Our Governors

Alastair has over 25 years of international board and executive-level leadership experience. He is a board director/Council member of The London School of Economics and Chair of the digital education business, 01 Founders Limited, which provides innovative coding and software development training leading to employment for a diverse cohort of learners. Alastair previously served as a Council member of the University of Sussex and has now taken the role of Pro-Chancellor of The University of Leeds.

Between 2018-21 Alastair served as a Commissioner to the UK Government’s Social Mobility Commission where he was lead commissioner for further education and adult skills. The Commission’s 2021 State of the Nation report provided a comprehensive, evidence-led post-pandemic recovery programme.

Alastair has also served as executive director of a leadership development company, as Executive Chair of a boutique executive search business and was the first CEO of an international youth charity.

Nicole works with the executive team of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC) to develop and implement the organisation-wide strategy. Nicole is also responsible for internal governance, oversight of strategic risks and the portfolio management office. She is a Fellow of both the Chartered Management Institute and the RSC, with extensive experience in a broad range of leadership, management and governance roles.

Previously Nicole served on the Education Board of City and Islington College, and was a Chair of Governors at an outstanding first school in Hertfordshire. As well as this, she was a  PSRB specialist on the TEF Natural Sciences and Engineering Pilot Panels for the Office for Students.

In his current role, Toyin liaises with global transaction banking and corporate finance business lines. He provides advice and support on financial crime, manages high-risk cross-regional client relationships, and supports the development of protocols for business engagement. He has extensive expertise in conducting anti-money laundering and enhanced due diligence efforts on behalf of the banking industry.

Toyin was a Senior Consultant for Exiger’s where he supported the court-appointed and world’s largest corporate compliance monitor, overseeing a global financial institution’s implementation of the US Department of Justice deferred prosecution agreement.

Chris is currently the non-executive Chair of Wilson Partners a chartered accountancy firm based in Maidenhead. During his remunerated career, he was a Big 4 private equity partner, board advisor and divestment and acquisition specialist, an expert in challenging and implementing complex financial and business strategies for major PE and PE-owned organisations.

Chris was an accounting firm partner for over 15 years and advised private equity houses for over 20 years as they buy, optimise and sell companies. In recent years, alongside his extensive business acquisition and disposal experience, Chris has held multiple private equity leadership roles at UK, international and global levels. He is a chartered accountant and has a modern languages degree from Durham University; he has lived and worked in both New York and Paris.

Nana is an experienced educational leader with fourteen years of teaching experience in primary, secondary, further, adult, and higher education. Nana has a proven track record of successfully managing curriculum and staff to improve learning experiences and outcomes for learners and strives to continuously improve learners’ experiences.

Nana’s role as a curriculum leader at CCCG requires the ability to understand, communicate and implement the strategic aims of the college group, particularly the CANDI Sixth Form College’s priorities and the day-to-day operations of their department and the impact on students.

Nana has previously served as governor at Barnet and Southgate College, Jubilee Primary School, and Fernbank Children’s Centre and is committed to ensuring an anti-racist FE system and adopts the Black FE Leadership group’s 10-point plan to bring about real and sustainable change across the sector. Nana hopes to uphold her own and CCCG’s shared values of inclusivity, equality, and diversity.

Shehrebanu started her journey with an educational background in Business Administration and Human Resource Management, earning an MBA from The Faculty of Management Studies (MSU), India.

In her current role as a Liaison Officer at Capital City College, Shehrebanu fosters partnerships and business development activities to enhance recruitment processes and course sustainability goals. She manages extensive learner assessments across various locations, ensuring compliance with documentation standards.

Prior to this role, Shehrebanu contributed significantly to HR and strategic planning at TATA Consultancy Services, focusing on employee relations, engagement, training and development, and fostering an inclusive work culture. Deeply passionate about the impact of HR and people engagement, Shehrebanu believes in the principle that the heart of every successful organisation lies in its people and the creativity they bring.

Sharon is a highly experienced HR Director who has worked with trustees and on boards for over 25 years, transforming businesses to ensure they are sustainable and can deliver on their core purpose and strategy. Her experience is in complex and highly regulated sectors, such as education, aviation, professional services, environmental health and media. She has held senior positions in high-profile businesses including Walt Disney, Virgin Atlantic and the City & Guilds Group. She works with multiple stakeholders and is skilled at combining the culture and assets of organisations to achieve their goals.

Sharon is a qualified Executive Coach. She works with boards and individual executives on their leadership development. Her passion for coaching and developing people to achieve their full potential has also led to her taking up other roles, such as coaching young entrepreneurs as well as becoming a Commissioner for the Princess Royal Training Awards, which recognise the best standards of corporate training nationally.

As a lifelong leader, advocate, role model and mentor, Mary Stiasny has held a range of roles across the Higher Education sector, both with a UK and international focus.

Mary began her career as a secondary school teacher, before taking up a role working for Schools of Education, where she trained secondary school teachers at universities across the UK. She went on to hold several senior leadership positions across the HE sector, including Director of Education at the British Council, Pro-Director with responsibility for Learning, Teaching and International at UCL’s Institute of Education, following leading roles at Goldsmiths, Greenwich and Oxford Brookes.

Her work in Higher Education has ensured Mary has been able to lead on her twin passions for developing international education and as an advocate for women in leadership roles within the sector.

Throughout her career Mary has sought out opportunities to support and engage with women at all stages of their career, both nationally and internationally, speaking in countries such as India, Dubai and Sri Lanka.

Michael is the Chief Business Performance Officer at Kantar; the World’s leading marketing data and analytics company. Michael joined Kantar in 2017 as the Global Chief Operating Officer for the Public business.

Prior to joining Kantar Michael was the UK Managing Director of Ecorys, an international research and programme management business, working in over 35 countries. He joined Ecorys from the UK Commission for Employment and Skills (UKCES) where he served as Chief Executive between 2011 and 2016.

Michael has also held private and public non-executive Chair, Director and Advisory roles. Including the acquisition and sale of several small businesses. Michael received a Fellowship from the London City & Guilds Institute in recognition of his contribution to vocational education in 2016. Between 2002 and 2011 Michael was a Governor and then Chair of Governors of Leicester College and between 2017 and 2021 Governor of Warwickshire College Group.

Michael has a BA degree in Economics from Lancaster University, postgraduate qualifications in management and participated in executive leadership programmes at Harvard Business School. Away from work, Michael is a keen motorcyclist and the volunteer Training Officer for Coventry Advanced Motorcyclists.

Vincent qualified as an accountant in 2021 and is currently working as an Assistant Manager on Grant Thornton UK LLP’s Strategic Leadership Team. Vincent is passionate about diversity and inclusion leading to him co-found his firm’s Ethnicity Network, aiming to increase representation at the top level and reduce his firm’s ethnicity pay gap.

Alongside this, Vincent is the co-founder of The Open Private School, a charity which seeks to provide state school-educated students with the opportunity to learn from the best talent in their chosen career path and the former Director of the non-profit organisation, the Chartered Accountants Student Society for London, charged with the stewardship of 5000+ ICAEW students.

Weiye is an experienced Strategic Asset Allocation Strategist.

For five years she has worked in the economic consulting sector, with positions held in major financial advisory firms including KPMG. Weiye has worked with high-profile businesses in multiple sectors, such as retail, banking, real estate and asset management, to offer advice on international business structuring and the impact of the economy on their businesses.

She has worked as a macroeconomic risk specialist at an international investment bank, providing management advice and support for businesses, and regulatory and audit requirements for risk analysis.

Weiye has actively volunteered with multiple education organisations on international education and international student issues.

Jamal is studying for a National Diploma in Applied Science at the College of North East London. He is active in helping other students make their voices heard and engage with the many events that take place outside of class time.

Jamal is keen to progress to university to study computer science, and then become a security architect.

Praful is an entrepreneur focused on using innovation and business to have a social impact. He campaigns to improve access to skills and training, particularly digital and green skills, and is a member of Labour’s Council of Skills Advisors alongside Lord David Blunkett. Praful is a Labour councillor in Islington.

Sarah-Jane is an experienced Director who has worked with Big 4 firms for almost 30 years. Following qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, she has worked with a range of Boards and Executive Committees across the public and private sectors. This included advising on the commercial and financial structuring of infrastructure and corporate projects worth over £1bn. She has developed and implemented stakeholder management strategy for businesses with UK and European government and regulatory consumer bodies.

In her current role, she has been involved in structuring and managing change programmes in response to market developments and technological change. Sarah-Jane enjoys coaching and developing people and is passionate about creating opportunities for everyone to achieve their potential.