Kirsty McHugh

Kirsty McHugh is Chief Executive of the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA), the representative body for the employment support sector. ERSA has around 180 members, ranging from multinationals through to specialist charities, housing association and local authorities, all of whom work to help jobseekers enter and progress in employment. The majority of its members are not for profit.

Prior to taking up post in 2010, Kirsty spent nine years at Business in the Community, the national charity dedicated to responsible business. As its Director for Regeneration, Kirsty led work on employment, regeneration and enterprise and as Director of Partnerships, Kirsty led BITC’s national delivery programmes, including a network of 100 local groups delivering regeneration, employee volunteering and pro-bono schemes.

Kirsty served as a councillor for 12 years, where she held portfolios for crime prevention, housing and regeneration. She has served as a board director of a large social housing organisation and chaired the project board of a major PFI programme delivering over £200 million in investment. She is currently a director of the Institute of Employability Directors and a trustee of an international enterprise charity.

Kirsty has degrees from the University College London and Birkbeck College, London. She has two children and lives in South London.