Adrienne Burgess, Joint CEO & Head of Research

Adrienne has written widely on fatherhood and couple relationships. One of the founders of Fathers Direct (our predecessor organisation, established in 1999), she has a thorough understanding of both research and practice. Her book Fatherhood Reclaimed: the making of the modern father (Vermilion, 1997) helped set a new agenda on fatherhood in the UK, and has been published throughout the world. Adrienne has led our Contemporary Fathers in the UK series of evidence reviews, funded by the Nuffield Foundation. She has one daughter.
Contact 0774 714 5146 a.burgess@fatherhoodinstitute.org

Kathy Jones, Joint CEO & Head of Strategy

Kathy’s approach to her work is informed by her background in community development in areas of economic deprivation in East London and Scotland, her practice as an art therapist with children and her psychoanalytic consultancy in complex organisational systems. Since 2004 she has successfully managed numerous large scale projects; delivering research, systems change processes, CPD for professionals and programmes for fathers/families in health, education and social care across the UK and internationally. Kathy has one son and two grandsons.
Contact 0786 776 1251 k.jones@fatherhoodinstitute.org

Dr Jeremy Davies, Head of Impact and Communications

Jeremy has a background in journalism and has a Masters in Research and PhD. His role in the FI is to extend our impact; lead our communications work; and write funding bids. Current projects include ISAFE, a trial of a new social work training intervention, with CASCADE and Ipsos, funded by What Works for Children’s Social Care; the ESRC-funded PIECE study (Paternal Involvement and its Effects on Children’s Education) led by Dr Helen Norman at Leeds University Business School; and the Transition to Parenthood in UK SMEs study led by Dr Bianca Stumbitz at Middlesex University Business School – also funded by ESRC. Jeremy led the evidence reviews for the National Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel’s Myth of Invisible Men report. He founded MITEY (Men In The Early Years), was co-investigator on the GenderEYE study, and sat on the Fawcett Society’s Commission on Gender Stereotypes in Early Childhood (2019-20). He has one son.
Contact: 0780 371 1692 j.davies@fatherhoodinstitute.org

Jeszemma Howl, Head of Training

Jeszemma’s role involves translating the evidence base into practice through training courses and parenting programmes. She worked with fathers in early years and safeguarding for many years before joining the FI in 2007, and now supports thousands of practitioners across all family services to ‘Think Father’ through designing and delivering courses, managing the training team and leading on large programmes of change. Jeszemma’s three-year Churchill Fellowship took her to the Caribbean and USA to identify father-engagement strategies for the promotion of breastfeeding, and she is always on the lookout for new ways to support the family through father-inclusive family services. She states that her job is a vocation and is a passionate public speaker and writer on fatherhood, gender-equality and mental health. Jeszemma is also a local Councillor and sits on the Corporate Parenting and Children, Family and Education boards, is a school governor and has three children, one grandchild and too many cats.
Contact 07917 864 130 j.garratt@fatherhoodinstitute.org

Frankie Johnson, Programme Development Lead

Frankie has a background in public policy and communications, working on international development projects and stakeholder engagement across multiple roles for the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport; and previously for a business communications company. She recently completed her MA in Gender Studies at Utrecht University; her research focused on the intergenerational transmission of fatherhood norms amongst Dutch fathers, using a mixed-methods approach. Her role at the FI includes project management, training support, and communications. She has one daughter.
Contact: 0744 283 9484 f.johnson@fatherhoodinstitute.org