Mike Dennis is a Partner of Ares Credit Group and Co-Head of their European Credit division. As a Director of the PGL Group since its acquisition in early 2019, Mike took on the role of PGL Beyond Chairman in 2021 and has been instrumental in supporting the business during its recovery post Covid-19 pandemic. Mike continues to support PGL Beyond in its mission to provide more enriching learning experiences that make a positive impact on young people’s lives; chairing board discussions and providing a sounding board for our CEO on business strategy.

Oliver Ashforth-Shaw is a Managing Director in the Ares Credit Group. With deep expertise in strategic investment, Oliver plays a pivotal role in leading a number of Ares investments. Since November 2021, he has also served as a Non-Executive Director at PGL Beyond, representing Ares at Board meetings and championing the organisation’s focus on delivering life-changing experiences for young people from all backgrounds

Alex Jones is a Managing Director in the Ares Credit Group, with a remit for European direct lending. Alex has a wealth of experience in originating and executing debt investments on behalf of Ares Management for private equity and corporate clients. Since joining PGL Beyond as Non-Executive Director in 2021, Alex has provided valuable guidance to the leadership team and actively represents Ares at Board level. He is deeply inspired by PGL Beyond’s commitment to creating enriching and memorable experiences for young people.

Since his appointment in 2020, Anthony has set a clear direction for the business; developing strategic priorities to support our purpose of ‘unlocking potential in young people to shape brighter futures.
With support from our shareholder, Ares management, and an experienced leadership team, Anthony has guided the business through an exciting transformation, securing investment and driving innovation to deliver exceptional experiences for young people, all to the highest possible standards. As an experienced business leader, Anthony is focused on growing the PGL Beyond network, creating more breakthrough experiences for more young people, and making them accessible to all. Anthony is committed to ensuring PGL Beyond has a purpose beyond profit, leading our journey to achieve our B Corp accreditation and developing industry partnerships for wider social and environmental impact. Outside of work, Anthony is a keen cyclist, challenging himself in various demanding cycling events worldwide.

Nicole is responsible for overseeing the financial strategy for PGL Beyond and its network of brands, including all financial operations, reporting, compliance, and investment strategies. Alongside this, Nicole has wider responsibilities across IT and Internal Audit & Compliance. Nicole joined the business in 2025 as an accomplished Director of Finance, with over 6 years’ experience in the hospitality and retail sector. Nicole was awarded the Finance Awards Wales 2023 Chief Financial Officer / Finance Director of the year and Young Finance Director of the year in recognition of her achievements in refinancing, restructuring and maintaining financial stability during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sharon is the driving force behind our ‘people-first’ agenda. Leading the People & Culture team to deliver a number of sector-leading colleague welfare initiatives, Sharon is passionate about making PGL Beyond the employer of choice for our industry. A native of Northern Ireland, Sharon began her career in the NHS, focusing on people development, resourcing, colleague relations, business partnering and service delivery. Since joining the business in 2017, Sharon has helped navigate the pandemic; delivered several successful transformation programmes; and implemented strategies that continue to put our people first across our network of brands. Sharon continues to prioritise colleague wellbeing; taking responsibility for the colleague workstreams within our ESG strategy, leading our cross business purpose group and championing our B Corp accreditation.

Jake Wiid has served as a Non-Executive Director at PGL Beyond since January 2025, offering independent oversight and strategic support to help the organisation thrive for its colleagues, clients and partners. A passionate advocate of outdoor education, Jake has held a wide variety of roles in the sector and is currently Managing Director of EVOLVE Advice, where he leads efforts to support over 4000 schools in delivering safe and impactful educational visits.