My Life My Say are delighted to announce the appointment of Melisha John as Chief Executive Officer
The Board of Trustees at My Life My Say are pleased to confirm the permanent appointment of Melisha John as Chief Executive Officer and announce the departure of Dan Lawes as Co-CEO of the charity.
Melisha has been part of My Life My Say since 2020, most recently serving as Co-CEO, having previously held the role of Operations Director. Following an internal recruitment process, she will now lead the organisation as CEO, building on its mission to empower young people to participate in democracy and shape the decisions that affect their lives.
As CEO, Melisha will oversee the next phase of My Life My Say's growth and the continued delivery of its award-winning programmes, including plans for a bigger and better Next Gen Conference in November 2026, with further details to be announced in due course.
Melisha's appointment follows the departure of former Co-CEO Dan Lawes, who has taken up a new role leading a campaign on youth wellbeing at the London School of Economics. During his time at My Life My Say, first as Head of Partnerships and later as Co-CEO, Dan helped lead the organisation through an important period of growth and change, bringing enormous energy, commitment and passion to its work and, most importantly, to the young people it serves.
Joe Rich, Chair of Trustees at My Life My Say, said:
"I’m so delighted to confirm Melisha as our new CEO. As our longest-serving staff member, there is no one who better understands the organisation or is better placed to lead the charity into its next exciting chapter."
"Dan has made an enormous contribution to My Life My Say over the past three years and I wish him every success in his new role, leading a national campaign. I want to thank him for his leadership, commitment and dedication during his time at My Life My Say."
Melisha John, Chief Executive Officer of My Life My Say, said:
"There is something powerful about leading an organisation you know from the inside. I've experienced My Life My Say as both a supporter and an employee, and I've seen first-hand what makes it special, where we need to grow and the enormous potential ahead of us."
"My vision as CEO is to build on what makes MLMS exceptional while giving us the ambition and reach to make an even greater impact. We have a huge opportunity to reach young people who are still too often excluded from democratic spaces."
"I want to help make democratic spaces bigger, more accessible and more influential, while ensuring MLMS remains an organisation young people are proud to be part of. I'm incredibly excited to lead our next chapter and to see what we can achieve together."
