CB Plus (formerly Community Barnet) is delighted to announce the appointment of Katy Lewis as its new Chief Executive Officer, replacing Julie Pal, whose intended departure was announced earlier this year.
Katy brings significant experience from the charity and social enterprise sector, with a strong track record in inclusion, employability, and community development. She will officially take up the post on 15 September 2025, with a short handover period from Julie, during which we will sadly say our thank yous and goodbyes.
A strong fit for our mission and values
Katy was most recently Head of Skills and Employability at the Education Development Trust, leading the national strategy and delivery of a portfolio of high-performing programmes focused on vocational inclusion, social mobility, and regional regeneration. Before that, she was a Director at Pluss CIC, a social enterprise supporting people with disabilities and other disadvantages into sustainable employment, where she provided strategic and operational leadership across multiple sites and services. She is particularly recognised for embedding wellbeing, equity and inclusion into organisational culture, and for building strong cross-sector partnerships that deliver lasting community impact.
Reflecting on her appointment, Katy said:
“I am honoured to be appointed to the role of Chief Executive Officer at CB Plus. The organisation resonates strongly with both my professional experience and personal values. I believe passionately in the role of the voluntary and community sector as a catalyst for inclusive change.
In addition to my professional roles, I have chaired cross-sector forums, influenced local commissioning strategies, and secured significant funding for wellbeing and EDI innovation. I take pride in building trusted relationships across sectors and stakeholder groups. My leadership is grounded in clear strategy, inclusive values, and operational excellence. I believe this combination aligns powerfully with the purpose and future direction of CB Plus.”
Looking ahead
Chair of CB Plus, Tony Vardy, shared his thoughts on the appointment:
“We are very excited that Katy is joining us to lead CB Plus through the next stage of our development. Having followed a rigorous and extensive recruitment process, we are confident that Katy will prove an excellent leader to build on the outstanding platform left by Julie Pal, optimising the huge experience and capabilities in our professional team.”
He also took a moment to reflect on Julie Pal’s legacy:
“Once again, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary achievements of Julie in taking CB Plus to the success we enjoy today. Under her leadership, we have grown significantly and now deliver a range of award-winning services across multiple London boroughs. The best tribute we can pay to Julie is to build on her legacy. With Katy as our new CEO, we are committed to doing exactly that.”
We’re excited about this new chapter for CB Plus. Katy’s experience and values are a strong match for our vision, and we look forward to working together to continue building responsive, inclusive services that make a real difference in our communities.
