Governing Board

Adam Mumford

Adam is an Owner and Director of Owen Mumford Ltd, a world class designer and manufacturer of medical devices. Owen Mumford employs over 750 associates across three manufacturing sites (two in Oxfordshire and one in Malaysia), six regional sales hubs and exports to over 60 countries.

Owen Mumford partners many of the world’s leading pharmaceutical and diagnostic brands and collaborates with these businesses to design injection pens and auto-injectors to deliver their drugs. In addition, Owen Mumford produces medical consumables that are sold under the Owen Mumford brand, in the UK their Unistik®3 product is the most commonly used safety lancet in the NHS.

Adam lives in Oxfordshire and has two children, one at University and another about to start. A lifelong Manchester City fan, his whole family are passionate about sports and regulars at the Etihad Stadium. Adam is actively involved in his local West Oxfordshire community both through professional and family commitments.

Alan Bark

Alan has recently taken early retirement from Barclays Bank.

In a career spanning 41 years across the Thames Valley and Solent area, he has undertaken a variety of leadership and corporate roles within the Bank and for the last 15 years, was a Corporate Relationship Director with a client portfolio made up of Further Education Colleges, Independent Schools, Local Authorities and national Charities. He was the Bank’s regional lead for FE College clients in the south and as the College’s bank manager for the last 10 years, he has a good working knowledge of the challenges and opportunities in the sector.

Alan has a passion for the education sector and is a Governor and Chair of Finance at Cokethorpe School as well as a supportive involvement in Wood Green School in Witney. He is a keen runner and photographer and enjoys following Oxford United.

Astrid Schloerscheidt

Astrid is a Pro Vice-Chancellor and the Dean of the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at Oxford Brookes University. Astrid started her education in Germany where she obtained a Business Degree before moving to the UK where she completed an MSc in Experimental Psychology at the University of Sussex, followed by a PhD at the University of St. Andrews.

Astrid came to Oxford Brookes from the University of Dundee where she worked for 12 years. During this time, she held a number of strategic leadership roles including Dean of the School of Psychology and Associate Dean (Learning & Teaching) in the School of Social Sciences.

Astrid’s particular interest is in creating equality of opportunity with respect to access and student success and she currently has institutional responsibility for Access and Participation at Oxford Brookes University.

Amanda Tilley

Amanda is Finance Bursar and Fellow at Balliol College in the University of Oxford. As well as being a Fellow of Balliol College, she is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales. Having previously worked for Grant Thornton and KPMG, Amanda’s experience has included accounting, audit and governance services at a range of charities, not for profit organisations and education providers.

Amanda lives locally to the College and has a keen interest in the local education sector. Amanda brings a wealth of experience in finance and governance with local expertise having held previous trustee roles including Oxfordshire Association for the Blind.

Ben Haxton

Ben studied Animal Biology BSc (Hons) at the University of Stirling which led him to work in the field of veterinary disease surveillance and research. He continued to further his knowledge in the field by undertaking a part time MSc in Medical Immunology at Kings College London.

Most recently, Ben has worked at the University of Oxford, where he has been a laboratory Manager/researcher and then gone on to develop specialist knowledge in research governance, regulatory compliance and audit.

Ben returned to college as an adult where he went onto develop new creative skills to support his hobbies. He is passionate about how a college education can bring different points to a person’s life and career, and the benefits that this can bring to the wider community.

Ben has an interest in facilitating positive change in an efficient manner that supports an organisation to achieve its objectives by supporting its staff with the changes that lie ahead. This involves strong analytical and problem-solving skills when identifying appropriate solutions with an understanding and appreciation of risk management.

Ben looks forward to bringing his experience to the role of external governor.

Carole Kitching

Carole is passionate about widening participation and access to colleges having seen the difference they make. She graduated from the University of St Andrews before qualifying as a teacher and relocating to Greece, eventually becoming a school owner, and writing several textbooks. On her return to the UK, she embarked on a long career in Further Education (FE) beginning at Abingdon & Witney College.

Carole has broad strategic experience, including as CEO/Principal, in a range of colleges. She is an advocate for Higher Education (HE) in FE having worked on early Foundation degrees and the first Taught Degree Awarding Powers granted to a college, as well as establishing Institute of Technology & University Centre provision.

She is an experienced non-executive director and has been a member, and skills chair, of a local LEP board.

Since retiring, Carole has been appointed as trustee for a CIC working with disadvantaged young people and is a governor for a London college, as well as Vice Chair of a local HE initiative. She also works as an executive coach and is studying for a PG Dip. Carole is the Designated Governor for Safeguarding at the college.

Edward Collett

Edward studied Archaeology at the University of Leicester and worked in Manufacturing Engineering for three years after university, before making the move to Further Education at Bournemouth and Poole College in 2012. Focusing on supporting groups of accounting apprentices as well as the employer engagement work linked with the College’s Peter Jones Enterprise Academy BTEC Business and Enterprise Course.

Edward moved to Oxfordshire to join Abingdon & Witney College in 2014 as a Business Development Executive and has taken on various roles in management since then, all linked in with apprenticeships and employer engagement, also spending three years managing the Marketing team alongside Business Development. More recently, Edward has undertaken studying an MBA with Oxford Brookes University as part of an apprenticeship programme alongside his role.

Helen Brown

Helen holds a Management Degree and brings a wealth of experience from a decade managing large-scale tour operation programmes across several countries. In 2005, she transitioned into education as a lecturer at Abingdon and Witney College. Since then, she has completed a Post Graduate Certificate in Education and held various management roles within the sector.

Currently serving as Head of Learning and Development, Helen is deeply passionate about teaching, learning, and assessment. She is particularly committed to leveraging digital skills and technologies to engage, support, and inspire learners. With students at the core of her work, Helen strives to create an inclusive learning environment that empowers every individual to reach their full potential.

Outside of her professional life, Helen enjoys exploring diverse travel destinations and is a dedicated supporter of rugby.

Lucy Butler

Lucy is an experienced Director of Children’s Services. Currently Director for Children, Young People and Learning for West Sussex County Council, she has over 25 years’ experience working in the adult and children services sector.

Lucy is the co-chair of the South-East Region of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services and leads on commissioning for the South East.

She is chair of the Staff College, an organisation promoting strong leadership in the sector. She is passionate about making sure we live in a society where all our children thrive.

Mackenzie Nordal

Mackenzie is an experienced communications, education and business strategy professional and entrepreneur.

She started her career in financial services as an investment consultant, advising institutional investors such as pension funds and insurance companies and working closely with pension fund governing boards. After running her own businesses for a number of years, she now specialises in international education policy and global governance.

She is driven by a passion for a consilience approach to education policy, and is an advocate of the effective use of technology, digital and AI; her work focuses on the relationship between education and economics.

Mackenzie lives in London; she is an enthusiastic lifelong learner with three children and a background in international sport.

Nicolas Pagès

Born in France, Nicolas Pagès obtained a manufacturing engineering diploma (equivalent to a MsC degree in engineering) before moving to Oxfordshire over 11 years ago.

His curiosity and willingness to seek new challenges brought him through various roles within the facilities management sector, from compliance or operational risk management to project and account leadership. Nicolas moved within a difficult and challenging sector to end up being one of the senior leaders at his past companies.

Nicolas now leads a team of Health, Safety and Risk managers in one of UK leading waste management and energy provision company: Veolia. This entails setting UK wide strategies within Risk and Health, Safety portfolio as well as supporting the business to increase profitability and sustainable growth. All the while whilst reporting to the global business on performance and continuous improvement activities.

Outside of work, Nicolas enjoys spending time with his family and friends, riding in the countryside, gardening and DIY.

David Walker

David was until recently a senior partner at Ridge and Partners LLP based in Woodstock, a position he has held for over 27 years undertaking an executive board function for the partnership.

Key roles have been:

• Implementation of a growth and diversification strategy, taking the business from 80 staff to over 600, with a turnover in excess of £60m
• Driving change in struggling areas of the business by introducing new services
• Control of Ridge’s property portfolio acquisition, disposal of property and leasehold offices.

Setting up and managing Health and Safety compliance throughout the business

David has over 34 years’ experience as a Building Surveyor dealing with all types of commercial and residential property and currently undertakes consultancy work assisting clients on development projects. David is a Trustee of REAch2 Academy Trust and a member of the Finance & Resources committee. REAch2 is the UK’s largest primary only academy trust and currently supports circa 60 primary academies across England.

Jessica (Jessie) Weavers-Medina

Jessie's the Centre Administrator for the Global Centre on Healthcare and Urbanisation (GCHU) at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. The GCHU seeks to make urban centres environmentally, economically, and socially sustainable, and to provide an environment that supports and sustains health and wellbeing. She previously spent over five years working in several roles relating to governance, assurance, compliance, planning and education policy at the University of Oxford and is now undertaking a BA in Business and Management Practice at Abingdon & Witney College through a Chartered Management Degree apprenticeship.

Jessie is passionate about the importance of having young people invested in contributing to governance and management bodies and is proud to represent the student body of the College as a Student Governor. Jessie previously lived in Mexico City but now lives in Littlemore, Oxford and is a keen cyclist and football supporter. She is a Board member of the Oxford United Supporters Trust and is involved in multiple local charity programmes in the city.

Dr Sam Wolfe

Dr Sam Wolfe is Associate Professor of French Linguistics at the University of Oxford and a Fellow of St Catherine’s College. He is also Director of Schools Liaison and Outreach for the Faculty of Medieval and Modern Languages. He has sixteen years’ experience in school, college, and charity governance and has particular interests in combatting educational disadvantage, anti-bullying initiatives, the education of care-experienced young people, and access to Higher Education. He is currently coordinating a national project to increase the number of care-leavers accessing Higher Education.