Board of Directors

John has been a Coventry City Councillor for 14 years and is now the Leader of the Opposition, a position he has held for 3 years. Before that he was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition, having previously been the Cabinet Member for Children, Learning and Young People.

John was educated in Coventry at King Henry VIII School and trained as an accountant. He had a number of senior positions with Coventry and international companies before opening up his own employment and training agency in Hales Street, Coventry. John now manages student halls of residence in Coventry.

John is married and lives in the Cannon Park area of Coventry. He has 2 children and 3 grandchildren. In his spare time John enjoys playing golf and bridge.

Mark has worked in schools for over 25 years and has been in leadership positions for 22 years. He has been a Headteacher for over 11 years (7 years at Finham Park School).

National Leader of Education (NLE); has significant Ofsted experience and is a qualified Ofsted Inspector; he has taken different schools from 4 to 3, 3 to 2 and 2 to 1 in Ofsted terms.

Specialist knowledge:

Educational leadership; marketing, finance, operations; Human Resources, including recruitment; estates, curriculum; business; strategy.

Relevant interests:

• National Leader of Education
• Ofsted Inspector – West Midlands Regional Team Member
• Director for Coventry & Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce
• Headteacher Steering Group for Confucius Institute based at IOE, UCL
• Trustee of Central Academies Trust, West Midlands

Both of my children attended Finham Park and I have been a governor of the school for 30 years and chair for 10 years before taking up my new role as Chair of the Multi Academy Trust.

In my working life I was Facilities and Services Director for Marconi Telecommunications and was President of the Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce 2014 to 2016, I now represent the British Chambers of Commerce on two national committees.

Awarded the MBE for Services to the Community in Coventry and Warwickshire in 2001.

I am a Parish Councillor for Finham and hold the position of Chair,

The Multi Academy is a very exciting time for us with great benefits to both staff and pupils alike and I will do all I can to make sure we deliver the core values across the Trust.

Originally from France, I followed my husband to the UK and have embraced British culture for over 20 years and am particularly fond of Coventry. Our 2 daughters currently attend Finham Park School.

I have many years of industry sector experience within Lean management, leadership and internal control. I am a Finance Manager at Peugeot Citroen Automobiles UK where I have been employed full time for over 15 years.

I had been a school governor for 9 years at both Primary and Secondary schools before becoming a Director of the Finham Park Multi Academy Trust.

I am truly committed to delivering the best education for the children of Coventry. I strongly believe in the values and ethos of Finham Park Multi Academy Trust and I am proud to be part of the Board of Directors.

Des leads primary teacher education at the University of Warwick. He is a language and literacy specialist, along with expertise in the area of special educational needs. He sat on a steering group in the Department for Children, Schools and Families, evaluating the impact of training for inclusion in teacher education. His recent publications have focused on effective teaching and learning, developing innovation in education and teaching pupils who speak English as an Additional Language.

Des has over 25 years’ experience as a teacher. As Head of Primary Teacher Education at the University of Warwick he has built a reputation for promoting and evolving school partnerships. This includes a model of short focused placements in Schools Facing Challenging Circumstances.

Des is committed to working in partnership with others!