Meet the team

Our friendly and experienced team at Behind Closed Doors are here to help. Our service is confidential, we will listen to you and support you to make the right decisions for you and your family. We will never tell you what to do, we will be guided by you.

Based in Leeds, our team deliver a range of projects to build lives free from domestic abuse. You can read more from the team in our News page, My Working Day: Sanctuary Support Worker

Our Board of Trustees provide help, guidance and support to the team and ensure we are delivering all that we say we do:

Our CEO and Trustees

Georgia Hyland

CEO

Alison Puente

Chair of the Board of Trustees

Alison is the founder and director of Mason & Sutter, a sustainability and corporate reputation consultancy based in Leeds. She has 30 years’ experience in corporate communications and sustainability, including six years in the USA, working with charities, public sector organisations and businesses across a wide range of sectors. Alison joined Behind Closed Doors as a Trustee in January 2020. Living in Leeds, and seeing first-hand some of the issues Behind Closed Doors addresses, she wants to contribute to the charity’s vital work supporting people who might otherwise go unheard, bringing her experience of running her own business and working with corporates to help develop the charity’s Governance and business fundraising work.

Gill Crofton

Treasurer

Charlie Mynard

Secretary

Charlie Mynard is the founder and director of a charity recruitment consultancy that supports organisations across Yorkshire and beyond. With a deep commitment to the charity sector, Charlie brings a wealth of experience in recruitment, consultancy, training, charity operations and the Third Sector landscape across Leeds. Charlie joined the board after being profoundly inspired by its life-transforming work. Motivated by a desire to contribute to its mission, she brings her expertise and passion to support the charity’s ongoing success and impact.

Karen Milner

Trustee

Karen is passionate about supporting organisations to achieve optimum working cultures and brings board-level HR Director experience to the Trustee team. She is an active Investors in People Practitioner, helping organisations across various industries and sectors in Yorkshire, Humber and the North-East to achieve their ambitions through effective people management and wellbeing practices, that deliver impact and results.

Karen is a strong advocate for inclusion and a fairer and more equal society, using her skills and experience to support the Behind Closed Doors team in the amazing work that they do to build lives that are free of domestic abuse.

Carl Harrison

Trustee

Carl joins the board of Behind Closed Doors as an experienced business leader from the charity and education sector. A diverse professional background that includes time spent serving in the military, working in professional and grassroots sports before moving into the 3rd sector. Carl adds depth in our safeguarding and training and development structure.

Carl is delighted to join the BCD board having lived experience of growing up in an environment that was impacted by domestic violence and wanting to support such a valuable charity.

Personally Carl is married with 2 young boys and believes its important to manage a positive work life balance, making the most of time with his family.

Karen Llewellyn

Trustee

Karen Llewellyn has worked mainly in the education sector in senior positions in schools and universities in teaching, research and strategic change management. More recently she ran her own business in Executive and Business Coaching, specialising in coaching women in education, sport and health and also pro bono work in third sector organisations. Joining the Board of Trustees in January 2024, Karen is highly committed to supporting the values-led vision and mission of Behind Closed Doors and the delivery of its 2023-2026 strategic plan.

Patricia Cannon

Trustee