Sarah Austin (Chair)
Sarah is an experienced leader of people and organisations across a range of NHS services, and with a long professional association with the Armed Forces. She has decades of experience at a senior level in NHS roles, including as Clinical Group Chief Executive Officer at Guy’s and St. Thomas’ NHS Foundation Trust (GSTT). She founded the Armed Forces Programme in Portsmouth and was appointed as the Armed Forces Executive Lead at GSTT, in both instances establishing and building teams and networks to support the needs of patients and the wider communities.

In her role at Beyond the Wire, Sarah brings extensive experience and insight into operational and governance best practice, helped establish BTW as a community interest company, and ensures we are best placed to meet our goals of supporting the Armed Forces bereaved community.

She is a lover of all things outdoors – walking, countryside and gardening – as well as classical music.

Jilly Carrell

Jilly is the founder of Beyond the Wire. She was an army spouse for nearly 20 years until the death of her husband Colonel Nick Carrell, who died while serving in 2021. Her experience of navigating the bureaucracies, rules, and fragmented support available to bereaved Armed Forces families highlighted the need for increased focus on the issues, and a desperate need to drive improvement and change.

In a professional capacity, Jilly has worked for a number of Armed Forces charities across policy, fundraising, and grant-giving roles. This combination of professional insight and powerful lived experience is at the heart of the mission of Beyond The Wire. Jilly is a passionate advocate for improving the experience of Armed Forces bereaved families.

She lives in Winchester with her two daughters, their four dogs, and two cats.

Fiona Walker

In a wide-ranging career Fiona has worked as a news journalist for BBC, ITN, APTN, and Reuters before becoming Chief of Staff to a senior UK government minister and working across a number of departments including Foreign and Commonwealth Office, International Trade, Justice, Education, Environment, and Food & Rural Affairs.

Fiona is the founder of Parly Connect – a UK and Europe based government, communications and external relations consultancy. She is also a trustee of the Keystone Development Trust, a community resource and support charity operating in the East of England. Her experience of navigating the complexities of government and policy, combined with a strong news sense in recognising the best ways to engage external audiences, is an essential part of how Beyond the Wire will make a difference to Armed Forces bereaved families.

In her spare time Fiona is an avid skier, water sports enthusiast and mountain biker/hiker. She is a mum of two plus one very lively paddle-boarding dog! Fiona’s father served in the Royal Air Force.

Elle Hallaway

Elle left the RAF in 2003 having had an active operational career as an RAF Operations Officer, mainly with the Support Helicopter Force. Her service career was followed by senior management roles in local government and the NHS which covered Customer Relations, Mental Health and Acute Care Commissioning and Transformation Programme Management. Elle most recently worked for a boutique cross-sector management consultancy company working in Europe and Asia and she is now an independent management consultant.

Her initial focus is to ensure clear, fair, and consistent governance is in place to give Beyond the Wire a firm foundation on which to achieve our aims.

Elle likes spending time outside – she runs quite a bit, enjoys road cycling, walking, garden design and the odd spot of canoeing. She has one ‘cycling is my life’ teenage son. She’s also a swift water rescue technician and an urban search and rescue technician.

Spike O’Brien 

Spike has had a long career within the Royal Army Pay Corps and Adjutants General Corps, serving 22 years, Warrant Officer Class 1. He also was a freelance lecturer in accounting and tax, shortlisted for Financial Accounting Tutor of 2005.

Spike is currently involved in Charted Management –  Hd Finance, Security Services Group (MOD) who provide technology-based security solutions to Critical National Infrastructure sites.

Spike provides Beyond the Wire with much welcomed guidance and advice in relation to funding, the financial aspects of operating a CIC, and governance support.