Gail Burden Capella

Gail Burden

Chief Executive Officer

Gail is responsible for all aspects of Sleep Action (formerly Sleep Scotland) and Teens+ including strategy, governance, finance and staffing.

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Gail has over 10 years’ experience as a CEO and has worked in the charity sector for nearly 20 years. Gail has a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) with specialism in strategic planning, and is a Director of the Association of Chief Officers for Scottish Voluntary Organisations (ACOSVO). She has been a panel member for Children’s Hearings Scotland for over 5 years and is a Fellow at the Royal Society of Arts. Gail is passionate about helping children and young people achieve their potential and is active in advocating for the rights of the child.

Alyson OBrien Capella Charity

Alyson O'Brien

Head of Sleep Services

Alyson is the Head of Sleep Services at Sleep Action (formerly Sleep Scotland).

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Alyson joined Sleep Scotland for a second time in August 2017. She has a background working in the voluntary and higher education sectors with children, young people, and adults with additional support needs. Alyson previously worked with the deaf community in Edinburgh, and as part of the Disability Resource team for students at the University of Cambridge.

Alyson is responsible for our Sleep Support and Training teams to ensure a high-quality service to both families and professionals. She develops and provides lecturing at many of our highly regarded and informative sleep courses. Alyson also supports our trained sleep counsellors to implement behavioural sleep programmes with children, young people, and their families. Alyson is the Designated Child Protection Lead for Sleep Scotland. 

Alyson is passionate about spreading the good word of sleep, and finding the right solution to a sleep issue at any age through training, education, and advice.

Simon-Pearce-Madge-1-200x200

Simon Pearce-Madge

Head of Service for Teens+

Simon joined the Teens+ team as Head of Service in August 2021.

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Simon has worked in the Social Care and Charity sector for over 20 years and has a wealth of experience working with Adults who have a learning disability and additional support needs.

Simon has a back ground working within Operational Management of an organisation and as Managing Director as an Executive member of a Charities Board.

Simon has previously led on organisational development and change management.
Simon is the Registered Manager for Teens+ and is responsible for the high-quality service delivery, compliance and support and welfare of our staff and students.

Simon is qualified in Management and leadership within the Social care Sector.

Christopher McShane Capella Charity

Christopher McShane

Head of Corporate Services

Christopher joined Capella in June 2023.

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Christopher previously worked as Managing Director for Marathon Kids UK, a charity dedicated to giving fully funded exercise opportunities to thousands of children across the UK. He has worked with young people for over a decade in roles such as a nursery teacher, a Youth Specialist for Royal Carribean and a Director for the YMCA. He has recently completed an Executive Masters of Business Administration and Senior Leader Master’s Degree Apprenticeship at Aston University. Christopher has a passion for making a difference to others and supporting young people to achieve their greatest ambitions.

Colin Simpson Capella

Colin Simpson

Finance Director

Colin joined Capella in June 2024 as Finance Director, responsible for all aspects of the charity’s finances.

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Colin is a Chartered Accountant, with over 25 years experience in a variety of senior finance roles. He has extensive commercial acumen from exposure to the UK’s manufacturing, motor, and financial services sectors. Colin’s work history includes Arthur Andersen, Motorola, Renault and Lloyds Banking Group. In recent years his focus has changed to supporting SMEs and charities across Scotland with their end-to-end finance requirements. Colin has a passion for developing people and teams, and in particular, championing young people to reach their full potential.

Colin understands that people are an organisation’s biggest asset, and therefore invests in building high-performing teams.

Zuzana-Beak-1

Zuzana Beak

HR Manager

Zuzana manages the HR function, including Recruitment, Employee Relations, Learning & Development, Health & Wellbeing, Payroll etc.

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Zuzana is a trained Mental Health First Aider and also a qualified Wellbeing Coach.