matter. 

Lesley is responsible for leading the charity’s finance and facilities functions, ensuring that we offer a musicians’ first approach through our support services. 

She enjoys all types of music; although not a musician herself, she is often seen dancing along – with anything from Abba to ZZ Top likely to see her either take to the dancefloor or find her air guitar.

Nova Twins, the London-based rock duo made up of Amy Love and Georgia South, are proud Music Minds Matter Ambassadors. They took on the role after experiencing first-hand the challenges of being touring artists — the emotional highs and lows, the all-consuming nature of the industry, and the financial and support gaps that can leave musicians vulnerable. Their commitment to mental health awareness is reflected in the themes of their music, including tracks like ​“Monsters,” which explores internal struggles, and in their drive to champion meaningful conversations and explore new ways that support can be provided to help artists and crew thrive both on and off stage.

“Being in a band is amazing, but it’s not always easy. The industry can be all-consuming, and life on the road can take its toll. We want to help create a healthier and more supportive scene, whether that’s for the bands, crew or wider team,” said Nova Twins. ​“By teaming up with Music Minds Matter, we’re hoping to shine a light on support systems that exist and explore new ventures that could be put in place, so that artists and crew can keep thriving, on and off stage.” 

Chris Difford, the acclaimed songwriter and founding member of Squeeze, lends his experience and voice as a proud ambassador of Music Minds Matter. With a career that spans decades of chart-topping songs and international touring, Chris deeply understands the pressures of the music industry — the creative highs, the emotional lows and the persistent challenges that artists face behind the scenes. His commitment to championing mental health for everyone who works in music drives his dedication to helping shape and expand the ways support can be accessed — so that artists at every stage can build sustainable creative lives and find the resilience to thrive.

“I believe that at the core of every musician’s life is a deep need to find a stable and wonderful creative mind, but the realities of the music industry sometimes don’t allow this to happen.”