Jon Sparkes

Chief Executive

Crisis

Prior to joining the charity he was Chief Operating Officer of UNICEF. Jon led the partnership between UNICEF and the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow 2014 which raised £5m and played a significant role in fundraising for children affected by the conflict in Syria.

Previously Jon was Chief Executive of SCOPE, the national disability charity, delivering services for disabled people with complex support needs and campaigning for the right of disabled people to choice and control over their own lives. Jon was also the Chair of the Disability Charities Consortium and worked closely in alliance with disabled people’s organisations.

He has wide-ranging experience across the charity sector, including as a trustee of SeeAbility, a charity for disabled people with a sight impairment, and through working voluntarily for charities. He has also worked on economic development projects in areas such as long-term unemployment, support services for lone parents, and employment improvement projects with black and minority ethnic communities.

Before working in the third sector, he was a Human Resources Director in the both the public and private sectors. He is a Chartered Companion of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD), formerly a member of the Editorial Board of People Management magazine and Vice President of the CIPD responsible for Diversity. While leading Scope, Jon chaired an ACEVO working group bringing forward recommendations for voluntary sector chief executives for improving employee engagement.