After five years of big transformation leading the charity ‘Pilotlight’, Ed Mayo is stepping aside this October (already happened in fact), he’s passing the torch to Lisa Pearce. This leadership change signals an evolution of how businesses and charities collaborate through skilled volunteering.
Mayo joined the Pilotlight charity in 2020 during unprecedented Covid chaos times when small charities faced crushing pressures. The pandemic threatened their very survival all while communities needed their services more than ever before. Rather than scaling services back, Mayo instead doubled down on the charity’s core mission: connecting business expertise with charitable organisations through ‘pro bono’ volunteer services. Under his watch, Pilotlight doubled its skilled volunteer numbers and grew income by over 42 percent, supporting a grand total of 803 charities across the UK.
What strikes me most, personally, about Mayo’s approach isn’t merely the numbers though. It’s more his philosophy of “learning by doing good” that resonates deeply with those of us working to support women’s professional development.
At NIWE, I constantly see women struggling to balance career growth with meaningful contribution. Mayo demonstrated these aren’t competing priorities. Through Pilotlight’s core model, professionals dedicate roughly four hours weekly over several months, gaining experience while making genuine impact. The volunteers, coined as ‘Pilotlighters’, develop leadership skills in real world contexts, not theoretical classrooms.
Lisa Pearce (The new commander in chief, always nice to see a woman in these roles!) brings fresh perspective from her current role as interim CEO at Gingerbread and membership on the World Para Sports Unit Board. Her background in single parent support and disability sports suggests Pilotlight might expand its reach into communities facing a broader array of social challenges. She acknowledged the timing, saying
“At a time when social needs are rising and resources are stretched, Pilotlight’s work has never been more vital”.
Mayo’s journey reads like a masterclass in purpose driven leadership. Before Pilotlight, he led Co-operatives UK for eleven years after steering both the ‘New Economics Foundation’ and ‘National Consumer Council’. Each role built towards his belief that business skills shouldn’t remain locked within corporate walls when communities desperately need them. He was also responsible for connecting Pilotlight’s team of coaches with Eating Distress North East.
His next chapter will involve continued volunteering and writing, plus supporting causes like the Eve Appeal. For someone who co-founded the UK Pro Bono Association, stepping back from executive leadership doesn’t mean stepping away from service at all. The transition period will run through October, ensuring stability while Pilotlight enters its next phase. Mayo leaves behind more than improved KPIs, he’s embedded a culture where professional development and social impact reinforce each other, proving that doing well and doing good aren’t just compatible, they’re inseparable.