Our Leadership Team

Introducing our leadership team, a diverse group of experts dedicated to fostering a positive work environment and ensuring long-term success for our young people. With their shared vision and leadership abilities, they enhance inclusivity, innovation, and collaboration across all departments, from Marketing and Digital to HR and Programme Development.

Central to the programme are our Pathways Coordinators, who support young people and mentors within school pastoral and guidance teams, nurturing strong relationships. They are supported by Mentor Services Coordinators, who skillfully source and match mentors with programme participants.

Together, our MCR team and mentors drive positive change, empowering young people to cultivate Motivation, Commitment, and Resilience, and unlock their full potential.

Leadership Team

Sharon McIntyre

Chief Executive Officer

Prior to joining MCR Pathways, Sharon was Head of Career Education Information, Advice and Guidance Operations at Skills Development Scotland. She was responsible for the national operational delivery of CEIAG across all secondary schools, cities and community venues across Scotland. Sharon has also previously held roles as Director of Operations for Changeworks, Strategic Leader for Tenant Services at Wheatley Housing Group and Child Poverty UK Government Advisor for Yorkshire and The Humber Region. She brings a wealth of experience leading high performing, multi-disciplinary teams across education, learning, social care, housing and environmental sectors. A politics post graduate, she has held public appointments at the Scottish Social Security Commission as a commissioner and is active as a non–executive board member for Resilient Scotland and Edinburgh Women’s Aid. Sharon is a value based leader, who is committed to doing all she can to ensure all children and young people thrive. She has spent her working life campaigning for an inclusive, poverty free, socially mobile society.

Melodie Crumlin

Deputy Chief Executive Officer

Melodie has over 25 years’ experience in developing and leading community based projects with children, young people and families impacted by poverty across Scotland. She was founding CEO of PEEK – Possibilities for Each and Every Kid, a multi-award winning charity supporting thousands of children and families across Glasgow. Melodie is passionate about driving social change to create a fairer and healthier society for children and young people and she is a firm believer in giving back. She has sat on a number of boards and advisory groups over the past decade; Vice Chair of Youth Scotland, ACOSVO, The Glasgow Youth Choir, Common Purpose and Pilot Light UK and has mentored a number of emerging leaders across the social sector supporting initiatives such as the 2027 Programme. More recently Melodie has been co-leading the Thrive Outdoors Programme at Inspiring Scotland and has been instrumental in the expansion of the Active Play Programme. She was awarded the Herald Society’s Unsung Hero award in 2013 and is a Clore Social Fellow. Her educational background is in Community Arts, Play Work and Business Management. And when Melodie isn’t working she enjoys spending time with her family. Fitness, fun and friends also play a large part in Melodie’s downtime alongside her love of the outdoors, theatre and music.

Caroline Maddocks

South East England Programme Director

Caroline is our Programme Director in South East England. She joined MCR in 2022 and works with the team, Local Authorities and schools to bring the MCR programme to young people across the region. A graduate of the University of Reading, Caroline worked in marketing and was a Business Development Director before moving into education. As a school leader, Caroline was an Assistant Headteacher and led on disadvantaged young people, Equality, Diversity and Inclusion and safeguarding. Her passion for the former led her to MCR Pathways. Caroline also has a professional background in SEND and the wellbeing of young people.

Lynne McKenzie-Juetten

People Director

Lynne is an HR professional with over fifteen years’ experience working in the social housing sector. She is passionate about staff development and wellbeing, believing that people do their best work when they are truly supported. Lynne feels strongly that every young person deserves a safe place to call home. She is proud to be a Board Member of SAY Women, a charity that supports young women threatened with homelessness.

Donna Cunningham

Head of Schools Programme, Glasgow

Donna has been involved in the creation of the MCR programme since its inception in 2007. The programme’s success and growth, benefitting thousands of young people, has been one of her proudest achievements. She has thirty-nine years experience in Glasgow education across the secondary school sector and in more strategic roles. She has enjoyed all of her roles and the journey shared with her colleagues, many of whom have become lifelong friends. She has won national awards for the various projects that she has been involved in. Those who know her will confirm that she needs to have fun at work whilst being very driven for the best outcomes. When she isn’t working Donna enjoys spending time with her family. Friends, fitness, socialising and travelling are the most important things in her life.

Caroline Purves

Head of Schools, North Region

Caroline joined MCR in Autumn 2023. She has twenty five years experience of working in post-16 education, originally training blind and partially sighted people for work, then moving into further education and apprenticeships with young people and adults. She developed a particular passion for supporting people with special educational needs and care experience into vocational training, apprenticeships and work. She loves championing rural communities too, having dedicated herself to protecting access to education in rural north east England over the past several years. She’s also ventured into self employment: consultancy and project work but also running a successful restaurant with her husband where she learned to be a maitre d’ and sous chef. Whilst Caroline has been an award winner for her work, what she loves more than this is hearing stories of success and triumphs from people that she and her colleagues have worked with and supported. Outside of work, Caroline loves a laugh and tries all sorts of things: from family history to organic gardening to long country walks (10 miles on the flat with a good pub or tea room at the end of it).

Natalie Smith

Head of Schools, East Region

Natalie is our Head of Schools East Region. Coming from a small town near Liverpool, Natalie joined MCR Pathways in January 2020 as a Pathways Coordinator at Lornshill Academy in Alloa, soon stepping up to become the Programme Manager for Edinburgh leading a team of 9 Pathways Coordinators. Natalie started in the Private Sector in Early Years education in England. Her own personal life experience is one of the factors that has contributed to Natalie being extremely passionate about supporting others to believe in themselves and leading teams to support young people to achieve their potential. Outwith work Natalie loves to spend time with her family and close friends as well as traveling to new places to experience other cultures.

Frazer Brown

Head of Schools, West Region

Frazer is our Head of Schools West Region. Growing up in Ayrshire and studying at Aberdeen University and Strathclyde University, Frazer started his career teaching Chemistry and working as a youth worker for a local church. He then spent a number of years in London working in pastoral care and school leadership. Through these jobs he saw the need for young people to have a trusted adult to help them navigate the trials of school life and to explore the opportunities available to them. In January 2024 he relocated back to the west of Scotland and joined the team at MCR.

Colin Adam

Head of Digital

Often found staring intently at a screen while wearing bright (and often questionable) shirts, Colin is our Head of Digital. He is responsible for developing and implementing digital strategies and new systems. With a rich history at MCR, Colin has been actively involved in the charity since 2016, initially in voluntary and consultancy roles before joining in 2019. Colin is a graduate of the University of Glasgow and Strathclyde Business School with two degrees in Economics. A short odyssey through economic development, marketing, web design and co-founding a social media startup has led Colin to systems design. In his spare time, Colin likes to travel coastal Britain with his fiancé Grant while sampling various pubs.

Mike Evans

Head of Finance

Mike is our Head of Finance and joined the team in 2023. Mike holds a BA in Accounting and is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He has served as Chief Financial Officer/Finance Director to a variety of commercial businesses from family owned companies to a multi-national electronics group. Born in Montreal, Canada but raised in Central Scotland Mike has for the last 20 years lived in The Highlands Of Scotland with his family. He provided through his own company, accounting and advisory services, to businesses ranging from charities to medium sized private companies and also served as Non Executive director to NHS Highland and Firth Of Cromarty Port Authority. Mike‘s passions aside from his family and helping people as a Christian are Golf with a medium sized handicap and football for which he holds SFA Coaching qualifications and claims he once upon a time played semi-professional football.

Mandy Choi

Head of Communities and Events

Mandy has been involved with MCR since 2017, firstly as a mentor which inspired her to join the team shortly after. Having supported four young people to date in her mentoring journey, Mandy has a passion for ensuring care experienced young people are given a platform to flourish. In 2022, Mandy completed her postgraduate degree in Careers Guidance and Development following a 12 year span of working in advice, guidance, outreach and employability with students, young offenders, care experienced young people and their support groups.

Mel Grossman

Head of Marketing

Mel joined MCR in Autumn 2023. She has over twenty years’ experience working in both the private and third sectors, delivering marketing campaigns and showcasing social impact. She is passionate about storytelling and ensuring all voices are heard and respected. She is loving working alongside, learning from, and nurturing the MCR marketing team and is excited about supporting and helping them develop. Outside of work, Mel loves to travel. She is inspired by different cultures through food, film, books and art. But most of all, she cherishes being a mum to her young son and going on family adventures in nature. She is proud to be a Board Member of Interfaith Scotland, a charity which builds good relations between the diverse religion and belief communities of Scotland, sharing good practice in dialogue, education and engagement.