A determined optimist, Rachel (maiden name Di Biase) believes in the transformative power of good communication and is proud to be championing girls’ education. As a communications strategist, and ex-London agency creative, with over 25 years’ experience of creating award-winning campaigns working with some of the world’s most successful companies including Diageo, Coca-Cola, Nike and more, she’s enjoying working alongside the GSA team to power-up opportunities for girls.

Rachel said: “At the heart of all the work I create with teams, is my absolute interest and curiosity in opening conversations, dialogues, and open-minded debates on important issues. From the playful to critically sensitive I enjoy the whole gamut. My starting point is – how can we make a difference, what thinking are we looking to nudge, what cultural shifts do we want to see, who do we want to influence, and what really matters? 

“Well, girls and young women certainly matter. Looking at the world squarely in the eyes it’s very clear things are not as they should be for women, and that’s why the work of the Girls’ Schools Association is such a powerful force for good, and so urgently needed. As a communicator, I see my role as central to giving voice and power to young women, their advocates, and allies. My dream is that every girl can live the life she chooses, and feel free to unleash all her brilliance and passions into the world.

“I work with GSA’s leadership team, inspirational headteachers, and whole school communities on GSA’s mission to empower girls to live life to its fullest. It's meant I’ve been lucky to work closely with GSA’s President Heather Hanbury over the year (who you may have heard of!) which has been terrifically good fun – everyone should ‘be a bit more Heather’!

“There’s also something fundamentally life-affirming in one of the boldest girls from LEH paying it forward for future female stars (just ask my classmates…or on second thoughts maybe not!).”