Lindsay Levkoff Lynn takes the reins at Youth United Foundation

Youth United Foundation, the charity that supports young people's uniformed groups throughout the UK, has appointed a new Chief Executive.

Lindsay Levkoff Lynn, 34, joins Youth United Foundation from Nesta's Centre for Social Action Innovation Fund. She will take over in November from interim director Rosie Thomas.

Lindsay holds a BA in Political Science from the University of Tennessee, a Masters in European Politics from the University of Oxford, where she was a Fulbright Scholar, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. She has previously worked with a variety of third sector and government bodies, including Girl Scouts, the Fulbright Commission, the OSCE, the US Congress and the UK Parliament.

Sue Lomas, chair of Youth United Foundation trustees, says Lindsay has the right skills and experience to find further sources of support to enable Youth United organisations to engage new groups of young people:

"Lindsay not only comes with an impressive background in strategy, engagement and innovation, but her passion for uniformed groups and first-hand experience of the benefits of belonging to a youth organisation give her a real understanding of what Youth United is all about. The trustees are very excited to have Lindsay at the helm and we look forward to working with her.

Society were very helpful in guiding us through the process of appointing a new CEO. They listened carefully to our requirements and then expedited the search to a very tight timetable. Our search team were thoroughly briefed on a long list which included a range of high calibre candidates and we were professionally supported in our choice of a short list. Tanya and Ruth were exceedingly responsive and helpful at every stage of the process. They showed a clear understanding of our challenges and needs and delivered an excellent result for our organisation."

Lindsay added:

"Being a Girl Scout from the age of six opened my eyes to a world of opportunities and definitely made me who I am today. As chief executive of Youth United Foundation, I will work with our network to open up similar opportunities in new areas and engage new communities, because all young people deserve the chance to shine and unlock their own potential.

Tanya is an excellent recruiter. She is professional and personable, but most importantly, you can tell that she has a genuine interest in finding the best matches, for both the organisations and individuals that she works with. I would gladly work with her again!"