BROCKENHURST COLLEGE - Key Persons
Caroline joined the Corporation in December 2020 and is a co-opted Governor member of the Standards and Finance Committee. She is currently Head of Library and Student Services at AECC University College and part of the Senior Management Team.
Caroline is a trained teacher and librarian.
Job Titles:
- International Administration Officer
Catalina is from Columbia, has lived in a few different countries and says she enjoys working within multicultural environments.
She has worked with International students for more than a decade and has experience of being an International student herself.
As a result, Catalina relates well to students who are embracing Further Education away from home.
She has a passion for helping students have the best experience possible at Brock and in the UK.
Danny is our 16-18 Student Governor and the Students' Union President. He is studying A Levels in English Language, Spanish and Government & Politics. Danny is a member of the Standards and Finance Committee.
Davina was appointed to the Board as a Governor in July 2015. She is Vice-Chair of the Employment and Personnel Committee. She was an Adult Student Governor from 2007-2008 while she was an Access to Higher Education student at the College.
She then completed a degree in Applied Biology (Health) at Bournemouth University, graduating in 2013 and using her degree to work for Hildon Ltd. Davina also holds a NEBOSH qualification in Health & Safety. She completed her PGCE through School Direct in collaboration with the University of Southampton. Davina currently works as a secondary school science teacher at The Bishop of Winchester Academy.
Gary is a Governor of the Corporation. He is also a member of the Audit Committee. He originally joined the Corporation as a Governor in 2008, retiring from the Board in 2013 but continuing as a co-opted member of the Employment and Personnel Committee until 2018. He was re-appointed to the Corporation as a Governor in 2018. He is also Health and Safety Governor Champion for the College.
Gary retired from the Police in 2015 having served in both the Metropolitan Police Service and Hampshire Constabulary for a combined period of over 30 years. He first became involved with the College while he was the Chief Inspector in charge of policing the New Forest district. He is now a security consultant and provides advice and guidance for international sports teams and event organisers.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Staff Association
Hannah is our Teaching Staff Governor and has been at Brockenhurst College for 10 years.
Hannah joined the college after studying BSc Psychology at the University of Southampton.
Hannah is a member of the Staff Association and has attended consultations regarding various college policies.
Hannah teaches Psychology A level and recently was part of a team which successfully implemented and delivered the new Criminology Diploma.
Ian was appointed as a member of the Board in March 2018 and also chairs the Audit Committee. He is a Chartered Accountant and a member of both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and Chartered Accountants, Australia and New Zealand. Ian is currently the Finance Director of the Greenclose Hotels Group where he is responsible for finance, commercial and IT functions.
Before this he was Head of Business Performance at Southampton Airport. Before that he was Company Secretary of the Kenwood Appliances Group. His career in the accountancy/finance profession extends over more than three decades and has included both private and public sector roles across a variety of sectors.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Managing Director of Greenclose Hotels
James was appointed as a member of the Board in July 2015. He is chair of the Audit Committee and is a member of the Governance and Search Committee. He is also the Governor's representative for the Students' Union.
James is currently the Managing Director of Greenclose Hotels and is responsible for the day-to-day running of three hotels in the group, which employs around 300 staff. He was formerly the General Manager of Carey's Manor where he was responsible for the daily running of the hotel.
James is committed to developing the skills, knowledge and understanding of all age groups but particularly young people. He is well known locally as a promoter of young talent. His son and daughter were both students at the College.
Jenny is joining the Corporation in July 2020. She is Headteacher at Testwood School in Southampton appointed in 2014, having been previously Senior Deputy Head at the Romsey School.
Jenny has a BA Hons in French and History and the National Professional Qualification in Headship in 2011.
She has been a Governor at Greenwood Education Centre since September 2014.
Jenny's son has recently graduated from Brock, starting a higher apprenticeship with KPMG.
Job Titles:
- International Administration & Accommodation
One of Jo's main roles is to arrange Homestay placements and ensure students have all the support and guidance they need.
Her unwavering commitment is to helping guarantee that the student experience is a safe and happy one.
Job Titles:
- Corporation Administrator
Job Titles:
- Senior International Officer
Melissa joined the team with a wealth of experience from working for another International education provider.
She is committed to expanding the College's international vision and counselling students from all over the world.
Melissa has extensive experience of working with students in Turkey and Brazil, as well as European and East Asian countries.
She is known for being friendly and approachable, which means she is very well-liked by students, parents and education consultants.
Mi was appointed to the Board in March 2017 and is currently a member of the Standards and Finance Committee. She was an international student at Brockenhurst College from 2013 to 2015, coming from Vietnam on a scholarship. She was awarded the College's International Student of the Year award in 2015.
Following her A Levels, Mi decided to take a gap year in which she joined Vietnam and Friends - an NGO in Vietnam - and became Assistant Director. She is currently reading for her BA Hons in Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge.
Mi's experience working with students from different backgrounds, especially those with learning difficulties, along with her experience of organising educational outreach, enables her to make valuable submissions to the Board.
Paul has worked in the International education sector since 2011, having previously spent many years as a manager in the public sector.
He has spent much of that time travelling to key overseas education markets to promote Brockenhurst College to students, parents and education consultants.
Paul's main responsibility is to oversee the effective operation of the team and provide strategic direction to develop the College's international provision.
He is an enthusiastic and approachable person with a genuine passion for the College.
Paul will always go the extra mile to ensure that you have a fulfilling learning experience.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chief Executive
- Governor
- Principal
Polly Perkins became Principal and Chief Executive at Brockenhurst College in 2021. Before moving into education she served her country in the Royal Air Force for more than 30 years, having joined aged 18 as a direct entrant supply officer.
Polly rose through the ranks swiftly to become an Air Commodore and completed many overseas and operational deployments including to Africa, Kosovo, and Afghanistan where she spent more than a year. In 2020 she was honoured by the Queen with a CBE for her contribution to the RAF.
Polly has held several senior leadership roles in organisations up to 10,000-people-strong and has held responsibilities related to children and families.
Her final RAF role was as Deputy Commander and Chief of Staff British Forces Cyprus. This meant she was responsible for the implementation of safeguarding legislation, as well as early years, primary and secondary education settings.
Polly holds an MA in Defence Studies from King's College London, is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, and spent a year at the Royal College of Defence Studies where she studied strategic planning and leadership.
Rob was appointed to the Board in December 2021 and is a member of the Standards and Finance and Capital Project Committees. Rob currently works for BCP FuturePlaces, the urban regeneration company for Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council, working on a major programme to deliver new residential and commercial development in the area based on a long-term stewardship model. He previously worked for 8 years in the Dorset and Enterprise M3 Local Enterprise Partnerships, delivering multi-million capital investments into economic development projects across the region, supporting new skills, transport and digital infrastructure.
Earlier in his career he spent 10 years working in Further Education, including senior roles focused on work-based learning, innovation and employer engagement. Rob was also an independent Board Director of Poole Housing Partnership between 2015-2020. Rob is a Law graduate from the University of Birmingham and is a qualified project and programme manager.
Job Titles:
- International Student Experience Officer
Sam has worked continuously in the education sector, performing a variety of supportive, administrative and teaching roles in the UK, New Zealand, China and South Korea.
She joined the team after spending several months supporting students and parents within a different role at the College.
Sam brings a passion for travel and overseas culture, as well as personal experience of being new to a country.
She is very enthusiastic about working with International students and adding to their UK learning and social experience.
Sarah recently returned to Brockenhurst College as a Governor and is a member of the Audit Committee. She has spent most of her working career in senior board roles in public sector healthcare organisations. Sarah has served as Chair of Hampshire Ambulance Service, Non-Executive Director of Dorset Healthcare NHS Trust and as a member of the Prison Service Review Body.
She is currently working to facilitate patient involvement in cardiac research as Chair of the National Institute for Cardiac Outcomes Research Patient Representative Group and Chair of the National PPI Group for the British Heart Foundation Clinical Research Collaborative. Furthermore, she is a trustee of Dorset Mental Health Forum and a Senior Lay Member of the Royal College of Surgeons Independent Review body and the Society for Cardiothoracic Surgery. She is also Events Coordinator for the European Maritime Law Organisation. Her daughter attended the College.
Shaun was appointed to the Board in March 2022 as a member of the Employment and Personnel Committee. He is currently Executive Director, Engagement and Advancement, at the University of Southampton.
Shaun has previously worked as a Director of Corporate Affairs at Carlton Communications plc (ITV), Guardian News & Media, and Leonard Cheshire Disability; as CEO of the tv and film producers' trade body PACT; and as a Non-Executive Director at NHS Blood and Transplant. He is a former newspaper reporter, BBC television director, and ITV producer.
Vanda is from Slovakia and joined our International department after working closely with the College as one of our agents.
She is responsible for recruiting students from mainly Latin America and Europe.
Vanda brings a different perspective to the team and is very enthusiastic about bringing International students to study with us to experience British life and culture.
She is always happy to help and advise students to ensure they have the best possible experience while studying at Brockenhurst College.
Xing was appointed to the Board in July 2021 as the Professional Services Staff member. She is the Transnational Education Manager, Learning and Quality. Xing joined Brock in 2005 as a British Council Chinese teaching assistant on a one-year contract.
She has now worked at the College for 15 years in roles including teacher, International Officer and TNE Manager. Xing is a member of the Employment and Personnel Committee and the Standards and Finance Committee.