Our Team

Darren is a former senior government official and executive leader. He is experienced within education, policy, delivery and the youth sector. Darren led delivery of several of our nation's critical challenges such as the Census,  national biosecurity during EU-Exit, and the Movement Assistance Scheme. He was accountable for budgets of up to £1bn and teams of nearly 1400. Darren developed new national qualifications to support social mobility and previously led an award-winning social enterprise in London. As someone who have experienced crisis and trauma, Darren is passionate about driving and influencing service integration and responses to the needs of the most vulnerable in society.

"I want to be in people's corner so they are never alone."

 Carey is an experienced business leader with a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a keen commercial acumen. His passion for leadership is rooted in a people-first philosophy, where  success of any organisation is driven by its people. Carey thrives on fostering collaboration and innovation, empowering teams to achieve their best. With a focus on strategic growth and sustainable practices, he is dedicated to creating environments where both individuals and businesses can thrive. Being a veteran and care leaver, Carey brings a depth of living experience to Ignis Lodge with a strong passion for driving sustainable change. 

"I want to be a part of making change real for those who need it most."

 Vimbai is a dynamic leader with a passion for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) and is a champion for inclusive practices. She actively drives community initiatives and founded the World Lanterns CIC, which focuses on empowering women, ethnic minorities and those in need. Vimbai is an inspiring speaker and coach, mentoring professionals to navigate their careers and businesses with confidence. She is a published author addressing topics on leadership, diversity, and personal growth, inspiring others to thrive in diverse environments. 

"I want everyone to succeed and we can make that happen."

 Joseph has over 20 years of international experience in strategy and business development in various industries, including as chief executive and in management advisory roles. He is an executive coach focused on performance coaching and ontological learning. Joseph is certified in team psychological safety facilitation. He is a strong  advocate of self-care and staunchly believes in restoring and maintaining people’s intrinsic dignity and sense of self-worth.

"Dignity is a right, not a privilege, and we can help restore where it was lost."

 Bill has enjoyed a 30-year career in management development, defining training policy for a range of public and private sector organisations and helping executives to adopt a continuous improvement mindset. His achievements included establishing a 200-strong residential apprenticeship scheme for the rail sector in the West Midlands. Bill led the Employer Alliance that facilitated the opening of a University Technical College in London, for which he received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Westminster. He has recently moved to Charleville-Mezieres in France, but maintains strong links with the UK. 

"I want to see more people thrive by learning through change."