Senior Management Team

Rob Smith
CEO

Rob Smith was appointed the CEO of ILP in April 2021. Following an initial 11 years service with West Yorkshire Police he has had a 25-year career in the voluntary sector at Chief Officer level working within innovative and complex public/private/voluntary sector partnerships at a regional and national level. These include heading up Victim Support, Youth Justice, Children’s, Carers, Probation and Employment services amongst others. He sat on the Home Office/Ministry of Justice national voluntary sector advisory panel between 2003 and 2008 and was a member of the national T2A (Transitions to Adulthood) Alliance board between 2008 and 2011. He has also given evidence as an expert witness to the parliamentary justice select committee and was seconded to the National Offender Management Service to design new service delivery specification at a national level for short-sentenced prisoners. Rob has a range of post graduate management qualifications specialising in the voluntary sector and studied for an MBA through the Open University.

Upon re-locating to the Plymouth area in 2019 Rob was first a Trustee and then interim CEO of the Harbour Centre (substance misuse charity) and was also Head of Strategic Development for Devon Mind between 2019 and 2021. He is currently Chair of the Devon Community Mental Health Alliance; he sits on the Plymouth Armed Forces Covenant partnership board and is Chair of the Plymouth Veterans Theme Group.

Mathew Cunningham
Chief Operating Officer

Chris Burnett
Business Support Manager

Chris joined Improving Lives Plymouth in 2012 and brings experience from both the public and private sectors. He has played a key role in developing ILP’s volunteering, workforce, and business support functions, building strong partnerships with individuals, businesses and charities across the city. As Business Support Manager, Chris leads on ILP’s data roadmap, workforce development and business development pipeline, ensuring the organisation is data-driven, people-centred and future-ready. He works closely with colleagues across IT, Finance and Operations to strengthen processes, embed the ‘One ILP’ culture, and support sustainable growth.

Larissa Milden
Services Director

Larissa joined Improving Lives Plymouth in 2011 as Active for All Manager, later expanding her responsibilities across a range of projects. Prior to this, she studied at Plymouth University and worked with the British Trust for Conservation Volunteers (BTCV) on projects at local and regional levels.

In 2022, Larissa was appointed Operations Manager, overseeing a portfolio of programmes focused on improving health and wellbeing. In Oct 2025, she was promoted to Service Director, with responsibility for all services delivered by Improving Lives Plymouth. In this role, she is committed to ensuring the organisation delivers on its strategic priorities, including developing person-centred, trauma-informed hubs and embedding a ‘One ILP’ culture across all services.

Lee Sewrey
Head of Governance, Quality and Facilities

Lee Sewrey brings over two decades of experience across health, social care, education, and the voluntary sector. He began his career in a residential care setting before moving into adult education, where he taught learners with learning disabilities and served as a Further Education Manager. His commitment to inclusion and equality led him to SCOPE, the national disability charity, where he supported the advancement of equal opportunities for disabled people.

Lee deepened his focus on learning disability services through his leadership of the Better Futures Service at Improving Lives Plymouth (ILP), before gaining private sector experience managing a high-dependency CQC-registered residential home in Hampshire. In 2012, he returned to Plymouth to develop the Caring for Carers service, further embedding his commitment to community wellbeing.

Now as Head of Governance, Quality and Facilities, Lee plays a strategic leadership role within ILP’s Senior Management Team. He oversees governance, compliance, policy, risk, and quality assurance across the organisation, ensuring ILP meets its legal, regulatory and contractual obligations. He also leads estates and facilities management, supports business development and project mobilisation, and co-chairs the Operations and Co-ordination Group (OCG). Lee is passionate about embedding continuous improvement, organisational learning, and inclusive practice across ILP’s diverse portfolio of services.