Governance

Appointed 2016, Former Parent

Robert became a governor in 2016 and is a former parent. Robert is Global Chief Investment Officer for Univest (Unilever), non-executive Chair of the Reed Elsevier Pensions Scheme Investment & Funding Committee, Chair of the Investment Committee of the British Heart Foundation, and Chair of the Advisory Panel of INQUIRE. He is also a non-executive director of Circulor plc. Prior to his portfolio career, he held several senior roles in investment consulting and asset management. He is a graduate of the University of London and holds a Masters Degree in Economics. Robert is based in Kent but spends time in France.

Appointed 2023

Colin has taught in maintained and independent schools in age range form 3-18 in the United kingdom and New Zealand. Having previously been Headmaster of Great Walstead he then moved to Bedales Prep where he has been Head for the past 6 years. A graduate of Waikato University (New Zealand) where he gained Bachelor of Education and Diploma of Teaching. He has also gained the qualification of Professional Practice, Boarding Management – Honours level from Roehampton University. Presently completing ILM Level 7 Certificate for Executive Coaches and Mentors through the Institute of Leadership and Management (ILM). He also holds the national Qualification of Headship (NPQH).  He has been a Director of Itrust – the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS)’ Charitable arm and been a Director of the IAPS. He currently sits on the Advisory Board of IAPS and the Education Committee.

Appointed 2019

Sophie was appointed as a governor in 2020. Having previously worked at Ardingly Prep, she moved to Croydon High GDST where she was first Head of Junior School and now has responsibility for Sixth Form. A graduate of Exeter University, where she gained a 1st class degree in Education and Maths, she has enjoyed a career in teaching where she has experienced both state and independent schools, girls only and co-ed and taught from Pre Prep to Sixth Form.

Appointed 2015

Siân became a Governor of Ardingly College in 2015. She is a law graduate having attended Exeter University where she obtained an LLB. Following this Siân qualified as a solicitor in a niche corporate firm in her native Wales. Sian has subsequently become a Partner at Knights Solicitors where she heads up the Corporate and Education team in Oxford. Her practice focuses on mergers and acquisitions with a particular specialism in charitable organisations including schools.

Appointed 2013, Old Ardinian, Current Parent

Guy left Ardingly College in 1996 after seven years at the school and continues to live locally in Haywards Heath. He went on to read Urban Planning and Management at the University of Nottingham before joining DTZ in London. In 2001 he joined Cluttons before moving to Savills in 2006 where he is a Planning Director advising major clients including Imperial College London, Catesby Estates, Brighton & Hove City Council and Crest Nicholson.

Appointed 2023.

Laura is the Principal of Radlett Preparatory School, a co-educational prep school in Hertfordshire, having previously held the role of Head of Junior School at Haberdashers’ Girls’ School. A graduate of Southampton University, where she gained a degree in Psychology, Laura has enjoyed a career in teaching over the past 17 years, across both state and independent sectors, both single sex and co-educational.

Stephen was Deputy Chief Executive and Executive Director of Regulation at NHS Improvement with responsibility for all regulatory issues across the provider side of the NHS from 2015 – 2019.  Prior to that, he was Chief Operating Officer and then Managing Director at Monitor, the regulator of Foundation Trust hospitals, which he helped establish in 2004. During his time in health he had national responsibility for strategic planning, finance, board appointments, sector performance and regulatory interventions.

Prior to 2004 Stephen worked for KPMG in a variety of roles within Corporate Finance, Transaction Services and Assurance services. He advised corporate and private equity clients on mergers and acquisitions, IPOs, due diligence and risk management.

Stephen’s other roles have included being a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Department for Communities and Local Government where he served as Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for 6 years.

He is currently a Trustee of the World Wildlife Fund where he chairs the Audit and Risk Committee. Stephen is also a senior adviser to PwC, advising on healthcare, regulation and corporate governance in the UK and internationally.

Appointed 2023.

Georgina has an extensive background in executive search having worked for the international search firm Perrett Laver for over 10 years within their Global Schools Practice, appointing Heads and C-suite candidates to Schools across the globe.

In 2022 she joined Nurole, a technology powered board level search specialist ranked in the Financial Times 1,000 fastest growing companies in Europe, where she is growing the education practice.

She is currently a local board member at The Burgess Hill Academy, a mixed 11-16 secondary and part of University of Brighton Academies Trust.

Appointed 2012

Louise Lindsay has more than 30 years’ experience in HR and was the HR Director for Imperial College for ten years until May 2020. Louise now has a portfolio career. She continues to work part-time for Imperial College as Director of Safeguarding and College Projects where she is the accountable College officer for Ofsted, DBS and UKVI. Louise is a Trustee Director for the SAUL Pension Scheme (Superannuation Arrangements for the University of London) and will become Chair of the Scheme in 2021. In 2020 Louise was appointed by HMCTS to the judicial position of non-legal member of the Employment Tribunals hearing cases in the London South region.

Appointed 2019, Current Parent

Jenny is a Partner at coaching and advisory firm, Stork & May. Jenny spent the first 25 years of her career as a management consultant advising the Boards of a number of FTSE companies. She co-founded her own business in 2000 and sold it to Mercer in 2015, where she worked for a further 4 years before joining Stork & May. Jenny now coaches CEOs and supports senior executives through career change. She has a keen interest in mental health in the workplace and in 2020 completed her post-graduate Diploma in Psychology and Neuroscience at King’s College London. Jenny also holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Oxford.

Appointed 2021

Richard is Director of Academic Services at Imperial College London, where he has worked since 2011. He leads the university’s student services and is responsible for the interface of academic operations between faculties and Imperial’s central services. Richard has also worked at University College London in the Faculty of Engineering Sciences and spent two years in South Australia establishing a postgraduate facility focussed on energy and resources. Richard holds a degree in History from Durham University.

Appointed 2016
Rt Reverend Jonathan Meyrick was educated at Lancing College and St John’s College, Oxford. Bishop Jonathan was previously the Bishop of Lynn and is currently Provost at Lancing, Hurst and Arding