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Chair of Finance and Resources Committee
Committee Member: Finance and Resources
Term of Office: From 26 January 2022 to 25 January 2026
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Committee Member: Quality of Education
Term of Office: From 6 January 2025 to 5 January 2029
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Committee Member: Audit and Risk
Term of Office: From 3 October 2019 to 2 October 2027
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Committee Member: Quality of Education
Term of Office: From 26 January 2022 to 25 January 2026
Kristyan is the Pro Vice Chancellor for Education at Keele University, providing senior leadership for education and student experience, portfolio development, and curriculum development, quality assurance and enhancement. In her role, Kristyan is a member of the University Executive chairing a range of university committees and project groups.
Kristyan has over 30 years of experience in higher education. Prior to joining Keele University she was the Associate Pro Vice Chancellor of University of Liverpool and held senior leadership positions at Winchester and Reading. Prior to joining the higher education sector, she had a successful career as a lecturer and teacher of linguistics.
Kristyan is keen to contribute to the local community and make new connections with partner organisations.
Committee Member: Quality of Education (Vice Chair)
Term of Office: From 3 October 2017 to 2 October 2029
Following 12 years in headship, Michelle was appointed to the role of Lead for School Improvement for the Orchard Community Trust. Prior to her current role Michelle was an executive Headteacher working across two large primary schools and a nursery school in Stoke-on-Trent. She is a qualified teacher and has extensive senior management experience in schools as a Headteacher and as a local authority adviser, supporting and challenging schools within the primary sector and leading the early years quality improvement team.
She has particular expertise in early years, primary education, pupils for whom English is an additional language and supporting schools which are deemed inadequate. Michelle has recently qualified as an Ofsted Inspector.
Her employment history is as follows:
Vice Chair of Trust Board
Link Trustee with responsibility for safeguarding
Committee Member: Finance and Resources
Committee Member: Quality of Education
Term of Office: From 2 March 2017 to 1 March 2029
Charles has served the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College as Governor since 2002 and has been Chair of the Corporation since September 2010, he is also Vice-Chair of a number of the Corporation Committees. From May 2000 to August 2008 he served as Headteacher of Wolstanton High School, Newcastle-under-Lyme which is an 11-16 mixed comprehensive school with 1100 pupils coming under Staffordshire Local Authority.
Previously Charles was Deputy Head in a similar sized school in Hampshire and prior to that he was Head of Year in two schools also in Hampshire. Charles is also Chair of Governors of St. Margaret’s (CE) Junior School, Newcastle-under-Lyme, having been a Governor since 2008. He has a wealth of experience working with staff and pupils from primary and secondary sectors from 1976 to the present day. Having studied Physiology and Biochemistry at Southampton University and then researched a Biochemistry Ph.D. (Mechanistic Aspects of Cholesterol Biosynthesis!!) it is not surprising that he taught Science as his main subject. In September 2008 Charles retired from teaching after 32 years service but he continues to provide voluntary support to education in Stoke-on-Trent and North Staffordshire on various committees and panels.
In his spare time Charles is an avid gardener, wildlife photographer and all things practical. He is an expert rifle shooter having shot for the Great Britain Junior team in his younger days, but ageing vision mean that he no longer reaches such dizzy heights of achievement.
Committee Member: Audit and Risk (Vice Chair)
Term of Office: From 2 March 2017 to 1 March 2029
Peter is retired from his employment as a lawyer and Managing Partner of Freeths LLP’s Stoke office (formerly KJD Solicitors).
Peter is born and bred in Stoke-on-Trent and after high school spent 3 years at Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College before joining KJD Solicitors in 1982. He undertook part time study for his law degree and graduated from Staffordshire University where he also undertook his Legal Practice Course.
Peter advised and acted for Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College for over 25 years and was part of KJD’s team which oversaw the College’s relocation from Fenton Manor to the current Stoke site.
Peter joined the Trust Board following conversion to Academy status in 2017.
Chair of Audit and Risk Committee
Committee Member: Audit and Risk
Term of Office: From 2 March 2017 to 1 March 2029
Paul spent the whole of his 39 year career in the Sixth Form College initially at Winstanley College, joining the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College in 1981 as a Head of Department. Paul was promoted to a senior manager position in 1993 and was closely involved in the to move independence at Incorporation in 1993.
Appointed to the post of Deputy Principal in 2002, Paul demonstrated his extensive experience of the further education sector, with a particular expertise in leadership and management, quality assurance, and information systems. Following the relocation of the college in 2010, Paul was promoted to Principal in September 2012.
Paul has represented the Sixth Form College sector on a number of national representative bodies responsible for the development of funding and information systems policy. For over ten years, 1995 to 2005, Paul was a registered part-time Inspector with the Further Education Funding Council and subsequently transferred to OFSTED. Paul also has extensive experience of curriculum development and assessment. Over a period of 20 years, the period Paul held the position of Chief Examiner for a national assessment board and was subsequently Chair of Examiners. Within the local context, Paul has extensive contacts across educational partnerships and was Vice-Chair of governors at a local school for over 12 years. Since retirement in 2015, Paul has increased his involvement in school governance in two local Academies.
Chair of Quality of Education Committee
Link Trustee with responsibility for special educational needs
Committee Member: Quality of Education
Term of Office: From 2 March 2017 to 1 March 2029
Kath joined the City of Stoke-on-Trent Sixth Form College Corporation in July 2015. She has worked in the field of further education most of her adult life. During her time as a lecturer at Stoke-on-Trent College she began to specialise in in the field of special education and in 1987 co-founded an independent specialist college for students with learning difficulties and disabilities. She became a principal of the college in 1994.
During this period as director and principal of the college, she spent two years as a board member of the Staffordshire Learning Skills Council until 2004 when she joined Ofsted as a full time HMI. Since retiring from Ofsted in 2011, she continued as a part-time inspector, whilst also providing consultancy support to general further education colleges and specialist providers.
Kath has now retired from inspecting, and has more time to devote to her own interests, which include travelling and volunteering for the CAB. Having been brought up and educated in the area, she is keen, through her role as governor, to support the College in providing the opportunities and raising the aspirations of students to help them succeed.
Committee Member: Finance and Resources (Vice Chair)
Term of Office: From 2 March 2017 to 1 March 2029
John has more than 30 years experience as a senior manager and business consultant, working across a whole range of sectors and sizes of organisation. John has two passions, one is helping people think differently, encouraging an environment that allows people to be both creative and innovative and secondly, harnessing that innovation to develop digital technology solutions to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
John is semi-retired and, until recently, was Managing Director and Chair of Kapability Consultants Ltd with global clients ranging from blue chip to start-up enterprises. Prior to this, John was head of Training and Development Services and Technical Training for British Telecommunications plc. He was previously a Board Member, the Head of Business Psychology and Distance Learning for the British Telecom Management College. John has a Master’s degree in Business Studies, and is an Enterprise Fellow at Keele University Mathematics and Computing School. He is an Executive Coach, NLP practitioner and licensed ThinkBuzan Instructor.
For the last five years John has helped to develop and expand the renowned Student Led Consultancy Programme at Keele University. He also provides mentoring support for SMEs and start-up enterprises via the Chamber of Commerce.
John has been an advisor to a number of organisations including The World Bank and International Telecommunications Union. He is currently Chair of Digital Staffordshire, a committee of the LEP and Chamber of Commerce. He is also a Trustee of Silitoe Housing and a board member for the Stoke-on-Trent Place Board.
Chair of Trust Board
Term of Office: From 17 May 2017 to 16 May 2029
Martin was appointed as the Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of Staffordshire University on 1 January 2022, having been promoted from his role as Deputy Vice Chancellor. He was previously the Director of the White Rose Doctoral Training Centre and Professor of Human Geography at the University of Sheffield.
Prior to these appointments Martin worked at Aberystwyth University as the Dean of Social Science, Co-Director of the Wales Institute of Social and Economic Research and Pro-Vice Chancellor.
Martin has also worked at the University of Manchester in the School of Geography.
Martin is a graduate of the Leadership Foundation’s Top Management Programme (TMP28) and is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA) and an Academician of Social Sciences.
Carol is a successful local business woman. She is Chair of Synectics Solutions and Port Vale FC.
Carol started her Career in the IT industry at the tender age of 17 as a main-frame computer operator. In September 2015, Carol was appointed Managing Director of Synectics where she acted as the fulcrum from which the entire business changed, adapted, innovated, and delivered organisational growth and in January 2020 Carol was promoted to the position of Chair.
In 2018, building on her work to tackle food poverty among school children in Stoke-on-Trent, Carol launched the Hubb Foundation which aims to provide fun and engaging activities for youngsters, as well as nutritious meals, in a safe environment during school holiday periods.
In May of 2019 Carol took the reins as Chair of Port Vale FC, following her family’s acquisition of the League Two club. Carol has been the driving force behind the Vale’s resurgence on and off the field and helped to build the club’s reputation with its supporters and nationally within the industry. When the first Covid-19 pandemic lockdown occurred in March 202o Carol oversaw the creation of the Port Vale Community Hub which brought together club staff, the Hubb Foundation, Synectics Solutions, Summit Hospitality, the Port Vale Foundation, volunteers and local businesses. To date it has delivered more than 170,000 meals to families in need across Stoke-on-Trent.
In 2021 Carol joined the English Football League Trust Board, the charitable arm of the EFL, as an EFL nominated representative and was appointed as Chair of the Advisory Group.
Carol is committed to our local area and is passionate about the opportunities for children, young people and their families. She served as co-chair of the Stoke-on-Trent Opportunity Area Board from 2017 to 2022.
In the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2020 Carol, was awarded an OBE for services to the communities of Stoke-on-Trent.
Heather joined the Potteries Educational Trust in September 2021. Prior to appointment from 1 January 2024 as Chief Executive Officer she was our Deputy CEO and Director of Educational Improvement, providing a high level of strategic leadership across the Trust.
Heather started her educational career as a teacher of history, and her career has progressed through a number of senior leadership roles. Immediately prior to joining the Potteries Educational Trust she was a very successful headteacher at two secondary academies in different contexts and areas of the Midlands.
Heather is very proud to be the new CEO of the Potteries Educational Trust and excited to lead our exceptional community on the next steps of the Trust journey.
Professor Trevor McMillan became Vice-Chancellor of Keele University in August 2015. Before moving to Keele as Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost in January 2014 he was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research at Lancaster University, where he led several major academic developments and was the lead for many partnerships with other Universities and external organisations in the UK and abroad.
Prior to being PVC at Lancaster Professor McMillan was Dean of the Institute of Environmental and Natural Sciences and Head of the Department of Biological Sciences.
Professor McMillan was educated at Birtley Lord Lawson Comprehensive School before studying biological sciences at Lancaster, graduating in 1981. He was awarded a PhD in Biophysics at the Institute of Cancer Research, University of London in 1984.
His early research was carried out at the Institute of Cancer Research/Royal Marsden Hospital and the Imperial Cancer Research Fund. A radiation biologist, Professor McMillan has published widely on the use of X-rays in radiotherapy and the harmful effects of long wavelength UV radiation in sunlight. In particular his research has examined the role of DNA damage and repair in the efficacy of radiotherapy and the harmful cellular effects of UVA following environmentally relevant exposures.
On the basis of his research, Professor McMillan has worked on several national committees that have examined the harmful effects of radiation in the environment. He has been awarded Honorary Fellowship of the Royal College of Radiologists and Honorary Membership of the Royal College of Physicians. He is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Biology.
He has taught at all levels in Universities and to medical professionals around the world on the biological basis of cancer treatments.
Professor McMillan was awarded an OBE for services to higher education in the Queen’s Jubilee Birthday Honours June 2022.