John May

John May CVO OBE DL has been a Deputy Lieutenant for Oxfordshire since 2018. He is part of the Lieutenancy team focused on Cherwell, is the Lieutenancy’s link to villages around Bicester and Kidlington, and holds the Lieutenancy’s youth organisations brief for the County. During the 2025/26 year, he also served as High Sheriff of Oxfordshire.

John is a campaigner, storyteller, teacher, youth worker, independent diplomat, writer, and broadcaster who has spent his career working with and for young people in the UK and around the world. He trained first as an actor and then as a teacher before working with children and young people in a variety of situations, ranging from schools in suburban England to refugee camps in Uganda. He became a headteacher at 28, developing a reputation for regenerating underperforming institutions.

John has since been the Education-Director of Business in the Community and Chief Executive of Career Ready and Young Enterprise. He helped found both Career Ready and teacher training programme ‘Teach First’. John was a recipient, in 2008, of The Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in recognition of his dedication to enterprise education. He received an honorary doctorate from the University of Bolton in recognition of his work in non-formal education and learning and, in 2020, an OBE for his services to young people. John received a CVO in the 2025 New Year Honours List for his work with The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

Within the charitable sector, John has served as non-executive director of UNICEF and was Secretary General of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award Foundation for 11 years, leading the development of the Award worldwide. He has also been Vice Chairman of the World Organization of the Scout Movement. John is a National Vice President of the Marine Society and Sea Cadets and, within Oxfordshire, is a Trustee of the Scouts and Chair of the Board of Trustees for Oxfordshire Youth. He is also a Stonewall Ambassador and a volunteer with Charity Mentors Oxfordshire.

Professionally, John is Chief Executive of Cats Protection.