Trustees
Angela O'Brien (Chair)
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Date of appointment: |
1 September 2022 |
|
Term of office: |
Until 31 August 2026 |
| Appointed by: | Members |
Angela O'Brien OBE is the Managing Director - Macdonald Associates Consultancy (‘MAC’) and Systems Leadership Community Interest Company (‘SLCIC’), a global consultancy group helping organisations create the conditions where people willingly give of their best through the application of systems leadership theory.
Prior to this, Angela was the Director of Primary Education at the Spencer Academies Trust for 8 years, where she transformed failing schools, built new schools and improved established ones. She developed a collaborative approach across schools which resulted in significant improvements for pupils, a culture of innovation and development of new effective leaders. Many of the 18 primary schools in the trust serve disadvantaged communities including Wyndham Primary Academy, an outstanding school which has been awarded EEF Research School status and is one of the 25 schools nationally across the UK that now works to support other schools.
Angela took Wyndham from a bottom 200 school in the country to 'outstanding' in three years through transforming the culture to one that places a shared vision and systems leadership at the heart of everything.
Business or pecuniary interests
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Name of business: |
Macdonald Associates Consultancy |
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Nature of business: |
Consultancy Company |
|
Nature of interest: |
Employee |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 1 April 2024 |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Date of entry: | 3 September 2025 |
John Jex (Vice Chair)
| Date of appointment: | 22 June 2020 |
| Term of office: | Until 21 June 2028 |
| Appointed by: | Members |
John Jex is a Sheffield-based management consultant and the current Chair of the Chemical & Industrial Consultants Association. He previously held senior general management and commercial roles in the chemical industry. He has managed large teams and has extensive international experience, living for many years in the Middle East and Asia Pacific regions. After returning to Sheffield in 2019, he established a consulting business, advising chemical manufacturers on strategy development and execution, while also supporting companies in the chemical industry with executive recruitment and team development. John is active with Sheffield-based theatre company Tudor Players, in on- and off-stage roles.
Business or pecuniary interests
| Name of business: | Jex Business Services Limited |
| Nature of business: | Consulting |
| Nature of interest: | Owner and Director |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 18 May 2020 |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Name of business: | Chemical & Industrial Consultants Association (CICA) |
| Nature of business: | Trade Association |
| Nature of interest: | Committee Member |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 12 April 2023 |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Name of business: | Chemical & Industrial Consultants Association (CICA) |
| Nature of business: | Trade Association |
| Nature of interest: | Chair |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 9 February 2024 |
| Name of business: | Chemical Search International Ltd |
| Nature of business: | Executive Recruitment in Chemical Industry |
| Nature of interest: | Freelance Consultant |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 1 March 2021 |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Name of business: | Chorus Education Trust |
| Nature of business: | Education |
| Nature of interest: | Personal - Spouse employed as exam invigilator |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 27 March 2025 |
| Name of business: | Cowmouth Farm Estate Management Company Ltd |
| Nature of business: | Residents Property Management Company |
| Nature of interest: | Director |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 30 May 2023 |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Name of business: | Wide Impact Professional & Management Development Training L.L.C. |
| Nature of business: | Management Training & Coaching |
| Nature of interest: | Freelance Management Trainer & Coach |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 4 September 2024 |
| Date returned: | 28 August 2025 |
Yejide Adewakun
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Date of appointment: |
24 December 2023 |
|
Term of office: |
Until 23 December 2027 |
| Appointed by: | Members |
Business or pecuniary interests
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Name of business: |
n/a |
|
Nature of business: |
n/a |
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Nature of interest: |
n/a |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | n/a |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Date of entry: | 4 September 2025 |
Chris Fox
| Date of appointment: | 22 June 2020 |
| Term of office: | Until 21 June 2028 |
| Appointed by: | Members |
Chris Fox is Professor of Evaluation and Policy Analysis at Manchester Metropolitan University where he is also Director of Research in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities, providing strategic research leadership to approximately 350 researchers working across the arts, humanities and social sciences. Chris’s own research focuses on public service reform. He is particularly interested in how people can co-create the services they use, how to build strengths-based services and how to evaluate their effectiveness.
Business or pecuniary interests
| Name of business: | Manchester Metropolitan University |
| Nature of business: | Higher Education |
| Nature of interest: | Employee |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | September 2007 |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Date of entry: | 5 September 2025 |
Aniko Pike
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Date of appointment: |
19 July 2024 |
|
Term of office: |
18 July 2028 |
| Appointed by: | Members |
Business or pecuniary interests
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Name of business: |
n/a |
|
Nature of business: |
n/a |
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Nature of interest: |
n/a |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | n/a |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Date of entry: | 2 October 2025 |
David Owen
| Date of appointment: | 13 December 2019 |
| Term of office: | Until 12 December 2027 |
| Appointed by: | Members |
David Owen is an emeritus professor of education and former primary and secondary teacher. He was head of department in the Sheffield Institute of Education at Sheffield Hallam University from 2014 to 2023, leading initial teacher training, education and childhood courses. He has specialised in geography education, teacher development, digital learning and developing successful education partnerships, and has written and presented to national and international audiences on these areas. David is committed to working collaboratively across the education sector to improve outcomes for all school students. He has chaired national Department for Education initial teacher training groups, as well as working as a member, governor and trustee for other regional multi-academy trusts, schools and colleges.
Business or pecuniary interests
| Name of business: | Wickersley Partnership Trust |
| Nature of business: | MAT Board |
| Nature of interest: | Director |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 1 September 2020 |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Date of entry: | 4 September 2025 |
| Name of Business: | Exchange Teacher Training: Delta Multi Academy Trust |
| Nature of business: | Teacher Training/ITT Provider |
| Nature of interest: | Member of the Strategic Board |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 1 October 2024 |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Date of entry: | 4 September 2025 |
Nicola Shearstone
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Date of appointment: |
1 September 2022 |
|
Term of office: |
Until 31 August 2026 |
| Appointed by: | Members |
Business or pecuniary interests
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Name of business: |
n/a |
|
Nature of business: |
n/a |
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Nature of interest: |
n/a |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | n/a |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Date of entry: | 31 August 2025 |
Zoe Sullivan
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Date of appointment: |
28 February 2020 |
|
Term of office: |
Until 27 February 2024 |
| Appointed by: | Members |
Dr Zoe Sullivan works in policy and operational delivery in the Department for Education. Before joining the civil service, she held positions in executive search and academia. Zoe holds a BA and MSc from the London School of Economics and Political Science and a DPhil (PhD) from the University of Oxford.
Business or pecuniary interests
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Name of business: |
Department for Education |
|
Nature of business: |
Government Department |
|
Nature of interest: |
Employee |
| Date of appointment or acquisition: | 13 May 2019 |
| Date of cessation of interest: | n/a |
| Date of entry: | 14 November 2025 |
Trustees resigned in last twelve months
- Marie Prenton - Resigned 6 February 2026
- David Butcher - Resigned 23 September 2025
Trustee committee attendance
View Trustee's attendance at committee meetings for 2024 to 2025