Neurodiversity is our passion – delivered by experts
Our experienced team includes accredited, highly skilled psychologists specialising in the field of neurodiversity and occupational psychology, and ILM level 5 qualified employment coaches. All of whom bring expertise and experience in engaging with neurodiverse individuals at work, with many of them having lived experience of being a neurominority or supporting neurominority relatives.
At Genius Within, we take guidance from the core standards set by the British Psychological Society (BPS), and our team members are registered with professional bodies including The Health & Care Professions Council, International Coaching Federation, and the International Society for Coaching Psychology.
Our Ethnicity Pay Gap Review 2025
Genius Within are proud to conduct an annual review of our Ethnicity Pay Gap.
More information can be found here.
Our leadership team
Akua Opong
Non-Executive Director
About Akua
As, a Non-Executive Director, Akua is focused on making a contribution to Genius Within CIC, objectives and providing a wider overview of external factors. The key aim is to focus on the overall strategy, and values and provide entrepreneur leadership. Akua brings in knowledge of Corporate Social Responsibility, Employee Resource Groups, Technology, Mental Health and Wellbeing.
Akua has enjoyed being part of a wonderful, diverse and strong community that all have a shared common purpose. As, a relatively new member, she has enjoyed sharing ideas, and different perspectives and being part of this team has brought up a creative spark in her thought process. All the Non-Executive Directors offer something special and unique. The team demonstrates the value of strength in numbers and the beauty of when people with the same passions combine, something magical is the outcome.
Alex Preston
IT Manager
About Alex
Within Alex’s role as IT manager he assists and provides guidance on all things technical. He gets to work with all areas of the business, which allows him to help lots of different people on different projects.
Alienor Falconer
PA to Founder
About Alienor
Alienor was diagnosed with dyslexia at the age of 16 and has spent most of her career working in the creative industry. Now looking after GW founder Dr Nancy Doyle as her PA, her days are varied from scheduling meetings, booking speaking events, organising filming events to taking minutes in board meetings.
Angelica Simpson (MA HRM, Chartered MCIPD)
Head of HR
About Angelica
Angelica is the Head of HR, working to make Genius Within a happy and inclusive workplace. She regularly reviews our unique employee life cycle (attraction, recruitment, onboarding, learning & development, retention, offboarding and advocacy) and continuously develops our internal work. Angelica also encourages our EmployeesVoice so that our diverse team is represented in everything we do. You may also see her delivering ND awareness sessions.
Annie Clark
Sales and Client Services Team Leader
About Annie
Annie is one of two Team Leaders for Sales and Client Services. The team are the first port of call for all our clients and customers, processing orders, allocating work to our associates, answering calls and emails, they are a super busy team! Annie joined in 2023 and previously worked in hospitality and loves being part of the team.
Clare Mottram
Principal Psychologist and Researcher
About Clare
Clare holds a BSc (Hons) in Psychology and an MSc in Occupational Psychology. She is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist, registered with the British Psychological Society (BPS) and the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC). Her current role is Principal Psychologist and Researcher at Genius Within, collaborating with founder Dr Nancy Doyle to enhance the Genius Finder platform, empowering neurodivergent individuals with personalised insights, evidence-based advice, and self-development tools.
Dr Nancy Doyle
Chief Science Officer
About Nancy
Dr Nancy Doyle, C. Psychol. led Genius Within as our CEO for over 10 years, before moving to Chief Research Officer in September 2021. As a proud neurominority herself, she is passionate about improving the way neurodiversity is treated in the workplace. She is also the founding member of a British Psychological Society Working Group, providing guidance to other Psychologists in the field. Nancy wrote a definitive guide to neurodiversity at work for the BPS and has contributed to many other publications and expert reference groups with organisations such as ACAS, ERSA and the DWP.
Nancy’s research work in evaluating coaching and demonstrating a tangible impact from managers’ perspectives was commended by the BPS. In 2019, Nancy was also recognised for her contribution to Policy Impact in Occupational Psychology.
Drew Goddard
Work and Health Project Team Leader
About Drew
Drew is the Employability Team Leader and Assistant Psychologist, who is currently working on the Work and Health Programme. He works with neurodivergent individuals to identify their barriers to work and provide intensive support with the focus on building their confidence, managing disability and health concerns, and improving their overall wellbeing and mental health. He shares the same vision that “Neurodiversity is the future of innovation and progress.”.
Fiona Barrett
Director of Operations
About Fiona
As Director of Operations, Fiona has the responsibility to lead, develop and support the Senior leadership team. She is the driving force behind our Social Justice Projects and also specialises in leading our high performance teams in the Employability sector.
Gemma Pullen
PA and Office Manager
About Gemma
Gemma is PA to Jacqui Wallis (CEO) and Helen Charnock (Finance Director) and is a valued member of the Plumpton Office with additional responsibilities as the Office Manager.
Gemma’s role is very varied, one minute she co-ordinating diaries and inboxes or taking minutes in a meeting and then she is organising a companywide in-person Queen’s Award Presentation/Celebration. This role has enabled Gemma to grow as a person but has also allowed her draw on her many years of experience to work at her best.
Gill Holmes
Non-Executive Director
About Gill
Gill has recently joined the Board of Genius Within as a Non-Executive Director. Her role is to support the organisation offering a differing view, challenging thinking, and helping to drive the business forward. She has recently retired from the Civil Service where she has spent her life supporting customers of DWP into work. Gill enjoys bringing her past experiences to support the leadership team, especially when resolving knotty issues. Problem solving brings her a sense of purpose.
Gunjan Odedra
Occupational Delivery Team Lead and Business Psychologist
About Gunjan
Gunjan combines academic excellence with practical expertise in psychology, mental health, wellbeing, and neurodiversity. She holds a BSc in Psychology with Counselling Skills, an MSc in Psychology, and is a qualified psychometric test user. Her dedication to mental health and wellbeing is also demonstrated through her additional qualifications, including diplomas in leadership, counselling, and coaching.
Helen Charnock
Finance Director
About Helen
As Finance Director at Genius Within Helen has the lovely task of ensuring that we have the financial resources in the right place at the right time to ensure that our delivery managers can maximise the good work they do for our existing and potential clients. Helen thinks it is great to see Genius Within continuously grow in to new areas so we can extend our reach and influence. She believes it is particularly heartening that by virtue of being a CIC every year we reinvest a proportion of our of our revenue back into the neurodivergent community to areas of greatest need.
Helen Doyle
Community Manager
About Helen
Helen’s role is to be the voice of Genius Within on social media and sometimes in copy, for example, articles or website blogs. She also plans and designs content for our social media channels and helps to run the Celebrating Neurodiversity Awards every year. Helen absolutely loves connecting with our followers and collaborators on different social media platforms and being connected to the wider ND community. She also loves being creative with her team and developing new ideas.
Holly Garland
PA to Head of Business Development
About Holly
Holly is PA to Kate Pearson, Head of Business Development. She also works closely with the Business Development and Marketing teams. Supporting them daily as well as arranging and organising all external events Genius Within attends. With a background in sales and office management she has been unable to work until recently due to an acquired brain injury.
Jacqui Wallis
Chief Executive Officer
About Jacqui
Jacqui has made a significant impact through her work at Genius Within. As the Chief Executive Officer, she has been instrumental in helping businesses and organisations understand and embrace the strengths of neurominorities. Her efforts have been pivotal in removing the stigma associated with cognitive differences in the workplace.
This initiative aims to expand understanding and build consensus in the field of Neurodiversity at Work.
Jess Sollom, BSc (Hons), MSc
Head of Delivery
About Jess
Jess holds a BSc (Hons) Psychology and Child Development, MSc Applied Research in Psychology, MSc Organisational Psychology and ILM 7 certificate in Leadership and Management. Her current role is the Occupational Delivery Team Leader and Business Psychologist for Genius Within. Previous work experience includes Case Manager, Coach and Assistant Psychologist all working within the Employability sector, supporting neurodivergent individuals to maximise their strengths, and overcome their challenges.
Additionally, Jess has previously worked with neurodivergent adolescents within the education system and has held various voluntary roles which relate to inclusion, such as being a D&I governor for a higher education establishment and an Independent Parent Supporter for parents of children with Special Educational Needs.
Joe Dugdale
Digital Platform Administrator
About Joe
Joe handles the day to day digital platform management and support for the Genius Finder as well as new company onboarding onto Genius Within’s various digital offerings.
Kate Omonigho Pearson
Head of Business Development
About Kate
Kate is Head of Business Development at Genius Within CIC. Kate has worked at Genius Within for 7 years in various roles including Case Manager and Coach, as well as in Leadership roles working within Social Justice to support neurodivergent individuals to maximise their strengths and overcome their challenges. More recently she has been supporting organisations to become neuro-inclusive and enabling neurodivergent people to thrive in the workplace.
Marc Baker
Partnerships Consultant
About Marc
Marc works as a Genius Within Consultant, which involves supporting new partnerships and building relationships with organisation’s in the UK, and across the globe. He enjoys the development of customer requirements, then working together in building solutions.