Meet the team - Anna Smee

Managing Director

Qualifications: In her early career Anna worked in finance and strategy consulting, gaining a 2:1 (hons) in Economics from Southampton University, the Investment Management Certificate (IMC), and an MBA from London Business School.

Work Experience: Following Anna's early experience in finance, she took those skills into the non-profit sector when she joined The Young Foundation where, as Director of Ventures, Anna designed and ran Incubator and Accelerator programmes to support, advise and secure funding for social entrepreneurs tackling inequality. 

Anna went on to become CEO of UK Youth, a national charity founded in 1911 and dedicated to supporting 1.5 million young people aged 8-25 to access high quality youth work through over 3,500 local community groups. Most recently she launched and built the Youth Futures Foundation, a government backed £90 million non-profit to support marginalised young people towards and into employment. 

Anna has emerged as one of the leading voices for youth wellbeing and opportunities in the UK and is a powerful advocate for all children and young people.

A little more about me: Anna joined Thrive after seeing the beneficial effect it had on her son. On the weekends, you might find Anna on the beach, partaking in her adrenaline-filled hobby, kitesurfing.