Leadership team
Our leadership team shares a commitment to make sure people are heard when it matters most. They work together to ensure our clients are supported and empowered to live full lives, and that VoiceAbility is a rewarding place to work.
We foster a climate that enables everyone to live life to the full, in the manner of their choosing. We do this by leading and empowering our teams to deliver the strategic vision, setting the performance expectation, making clear decisions, anticipating and mitigating risk, and investing in our people and resources so that we can all grow and thrive.
Meet our leadership team
Louise Abbs
Operations Director
Louise Abbs joined VoiceAbility in July 2022 as Operations Director, overseeing the operational team delivering our services.
Before joining VoiceAbility, Louise studied Psychology giving her a strong foundation in understanding human behaviour and supporting people effectively. She worked 15 years in organisations delivering mental health services and has a strong operational and customer service background. She has extensive experience in operational leadership, creating systems and processes that enable teams to deliver high-quality services.
Louise’s remit covers operational management, process improvement, and supporting our teams across all regions.
I’m passionate about building systems and processes that enable colleagues to do their best work while ensuring the people we support feel empowered and heard. Creating an environment where collaboration, learning, and continuous improvement are at the heart of what we do is central to making a positive impact.
Leighanne Philips
Commercial Director
Leighanne joined VoiceAbility in April 2025 as Commercial Director, where she leads the Commercial and Marketing teams and shapes the organisation’s commercial strategy.
She brings proven expertise in commercial leadership, business development, and building high‑performing teams, alongside a deep understanding of the challenges faced by charities — and how to balance innovation, creativity, and commercial rigour to deliver lasting value.
Her focus is on strengthening commercial processes across the organisation, and enabling partnerships and strategies that advance our mission. She is committed to collaboration across all departments, ensuring that our commercial approach reflects the needs and insights of colleagues throughout the organisation.
Kirsty Farrand
Director of Finance and IT
Kirsty joined VoiceAbility in June 2025 as Director of Finance and IT. In this role, she leads on financial strategy, governance, and IT and digital transformation, ensuring the organisation’s financial resources, systems and insights are aligned to deliver sustainable impact and growth.
Prior to joining VoiceAbility, Kirsty held senior financial leadership roles across a range of mission-driven and high growth organisations. She led finance, people and compliance functions during periods of rapid expansion, strengthening financial processes and supporting strategic decision-making to shape commercial strategy and drive organisational growth.
I believe finance is most powerful when it’s a strategic partner; enabling our organisation to make confident decisions, invest in what matters, and create meaningful, lasting change for the people and communities we serve.
Rebecca Hirst
Director of Safeguarding
Rebecca joined VoiceAbility in September 2024 as our first Director of Safeguarding.
Before joining VoiceAbility, Rebecca worked in a post-16 educational organisation, working with young people and adults. Rebecca has been a safeguarding practitioner for 11 years, with 9 of those as a designated safeguarding lead.
Rebecca brings a contextualised safeguarding lens to our safeguarding, support and protection arrangements which sits within our values of creating better outcomes and empowering individuals in their own decision making. Her remit covers safeguarding, quality assurance and practice across the organisation.
‘I’m very passionate about ‘lived experience’ in developing and delivering preventative ways of working that create opportunities to support at the earliest point of contact. I believe creating a platform for lived experience to be heard and understood is vital in contributing to positive impact for those who need our support.’