Olivia Marks-Woldman joins HMDT as our new Chief Executive

‘Holocaust Memorial Day is an opportunity for individuals, communities and organisations to mark a despicable period in recent history, and honour the victims and survivors of the Holocaust and other genocides. Ceremonies created anew each year enable all generations to connect with each other and with the past to remember, learn and take a step to ensuring a better future.

I am privileged to be taking on the role of Chief Executive of the Holocaust Memorial Day Trust. I am looking forward to working with an inspiring professional team and Trustee Board, and with the many volunteers and champions around the country who have developed such impressive resources and who bring people together to learn the lessons of the past.

My career has been spent in the voluntary sector, mostly with health charities such as Breast Cancer Care, Epilepsy Scotland and Scope, where I have led the public affairs, policy development and political campaigning activities.

Immediately before joining HMDT, I was Head of Policy and Campaigns at Breast Cancer Care, working with people affected by breast cancer to improve services and treatment. I lived in Glasgow for over seven years; my roles included Policy Manager at Epilepsy Scotland, and Research Assistant for a Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP). I started my career as National Fieldworker for the Association of Jewish Sixthformers, where the Holocaust was a key topic for informal Jewish education with young people.

I have three young children and am a Governor at their school in Pinner, north-west London. I volunteer regularly to run the Children’s Service at our synagogue.

My maternal grandparents came to Britain in the late nineteenth century – most of the family members they left behind in Russia and Poland perished in the Holocaust. In Britain, my mother’s family found opportunities to live freely as Jews, to live comfortably and at ease with their neighbours, and to flourish. I am proud to be joining an organisation which works to ensure that we can all play a part in making the world a safer, better place.’