The Young Foundation has announced the appointment of Helen Goulden as its new chief executive.
The announcement was made by the organisation yesterday, who said that Goulden would take up her new role in October. She joins from grantmaking organisation Nesta, where Goulden has been executive director for the past four years.
In her work with Nesta, Goulden has led the organisation’s Innovation Lab which supports and scales “innovation for the public good”. She is also a board member of the Behaviour Insights Team.
Prior to joining Nesta in 2009, Goulden worked in the private sector and spent five years consulting in the Cabinet Office, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department for Communities and Local Government.
Goulden will replace current chief executive Baroness Glenys Thornton when she joins the foundation. Thornton is stepping down from the organisation to return to frontline politics and parliament.
Speaking on Goulden’s appointment, Julie Mellor, chair of the Young Foundation, said: “We are delighted to announce the appointment of Helen Goulden as the next chief executive of The Young Foundation. Helen is currently an executive director at Nesta and has a very distinguished track record in the public, private and voluntary sector. Helen will bring rich expertise and experience of social innovation to support communities across the UK to tackle the key issues they face.
“The board of trustees, Helen and the whole Young Foundation team look forward to working with current and potential new partners to shape our future strategy and contribution to tackling inequalities in the UK and internationally.”
Goulden said: “I am thrilled and excited to be offered the opportunity to lead The Young Foundation on the next phase of its journey. The Foundation has such a rich and distinguished history and I believe its work has never been more relevant to many of the profound challenges we face today.
“I know it will continue to make a vital contribution through providing much needed research and social innovation tools to grow resilience, agency and meaningful change within communities of all kinds across the UK and beyond.”
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