Lynne Peabody, charity CEO
Lynne Peabody graduated with a MA in Modern History in 2006. Working in the sustainability and social change sector for more than two decades, she currently leads the EY Foundation.
Lynne Peabody studied Modern History at the University of St Andrews from 2002 to 2006. Lynne notes that in typical St Andrews fashion she met her husband in freshers’ week and forged life-long friendships during her time here. She fondly recalls Professor Jerry De Groot’s classes and the house parties he threw for his tutorial group. Lynne also remembers “the culture shock of the extreme privilege” that she encountered while at St Andrews but explains that she “learned to not be intimidated by people’s backgrounds.” It is this persistent social inequity that drives her current career.
After graduation, Lynne explored the legal sector through various internships, and it was during this time that she encountered pro bono work and corporate responsibility for the first time. She recalls that she immediately knew this was the direction she wanted her career to take.
Lynne produced conferences for Capita, an international business outsourcing company which she joined in 2007. She proclaims that this early role gave her a solid background understanding government policy that was valuable later in her career.
In 2010, Lynne became a community investment manager and then a global corporate responsibility manager at the law firm Hogan Lovells. During this time, she recognized her need for greater expertise and studied Poverty reduction policy and practice at SOAS University of London, completing the postgraduate program in 2015.
In 2013, Lynne had joined Kuoni Global Travel Services where she spent a year as a corporate responsibility executive. Lynne recalls enjoying the breadth of fascinating projects—noting that her team would tackle a wide variety of issues, from the morality of animal captivity at SeaWorld to how to prevent child sexual exploitation linked to international tourism.
Lynne joined the EY Foundation in spring 2014, just ahead of its official launch in July. She began as an income and communications manager and held a variety of roles before joining the leadership team, where she directed strategic corporate partnerships and worked to diversify streams of income. In March 2021, she became CEO.
The EY Foundation was established by the accountancy firm Ernst and Young in 2014. Its mission centers on helping young people from low income backgrounds to enter the job market. In its first decade of operation, the foundation supported more than 24,000 young people across the UK.[i] It has done so through four key initiatives aimed at equipping young people with employability skills and work experience to reduce the barriers young people face and improve the working world.[ii] The Foundation has evolved to develop strategic partnerships on social mobility, tackling barriers and opportunities like AI and the changing workforce.
As CEO, Lynne travels extensively across the UK, giving speeches and attending conferences while leading sustainability initiatives and developing programmes and corporate partnerships.
Lynne explains why the charity’s work is still needed:
“We know there is more to be done. The reality is that in the UK where you are from and the circumstances you are born into still play a massive role in your direction and your life outcomes. By the age of 27, young people from low-income backgrounds are three times more likely to be unemployed and will on average earn 50% less than their better off peers.”[iii]
A significant highlight for Lynne was the foundation’s Parliamentary Reception to celebrate their tenth anniversary in November 2024. The event allowed youth representatives to directly engage with MPs and industry leaders and celebrate the successes of the prior decade while remaining focused on and excited for the work ahead.
Beyond her role at the EY Foundation, Lynne serves as a trustee for ACE Programmes and the Royal Voluntary Service, she is also a patron of Brathay Trust, a youth development charity.
Lynne emphasizes vulnerability as an underrated leadership quality, pointing to being open with her team about the difficulties of her fertility journey. This honesty created space for colleagues to share their own similar experiences and get support. Though she felt supported after becoming a mother, Lynne acknowledges the ongoing struggle many working parents face in balancing career demands with raising young children.
Lynne describes the skills she developed studying history—analyzing information, constructing arguments, and assessing sources critically—as fundamental to her career. Drawing a direct parallel to historical research, she notes the importance of not taking things at face value. The experience of presenting and debating while at St Andrews taught her to communicate persuasively, a skill she uses daily.
According to Lynne, studying humanities is more important than ever with the rise of AI. The ability to critically evaluate sources and think independently is crucial. And despite EY being an accounting firm, at its essence it is a people business – much like the Foundation. A humanities degree equips people with a breadth of transferable skills that straddle all sectors and industries.
Lynne encourages young people to pursue as many work experiences as possible to discover what they are most passionate about. Her advice is direct:
“You’ll spend a large chunk of your life at work, so work in a field/sector that you’re passionate about. You might not get there instantly but keep the focus. Don’t forget about volunteering – it’s an amazing way to build up your skills and add experience to your CV.”[v]
This profile was written by Sophia Kazan, MA Modern History (2026), who interviewed Lynne Peabody in May 2026.
[i] https://www.eyfoundation.com/en_uk/news/blog/ceo-ten-year-blog
[ii] https://www.ey.com/en_uk/people/ey-foundation
[iii] https://www.eyfoundation.com/en_uk/news/blog/ceo-ten-year-blog
[iv] https://www.eyfoundation.com/en_uk/news/blog/ceo-ten-year-blog