Katie Ghose

Katie Sushila Ratna Ghose (born July 1970) is a British charity chief executive and campaigner. In May 2026, she was appointed chief executive of the Refugee Council, a national charity for refugees and people seeking asylum in England. She was previously CEO of KIDS , the Women's Aid Federation of England and the Electoral Reform Society.

Personal life and education Ghose was born in Shoreham by Sea, Sussex to an Indian father and English mother. She went to Boundstone Community College in Lancing, Sussex and Brighton, Hove & Sussex Sixth Form College. Ghose read law at Somerville College, Oxford. During her time at Oxford, she was editor of the student newspaper Cherwell. She then studied for a master's degree in political science at the University of California, Riverside.

Career

In the early part of her career Ghose worked in politics, law and charities. and was then parliamentary officer for the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureau (1994–95). Ghose qualified and practised as a barrister (1997–99), specialising in immigration, family and human rights law. Following her two-year law career she wrote Beyond the courtroom: A lawyer's guide to campaigning, which was published by the Legal Action Group in 2005.

On her return to the charity sector, Ghose worked for the Child Accident Prevention Trust (1999–2000) and for Age Concern (2000–05) as their national campaigns and parliamentary affairs manager,

Ghose was a council member of St George's House, Windsor Castle and was a trustee from 2019–2025. In 2025, she was appointed co-chair of Womankind Worldwide. She was an independent council member of the University of Sussex (2015–24), a board member of the US democracy group Fair Vote (2010–2017), a trustee and company secretary of Stonewall (2005–2011), and was chair of two charities, Asylum Aid (1997–99) and Bail for Immigration Detainees (2002–04). She also served as a commissioner on the Independent Asylum Commission from 2006 to 2008.

She became CEO of the Refugee Council in 2026. Politics

Ghose served as CEO of Women's Aid from 2017–19. She left by mutual agreement after video emerged of her online thanking UKIP and particularly the party's then-MP Douglas Carswell for his support for electoral reform.

After serving as a parliamentary aide to Labour MP Greville Janner, Ghose sought selection as a Labour Party parliamentary candidate in a number of constituencies prior to the 2015 general election.

2011 AV referendum

Ghose became CEO of the Electoral Reform Society in the autumn of 2010, during which she worked for six months as chair of the unsuccessful YES! To Fairer Votes campaign.