Meet John May

My career has been spent in senior leadership, governance and civic roles, often in values-led organisations operating under scrutiny, complexity and change. I have worked closely with boards, trustees and senior teams, and I understand how leadership feels when decisions matter and certainty is limited.

What interests me most is not technique, but judgement: how leaders think, decide and act when the ground is shifting and the consequences are real.

Experience and perspective

My work is shaped by many years in executive leadership, governance and civic life, across national and international contexts.

I have led complex, purpose-led organisations at scale, balancing long-term stewardship with day-to-day decision-making, and working in environments where trust, legitimacy and public confidence are central. That experience has been gained in roles requiring calm judgement, careful communication and an ability to hold competing pressures without losing sight of purpose.

I have served as Chief Executive of Cats Protection, leading a large national charity with a significant public profile and a substantial volunteer movement. Before that, I was Secretary General of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, working internationally with governments, foundations and civil society partners across very different cultural and political settings.

Alongside executive leadership, I have held a range of civic, non-executive director and trustee roles. This work has been recognised over time through honours including the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion, an OBE, a CVO, and the award of an Honorary Doctorate.

These experiences continue to inform how I think about authority, accountability and the responsibilities that come with leadership in public life. I do not approach this work as an expert dispensing answers, but as someone who has lived with complexity over time and understands how leadership feels when judgement matters more than certainty.

What matters to me

Much of my work, past and present, has involved supporting people and institutions that depend on trust to function well.

That experience continues to shape how I think about leadership, particularly:

• how integrity is maintained under pressure

• how trust is built, strained and repaired

• how judgement is exercised when certainty is unavailable

These questions sit at the centre of my work at Lilywood.