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Members & Board of Trustees

Members

The board is made up of a wide range of highly experienced individuals with backgrounds in education, business, and finance who bring challenge and support to the organisation. The board meets regularly with principals and the executive from the Trust.

Alan Price
Member
Alan is a Businessman and Property Consultant, being a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and is owner and director of Cosnett Price, a long established practice of Commercial and Industrial Agents and Valuers, together with directorships of a number of property based companies. Previously Chair of the 6th Form College Solihull, he is also Chairman of Trustees of a Charity based in Cornwall supporting overseas aid. Alan has his own large family of 6 grown up children and 3 grandchildren and he and his wife are now involved in providing home for Fostered Children.
Karen Crowston
Member and Chair of Board of Trustees

Karen is a founding Member of the Trust and Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees. She is an independent education technology consultant following her retirement from Birmingham City Council after 32 years of service working with schools and the Local Authority. As well as supporting technology and information systems in Birmingham Karen was involved for many years with data standards nationally as a member of the DfE’s data collection STAR Chamber and Information Standards and Strategy Board.  She is a very proud mother of two daughters, Samantha and Charlotte, both of whom are ex-students of Ninestiles School and Solihull Sixth Form College.

David Werry
Member

David was born in Wolverhampton and later qualified as a chartered accountant in Birmingham. After that he changed career path and followed his vacation into education, in which he has worked for nearly 30 years, spending more than12 years as a primary headteacher. He has been a governor in Birmingham since 2011, including 5 years as a trustee for Ninestiles Academies Trust. Away from education he sings in Lichfield Cathedral Choir and enjoys playing bridge.

Board of Trustees

The board is made up of a wide range of highly experienced individuals with backgrounds in education, business, and finance who bring challenge and support to the organisation. The board meets regularly with principals and the executive from the Trust.

Karen Crowston
Member and Chair of the Board of Trustees

Karen is a founding Member of the Trust and took up post of Chair of the Board of Trustees from January 2020. She is an independent education technology consultant following her retirement from Birmingham City Council after 32 years of service working with schools and the Local Authority. As well as supporting technology and information systems in Birmingham Karen was involved for many years with data standards nationally as a member of the DfE’s data collection STAR Chamber and Information Standards and Strategy Board.  She is a very proud mother of two daughters, Samantha and Charlotte, both of whom are ex-students of Ninestiles School and Solihull Sixth Form College

Richard Beamish
Vice Chair of Board of Trustees

Richard is Vice Chair of the Board of Trustees and Chair of Cockshut Hill Local Governing Body. Richard took up post of Vice Chair of Board of Trustees in January 2020. Richard is an education and skills consultant, most recently advising the British Council and the Korean Institute for Curriculum and Evaluation (KICE). Previously he retired following eight years as Chief Executive of Sector Skills Council Asset Skills. A former schoolteacher, Richard spent over 14 years in two spells with The Newspaper Society. There he was responsible for establishing Newspapers in Education and occupational standards for journalists, and for new media opportunities research. He was a board member of the National Council for the Training of Journalists and Chief Executive of the Print Education Forum.

Catherine Anwar
Chief Executive Officer
Catherine Anwar, our Chief Executive Officer, joined us in May 2017. Prior to joining us, Catherine was a Senior Her Majesty’s Inspector for Ofsted and served 8 years as a secondary school headteacher in Hampshire. In her role at Ofsted, Catherine led focused reviews of Multi-Academy Trusts, and inspections of complex academies, and free schools.
Ateef Azam
Trustee
Ateef is a Trustee and Chair of Yarnfield Local Governing Body. He is a Dental Surgeon at Princes End Dental Practice in Tipton, West Midlands. He has been working in the West Midlands for over 5 years. He was previously a school governor at Lyndon School and is also a Special Constable for the West Midlands Police Force, serving the community in Central Birmingham for over 5 years. Ateef enjoys reading, running and travelling.
Jonathan Bridges
Trustee
Jonathan Bridges joined the Board of Trustees in 2017 after serving as a parent governor for the Sixth Form College, Solihull. He attended the college as a student from 1979 to 1981 and after studying at Sheffield University has worked in the automotive industry in the West Midlands. Jonathan chairs the Audit and Risk Committee and is also Chair of The Sixth Form College, Solihull Local Governing Body.
Neal Clements
Trustee
Neal Clements is a director of Project smart Ltd where he specialises in IT projects and training. Neal has over 40 years experience of both business and academia especially in HE and FE including lecturing and governing. His other great passion is aviation, Neal is a flying instructor. Neal chairs the Finance & Resources Committee for the Trust and is also Chair of Ninestiles Local Governing Body.
Fiona Dennis-Stephens
Trustee
Fiona graduated from Lancaster University in 1992 with a BA (Hons) in Urban Policy and Race Relations. Soon after this she began working within the field of education as a Home School Link Worker at Preston College in the North West of England. On returning to Birmingham in 1997 Fiona worked at Lordswood Boys' School before moving on to the Behaviour Support Service. In 2008, Fiona was the Unit Manager for the 2020 Programme a Key Stage Four alternative provision co-sited with Lindsworth School in Kings Norton. With the closure of the provision in 2011 Fiona moved on to Bournville College where she currently works as a key member of the Pastoral Care team at Bournville College Academy. She is a former parent governor at Lakey Lane Primary School and currently sits on the Board of Trustees at both Ninestiles School - An Academy and Hall Green School - An Academy. Fiona served as a parent governor at The Sixth Form College Solihull before joining the Board of Trustees at Ninestiles School - An Academy in 2017. A mother of three, Fiona's daughter successfully achieved her 'A' Levels at the Sixth Form College Solihull and her son also attends as a current 'A' Level student. Her youngest son, though only in Year 7, already has his sights set on securing his place at the college in the not so distant future.
Shilpa Unarkat
Trustee
Shilpa is an Associate Solicitor in the Commercial Property team at Sydney Mitchell LLP’s Shirley office. Shilpa has experience working with clients in manufacturing, engineering and retail comprising companies, owner-managed businesses, private individuals and partnerships, SIPPS and lenders. In her spare time, Shilpa enjoys running, swimming, baking cakes and travelling and spending time with her young family.
Mary LeBreuilly
Trustee
Mary started her career in education as a science teacher in secondary schools and subsequently became a senior leader. She has extensive experience in school improvement services having worked for three local authorities in the West Midlands as a science and ICT adviser and as a school improvement partner. Her work took her into all phases of education from Early Years to Sixth Form. She is the author of the primary science scheme Engaging Science.
Marilyn Mottram
Trustee
Bio coming soon
Philip Scott
Trustee

After graduating from university, Philip Scott chose to pursue a career in finance and completed AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) and ACCA (Association of Certified Chartered Accountants) accountancy qualifications.

Philip started his finance career working within the building and global logistics industries before moving into the education sector.

Philip has worked within medium and large multi academy trusts supporting Nursery, Primary, Secondary, Sixth Form and Further Education providers gaining a detailed understanding along the way of the education environment and the role finance plays within it.

In addition, Philip is involved nationally in the sector, sitting on an ESFA Working Group.

In his spare time, Philip enjoys running, swimming, cycling and spending time with his wife and two young children.