Marion Plant OBE, FCGI (Chair)
Marion Plant OBE is Principal and Chief Executive of North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC).
Under Marion’s leadership, students at the college consistently perform highly in the WorldSkills UK Competitions, including in the entry-level foundation skills competitions which the college itself conceived and developed. Marion oversaw the development of a successful technology institute that delivers highly acclaimed training for the automotive sector including for prestigious brands such as Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley. Marion has served a three-year term as a non-executive director at the Department for Education and recently achieved fellowships from the City and Guilds Institute and the Chartered Institute for Further Education.
Justin Rix (Deputy Chair)
Justin is a partner at the professional services firm Grant Thornton UK LLP where he leads their People Advisory practice, which involves working with a broad range of organisations on all aspects of their people agenda and how they can attract, retain, engage, and develop their talent.
Mark Farrar
Mark Farrar has been CEO of the Association of Accounting Technicians, the Construction Industry Training Board and the government marine science agency, Cefas. He is on the board of the exam watchdog Ofqual and has held non-executive roles at the Skills Funding Agency and Women into Science and Engineering, as well as being chair of the board at Barking and Dagenham College.
Mike James
Mike James is an engineer by background and now Chief Executive of Cardiff and Vale College Group. He has over 23 years of experience in the FE sector, including holding senior posts in both Bristol and a major London College prior to Cardiff.
Audrey Nelson
Audrey Nelson is a strategic communications specialist with extensive public affairs experience and an in-depth knowledge of business. Her political and parliamentary expertise was gained at leading business advocacy group the CBI as well as spells in key Whitehall departments, including Number 10.
Professor Sean Wellington
Sean is Middlesex University’s Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Provost with responsibility for leadership of education, research and knowledge exchange, and the development and implementation of academic strategies. Starting his career as an apprentice in the engineering industry, Sean has taught engineering and computing for over 30 years and held teaching, research and leadership positions at three universities.
Jennifer Coupland
As Chief executive of IFATE, Jennifer is responsible for advising ministers on standards in apprenticeships and technical education. She has been a member of Council at the University of Roehampton for three years and was previously Director, Professional and Technical Education responsible for leading the Government’s reforms to technical education for young people and adults.
Jatinder Sharma CBE DL
Jatinder held a number of senior positions in both the private and public sector before being appointed Principal and Chief Executive of Walsall College. He also represents further education on the Department for Education ((DfE) Principals’ Reference Group and was appointed Deputy Lieutenant for the West Midlands Lieutenancy in 2022.
Mel Higgins
Mel is Principal and Chief Executive of Northern Regional College in Northern Ireland. A former student of the college, Mel was appointed to his current role in 2021, following six years as Chief Operating Officer at the College. He commenced his career at PricewaterhouseCoopers, where he trained as a chartered accountant. He subsequently held various senior positions in industry and in the Northern Ireland Civil Service before being appointed Chief Executive of the urban regeneration company Ilex in 2012. Mel is a Fellow of the Chartered Accountants in Ireland.
Jon Vincent
Jon was appointed Principal and Chief Executive of Glasgow Clyde College in 2017. In addition to this role, he is also the national lead Principal in Scotland for mental health and well-being, and modern apprenticeships. Prior to commencing his current role, Jon was Principal and Chief Executive of Tyne Metropolitan College in the northeast of England for seven years. He is a board member of Energy Skills Partnership, council member of the General Teaching Council for Scotland and is a trustee of Giffnock North Athletics Club. Jon is a Fellow of the Institute of Knowledge Exchange.
Nicki Hay MBE
Nicki has held senior roles in the Further Education sector for over 30 years. In addition to her role at BPP Education Group, a global leader in professional and vocational education, she chairs the board of Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), is Chair of AELP London and sits on the GLA’s Skills for Londoners Board. Nicki was recognised for services to apprenticeships and skills in the 2021 New Year Honours List, where she was awarded an MBE.
Rachel Wilson
Rachel is strategic HR Leader with over 30 years of experience working in the manufacturing, engineering and technology sector across a wide range of HR fields. In her current role as Director of People and Organisation for Siemens plc for GB&I, Rachel is a strategic advisor and business partner to the CEO and Executive Leadership Team. Rachel holds a Board Trustee role for Enginuity and Non Exec Director position for EAL and is a Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (MCIPD).
Shane Mann
Shane is CEO of EducationScape, an organisation at the forefront of education publishing, training and event management. Shane played a key role in shaping educational journalism by helping launch FE Week in 2011. Building on this success, Schools Week followed in 2014, providing in-depth analysis of the education system from early years to secondary education. Shane has also played a leading role in the renowned Festival of Education, both in the UK and internationally. He was appointed as a trustee of the Teaching Awards Trust in 2020.
Tanaka Chiimba
Tanaka is a partner (Transactions and Transformations) at Kearney, a leading global management consulting firm. Born in Zimbabwe, Tanaka has held roles with several consulting firms and worked for UNICEF. A passionate champion of diversity and inclusion, Tanaka co-founded Africawide and worked with its trust foundation to help people in the Southern African Development Community through various anti-poverty initiatives. Tanaka volunteers with and sits on the board of The Listening Place, an organisation that provides support to Londoners who are struggling with personal crises.
