Board of Trustees

Dean was part of the small team that established REAch2 Academy Trust along with its founder, Sir Steve Lancashire in 2012. Dean also established the business model for the launch of Reach4 Academy in 2015. Dean began his career as a secondary science teacher before taking roles in school management and leadership. He then moved into Local Education Authority leadership as Deputy Director of Education before becoming a Corporate Director of Children’s Services. Dean has held several Trusteeships and Directorships including: Chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Youth Justice Board; Chair of the South West Grid for Learning; Chair of the Cornwall Children and Young People’s Partnership; and Chair of the Cornwall Local Safeguarding Children Board. Dean has also led an educational consultancy. Dean has been the Director of Operations for REAch2 and Reach4 Academy Trusts.

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Appointed on:  27/04/2016                   Term to:  27/04/2020                  Appointed By:  Academy Members

2018/2019 Meeting Attendance:  13/15

Marcus Agius

Lady Penny Marland

Gabby Beaver

Gabby is a senior executive with more than 30 years of experience across a multitude of disciplines including strategic transformation, programme delivery, governance and control, risk and technology. Gabby was the Chief Administrative Officer for Barclay Bank PLC reporting directly to the Group Chief Operating Officer. Gabby role at Barclays was to support the Group COO in the implementation of structural reform and formulation of group strategy. Gabby’s previous roles have included Chief of Staff, Chief Internal Auditor and Global Head of IT, Change and Third Parties Audit at Barclays. Gabby was also Global Audit Manager Asset Management with JP Morgan Chase & Co.

Appointed on:  27/11/2017                            Term to:  27/11/2010                          Appointed By:  GB/Board                                       2018/2019 Meeting Attendance:  4/6

John Ellison

Appointed on:  27/04/2016                            Appointed By:  Original Signatory (Members)

Shirley Simon

Board of Trustees

Dean Ashton - CEO

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Dean was part of the small team that established REAch2 Academy Trust along with its founder, Sir Steve Lancashire in 2012. Dean also established the business model for the launch of Reach4 Academy in 2015. Dean began his career as a secondary science Teacher before taking roles in school management and leadership. He then moved into Local Education Authority leadership as Deputy Director of Education before becoming a Corporate Director of Children’s Services. Dean has held several Trusteeships and Directorships including: Chair of the Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Youth Justice Board; Chair of the South West Grid for Learning; Chair of the Cornwall Children and Young People’s Partnership; and Chair of the Cornwall Local Safeguarding Children Board. Dean has also led an educational consultancy. Dean has been the Director of Operations for REAch2 and Reach4 Academy Trusts.

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Appointed on:  27/04/2016

Appointed By:  Academy Members

2019/2020 Meeting Attendance:  21/23

Marcus Agius - Chair of Trust Board

Marcus has significant corporate governance experience in the private and public sectors. He was previously the Chairman of PA Consulting, Chairman of the Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew and the Chairman of Barclays, BAA and Lazard in London. He was the first Senior Independent Director on the Executive Board of the BBC and was Chairman of the British Bankers Association. Marcus is currently the Chairman of Exbury Gardens.

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Appointed on:  30/11/2020

Term to:           30/11/2024                 

Appointed By:  GB/Board

2019/2020 Meeting Attendance:  14/16

Sue Inglish - Vice Chair of Trust Board

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Sue was Head of Political Programmes at the BBC and a Member of the BBC News Board. An award winning national journalist, Sue chaired the negotiations between the broadcasters and political parties which resulted in the first Prime Ministerial election debates. Sue is Chair of the Disasters Emergency Committee and Member of the Sky News Board.

Appointed on:  27/04/2020                          

Term to:           27/04/2024                          

Appointed By:  Academy Members                        

2019/2020 Meeting Attendance:  14/14

Dr Chris Gentle - Chair of Finance Sub-Committee

Chris established and led the Research and Policy Team for Europe, Middle East and Africa’ as a Managing Partner at Deloitte. He also led the Deloitte relationship with Bank of America Merrill Lynch through the financial crisis. In addition he has held senior positions at KPMG, WPP and the European Commission. Chris is an advisor at the highest levels of Business and Government. In Government he has advised the UK Prime Minister and the EU President on fashioning strategies to secure stakeholder engagement and secure lasting impact. Chris has also advised the United Nations and World Trade Organisation on jobs and growth. He was a Board Director at a national financial services organisation before his career in Big 4 firms. He is an author of two books he has written for the Financial Times, the Guardian and the Wall Street Journal. He teaches at London Business School and Hult International Business School.

Appointed on:  01/10/2020

Term to:           01/10/2024                          

Appointed By:  Academy Members                        

2019/2020 Meeting Attendance:  16/18

Gabby Beaver - Chair of Risk & Audit Sub-Committee

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Gabby is a senior Executive with more than 30 years of experience across a multitude of disciplines including strategic transformation, programme delivery, governance and control, risk and technology. Gabby was the Chief Administrative Officer for Barclay Bank PLC reporting directly to the Group Chief Operating Officer (COO). Gabby's role at Barclays was to support the Group COO in the implementation of structural reform and formulation of group strategy. Gabby’s previous roles have included Chief of Staff, Chief Internal Auditor and Global Head of IT, Change and Third Parties Audit at Barclays. Gabby was also Global Audit Manager Asset Management with JP Morgan Chase & Co and Chief Compliance Officer at Citi. Gabby is now Chief Auditor at Citi.

Appointed on:  27/11/2017                           

Term to:           27/11/2021                          

Appointed By:  GB/Board                                      

2019/2020 Meeting Attendance:  4/12

Heather Tomlinson - Chair of Education Sub Committee

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Heather is an exceptionally experienced educationalist that has operated at the highest levels of the education system. She has experience as Director of Education and Children’s Services in four local authorities - Nottingham, Bristol, Derby (interim) and Brighton & Hove (interim) - and interim strategic leader for educational inclusion in Birmingham, Merton, Southend-on-Sea, Newham and Surrey. A former Director of the South West Grid for Learning and Learning Partnership West, Heather has also led international educational leadership programmes commissioned by DfE.

Appointed on:   01/02/2021

Term to:            01/02/2025

Appointed by:   Academy Members

Adrian Gunn - Chair of Human Resources Sub Committee

Adrian is the former CEO for Matchtech Group PLC which he led from 2009 to 2015, including AIM listing in 2006. Adrian was a Fellow of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals; a Council Member of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC); a CBI Regional Council Member for the South East; and sat on the CBI's Employment & Skills Board. Adrian is a Non-Executive Director for Harvey Nash Group and Senior Industry Advisor for DBay Advisors.

Appointed on:   27/04/2020

Term to:           27/04/2024                         

Appointed By:  Academy Members                        

2019/2020 Meeting Attendance:  15/18

Alex Crossman

Alexander Crossman is Head Master of The London Academy of Excellence, one of the highest performing academic sixth forms in the United Kingdom. 

Alex’s career in education has included being a Deputy Head at a sponsored academy in Brixton, the founding Head of one of London’s most successful free schools and the Chief Executive of an education consulting firm based in the Middle East but operating worldwide. Teaching is Alex’s first calling but his second career. Previously, he was a managing director with global responsibility for strategy at one of the world’s leading investment banks. Alex’s commercial career has involved operating in over 40 countries worldwide. 

Alex graduated with a first class honours degree from the University of Oxford and with distinguished higher degrees from the London School of Economics & Political Science and the UCL Institute of Education.

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Appointed on:  01/02/2021                            

Term to:           01/02/2025

Appointed By:  Academy Members                                   

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Lady Penny Marland

Lady Penny Marland is a former High Sheriff of Wiltshire, 2017-2018. Lady Marland is a practicing Probation Officer. She is also a Trustee of the Chalke Valley History Trust and has been a Governor of three schools.

Appointed on:  25/07/2017                           

Term to:           25/07/2021                         

Appointed By:  GB/Board                                    

2019/2020 Meeting Attendance:  8/11

Alan Newton

Alan Newton has over 35 years experience with Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer. His roles within the firm included leadership of the London and Global Finance Practices, membership of the Practice Committee, the global Executive responsible for key investment decisions in the business worldwide and elected membership of the Partnership Council, the global supervisory body having overall strategic responsibility for the firm. His practice involved advising a wide range of public and private sector institutions, banks and companies both in the UK and internationally, including the Bank of England, which he advised on various funding operations for the UK Government and on a number of bank rescues and restructurings during the financial crisis. He is a Governor of the University for the Creative Arts and also sits on its Audit and Risk Committee and a Non-Executive Director of Belmont Green Finance Limited a private equity backed start-up mortgage lender.

Appointed on:  01/08/2017                           

Term to:           01/08/2021                         

Appointed By:  GB/Board                                      

2019/2020 Meeting Attendance:  13/15

Mark Papworth

Mark is currently a Non-Executive Director of Reliance Precision Limited and Director of CCP Limited. He is an experienced Executive who has worked as a CEO on both PLC and Private Boards operating in the Energy Infrastructure, Oil & Gas, Aerospace and Defence markets. During his career he has worked for a number of companies including Rolls-Royce, Wood Group, Alstom and Chemring.

Appointed on:  27/04/2020                            

Term to:           27/04/2024                         

Appointed By:  Academy Members                        

2019/2020 Meeting Attendance:  9/14