2025 Shortlisted nominee
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OF THE YEAR AWARD
Diarmuid is CEO of First Star Scholars UK, a national charity transforming outcomes for care-experienced young people, one of the UK’s most overlooked groups. With fewer than 13% progressing to university, First Star provides long-term academic, life skills, and mentoring support in university settings, building confidence and belonging. Under Diarmuid’s leadership, the charity has expanded to six sites including Cambridge and UCL, with Edinburgh launching soon, while reshaping delivery to be 70% more cost-effective and embedding lived experience in governance, one third of the board are First Star graduates. Previously, Diarmuid designed and delivered The Hive, a pioneering 5-acre inclusive campus for people with profound and multiple learning disabilities, raising over £1m to build a nationally recognised model of inclusive provision. A former school leader, he remains committed to co-creating education systems that adapt to people, not the other way around.
