Philippa Mariani stepping down as CEO

As we restructure to reflect the changing size and scope of the Think Ahead mental health social work programme, leading towards the completion of the final cohort in 2027, the Board of Trustees is sad to announce that Philippa Mariani has decided to move on after nearly three and half years as our Chief Executive.

Philippa said, “It has been the privilege of my career to lead Think Ahead through a key stage in its development and to work with a great team and dedicated partners to embed social approaches to mental health in support, care and treatment. As we approach completion of our final government-funded cohorts in 2026 and 2027 and following a careful review of the charity’s operating model, it is the right time for me to make way for new leadership for the next phase”.

Peter Hay, Chair of the Board of Trustees, said, “We would like to express our sincere thanks to Philippa for her dedicated and exemplary leadership and commitment to Think Ahead and our flagship mental health social work qualification programme. In her time here, we have recruited and trained more mental health social workers per year than ever before and extended our work to support recruitment of Individual Placement and Support advisers nationally, to embed national standards for Approved Mental Health Professionals, and to train social workers supporting people with co-occurring substance use and mental health issues. We are deeply grateful for the energy, integrity and compassion that Philippa has brought to the role, and for her impact in the sector. We wish her every success in the future.

“Looking ahead, we are pleased to announce that Olivia Cayley will take up a new role as Executive Director from 1st March. Olivia brings previous experience in the mental health sector and has already played a key role as our Programme Director since April 2025. The Board has full confidence in Olivia to lead the charity through this next phase, building on strong foundations and ensuring that we continue to deliver the high- quality training and development that we are known for, and which our NHS and local authority partners rely on”.