Sarah set up The Listening Place in July 2016, having recognised the gap in statutory services. She was a volunteer at Central London Samaritans for 37 years, during which time she spent 3 years as Director. She has been running The Listening Place as the unpaid CEO ever since!
Sarah has worked in the private sector, public sector and now the third sector: having originally worked in HR in a large private sector company, Sarah has run a number of businesses and social enterprises in the past, as well as being a NED for many businesses in the commercial sector.
Previously, a Public Appointments Assessor, where she chaired the recruitment for Chairs of Public Bodies for many Government Departments; she was also a Commissioner for the Commission for Equality and Human Rights and ACAS and a non-executive director of JobCentre Plus. She was the author of The Anderson Review for Government. She used to chair the SME Council of the CBI, where she sat on the President’s Committee.
The only roles outside The Listening Place that she now holds are as a member of the State Honours Committee; as a Chair of Judges for the annual Everywoman awards for women running their own businesses and as lay advisor to the Independent Investigation into discrimination in the Conservative Party.