Tessy Ojo CBE is an inspirational and creative Civil Society Leader experienced in driving change and redefining outcomes for children and young people.

In 2020, Tessy was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours with a CBE – Commander of The British Empire for her services to children and young people.

She is the Chief Executive of The Diana Award – the only charity that bears the name of Diana, Princess of Wales and through it has developed internationally recognised programmes that give young people skills to thrive and create positive change in their communities globally.

The charity benefits from the support of Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex, as well as the Office of the UK Prime Minister as a Patron.

With over twenty-two years in third sector leadership and in-depth knowledge of working with young people and across the world, Tessy played a founding role in the building and sustainability of the charity, bringing strategic clarity and innovative approaches leading to a 360-degree turnaround of the charity’s growth and global industry recognition. 

Tessy is a passionate humanitarian and campaigner who has gained international reputation for work around building youth leadership and tackling systemic inequality. At the heart of her work is the belief that, with the right support and investment, young people are the best instigators for achieving sustainable change for both themselves and society.

In 2019, Tessy became the very first British National to be honoured with The Prestigious Martin Luther King Award in Atlanta, in recognition of her innovative approach to leadership and humanitarian work.  She was also named by British Airways, alongside other key notable leaders, as one of the top 100 British Leaders https://www.britishairways.com/100  

Tessy seats on a number of non-Executive boards including chairperson of the #iwill Leadership board, The BBC’s Appeals Advisory Committee, Comic Relief, The Royal Taskforce on Cyberbullying and the UK Council For Child Internet Safety.

Tessy has been married to her husband Stephen for 25years and together they have two children, aged 23 and 21.