As former Deputy Director at the Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA), she led regional, cross-regional, and national teams, delivering executive leadership and governance interventions to drive improvement. Her work required expertise in policy delivery, funding, HR, estates and capital projects, change management, risk assessment, data analysis, and effective communication.

Catherine has collaborated with Regional Schools Commissioners, senior leaders, Ministers, and special advisors on high-level projects. She currently serves as Director, Vice-Chair, and Chair of the Finance and General Purposes Committee for Richard Huish Trust in Taunton. Her previous roles include Interim Executive Board Member for a Taunton secondary school, Finance Director, and Clerk to the Corporation Board of a Further Education college.

In this role, Chris leads national policy development and designs strategic data services that inform decisions and actions impacting the environment. He engages with external stakeholders to deliver the Agency’s goals and outcomes, while managing a team of 15 and an annual project budget of approximately £1 million, ensuring robust financial controls and value for money.

Chris chairs business and project boards and has represented the UK internationally, including chairing a United Nations Task Force and serving as the UK representative on a global working group focused on the use of satellite data.

Before retiring in 2020, Peter served as Chief Human Resources Officer and qualified Solicitor for TMK Ipsco, a major U.S.-based company. In this role, he was accountable to the Board for all aspects of HR, company-wide security, marketing, and communications, managing a budget of approximately $130 million annually and overseeing a workforce of around 2,000 employees. He led a team of over 35 staff, including four direct reports.

Peter’s career also includes senior roles at National Power and BG Group. He has long championed partnerships between education and industry, promoting access to career information, training programs, and facility visits. As former Chair of the HR Committee for the Steel Manufacturers Association in Washington, D.C., Peter supported initiatives to raise awareness of careers in the steel industry.

Jo played a key role in the conversion of Ralph Allen School from a trust foundation school to a Single Academy Trust and later to a Multi-Academy Trust. Prior to joining the education sector, Jo worked in a similar leadership role within the Police Service.

Beyond her professional responsibilities, Jo is deeply committed to her community. She serves as Chair of the Youth Club that runs the Green Room in Box and has recently become a governor at St Stephen’s Church School, part of Bath and Wells MAT. Previously, Jo was a parent governor at a Catholic primary school attended by her daughter.

Family and children are central to Jo’s values. Growing up with foster parents, Jo has 29 foster brothers and sisters, giving her a unique understanding of diverse family dynamics and the importance of inclusive support for all children.

Helen has a strong track record in school improvement, successfully leading one school from “Requires Improvement” to “Good.” In March 2022, she was appointed CEO of DCET, where she continues to grow and strengthen the Multi-Academy Trust and deliver a robust School Improvement Offer. Helen holds NPQH and NPQEL qualifications.

She previously served as Head of Finance at Reach South Academy Trust and Palladian, where she developed a strong understanding of compliance and the Academies Trust Handbook.A qualified accountant with ACCA accreditation, Maxine offers a broad range of expertise in financial management and operational strategy, supporting the Trust’s continued growth and sustainability.

In September 2023, Richard joined the Trust as Director of School Improvement, where he has developed a comprehensive School Improvement Offer and built a strong team. He has also expanded Trust-wide learning networks in key areas including SEND, English, Maths, RE, and Curriculum, with plans to extend these further across all subject areas. Richard holds NPQH.

Previous to this he served 22 years in HM Forces within the food service and logistics arena. Stuart has a broad knowledge of estates, H & S, compliance and facilities services to support the educational environment.

Claire was part of the first cohort of National Leaders of Governance and has supported nursery to post sixteen and state boarding school settings.