Bonita de Boer
Bonita de Boer is Head of Operations at the Bridge Group, responsible for financial management, governance, HR and the oversight of day-to-day operations. She also contributes to strategic planning and the practical delivery of the Bridge Group's strategy.
Bonita holds a Masters in Development Management and has over sixteen years' experience supporting research and advocacy-focussed charities in developing their operational resilience and efficiency. Her personal interest in promoting social equality made the Bridge Group a natural fit.
Alongside her role at the Bridge Group, Bonita volunteers as Treasurer and Company Secretary for the Ember Learning Trust, a Co-operative Educational Trust that supports six local schools in Surrey.
Dr Penelope Griffin
Penelope is Director of Higher Education and Impact, leading work relating to the role of higher education and outreach in socio-economic equality and diversity. As well as, for example, advising on or evaluating outreach programmes, she researches and reports on graduate outcomes and early-career experiences, and how to improve these. Penelope also works with organisations at a strategic level to review their whole-institution approach to access and diversity.
At the Bridge Group, Penelope has worked with the Civil Service Fast Stream, the Sutton Trust, the Judicial Diversity Forum, the Social Mobility Foundation and the Royal Academy of Music (among many others) and also leads on developing methodologies for tracking the impact of the Bridge Group’s work. Prior to her appointment, Penelope led the University of Nottingham’s access and participation agenda. While at Nottingham, she was a Trustee of the Bridge Group, a role she held for eight years.
Dr Susie Jennings
Susie is a Senior Researcher (Quantitative) at the Bridge Group. She has several years’ experience conducting and managing research in health and education in the NHS, higher education and pre-school settings. She has worked in policy and communications for health and social care charities and as part of a parliamentary enquiry.
Much of Susie’s work has had an emphasis on redressing inequalities experienced by different groups in the population, including on the basis of socio-economic background, age, disability, language and caring responsibilities. Susie has a PhD in nutrition and is experienced in lecturing in health science, research methods and statistics, and supervising MSc and PhD projects.
Dr Aleksandra Kubica
Aleksandra is a Senior Researcher (Qualitative Analysis) at the Bridge Group, responsible for designing, undertaking and delivering qualitative research. Previously to joining the team, she conducted research for museums in Poland and the UK. She has also worked at several educational institutions and in non-formal education across Europe, with children and young people from a variety of backgrounds.
In 2019 Aleksandra gained a PhD with a thesis on difficult collective memory, education and travelling museums. At the Bridge Group she has worked with organisations such as the Sutton Trust, the Social Mobility Foundation, various universities and clients in the private sector.
Dr Soyoung Kweon
Soyoung is a Senior Data Analyst at the Bridge Group. She is responsible for the design and delivery of research using quantitative methods.
Soyoung’s research focuses on inequalities in the labour market. Her PhD thesis assessed hiring discrimination across gender, parenthood and class in the UK using an experimental design. She was also involved in a research project about mothers’ and fathers’ use of UK parental leave.
She is also highly motivated to translate research into actions that promote social equality. Working alongside Citizens Advice, she led a project generating accessible research evidence for policy stakeholders such as Local Authorities and NGOs to tackle fuel poverty.
Nik Miller
Nik is Chief Executive of the Bridge Group, with overall responsibility for strategy, compliance and resources. He also leads many of the Charity’s research programmes and advisory work, mainly with employers.
Nik has expertise in quantitative research methods, and in translating research findings into impactful recommendations. Recent clients include the BBC, KPMG, Morgan Stanley, Linklaters and Amazon UK. He has advised government on equality, diversity and inclusion – and often plays a leading role in authoring and presenting Bridge Group reports for diverse audiences across sectors.
He has contributed to many publications, including: ‘The Class Ceiling’ and ’Access to Success and Social Mobility Through Higher Education’. Nik is also a Partner at More Partnership (Europe’s leading fundraising consultancy), a laureate of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE), a trustee of the UNITE Foundation (disbursing over £9m to care leavers in higher education), and an Associate and Fellow at the University of York.
Patricia Ncube
Patricia is a Researcher at the Bridge Group, and contributes to the design and delivery of our research, with a particular focus on gathering and analysing qualitative data.
Patricia is passionate about advancing social justice and supporting marginalised communities. Her work spans various socio-economic issues, with experience working with refugees, survivors of domestic abuse, and young people affected by teenage pregnancy. Patricia’s ESRC-funded PhD research at the University of Portsmouth explores the experiences of African migrant women in the UK, focusing on how intersecting factors like gender, race, and migration status shape their lives, particularly in relation to their employment. Her work is rooted in an intersectional approach, aiming to reveal and address the structural barriers that disadvantaged communities face. Driven by a desire to make a meaningful impact, Patricia is dedicated to producing actionable insights that promote equity and inclusivity through centering the voices of those who are often forgotten.
Kate Newrick
Kate is the Communications Officer at the Bridge Group and is responsible for raising the profile and increasing the impact of the Bridge Group’s work and engaging with stakeholders across the country. She implements the Bridge Group’s communications strategy, leads on communication via the organisation’s website and digital media, and supports events.
Kate holds a Master’s in Business Administration and has several years’ experience working with charities and non-governmental organisations as a communications specialist. It has been during this time that she has worked alongside disadvantaged communities, including people with learning disabilities and tuberculosis sufferers, and gained an appreciation of the importance of social equity.
Dr Roksana Nikoopour
Roksana is Finance and Operations Officer at the Bridge Group, responsible for the day-to-day financial administration of the charity and behind-the-scenes preparation for the annual conference, seminars and events. Roksana also provides operational assistance on some projects.
Alongside her role at the Bridge Group, Roksana completed her PhD in Cardiovascular Research in 2019. Her passion for promoting STEM careers for young people prompted her to join the social enterprise Scientists & Co which run skills-based workshops and shadowing opportunities for sixth formers from low socio-economic or disadvantaged backgrounds.
Jennifer Thorpe
Jennifer is a quantitative researcher at the Bridge Group who assists in the collection and analysis of data pertaining to higher education and career development. Prior to working at the Bridge Group, Jennifer utilised her degrees in geography and global public health to advocate for social mobility and economic empowerment, particularly for people with disabilities. Jennifer has engaged in extensive research to promote equitable and inclusive educational opportunities while working for several inter-governmental organisations, charities, and higher education institutions.
Dr Helen Wareham
Helen is a Senior Data Analyst at the Bridge Group. Her role involves conducting data analysis and advising on data approaches and methodology, in particular looking for ways in which available data can be utilised in a robust, evidence-based and pragmatic way.
At the Bridge Group Helen has worked with organisations such as: Access Accountancy, the Civil Service, BBC, Social Mobility Foundation and leading law firms.
Working from home in North East England she says: “The Bridge Group has a mixed-methods approach to research and policy which I really enjoy and also gives our work a greater depth and impact. I love data and a graph but it is not the whole story, especially when it comes to inequality”.
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