AGBIS BOARD ELECTION – 2021 CANDIDATE INFORMATION Paul Dillon-Robinson (Current Board Member Standing for Re-Election) Represe
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AGBIS BOARD ELECTION – 2021 CANDIDATE INFORMATION Paul Dillon-Robinson (Current Board Member standing for re-election) Representative of School/College: Hurstpierpoint College Personal Statement: I am a chartered accountant who has spent the majority of my career in head of internal audit roles in the public sector; both in the NHS and at the House of Commons. My particular interest has been in governance, both in its fundamental principles and the models that have developed. I currently have a small portfolio of public sector NED roles, with training and tutoring (lockdown permitting). I have been a governor at Hurst (a Woodard school) for 9 years and am currently involved in the development of governance arrangements for a Multi-Academy Trust. I am seeking re-election for a second term on the board, having been a member of the Training & Membership and Nominations & Governance committees, as well as involved in reviews of governance. I hope that I can provide continuity of support to the executive team as the association goes forward. Mike Gregson (current Board member standing for re-election) Representative of School/College: The Edinburgh Academy Personal Statement: I am currently Chair of the AGBIS Nominations and Governance Committee and am seeking re-election to the AGBIS Board. I have a life-long interest in education and recently retired as Chair of The Edinburgh Academy, a co-educational day school with over 1,000 pupils aged between 2 and 18 years. I remain connected to the school as Chair of The Edinburgh Academy Foundation and The Eric H Stevenson Charitable Trust. I have also been a trustee of a number of charities and pension funds and am currently Chair of the RSNO Pension Scheme. I graduated from the University of Manchester with a degree in Electrical and Electronic Engineering. After spells working in industry I obtained an MBA from Manchester Business School. I then worked in the financial services sector in London and Edinburgh, latterly being heavily involved in a number of major regulatory initiatives. Page 1 of 10 AGBIS BOARD ELECTION – 2021 CANDIDATE INFORMATION Richard Peers (Current co-opted Board Member standing for election as Member representative) Representative of School/College: Christ Church Cathedral School Personal Statement: My whole adult life has been spent working in schools as a Primary school teacher and later Deputy Head; school chaplain; Secondary Head in south-east London, and Executive Head of an all through school, before being Director of Education for 119 schools in the Diocese of Liverpool. In Liverpool I was the founding CEO of the Diocesan Multi Academy Trust which grew to 17 Primary and Secondary schools. For several years I was a Trustee of the Woodard Academies Trust and worked closely with the Woodard Corporation of schools. Currently Sub Dean at Christ Church, I am Vice Chair at our boarding prep school and take on all the day to day Chairing duties on behalf of the Dean. I am also Chair at a state primary school in the city. As well as cross phase educational expertise I have developed appropriate financial skills for large, complex organisations. Alison Martin (Current Board Member standing for re-election) Representative of School/College: Battle Abbey School Personal Statement: I served as Bursar to two maintained sector and two independent schools over 25 years retiring 3 years ago after which I did a couple of part-time interim roles to aid schools and colleagues local to me. I was Treasurer for the ISBA in 2010 and Chairman in 2011 and 2012 and served on their committee for 8 years. I am currently a Governor of three independent day and boarding schools, over 9 years. I am Vice Chairman for one and Chairman of Finance for another. I also serve as a Trustee (school adviser) on the CCFA. My qualifications are financial but I have significant experience of the whole range of Bursar and senior leadership roles including developing strategy, HR and Health & Safety. I have enjoyed serving and contributing on the AGBIS board and hope to continue for a further 3 years. Page 2 of 10 AGBIS BOARD ELECTION – 2021 CANDIDATE INFORMATION Maureen Adams Representative of School/College: Rydes Hill School Personal Statement: I started my working life at the Bank of England, working for most of my 10 years in Staff Recruitment. I moved in to the Education sector in January 1991. Having worked for almost 10 years in the State Sector, I moved into the Independent Sector in August 2000. I was employed as Bursar and Clerk to the Governors at Reigate St Mary’s (pre-prep and prep school, Holy Trinity Convent School – senior and prep school and Rokeby School, pre-prep and prep school. During my time at Rokeby (14 years) I trained as a CTI and have undertaken ISI inspections. I served a term as a Director for the ISBA, working particularly with the Small Schools Groups. I have presented at ISBA conferences and training sessions. I became a Governor at Rydes Hill School in 2019 and sit on the Finance and Strategic committees. Rosie Allen Representative of School/College: City of London School for Boys Personal Statement: I am the Safeguarding Governor for City of London School for Boys and also sit as a Non-Executive Director (with responsibility for Safeguarding) on the Board of the Radnor House Schools group. My experience in independent school leadership spans all stages, having held positions as Head of a 7-11 Preparatory school and Head of a 7-18 through school, where I was part of the founding team. I am currently Head of a 3-11 Preparatory School in the West Country. I have also held governorships in the maintained sector, and served a two year term as a Non-Executive Director for an education company. I am passionate about supporting and informing effective and excellent school leadership. Page 3 of 10 AGBIS BOARD ELECTION – 2021 CANDIDATE INFORMATION Tom Beardmore-Gray Representative of School/College: The Cothill Trust Personal Statement: Currently Chief Executive of a Prep Schools Group, Vice President of Council at University of Reading and Chair of Remuneration Committee, and Trustee of Prep School Baccalaureate (PSB). Formerly Chief Financial Officer of The Girls Day School Trust (GDST), Director of GDST Academy Trust, Chairman of Governors at Lambrook Prep School in Berkshire. Chartered accountant with over 20 years of business experience with Price Waterhouse, Pepsi Cola and De Beers. Director of various De Beers subsidiaries in Canada, India and the Far East. Extensive experience of financial management in schools, school mergers and acquisitions, governance of a group of schools and the prep school sector. Jonathan Carroll Representative of School/College: Abingdon School Personal Statement: I have been a Governor in both Prep and Senior Schools for the last eleven years, encompassing single sex and co-ed, day and boarding settings, sitting mainly on the Education sub- committees, as well as the Full Board. In addition, I was Headmaster of a Prep School for 18 years. I believe I would bring a wealth of experience and knowledge to the AGBIS Board, fulfilling their specific requirements to have Board Members with both Prep school experience and Governor expertise across a wide variety of organisations. My passion has always been providing the best educational environment for pupils in our care. I have continued to work in education as the Director of Education for the Pre-Senior Baccalaureate, providing a framework for skills-based learning in Prep schools all over the country. I provide advice, training opportunities and introduce new educational initiatives while managing consistency, process and procedures. Page 4 of 10 AGBIS BOARD ELECTION – 2021 CANDIDATE INFORMATION Sam Coutinho Representative of School/College: Plymouth College Personal Statement: I qualified as an accountant in the corporate sector in 1996 and very soon after realised that I was destined to develop my career in the charity and education sectors. For 22 years I provided internal and external audit, and advisory services to independent schools and now provide risk and governance advice to the education sector and a wide range of charities including membership organisations. I also hold a risk qualification. My interest in governance and risk started at Crowe UK and was further developed as Head of Education at Haysmacintyre. I have been a governor for almost 20 years. I am currently a governor at Plymouth College, St Ignatius College and a member of the Ivy Learning Multi Academy Trust. All these roles have given me tremendous insight into the governance and risk challenges facing governors. Recently I have started supporting schools in developing their diversity and inclusion strategy. Elizabeth Garner Representative of School/College: Truro School Personal Statement: As a lifetime educationalist the buzz of being involved in schools and school development has never dimmed. I have worked in three preparatory schools, two as Head (Perse Girls Junior School, Cambridge, 2003 – 2006, Forest Preparatory School, E17, 2006 – 2012). Whilst a Head I served as a Governor at Fairstead House, Newmarket, 2005 – 2014; and then post Headship, as Governor at Ipswich School (2012 – 2020), and since 2013 at Truro School. There I am Joint Vice-Chair, Chair of the Education Committee, a member of the Governance and Nominations Committee and have the privilege to be the Nominated Staff Liaison Governor. In addition to leadership particular strengths are evolving vision and strategy which becomes the heartbeat of the school; instilling an ambition in all to always aspire to do better; and, communication. I am a proactive member of IAPS and for 10 years was an ISI Inspector. Page 5 of 10 AGBIS BOARD ELECTION – 2021 CANDIDATE INFORMATION Vernon Hales Representative of School/College: St Joseph's in the Park Personal Statement: I retire from my current post in August 2021, after eighteen years as Head at Aldwickbury, preceded by ten years as Deputy Head in two schools.