MEET OUR TEAM

Our team are a fantastic bunch. Push presenters are talented, engaging, funny and, well-informed. They all undertake a thorough and on-going training programme, meaning they're always clued-up on the latest developments in higher education, employability...and they have professional training in performance. The rest of our team, who keep the Push outreach engine well-greased, are wonderful too, and we couldn't do what we do without them. All our team have an enhanced DBS.
JOHNNY RICH (he/him)
Founder and CEO
Johnny is a consultant in higher education and careers of 25 years' experience. His clients include the European Commission, HEFCE (now OFS), HEPI, the OFS, Oxford University, and global HE comparison tool U-Multirank. Since founding Push in 1992, Johnny has built it into an influential social enterprise providing information, advice and research about choices and employability. Push runs an award-winning programme of outreach and staff training events that visits 100s of schools and colleges each year. Johnny was also a Director of the Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE). As a contributor to various think tanks and strategy bodies, Johnny contributes widely to policy debates on education, careers, wider participation and social mobility - including spearheading projects on school-leaver recruitment and on work-related learning. With degrees from the Universities of Durham and East Anglia, he is also Chief Executive of the Engineering Professors’ Council: the voice of engineering in UK higher education.  and appears regularly on television and radio and is author of the highly acclaimed novel The Human Script.

Want to see Johnny's 90 Second Guides on revision, study skills, student finance and more?
​
One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18: ​​​ 
​"It would have been helpful if someone had told me that 'catered accommodation’ would not mean a guaranteed, balanced diet within my budget. I ended up living on choccy Hobnobs and black coffee."
MOJ TAYLOR (He/Him)
​Business Development and lead presenter
Moj Taylor originally trained as an actor, with a decade of professional credits across stage and screen. He has been a professional stand up comedian, and still runs comedy and storytelling workshops for Comedy Club 4 Kids at international festivals. He has been a Push presenter since 2010, and has run thousands of workshops in that time – to over a 100,000 students. He cares deeply about students receiving inspiring careers and employability experiences – as he never had one. He is always exploring the use of comedy and stories in pedagogy and is undertaking an MSc at University of Edinburgh in Transformative Learning and Teaching.

He is also a school's workshop facilitator for the Social Enterprise Academy in Scotland - helping students in primary and secondary to create ideas for social enterprises that enrich their community, and help students build them toward fruition. Through this, he is gaining a qualification in facilitation, from Strathclyde University.
​
In his spare time, Moj is a passionate outdoor swimmer, braving the Firth of Forth or the Atlantic Ocean. He is a PADI Divemaster and hopes to get back under the water one day, especially when his young children have grown up (although his mask and snorkel still come in handy for toddler tea time).

Moj did his first degree in Drama and Hispanic Studies at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and an MA in Acting at Drama Centre London.
​
One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18:
"Making choices are like standing in line for a Subway Sandwich. You feel pressure as you get closer to the bread and filling options, and you change your mind constantly. But your turn will come, suddenly, and even if you're not sure yet: make a choice and go with it. As you don't want to drop out of the queue. University and career choices (and life, actually) is a series of Subway negotiations: you want something desirable, and can hopefully offer something valuable in return. Life is a road trip not a tube journey, so get going...and look out for your service stations where you can relax, pause and reassess the route. They may even have a Subway. Did I mention I like Subway?"
Alex murphy (she/her)
​editorial, marketing and administration MANAGER
After leaving University with a 2:1 BA (Hons) degree in Communication, Culture and Media Alex tried working in PR, but decided it wasn't really for her. Leaving that behind, she made the move to publishing and has worked for both The Financial Times and The Times respectively. After 10 years experience of publishing and office management, she left London to start her family and her own childminding business. Since then, she has realised how important supporting children, of all ages, is and volunteers at her children's school with supportive reading (the cornerstone of all education) and as a Governor.
She loves walking and has recently conquered both Eryri and Scafell Pike.

One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18: 
If I could tell my younger self anything it would be, you will have lots of chapters in your life, education and career. Each chapter will have its own start, middle and end. It's just about recognising these transitions, so don't be scared to end your own chapters and be open to new beginnings. Life has a funny way of showing you the right way to go, even if you encounter a few hiccups along the way. 
IBRAHIM FAROUK SESAY (he/him)
​presenter
Ibrahim graduated from the University of Kent, after previously studying at the BRIT School London. As well as being a Push speaker, he is an actor, stand up comedian, inclusive theatre practitioner for Shed in London, and a sketch writer. He has also been a regular facilitator for NCS and currently delivers workshops at Brent Youth Theatre in London for multiple age groups. He often jokes about how many things he is doing at any one time but says "I'm basically being paid to do the things I love". Ibs had the opportunity to study at two different unis in two different continents, which he feels gave him a wealth of experience when discussing the wonderful variety of education and course options with teenagers. He hopes his experience and passion will help young people make informed and educated decisions about what they want to do in the future, based on personal wellbeing and living each day with vigour. 

One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18:
"The chance to study abroad would not of happened if it wasn’t for the impartial help of my careers advisors and teachers (which boosted my own research and my thinking): these people are human beings who have been through the same stresses as you at your age...but they can only help you if you're willing to open up to them about your hopes, fears and dreams."
Minna DaviEs (she/they)
editorial, marketing AND ADMINISTRATION manager & Presenter
Minna is a writer and stand up comedian who studied Theatre for her Undergraduate degree at the University of York and went on to complete a Masters degree in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Minna is passionate about writing, and has written comedy sketches, a dark comedy TV pilot, a sitcom TV pilot and a monologue play shortlisted for development with In Good Company theatre company. They have been to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019 with an original play they wrote and directed. After completing the Soho Theatre’s Stand Up Comedy Lab, Minna has gone on to perform stand up in Nottingham, Birmingham, London and everywhere in between.

What I wish I'd known when I left school
What I wish I'd known when I left school is that the decisions you make when you're 17 or 18 are not binding for the rest of your life! Life is long and unpredictable and you have the agency to do whatever you want with it - it's never too late to start doing what you love.
GUY REYNOLDS (he/him)
Presenter
Guy is a graduate of Cardiff University with a BA in Ancient History and an MA in Ancient and Medieval Warfare. He was the first person in his family that went into postgraduate study after securing his undergraduate degree. Guy’s plan is to gain his doctorate and spend his life studying increasingly niche areas of history. Guy has lots of experience working with wild animals, from Falconry Centres to Wetherspoons, and he loves anything to do with books.

One thing I wish I could tell myself at 18:
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes  – it's one of the best things you can do in life and the easiest way to learn and grow. And talking of mistakes: get rid of the ponytail.
ANISHA MINOCHA (she/her)
UNDERGRADUATE Student ambassador
Anisha Minocha is studying English and Spanish at the University of St Andrews, currently living in Andalucía. She is a writer and poet whose work has been showcased in winning competitions, readings and anthologies. She co-edits SINK Magazine, which gives a platform to Northern creatives, and founded the "Roots"" project with Friends of the Earth that looks at the intersections between South Asian identity and ecology. Twitter: @anisha_jaya 

What would you tell to other uk students about their wellbeing through school?:
It’s important to look after your wellbeing at all times, and not just when you're particularly stressed and anxious like exam season. If you get into the habit of looking after yourself it becomes easier when you need balance and focus the most! ​
Tiffany Igharoro (she/her)
Year 12 Student Ambassador
Tiffany is a sixth form student. One of her favourite pastimes is writing as it helps her organise her thoughts creatively and dynamically. She has won awards and prizes for poetry, academic and scientific writing and short stories. Recently, she won a nationwide historical essay competition that opened her eyes to the importance of how things are told, and the impact ordinary people have on the world. She studied art GCSE and believes there is something incredible about finding links between drama, art and maths. 

The best piece of advice I have for my fellow students is to do what you love. Work hard in school, listen in class, be kind to others but most importantly be kind to yourself. There's no denying that school can be stressful so it's important that everyone takes the time to do the things that make them happy. 

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MEET OUR TEAM

Our team are a fantastic bunch. Push presenters are talented, engaging, funny and, well-informed. They all undertake a thorough and on-going training programme, meaning they're always clued-up on the latest developments in higher education, employability...and they have professional training in performance. The rest of our team, who keep the Push outreach engine well-greased, are wonderful too, and we couldn't do what we do without them. All our team have an enhanced DBS.
JOHNNY RICH (he/him)
Founder and CEO
Johnny is a consultant in higher education and careers of 25 years' experience. His clients include the European Commission, HEFCE (now OFS), HEPI, the OFS, Oxford University, and global HE comparison tool U-Multirank. Since founding Push in 1992, Johnny has built it into an influential social enterprise providing information, advice and research about choices and employability. Push runs an award-winning programme of outreach and staff training events that visits 100s of schools and colleges each year. Johnny was also a Director of the Higher Education Academy (now Advance HE). As a contributor to various think tanks and strategy bodies, Johnny contributes widely to policy debates on education, careers, wider participation and social mobility - including spearheading projects on school-leaver recruitment and on work-related learning. With degrees from the Universities of Durham and East Anglia, he is also Chief Executive of the Engineering Professors’ Council: the voice of engineering in UK higher education.  and appears regularly on television and radio and is author of the highly acclaimed novel The Human Script.

Want to see Johnny's 90 Second Guides on revision, study skills, student finance and more?
​
One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18: ​​​ 
​"It would have been helpful if someone had told me that 'catered accommodation’ would not mean a guaranteed, balanced diet within my budget. I ended up living on choccy Hobnobs and black coffee."
MOJ TAYLOR (He/Him)
​Business Development and lead presenter
Moj Taylor originally trained as an actor, with a decade of professional credits across stage and screen. He has been a professional stand up comedian, and still runs comedy and storytelling workshops for Comedy Club 4 Kids at international festivals. He has been a Push presenter since 2010, and has run thousands of workshops in that time – to over a 100,000 students. He cares deeply about students receiving inspiring careers and employability experiences – as he never had one. He is always exploring the use of comedy and stories in pedagogy and is undertaking an MSc at University of Edinburgh in Transformative Learning and Teaching.

He is also a school's workshop facilitator for the Social Enterprise Academy in Scotland - helping students in primary and secondary to create ideas for social enterprises that enrich their community, and help students build them toward fruition. Through this, he is gaining a qualification in facilitation, from Strathclyde University.
​
In his spare time, Moj is a passionate outdoor swimmer, braving the Firth of Forth or the Atlantic Ocean. He is a PADI Divemaster and hopes to get back under the water one day, especially when his young children have grown up (although his mask and snorkel still come in handy for toddler tea time).

Moj did his first degree in Drama and Hispanic Studies at Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and an MA in Acting at Drama Centre London.
​
One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18:
"Making choices are like standing in line for a Subway Sandwich. You feel pressure as you get closer to the bread and filling options, and you change your mind constantly. But your turn will come, suddenly, and even if you're not sure yet: make a choice and go with it. As you don't want to drop out of the queue. University and career choices (and life, actually) is a series of Subway negotiations: you want something desirable, and can hopefully offer something valuable in return. Life is a road trip not a tube journey, so get going...and look out for your service stations where you can relax, pause and reassess the route. They may even have a Subway. Did I mention I like Subway?"
Alex murphy (she/her)
​editorial, marketing and administration MANAGER
After leaving University with a 2:1 BA (Hons) degree in Communication, Culture and Media Alex tried working in PR, but decided it wasn't really for her. Leaving that behind, she made the move to publishing and has worked for both The Financial Times and The Times respectively. After 10 years experience of publishing and office management, she left London to start her family and her own childminding business. Since then, she has realised how important supporting children, of all ages, is and volunteers at her children's school with supportive reading (the cornerstone of all education) and as a Governor.
She loves walking and has recently conquered both Eryri and Scafell Pike.

One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18: 
If I could tell my younger self anything it would be, you will have lots of chapters in your life, education and career. Each chapter will have its own start, middle and end. It's just about recognising these transitions, so don't be scared to end your own chapters and be open to new beginnings. Life has a funny way of showing you the right way to go, even if you encounter a few hiccups along the way. 
IBRAHIM FAROUK SESAY (he/him)
​presenter
Ibrahim graduated from the University of Kent, after previously studying at the BRIT School London. As well as being a Push speaker, he is an actor, stand up comedian, inclusive theatre practitioner for Shed in London, and a sketch writer. He has also been a regular facilitator for NCS and currently delivers workshops at Brent Youth Theatre in London for multiple age groups. He often jokes about how many things he is doing at any one time but says "I'm basically being paid to do the things I love". Ibs had the opportunity to study at two different unis in two different continents, which he feels gave him a wealth of experience when discussing the wonderful variety of education and course options with teenagers. He hopes his experience and passion will help young people make informed and educated decisions about what they want to do in the future, based on personal wellbeing and living each day with vigour. 

One thing I wish I could tell my younger self about making a choice at 18:
"The chance to study abroad would not of happened if it wasn’t for the impartial help of my careers advisors and teachers (which boosted my own research and my thinking): these people are human beings who have been through the same stresses as you at your age...but they can only help you if you're willing to open up to them about your hopes, fears and dreams."
Minna DaviEs (she/they)
editorial, marketing AND ADMINISTRATION manager & Presenter
Minna is a writer and stand up comedian who studied Theatre for her Undergraduate degree at the University of York and went on to complete a Masters degree in Writing for Stage and Broadcast Media at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama. Minna is passionate about writing, and has written comedy sketches, a dark comedy TV pilot, a sitcom TV pilot and a monologue play shortlisted for development with In Good Company theatre company. They have been to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2019 with an original play they wrote and directed. After completing the Soho Theatre’s Stand Up Comedy Lab, Minna has gone on to perform stand up in Nottingham, Birmingham, London and everywhere in between.

What I wish I'd known when I left school
What I wish I'd known when I left school is that the decisions you make when you're 17 or 18 are not binding for the rest of your life! Life is long and unpredictable and you have the agency to do whatever you want with it - it's never too late to start doing what you love.
GUY REYNOLDS (he/him)
Presenter
Guy is a graduate of Cardiff University with a BA in Ancient History and an MA in Ancient and Medieval Warfare. He was the first person in his family that went into postgraduate study after securing his undergraduate degree. Guy’s plan is to gain his doctorate and spend his life studying increasingly niche areas of history. Guy has lots of experience working with wild animals, from Falconry Centres to Wetherspoons, and he loves anything to do with books.

One thing I wish I could tell myself at 18:
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes  – it's one of the best things you can do in life and the easiest way to learn and grow. And talking of mistakes: get rid of the ponytail.
ANISHA MINOCHA (she/her)
UNDERGRADUATE Student ambassador
Anisha Minocha is studying English and Spanish at the University of St Andrews, currently living in Andalucía. She is a writer and poet whose work has been showcased in winning competitions, readings and anthologies. She co-edits SINK Magazine, which gives a platform to Northern creatives, and founded the "Roots"" project with Friends of the Earth that looks at the intersections between South Asian identity and ecology. Twitter: @anisha_jaya 

What would you tell to other uk students about their wellbeing through school?:
It’s important to look after your wellbeing at all times, and not just when you're particularly stressed and anxious like exam season. If you get into the habit of looking after yourself it becomes easier when you need balance and focus the most! ​
Tiffany Igharoro (she/her)
Year 12 Student Ambassador
Tiffany is a sixth form student. One of her favourite pastimes is writing as it helps her organise her thoughts creatively and dynamically. She has won awards and prizes for poetry, academic and scientific writing and short stories. Recently, she won a nationwide historical essay competition that opened her eyes to the importance of how things are told, and the impact ordinary people have on the world. She studied art GCSE and believes there is something incredible about finding links between drama, art and maths. 

The best piece of advice I have for my fellow students is to do what you love. Work hard in school, listen in class, be kind to others but most importantly be kind to yourself. There's no denying that school can be stressful so it's important that everyone takes the time to do the things that make them happy.