NORTHERN - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Audit Committee
- Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries
Ann grew up and was schooled in South Yorkshire. After graduating from the University of Manchester with a BA Hons in Psychology, she trained as an accountant and subsequently as a Company Secretary, taking various roles including Financial Accountant at the Institute of Cancer Research, Company Secretary at KAE Group Ltd and Company Secretary at Samuelson Group. In 1990 Ann became General Treasurer for the Confederation of Health Service Employees before becoming Director of Budgets and Resources at UNISON (the merged public services union), during which time she also studied for her MA in Strategic Financial Management at Kingston University.
In 2000, Ann joined the Institute of Hospitality and as Managing Director of Hospitality Assured, and Deputy Chief Executive of the Institute of Hospitality the professional body for leaders and aspiring leaders in the hospitality, tourism and leisure sectors, had extensive experience of advising hospitality providers in all sectors on business excellence processes and service development.
Ann is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators, as well as of the Institute of Hospitality.
Being a long time independent member of the Northern College Audit Committee, a previous governor of Kingston University and Chair of Governors at Nash College Bromley, has provided her with a good grounding in education governance.
Ann is married and lives in Surrey. Her interests include, time permitting, travel, reading, theatre, music and gardening.
Since 2011, Bob has been an FE and AE consultant and prior to that worked in colleges as a teacher, advanced practitioner, curriculum manager (Head of English) and cross college manager (Head of Professional Development and Teacher Training).
He has helped many colleges to implement action learning projects (e.g. supported experiments), peer learning initiatives, research projects and a wide range of other QI initiatives. He has also supported organisations like the Ministry of Defence, Rolls Royce, BUPA, The AA, Smurfit Kappa, ACAS and Local Government organisations.
As a trained cognitive behavioural therapist and hypnotherapist, he helps staff, managers and students to develop resilience, self efficacy and good mental well-being on an individual level or by implementing whole college initiatives.
Bob is a massive advocate of coaching and works with students, teachers, support staff and managers to develop their coaching skills and embed coaching and mentoring across organisations to enhance the student experience and enable staff to engage in productive, creative and solution focused conversations with each other and external stakeholders.
Bob is fully committed to the further and adult education sectors and fully supports the ethos, values and ambition of Northern College to meet the needs of students and the local community and meet local priorities in relation to social inclusion and employability.
Job Titles:
- Chairman - Curriculum, Quality and Student Experience Committee
Colin is a highly qualified and experienced practitioner in the further education and skills and higher education sectors, who is comfortable in a range of leadership and governance settings. Colin has recent experience on University, College and Awarding Body boards. He is honorary university visiting research fellow at Leeds Trinity University where he is also a visiting lecturer. Colin's current and recent experience relate to the development of technical education including collaborative models, teaching of technical subjects and leadership. He has also been supporting the Education and Training Foundation with Offender Learning and the implementation of the Prevent Duty.
Previous roles have included with the Learning and Skills Improvement Service and also as LSC Regional Learning and Quality Director. In this role he led the teams for Quality Improvement, Equality and Diversity, Health and Safety and Learners with Disabilities and/or Difficulties.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Principal - Student Experience
Diane Lawson is passionate about education and the learning experience of students. She has worked in education for the past 34 years and has held senior positions for the past 13 years as an Associate Director and Assistant Principal. Diane has a strong leadership background within Further and Higher Education and is committed to the student journey, working with sensitivity and perseverance to create ambition and change to meet student need.
As a qualified Psychotherapist, Clinical Supervisor and Executive Coach, Diane has a special interest in mental health and wellbeing and is driven to improve practice as well as outcomes for students. Diane has extensive knowledge and experience within the field of safeguarding, Prevent and supporting legislation. Diane is the Designated Safeguarding Lead for Northern College, and she is a Board member of Barnsley Safeguarding Adults Board and Barnsley Silver Prevent. Diane has previously worked supporting mental health and wellbeing for students locally, nationally (in Healthy Colleges) and internationally in Denmark, Sweden, Germany, Austria, Romania and Italy.
Sue's home is in Sheffield and she worked in Sheffield local authority for 20 years, firstly as a teacher in 4 different secondary schools and then as a schools adviser. Then she moved into national policy work, including writing (and rewriting!) the National Curriculum and supervising the national tests. She also led work on the content and shape of examinations at GCSE and A Level, and of regulating the exam boards. Her last national role was Director of Curriculum for England.
Sue has then gone on to help several countries to consider their strategy and policy for education. She has led teams from the ministries of education in Rwanda and Oman, in revising the shape and content of their whole school curriculum and assessment arrangements.
Since leaving her national role she has been both a Board member and the chair of several charities, both in mainstream education provision and in arts organisations which work with young people and schools on local and national levels.
Sue's first involvement with young people was through teaching English, and she has continued to support a love of reading and writing, particularly in young people. She has been involved in research and projects on creative writing internationally. In 2013 she was awarded an MBE for Services to Literature.
She has always believed in the power of education to offer essential skills, knowledge and understanding, and to improve life chances for all and hopes to help Northern College students find their futures through studying here.
Elin is MCIPD qualified and has nearly 20 years experience within the field of HR. Before taking on her current leadership position at Northern College Elin gained HR experience in local authority, further education and higher education. Elin has a breadth of experience in the field of HR with specific expertise in recruitment and resourcing, employee engagement and employee relations.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive
- Member of the Leadership & Governance Leadership Team
- Member of the Leadership & Governance Meet the Governors Team
- Principal
Emma Beal is an experienced education professional who has led, managed and delivered across a broad spectrum of educational areas within South Yorkshire over the last 22 years. The key thread of this work is securing educational inclusion. As Principal and Chief Executive of The Northern College, her role is to continue the proud and distinguished history of inspiring positive change through adult education. Emma is committed to ensuring students are equipped with the necessary skills to participate and succeed across all aspects of their lives.
Emma's experience, knowledge and skills include developing new curriculum, quality improvement and partnership. Her previous roles include Assistant Principal for Curriculum, Quality and Market Development here at Northern College and Assistant Director for Lifelong Learning at Sheffield City Council. Emma has a Masters in Science (Health & Wellbeing) and was able to use this learning and research to contribute to wider educational policy development in the local area. Emma is the College Ofsted nominee and a member of the College Safeguarding Team.
Eve is currently studying at Northern College for an Access to HE Diploma in psychology. In addition to serving as Student Governor, she also serves on the Student Council and Safeguarding Committee.
Job Titles:
- Head of Student Support Services
Katie has over 20 years experience working in the FE sector within student support services, including enquiries and admissions, careers and progression, additional learning support, safeguarding and library and learning resources.
Job Titles:
- Director of Quality and Curriculum Development
Job Titles:
- Head of Estates & Facilities
Mark has worked in the estates and facilities and building/estate management sector for almost 40 years working predominantly within the public realm (education and policing environments). Mark started his career as an apprentice plumbing and mechanical services engineer and went on to specialise in the refurbishment of architectural leadwork. He has been involved in numerous heritage leadwork refurbishment schemes and refurbished leadwork to the Halifax Piece Hall Bell Tower, Halifax Borough Market and Halifax Town Hall. Mark went on to study for numerous professional and academic qualifications as an adult learner, gaining a B.Sc. (Hons) degree in 1999.
Mark has had significant input into the design of numerous high profile public buildings across West Yorkshire and has managed complex and specialist tactical and operational policing sites both regionally and nationally.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board of Governors
Mark is committed to the education and learning environment and holds/held a range of positions including:
Formerly, Mark was the Chief Executive of Bury Council until 2011, and prior to that held a number of senior officer positions at Oldham and Leeds City Council.
Matthew has resided in the Yorkshire region for the last 27 years, moving to the area from his hometown of Swansea, Wales. A Business Studies graduate from the University of Humberside, Matthew has vast experience and boasts an effective track record within the property industry, recently playing a key role in the regeneration of the Barnsley town centre with the flagship Gateway Plaza project. He is also a board member of Barnsley 2030, the Barnsley Town Centre Programme, and Barnsley Inclusive Economy Board. In addition to these roles, and his role as Director of Castlebray Services Limited, Matthew has a leading position on Barnsley & Rotherham Chamber of Commerce Board as President, giving him a broad network of contacts within the Sheffield City Region. Matthew has an extensive experience in placemaking by maximising the potential of public spaces to help regenerate localities, create new jobs, and improve skillsets within the local community.
Neil has over the 30 years' experience in public service, including a short stint working in Northern College's finance department in the early 1990's.
Neil is currently the Director of Finance [S151 Officer] at Barnsley Council leading on all aspects of the Council's financial affairs, procurement and contract management, benefits & taxation, and internal audit.
He is also the Treasurer to the South Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Authority and a member of the Sheffield City Region Mayoral Combined Authority Director of Finance network.
Operating at Corporate Leadership Team level for well over a decade Neil has a wealth of experience in developing and implementing innovative financial strategy, providing stability and certainty in unprecedented times, enabling the delivery of strategic ambitions, and helping organisations to become and remain high performing entities.
Job Titles:
- Head of Finance
- Staff Governor - Business Support
Neil has 25 years' experience of working in finance and has held various roles in the private, third and education sectors. He is an FCCA qualified accountant and completed all his studies (much!) earlier in his career whilst working full-time, so understands and values the contribution of adult education and the power it has to change lives and enable individual self-worth.
Neil has been employed at the College since March 2015 and enjoys the challenges and subsequent achievements that come with working here. For Neil the best part of working at the College is seeing the positive effect that education has on the students' lives and the outcomes they achieve because of this.
Neil is the Head of Finance at Northern College and is a staff governor.
Neil is a qualified accountant and has worked for a variety of organisations in the private, third and education sectors. Neil always aims to contribute as a board member wherever he can, using his knowledge and experience to help the College in a governance capacity.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Remuneration Committee
- Historian
- Chairman - Remuneration Committee / Professor Tim Thornton Has Long Been Involved in Higher Education in South and West Yorkshire, With [ ]
- Professor
Professor Tim Thornton has long been involved in Higher Education in South and West Yorkshire, with a particular interest in the expansion of opportunities in high quality university study.
Tim has worked at the University of Huddersfield for over fifteen years. Appointed Head of the Department of History, English, Languages and Media in 2003, Tim was on secondment at University Centre Barnsley as its first Head during 2005-06 and became Dean of the School of Music, Humanities and Media in October 2006. He was appointed Pro Vice-chancellor (Teaching and Learning) in October 2008. Tim was appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in September 2015.
Tim is a historian who studied at New College, Oxford. In 1997 he was awarded the Royal Historical Society's David Berry Prize for his work on the Isle of Man; in 1999 he was proxime accessit for the Society's Alexander Prize for an essay on the palatinate of Durham. He was the first scholar based in a new University to win one of the Society's prizes.
Ray has spent over 40 years providing IT services to the world wide financial industry. He worked for Midland Bank (then HSBC) in network and computer operations up until the 1990s. He became Managing Director of Transaction Network Services UK in 1995, taking the business from a start-up with zero employees, no revenues and no customers, to become the leading provider of payments networks in the UK, with 250 employees, 95% market share and £60M in revenues. Subsequently, Ray ran their European business and then moved to Washington DC to run their global payments business where he lived for 7 years. Ray's key strengths are communication skills, technology, people management and mentoring, business process, project management, revenue creation and profit generation.
Sarah has been clerk since 2010 and holds the ICSA Certificate in FE Governance. Prior to Northern College Sarah spent 15 years in a range of management roles in both FE and HE, including business development, commercial and student support. She has also clerked at a HE institution and undertaken a non-executive role in the NHS.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Board of Governors
Seb has lived in Heeley, Sheffield, for over 40 years.
He rejoined Northern College's governing body in April 2021 following a three year stint as chair of governors of The Sheffield College, where he had served as a governor since 2008. Seb is a member of Northern College's Audit Committee.
Seb spent over 20 years teaching and writing training courses for trade union representatives for the TUC, initially at the former Granville College in Sheffield. During the 1990s he became a specialist in online learning, since when he has worked for a wide range of private and public sector organisations helping them make better use of digital learning.
Seb stood down in 2012 after ten years as Chief Executive of the Association for Learning Technology, the leading professional body for Learning Technology in the UK. Between 2012 and 2021 Seb was a trustee of NOCN Group, the Sheffield-based awarding and end-point assessment organisation.
Steve has over 10 years' experience working in the FE sector focusing on business systems and business intelligence solutions, MIS and ICT functions including the physical and digital infrastructure, curriculum planning and funding.
Job Titles:
- Deputy Principal / Chief Finance Officer
Sue Saunders has over 23 years' experience in the Further Education and Skills sector, 16 years of which have been at a senior level within in a number of FE Colleges. She is passionate about education and the role it plays in transforming peoples lives and offering new opportunities, as well as having a significant positive impact on the local and national economy.
Sue is a qualified CIMA accountant, having had strategic oversight across a wide range of functions including Financial Management, Strategic Planning, Curriculum Planning Information Services, Data Analysis, ICT, Business Development and Partnership Management.