The Board of Trustees at My Life My Say have announced the departure of Mete Coban MBE as Chief Executive following his appointment as Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy.

The Board of Trustees at My Life My Say have announced the departure of Mete Coban MBE as Chief Executive of the charity following his appointment as Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy. 

After eleven successful years founding and growing the organisation into one of the UK’s leading youth voice charities, Mete will be transitioning to the charity’s board of trustees where he will continue to support the charity. In a statement to friends of the organisation, Mete said:

“Being a part of this organisation from the beginning, and leading it for the last eleven years, has been one of the most transformative and rewarding experiences of my life. We founded My Life My Say to give young people the confidence to stand up and be counted when important decisions are being made about their future, and what an impact we have had. The past decade has been truly remarkable… 

We set a benchmark for youth engagement, genuinely led by young people, for young people. While I may no longer be in the starting lineup at My Life My Say, I will be rooting hard for this incredible team and the work you do to champion young people’s voices and increase participation from some of the most marginalised communities.” 

The Board of Trustees has appointed former Head of Partnerships, Dan Lawes, and former Operations Director, Melisha John, to the roles of Co-CEOs. Both Dan and Melisha have been integral to the growth and development of the organisation and will lead the charity into its next chapter following its highly successful voter registration campaign, Give An X. 

They will continue to oversee the charities’ staple delivery of the charity’s award-winning programmes, including: Democracy Cafés, Next Gen Conference, Give An X Campaign, Squad Leadership training, National Voter Registration Day and much more. 

Following her appointment to the Co-CEO role, Melisha said "I am honoured and excited to step into the role of Co-CEO for My Life My Say alongside Dan Lawes. I've witnessed the organisation make tremendous strides in fostering civic engagement and empowering communities over the past decade, and I am eager to continue the amazing work we've done. Together, we will build on the success of our initiatives like the Give An X Campaign and our Democracy Cafés, ensuring we remain at the forefront of driving positive change. I am committed to enhancing our operations and expanding our reach, and I look forward to the incredible opportunities that lie ahead for our organisation."

Dan added, “It is such a privilege to be appointed to be Co-CEO of My Life My Say, a charity that has worked tirelessly for the past decade to ensure that every young person’s voice is heard. Alongside Melisha and our incredible team, I am incredibly excited to build upon our existing programmes, expand our work nationally and ensure that every young person knows that the charity is there to champion their voices. As a young campaigner from Manchester, I am determined to ensure that no young voices across the UK are left behind. The work of My Life My Say has never been more important, and we’re excited for what the future holds.” 

On the new appointments, Andrew Roughan, Chair of the charity’s Board of Trustees said, “The Board of Trustees are delighted at the news of Mete’s recent appointment to the role of Deputy Mayor of London for Environment and Energy. We are proud of everything he has achieved at My Life My Say and thank him for eleven years of incredible service to the sector. 

Equally, we are thrilled to appoint Dan Lawes and Melisha John to the roles of Co-CEOs, as the organisation enters a new chapter of growth to ensure that young people from all backgrounds are able to have their voices heard.”