CIfA team

Alex Llewellyn BSc MCIfA, is co-CEO of CIfA. Alex has responsibility for membership and governance, focusing on attracting people to the sector and the Institute and assuring society of the professionalism of members. She took a degree in heritage conservation and archaeological conservation and began work with CIfA in 1998. Alex has worked in a range of different roles, initially starting as Administrative Assistant and dealing with membership applications, and then involved in running events, publications, management of professional conduct, finance and governance.

Alice Sharp MAAT joined CIfA in June 2025. As the finance officer, she is the person to contact regarding any invoicing or payment queries. Formerly the landlady of a real ale pub / music venue, Alice began her career in finance in 2019 and worked both in practice and industry settings before achieving her aim of working for a not-for-profit organisation when she joined the team.

Amanda joined CIfA in a new role as assessment centre manager in 2021. With a background in vocational education and training (and a bit of English teaching thrown in!) her remit is to manage all aspects of the CIfA assessment centre. The centre focuses on delivering government-regulated qualifications, specifically end-point assessment for heritage apprenticeships and NVQs. Amanda graduated in 1995 with a BA in English and Drama and has acquired various teaching and assessment qualifications along the way. With experience of working for government and of running assessments for a variety organisations, this role is a great match with her background and skills - and she is thrilled to be working in such a fascinating industry. She also really enjoys setting up systems and designing and writing support materials, which is proving very handy in running a customer-focused assessment centre!

Anna started working for CIfA in 2016 and until recently was the executive assistant to the chief executive. She is now working as programme and governance officer. She ensures the smooth coordination of board meetings and board activities, looking after the governance alongside the chief executive. This ensures that the Board is appropriately engaged in issues and opportunities to ensure they are making informed decisions and providing strategic direction. She also coordinates the rhythm of the organisation to ensure that CIfA runs its internal business smoothly alongside looking at internal systems and ways of working to improve efficiencies. She works with the chief executive to manage the fit for the future and other continuous improvement projects, such as the overall governance review.

Anna Welch BA MA ACIfA joined the CIfA team in October 2015 and heads CIfA's approved training and CPD, and accredited degree programme schemes. In addition she supports cross-sector industry and training groups, promotes training opportunities and and develops career resources. Anna graduated from the University of Southampton with a BA in Archaeology and MA in Museums Studies. She has worked in development archaeology and local government heritage and volunteers with local societies and the Young Archaeologists’ Club. Anna can also be contacted at approvedcpd@archaeologists.net.

Cara joined CIfA in May 2024 to support the annual cycle of administration and communications for CIfA’s network of Area and Special Interest Groups. She has worked for many years in the charity sector with a focus on volunteer support, engagement, and learning.

Cara joined CIfA in June 2017 to lead a review on skill gaps and losses in Scottish Archaeology, an outcome from Aim 5 of Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy. Graduating from Cardiff University, Cara has been working in Scotland since 2005 as a field archaeologist, heritage consultant, local authority archaeologist and project manager in community archaeology. Her current role with CIfA includes supporting the development of initiatives which will help increase the diversity of our profession and upskill our workforce. Cara is passionate about increasing the diversity of our profession and ensuring that it is fit for the future.

Carl joined CIfA in September 2022 after spending many years in communications and marketing manager roles in the heritage, higher education and charity sectors. He has worked for organisations as diverse as the Science Museum, University College London, the Royal Society (the UK’s academy of science), and a Member of Parliament, often specialising in science communication. With a degree in Medieval Archaeology from UCL, CIfA seemed like a natural next step for Carl, who tries to maintain a sense of humour, which is useful when interacting with archaeologists.

Elizabeth Durst BFA MSc is responsible for the development, organisation, and marketing of the Chartered Institute’s programme of internal and external events; she also works with senior staff to develop and improve procedures. Elizabeth has a varied events background and received her MSc in International Event & Festival Management from Edinburgh Napier University. Contact Elizabeth for any events-related queries.

Ellen McNamara PCIfA joined as CIfA’s Membership Services Coordinator in May 2022 and supports both the Validation process for accredited applications and the CIfA Registered Organisations scheme. Ellen graduated in Archaeology from the University of York in 2021 and has a background in youth engagement, volunteer committees and museum outreach.

Jen Parker Wooding BSc MSc PhD MCIfA. Jen's role focuses on the management, review and implementation of the Institute’s professional practice initiatives and standards, supporting the Directors. She manages projects and CPD events and collaborates with CIfA and sector colleagues to help support the development and delivery of good practice guidance for practitioners across the historic environment sector. Jen has undergraduate and post graduate degrees in Archaeological Science and a PhD specialising in Zooarchaeology. She previously worked as a field archaeologist across the UK and overseas.

Kate Geary BA MCIfA is co-CEO of CIfA. Kate’s focus is on learning, skills and influence: developing our existing qualifications and CPD offer and promoting the value our members deliver for society. Kate joined the Institute’s staff 20 years ago as Training & Standards Coordinator working on professional standards, skills and CPD initiatives. Her background is in curatorial archaeology in north Wales and at Devon County Council. She has been involved with the Young Archaeologists Club, Prospect and development of a research agenda for Welsh archaeology. Her main interests are the archaeology of upland landscapes, especially north-west Wales, and making archaeology accessible to a wide audience. 

Kerry Wiggins BA MA MCIfA joined CIfA in January 2017 and is involved in the support, development and maintenance of the CIfA Registered Organisations scheme. Kerry advises new applicants and coordinates the inspection process to review compliance and support the continuous quality improvement of existing organisations. Kerry has a degree in Archaeology from Leicester University and worked as a field archaeologist for local councils and the Department of the Environment (DoE) before later moving into the careers service where she gained an MA in Guidance. As a careers adviser she worked as a researcher and on commercial contracts providing guidance to unemployed adults and career changers. She has been an active member of other professional membership organisations and is also a trained trade union workplace representative. Contact Kerry if you have a query about joining the Registered Organisations scheme, to check progress on your organisational application or to contribute to our regular bulletin.

Laura joined CIfA on 1 May 2012 and throughout various roles, including those before CIfA, has over 20 years of experience in administration. As our Subscriptions and Business Support Manager, Laura is responsible for managing effective delivery of general administration tasks to support the day-to-day running of the Institute. This also involves organising and monitoring business procedures including Health and Safety, IT, and business contracts. She also manages subscription payments, renewals and enquires. Contact Laura if you have a subscription query.

Lianne Birney BA MCIfA joined CIfA in August 2012 and was promoted to Membership Manager in December 2020, taking a new title in 2025. She has a degree in Archaeology from Winchester and maintained her interest over the years whilst working in various companies in Insurance and at Colleges, giving her a wide range of skills and knowledge. Lianne leads the Validation process and strategic planning for accredited applications and oversees the engagement of members and volunteers with Area and Special Interest Groups. She also supports the Directors and manages staff. Contact Lianne if you are interested in applying to be an accredited professional of CIfA or want to get involved with the Institute's work. 

Michael joined CIfA in February 2022 and provides support through carrying out various administrative duties to ensure the smooth running of the Chartered Institute.

Rob Lennox BSc (Econ) MA PhD ACIfA MCIPR, leads the delivery of CIfA’s ‘Influence’ strategy, being primarily responsible for developing external relations with government, industry and other key stakeholders, developing and agreeing policy objectives with the Board and expert members, and carrying out the Institute’s advocacy function. Rob is also responsible for communicating advocacy with members, and project work. His PhD is entitled 'Heritage and politics in the public value era: An analysis of the historic environment sector, public, and state in England since 1997'. Rob has particular interests in place-making, landscape, and in values shared between cultural and natural heritages.