Trustees

Trustee Name Brief Biography

Bill Watkin CBE

Appointed March 2017
  • Chair of Trustees
  • CEO of the Sixth Form Colleges Association
  • Daily working with ministers and officials to inform and shape education policy initiatives and developments
  • Stakeholder engagement and representation with media, regulatory authorities, unions and professional associations
  • Formerly Director of Academies at SSAT, delivering the DfE’s Academy Support Programme
  • Author and editor of a number of publications on big issues in education

Ash Ali

Appointed September 2019
  • Chief Executive Officer
  • History and Politics Teacher - 2003 onwards
  • Advanced Skills Teacher New Technologies 2005 onwards
  • Senior school leader in London schools since 2008
  • Led the development for Richmond Council of curriculum provision for post-16 education across all borough schools.
  • Headteacher of Chessington School from 2015
     

Han Ley Tang

Appointed June 2020
  • Vice Chair of Trustees. Finance and Risk & Audit Committees.
  • Currently the Chief Information Officer of Clarion Housing Group. With 360,000 residents in 125,000 homes and a presence in more than 170 local authorities, Clarion Housing is the UK's largest housing association. 
  • Expertise in digital transformation, with previous roles at AJW Aviation, VetCT, UBS, PwC, and Deloitte.
  • Fellow of the British Computing Society. 
  • Degree in Natural Sciences from Trinity College, University of Cambridge

Isabella Donnelly

Appointed March 2021
  • Standards and Performance Committee
  • Entrepreneur, Co-founder, and former Managing Director of a leading education marketing consultancy
  • Currently running own education consultancy business, including coaching and mentoring
  • Accomplished and renowned trainer in the field of strategic education marketing
  • Recently launched a new creative upcycling business
  • Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing
  • Governor for Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
  • Non-Executive Director of an IT recruitment agency
  • Volunteer for several local charities including Teddington & Hampton Wick Voluntary Care and Kingston NHS Hospital
  • Published author

Julian Knott

Appointed June 2020
  • Finance and Risk and Audit Committees
  • CEO of Monte Alto Solutions - a Strategic Consultancy and Systems Integrator (specialising in the Travel, Tourism, Transportation and Hospitality Industry and wider ecosystem).
  • Combining Boardroom strategy / IT strategy / Marketing strategy / transformation and change / employee management engagement and connectivity / futureproofing / leading edge IT and cloud
  • Specialist consultant/ trainer on ESG/ CSR and GDPR and corporate culture
  • Providing Training services to IATA for Management in the Travel sector
  • Chair of Grey Court School (previously Chair of Fern Hill School)
  • Formerly Chair of Inspire Hounslow - Charity focussed on programmes benefitting disadvantaged / disenfranchised young people
  • Advisory Board member of Springboard - charity focussed on benefitting young people joining the Hospitality sector
  • RNLI Teddington - DLA and Admin manager
  • Background: leadership roles in Global Travel organisations based in the UK, US and Middle East, MD Dynorod (Director British Gas) / Franchise Organisations
  • Background Charity organisations: Community Initiatives Partnerships  Operations Director  / plus long term board level project roles in Marie Curie / Victim support / VSO and Help the Hospices

Clair Craven

Appointed March 2021
  • Standards and Performance Committee, Designated Safeguarding Trustee
  • Marketing Consultant with over 20 years experience in ICT growth organisations. 
  • Board Director with leadership roles in global sales, marketing and product development 
  • Senior level experience of aviation, financial services, banking and public sector; defence, health and education
  • Post grad diploma in Professional Marketing (CIM), Diploma in digital and interactive marketing (IDM). BA Hons Business Studies.
  • LLG & Chair of Governor’s to two Surrey Infant schools

Mo El Guindi

Appointed January 2021
  • Chair of Finance Committee
  • Chairman and CEO of Bluekeep Investments, a private asset management company
  • Previously worked for over 30 years in various international investment banking roles, latterly with Credit Suisse.  
  • Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA)
  • Director, Roehampton Club
  • Member of Committee that helped create an attractive children’s playground in Barnes in conjunction with Richmond Council
  • Adviser to the philanthropy team at the British Red Cross
  • Treasurer for Barnes Cricket Club

Vacancy

  

Vacancy
  • Risk and Audit Committee
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