Corporation Board

Jeremy Cartwright

Role: Chair

Start of Service: 8th September 2017

Jeremy is Chair of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation Board, a member of the Transformation, Finance & Resources Committee, the Governance Committee and Chair of the Capital Projects Committee. 

He is also Chair of Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire Blood-Bikes, a registered charity supporting the NHS, as well as running his own business as an international consultant & interim manager. Prior to this, Jeremy was Supply Chain Director and HR Development Director for PZ Cussons PLC and has spent many years leading & developing overseas operations in Asia & Africa. 

Jeremy has 35 years’ employed experience that includes strategic development, senior operational management, project, change, and IT management and continues this variety through his freelance work.  He enjoys developing & helping others to succeed often through coaching or mentoring individuals and teams. 

Jeremy has an MBA in Business Administration, a BSc (Hons) in Biochemistry and a number of other qualifications including one for Coaching and Assessing from the Open University & one for Mental Health in the Workplace, which he studied recently at Stoke on Trent College.

Lisa Capper

Role: Principal & CEO

Start of Service: 25th January 2022

Lisa is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation and Principal & CEO of the College. She is also a member of the Curriculum, Quality & Standards Committee, the Transformation, Finance & Resources Committee, the Governance Committee, the Capital Projects Committee and the Skills and Apprenticeships Task and Finish Group.

Lisa leaves Nacro, the national social justice and education charity, to join Stoke on Trent College as the CEO and Principal from 25^th January. Lisa has overseen the turnaround of Nacro’s national Education and Skills Provision from a low base to Ofsted Good in 2019. This includes a national network of Further Education Centres, Totton College, a High Needs Unit and several education contracts for secure youth justice and prison education. 

She has pioneered the work of Nacro Education creating a respected brand and voice on issues relating to disadvantaged young people such as the Learn Without Limits campaign, second chance learning, a national youth voice Knife Crime report and parliamentary roundtables on alternative provision. She was the Chair of the National Safeguarding Board and led Service User/Learner Voice for the Charity. Prior to joining Nacro, she was Vice Principal Schools of an Ofsted good FE college for four years and Executive Director of a successful Academies Trust.

Lisa was previously a senior civil servant in Further Education in both the Department for Education and Department for Business for over 10 years, leading on adult Literacy and Numeracy Skills for Life initiative, founding the commission on adult vocational education, and the prestigious Worldskills London 2011 for which she won the Permanent Secretary’s award. She is an Independent Governor of De Montfort University and until recently the Chair of the National Deaf Children’s Society. 

Lisa was brought up in Northwich, Cheshire and her first vocational role was aged fourteen where she set up play-schemes on the estate where she lived. She believes that everyone should have the opportunity to progress regardless of background or where they live.

In January 2021 she was awarded the MBE for Services to Young people.

Tom Nadin

Start of Service: 21st May 2021

Tom is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation, as well as a member of the Curriculum, Quality and Standards Committee and Audit Committee.

Tom is currently the Head of Business Services and Projects at Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce and has worked at the Staffordshire Chamber of Commerce since 2012. He is a member of the Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire Skills Advisory Panel, a Board member of Staffordshire Partnership for Employment and Skills and a member of the Staffordshire Careers Hub Steering Group.

Tom is a Staffordshire born, experienced Project Manager who has delivered on numerous public sector and private sector funded projects. Tom was instrumental in the successful bid for the Stoke on Trent and Staffordshire Skills Hub, the bid for a Staffordshire Careers Hub and leading on the development of the Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire Local Skills Improvement Plan. Tom also has a BA in Politics from the University of Sheffield.

David Rogers

Start of Service: 25 February 2020

David is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation and Chair of the Audit Committee.

David qualified as a Chartered Accountant with what was then Price Waterhouse, specialising in insolvency and corporate recovery. After 18 years, he operated independently, being appointed non-executive chairman of a range of businesses.

More recent assignments were in the rail industry and in offshore windfarm construction. David later became involved in the public sector, helping Stoke and Staffordshire local authorities develop longer term strategic plans and leading on the regeneration of Burslem. About 7 years ago, David joined the Board of Combined Healthcare, the NHS trust which is responsible for mental health services across North Staffordshire.

For the last six years, he has Chaired the Trust, during which time its CQC rating has improved from Requires Improvement to Outstanding, and in the last year was voted the best NHS trust in the country. He is a regular executive reviewer on CQC inspections of leaderships across the NHS. David holds a first class honours degree in Engineering and is an active trustee of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust.

Hannah Molloy

Start of Service 20th May 2022

Hannah is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation, as well as a member of the Audit Committee, the Capital Projects Committee and the Skills and Apprenticeships Task and Finish Group. 

Hannah is currently Head of Customer Success at UNLEASH Limited, a leading global media and events company in the HR Tech sector. Hannah has over 16 years of leadership and management experience with a strong emphasis on development, strategy and business principles.

Hannah has also worked for the Donna Louise Hospice as the Head of People and Community Engagement and Compliance Manager.  Hannah is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management and has a Masters in Employment Law from Staffordshire University.

Stephen Sawbridge

Start of Service 12 May 2017

Steve Sawbridge is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation Board and a member of the Curriculum, Quality and Standards, and Audit Committees

Steve has a 32-year career in further education and has worked in teaching and management roles in colleges; as a freelance consultant working with colleges on a number of further education improvement initiatives including leadership and governance; and on further education policy and strategy at the former Learning and Skills Council.

From 2007 to until retirement in June 2017, Steve was the West Midlands Regional Director for the Association of Colleges responsible for promoting, representing and supporting the 35-member colleges in the region. As a member AoC’s senior management team, Steve contributed nationally to AoC’s policy work on quality, funding and, more recently, on skills devolution.

Steve has been a non-executive Board member of a number of organisations including Crescent Purchasing Limited and the West Midlands Regional Observatory.  He has also been an elected staff governor at a Further Education college in the West Midlands.

Steve has an MA in Education Management from the University of Wolverhampton and recently completed an MA in Garden and Landscape History at the University of London.  Steve is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts.

David Boughey

Role: Vice Chair

David is Vice Chair of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation and Chair of the Transformation, Finance and Resources Committee. He is also a member of the College’s Skills and Apprenticeships Task and Finish Group.

He is currently Managing Director of Technocover Limited, immediately prior to this, he was Managing Director of KMF Precision Engineering and previously , Chairman of MGS Precision, which operates across a range of demanding markets including automotive, motorsport, aerospace, nuclear energy, military and industrial power. He was previously Director at Abnormal Load Engineering and Managing Director at Howden Compressors Limited.

David is a very experienced Managing Director who has succeeded in a number of senior business role within equipment manufacturing, energy industries and service sectors. In all the businesses David has led, he has established successful, graduate and apprentice schemes.

David is has been very active within Stoke Rugby Club holding a number of appointments including Mini and Junior Chairman, as well as previous responsibilities for Sponsorship and serving on the Finance Committee.

David holds a BSc (Hons) degree in Production Engineering from Leeds Metropolitan University, a Diploma in Management Studies from North Staffordshire University and a Fellowship in Manufacturing Management from Cranfield University.

Kevin Hetherington

Start of Service 29th June 2022

Kevin is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation and a member of the Curriculum, Quality and Standards Committee.

Kevin is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Staffordshire University which includes oversight of delivery of education by the academic schools; responsibility for the internationalisation strategy, research and enterprise activities and collaborations and local civic responsibility for Staffordshire University’s engagement with businesses, enterprise zone activity and the wider community in the region.

He also acts as deputy for the Vice Chancellor as appropriate. Kevin was previously Pro Vice-Chancellor Research and Academic Strategy at The Open University. Kevin has a BA (Hons) First Class in Geography and Sociology from the University of Leeds and a PhD from the Department of Sociology at Lancaster University. He is also a Professor of Cultural Geography.

Sally Garratt

Start of Service 9th November 2022

Sally is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation and the Curriculum, Quality and Standards Committee. She is also Chair of the Skills and Apprenticeships Task and Finish Group and the College’s Safeguarding Link Governor.

Sally is currently CEO at the Petty Pool Trust, a charity delivering education programmes for young people who are neurodiverse to support them into employment and lead independent lives. Prior to her role at the Petty Pool Trust, Sally was the Director of Operations for the LTE Group where she had 17 years delivering education contracts for learners in secure settings. Sally is an experienced strategic leader in organisation development and change with a focus on quality improvement and colleague engagement, she also has experience in developing business plans, solutions for curriculum design and delivery to support employer and sector need. Sally is also an Executive Coach working with leaders to develop their teams.

Sally holds a BSC (Hons) in Health and Social Care, is a qualified teacher, Level 3 Designated Safeguarding Lead and has a post graduate diploma in Health Promotion and Education from the University of Liverpool.

Bernard Kumeta

Start of Service 27th July 2023

Bernard is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation and a member of the Transformation, Finance and Resources Committee. 

Bernard is an experienced senior executive with a wealth of sector experience in aerospace engineering; waste water engineering; TV post production, commercials and film production; direct marketing; commercial property investment and letting; aviation security services; education foundation trust. Bernard has been Strategy Director and then CEO of a £30m AIM plc; CEO of a £17m to £100m+ MBO; Divisional Managing Director in a FTSE 250 plc and Finance Director and Commercial Director in a mid-sized charity environment. 

Bernard is Trustee of the William Hulme’s Grammar School Foundation Trust in Manchester and is a fellow of the ICAEW.

Rob Fisher

Start of Service: 1^st October 2018

Rob is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation, Chair of the Governance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee. Rob is a fully CIPD qualified Human Resources professional with a first class Business Management degree. He is currently Managing Director at Strategi Solutions Group Ltd and is experienced in a wide range of sectors but with particular experience within the Manufacturing and Transport sectors.

Prior to his Director role at Strategi Solutions Group Ltd, Rob was the HR Business Partner at Ornua Nutrition Ingredients and Group HR Manager at Steelite International Plc. Rob has a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management, as well as a BA (Hons) Business Management from Staffordshire University.

Jo Mountney

Start of Service: 1^st October 2018

Jo is a member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation, as well as a member of the Curriculum, Quality and Standards Committee, the Governance Committee and the Skills and Apprenticeships Task and Finish Group.

Jo is a Senior HR professional with over 25 years of experience in the Hospitality & Leisure industries.   She has most recently worked at a senior level within the Merlin Entertainments Group for over 15 years. Jo is passionate about enabling individuals to fulfil their full potential, and creating an environment which engages people and enables them to flourish. She is proud of having helped many young people get into work, and giving them skills that will take them through life.

Jo has a CIPD Level 7 qualification from Staffordshire University, as well as a HND in Hospitality, Catering and Institutional Management from the University of Wales.

Ben Richards

Start of Service: 29th February 2024

Ben joined the Corporation in February 2024 and is also the Chief Operating Officer at North Staffordshire Combined Healthcare NHS Trust. In addition he is the Senior Responsible Officer for Mental Health, Learning Disability and Autism across the Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent Integrated Care System.

Growing up in Kidsgrove, Ben was the first in his family to go to university and recognises the impact that education can have both on personal development and social mobility.

Ben holds a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Leadership in addition to holding Fellowships in a number of learned societies, including the Chartered Management Institute, Institute of Leadership, Royal Society of Medicine, the Royal Society of Public Health and the Royal Society of Arts.

Ben is a Chartered Manager, Level 7 Executive Coach and Mentor and a qualified lecturer, holding Qualified Teacher Learning and Skills status. Further to this Ben is currently undertaking a Professional Doctorate in Health and Social Care with The Open University.

Chrissy Pawliszyn

Business Support Staff Governor

Start of Service: 14th December 2023

Chrissy has been working with young people for the last 19 years and her work has involved working for youth services and charity organisations as well as training to be a careers advisor.

Chrissy has been very fortunate to have worked in the majority of secondary schools and 6th forms in Stoke on Trent and has a good understanding of the challenges facing the young people and education sector in the city. 

Chrissy has a passion for supporting young people to achieve their goals and to raise their aspirations and reach their potential. She feels she can bring a wealth of experience to the board of governors and support the college to achieve its goal of being the leading technical and vocational college in the area. She can use her knowledge and experience within the education sector to give back to the young people of the city.

Jenny Scrivens

Academic Support Staff Governor

Start of Service: 14th December 2023

Jenny is the Head of Apprenticeships & Skills, a dedicated leader in further education with 15 years’ experience in the sector.

Passionate about improving lives through quality of education.  As a qualified teacher, assessor and quality assurance practitioner with particular skills and focus on apprenticeships, quality improvement, strategic planning, curriculum quality, design and implementation.

Very enthusiastic about supporting learners, staff and employers of Stoke-on-Trent College and the local community.

Mekdes Mideksa

Student Governor

Start of Service: 14th December 2023

Mekdes is a Student Governor and member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation.

Mekdes is currently studying a BTEC Level 3 in Health & Social Care. As a Student Governor, Mekdes attends meetings with Staff Governors and discusses issues and ways to help the College now and in the future from a student viewpoint.

Mekdes also attends monthly student representative / student voice meetings.

Pari Arian

Student Governor

Start of Service: 14th December 2023

Pari is a Student Governor and member of the Stoke on Trent College Corporation.

Pari is currently studying a L3 Extended Diploma in Creative Media Production & Technology.

As a Student Governor, Pari attends meetings with Staff Governors and discusses issues and ways to help the College now and in the future from a student viewpoint.

Kay Kavanagh

Director of Governance

Start of Service: 14th December 2023

Kay is the Director of Governance at Stoke on Trent College. She has worked in Governance for 10 years, covering schools, multi-academy trusts, and for the last 5 years in the FE Sector.  Her role at the College is to support the Board of Governors and provide independent advice and guidance.  Kay is also the Data Protection Officer for the College.

She is also the Company Secretary for Stoke on Trent Limited and Education Business Services (Stoke) Ltd.

Kay is also a trustee at The Villages’ Multi Academy Trust and is Chair of the Audit Committee for the trust.