Why ASM
I applied because ASM is distinctive in the ways that matter. We are employee-owned, built on lived experience, and disciplined about standards. There is a strong foundation and a clear purpose, and there is real ambition for what comes next. That combination is exactly where I do my best work.
I also trust the way ASM works: practical, evidence-informed, and designed for real working life. The team is honest, direct, and highly experienced in supporting neurodivergent adults at work. As ASM's Founder, David, often says, there is as much individual diversity within neurodiversity as within the neurotypical population. This matters because labels can trigger assumptions that do not map onto the person in front of you. I like that we build from the person in front of us, not the label. I am not interested in language that sounds good and changes nothing. I am interested in what actually shifts: clearer expectations, fewer misunderstandings, better decisions, and people doing good work with less unnecessary strain.
ASM is also one of the few organisations in this sector that works with people before employment, employees in role, and employers. We invest in one to one coaching and mentoring, and we also improve the environments people are entering and working in, from recruitment and onboarding to management practice and team culture. We protect business standards and people, without sacrificing one in favour of another.
What I was doing before ASM
Most of my career has been about turning good intentions into good business, and making it last. I started early. At 12, I co-founded a business led by teenagers in South London. Over 15 years it grew to support more than 5,000 young people a year. That experience taught me what I still rely on now: people do well when priorities and standards are clear, ownership is real, and the work is built around the lives people actually have.
Since then, I have led teams and programmes across multiple sectors, and internationally, including in Africa and Europe. I have worked in auditing, banking, consulting, education, and social enterprise.
What I will bring as Managing Director
I bring innovation and momentum, and deep respect for what ASM already is.
For the people we support, my priority is that ASM feels useful quickly, and stays useful. Specific, practical support that fits your role and your life. We focus on the moments that shape your week: meetings, deadlines, feedback, stakeholder dynamics, prioritisation, and energy. We build strategies you can use immediately, and we see you as a whole person, not a case study.
For our mentors and team, my focus is quality and consistency. Clear contracting, supportive supervision, thoughtful boundaries, and delivery that is reliable across programmes and clients. We are a neurodiverse team ourselves, so we take care to practise what we teach: clarity, good systems, and ways of working that make it easier to do excellent work.
For organisational partners, my focus is good performance and retention. Inclusion becomes real through practice. It sits in hiring decisions, onboarding, everyday management, and progression. We help leaders and teams make expectations explicit, improve communication, and reduce the friction that quietly drains time and confidence. We put the right support in place early, when it is simpler to act and easier to maintain trust.
My personal link to neurodiversity
I grew up in a neurodiverse family, with many ways of thinking, processing, and expressing. Difference was part of everyday life. That shaped my instincts, how I listen, and how I build environments where people can do their best thinking.
My link is also professional. I have led neurodivergent teams, and I have learned that the biggest unlock is often translation, not motivation. I have strong pattern recognition, so I tend to see quickly where work is breaking down. A lot of difficulty comes from gaps: a knowledge gap about what is expected, an importance gap about why it matters, and an action gap in follow-through. When those gaps sit in the system, good people end up spending energy on guessing. So my question is usually simple: what in the system is making good work harder than it needs to be, and what would close the gap quickly. Then I get on with solutions that people can use.
What I do for fun
I have plenty of it. I intentionally lead a balanced life, and I protect it. I spend quality time in nature, being outdoors, gardening, and swimming. Music matters to me a lot, and I dance and play instruments whenever I can. I am an active learner, so I often pick up a new skill just to see what it teaches me.
Also, wherever I go, I value community. I like spending time across generations, playing games, singing karaoke, and volunteering with family and friends. In all areas of my life, including and especially at work, I make room for joy.
Feel free to support what I am learning and building at ASM by connecting with me on LinkedIn and on Instagram at @melba.asm and @asmpeople.