Our team

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, development, and grant-giving roles. This combination of professional insight and powerful life experience is at the heart of the mission of Beyond The Wire. Jilly is a passionate advocate for improving thriving lives for the military bereaved.

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.

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.

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.

Ian has a wealth of experience in security and development. He served as an officer in the British Army for 30 years, as a comms specialist, then later as an expert in cross-government cooperation, stabilisation, and post-conflict reconstruction. He was a Provincial Reconstruction Team commander in Afghanistan in 2004. A subsequent MPhil at Cambridge University included research on how the UK, MOD, FCDO, and DFID could better work together in Afghanistan.

Retiring from the military in 2009 as a Colonel, Ian qualified as a teacher and taught in both the UK and Uganda. In 2014 he moved to Tel Aviv and embarked on his PhD in defence and security. Ian is also an Associate fellow of leading think tank RUSI.

Anna is a business leader with extensive experience in strategy, organisational development, and cultural transformation. She has held senior HR roles at HSBC, BP Plc, Unilever, and most recently, Babcock. Now working as a Consultant and Interim HRD, Anna partners with leaders to implement strategic people initiatives.

Anna’s connection to the armed forces began when she served as a Private in the Territorial Army. She later became a Navy wife, married to Sean, then a serving member of the Fleet Air Arm. Her experience as a military spouse and of the incredible armed forces families she met along the way, fuels her passion for Beyond The Wire. She is committed to increasing recognition of the contribution of armed forces families, and driving meaningful, lasting change.

She holds an MA in International Security Studies and a BA (Hons) in War Studies with History.