Professor Sir David Eastwood was Vice Chancellor of the University of Birmingham from 2009 until December 2021. A historian, he was Fellow and Senior Tutor at Pembroke College, Oxford, 1988-1995; Professor of History and Pro-Vice Chancellor at Swansea University 1995-2000; Chief Executive of the Arts and Humanities Research Board, 2000-2002; Vice Chancellor University of East Anglia, 2002-2006; and Chief Executive of the Higher Education Funding Council, 2006-2009. In a long career in Higher Education, he Chaired The Russell Group of Universities, UCAS; The Universities Superannuation Scheme (USS); Universitas 21; and several other sector bodies. He has a longstanding interest in schools’ education, chaired A level History for OCR and predecessor boards; served as a Governor of Bishopston Comprehensive School; Chaired the Westminster Education Commission in 2009; and was the HE led on the Tomlinson Review of 14-19 qualifications. 

He currently Chairs INTO University Partnerships, advises the Department for Education, serves on the Board of the Royal Northern College of Music and the National Institute of Teaching, as well as serving in other roles.

A senior Human Resources professional with over 20 years’ experience working in both Advisory and Strategic capacities and with extensive experience in Change Management, Management Development and Employee Relations.

Merlyn is a Trustee and Vice Chair on the Board of the Citizens Advice Bureau, a Trustee and Committee Chair for Quartet Community Foundation and continues to work as a board member on a community trust board as well as being a Trustee for Cathedral Schools Trust.

Hugh retired after a career which started in the private sector and then moved into the civil service, where he worked in HM Treasury, the Department for Local Government and Housing, and finally the Ministry of Justice. He has also run his own consultancy company.   

He has been a Chief Executive of a Government Agency, worked with national politicians and led large teams across the UK and Europe.   

He is passionate about the role that education can play in delivering social justice. To that end he has previously held non-executive roles within the University, safeguarding and Academy Trust sectors.   

He is currently a Trustee of a charity that represents Housing Associations in Wales (Community Housing Cymru) and is a trustee of a pension fund.   

Hugh joined the TiLA Board as a Member and Director in December 2024 and is committed to the improvement of educational opportunities for children and young people. 

Having originally qualified as a teacher and worked in Kenya for 3 years, Helen moved into the commercial world and has enjoyed a very successful career spanning almost 40 years, over 20 years of which were in senior leadership and Board level positions with blue chip international and SME companies, including Boots, Neals Yard Remedies, The Royal Mint, and Virgin. 

Helen is a highly experienced and entrepreneurial Interim Director, freelance Consultant, Managing Director, and Board Advisor, specialising in brand growth through Transformation, Transition, and Change. Her specific expertise lies in business strategy, brand marketing, and communications helping businesses to develop effective stakeholder strategies and inspire teams to be more effective. 

Helen has been Vice Chair at TiLA since 2022. 

Fiona Francombe is the Principal and Chief Executive Officer of Bristol Old Vic Theatre School, one of the most prestigious and renowned drama schools in the UK.

Prior to her appointment in August 2020, she held the position of Site Director of The Bottle Yard Studios, an established base for film and TV production in South Bristol. She established and managed the seven-acre film and television facility (owned by Bristol City Council) since it opened in 2010.

Fiona started her career working in theatre, including the Manchester Royal Exchange and the Royal Shakespeare Company, before moving into television in 1990 when she joined the BBC’s Drama department in London. Three years later she relocated to Bristol and worked for more than 14 years as a Location Manager and Line Producer for TV drama, before going on to manage production liaison for South West Screen and Creative England.

Fiona was one of the Mayor of Bristol’s C4 group that was instrumental in Bristol winning the bid to become a Channel 4 creative hub. She was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of the West of England in July 2019 for her services to film and television and is a member of the Society of Merchant Venturers.

Fiona’s husband, Andrew, works as a freelance executive Production Designer in high-end television drama. All three of their children attended Bristol Cathedral School over two decades (1993 – 2014), and Fiona is delighted to be in a position to give something back to the school and the wider Trust.

Andrew Wright BA (Hons) FCA is a Chartered Accountant and an Audit Partner with Deloitte LLP and has over 21 years’ experience of working with and advising dynamic organisations experiencing significant change.  He leads the Bristol Audit practice consisting of a team of over 150 people and he also has a National responsibility for quality and transformation. He has significant experience of working alongside Boards and providing strategic advice and he is well versed in risk assessment and financial due diligence.  He has a strong history of supporting local charities having participated in the 1625 Independent People sleep out in November and previously cycled 960 miles from John O’Groats to Land’s End in nine days.

Kate started her career as a teaching assistant, then later trained to teach at Rolle College in Exmouth. Kate's career in classroom teaching started in Hackney, London, where she progressed to SENDco and Assistant Principal, leading an autism resource base as part of a creative partnerships outstanding primary school, before relocating to Bristol.

Prior to Kate’s appointment as Executive Principal, she was the headteacher at Hareclive E-ACT Academy in Hartcliffe, Bristol and prior to that was headteacher at Greenfield E-ACT Academy in Knowle West. Kate has always worked in schools with high levels of deprivation and has a passion for school improvement.

Kate is presently an Executive Principal with the Cabot Learning Federation (CLF), a medium-sized mature MAT with schools in Bristol, South Gloucestershire and North Somerset. Kate currently takes the lead on attendance, exclusions and wellbeing across the CLF.

Kate was also once a part of the leadership team at Headey Park Primary in south Bristol, now a part of Cathedral Schools trust. She is delighted to be supporting governance at CST.

Julia has worked in further education for over twenty years and is the Principal and CEO at City of Bristol College. She is an experienced teacher, has written qualifications for both higher and further education, has driven organisational transformation leading to improved student outcomes, and is highly focused on the student experience.  

Julia champions the importance of partnership work and has significant experience of working with partners to benefit the educational experiences of young people and adults to support their pathways to employment. She is the Accounting Officer of a large and complex organisation, and has a comprehensive understanding of the duties associated with this role. 

Anne has been in primary Education for over 30 years. Anne served as a headteacher for over 20 years in several schools varying in size from one to four form entry. She has a passion for school improvement and has over her career always been involved in system leadership. She became a local leader of education and supported many schools across the wider Bristol area on their improvement journeys. She has also been an Executive Head. 

Anne has extensive knowledge and understanding of strategic and operational aspects of school leadership including schools in areas of disadvantage and is a strong advocate for high quality early years education. 

Anne is Chair of the Quality of Education Committee and sits on two school improvement boards. 

Andrea is an experienced education professional with over 41 years’ experience in schools and school trusts. She was the founding Chief Executive of Futura Learning Partnership (formerly Wellsway Multi Academy Trust), a post she held for 10 years until her retirement at the end of last year.

Her educational experience includes working as a local authority adviser in Somerset, 16 year’s successful headship experience in three secondary schools and setting up and growing a trust that worked across five local authority areas, running 26 schools serving
12,000 pupils.

Andrea has been a governor at City of Bristol College since 2019 and has recently been appointed as Vice Chair. During her career Andrea was recognized as a National Leader of Education and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for Services to Education in 2018. In 2024 she received a Silver Lifetime Achievement Award in the Pearsons National Teaching Awards. Throughout her career she has been a passionate advocate for inclusion and a strong believer in the power of education to change lives.

Andrea is an experienced education professional with over 41 years’ experience in schools and school trusts. She was the founding Chief Executive of Futura Learning Partnership (formerly Wellsway Multi Academy Trust), a post she held for 10 years until her retirement at the end of last year.

Her educational experience includes working as a local authority adviser in Somerset, 16 year’s successful headship experience in three secondary schools and setting up and growing a trust that worked across five local authority areas, running 26 schools serving
12,000 pupils.

Andrea has been a governor at City of Bristol College since 2019 and has recently been appointed as Vice Chair. During her career Andrea was recognized as a National Leader of Education and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate for Services to Education in 2018. In 2024 she received a Silver Lifetime Achievement Award in the Pearsons National Teaching Awards. Throughout her career she has been a passionate advocate for inclusion and a strong believer in the power of education to change lives.