Meet the Directors
A list of the Directors of the Trust can be found here. However, below is a quick outline of the Directors' skills and abilities as these relates to their role. Names are in alphabetical order; for information about dates of appointment, please see the list of Directors.
Richard Beer is currently Chairman of the Trust. He has experience of school governorship spanning over 10 years.
He is a qualified accountant, ACMA, with 30+ years of experience, holding a BSc in Psychology. He is an experienced finance professional, having held a variety of Finance Director Roles in Financial Services and Housing related businesses. He has also held the post of Company Director within a Blue Chip Company for a number of years.
He has used his broad experience of working in a regulated industry with high standards of governance to support the development of the Trust; he has also held Commercial Director and Director of Group Purchasing roles during his career. His experience of management includes leading large teams of 100+.
Nathan Cole is Executive Head of Wilson's School. He studied History at Nottingham and Cambridge graduating with Distinction. Whilst working in Essex, Nathan acted as a Lead Mentor for the Faculty of Education at Cambridge and regularly contributed to national development groups focusing on the teaching of History, particulary for the most able. Nathan held positions on the Senior Leadership Team at Wilson's from 2008 before being appointed as the Headmaster in 2014. The school was judged as 'outstanding' in all categories by Ofsted in 2022 and named as the Sunday Times School of the Year in 2024. Nathan plays an active role in local education, chairing the Partnership of Sutton Secondary Schools, whilst also supporting the education system nationally in a range of ways, including as a TRA panellist and registered Ofsted Inspector. His academic interests are in nineteenth and twentieth century Italian History, interwar monarchy, masculinity and religion in Britain and societal structures and social relations in 17th century England.
Shaun Day has over two decades of experience in intrastructure and logistics, with a background in programme management across engineering, automation and capital development. He studied Production Management and Industrial Engineering at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology in South Africa.
Shaun has held senior roles across a range of sectors, including retail distribution, third-party logistics and large-scale automation projects. Shaun also played a key role in the logistics operations for the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the England 2015 Rugby World Cup working with a wide range of stakeholders to deliver complex, high-profile programmes.
Shaun brings valuable experience in governance, strategic planning and operational delivery to the Trust Board. He has led large teams, managed significant budgets and developed systems that promote transparency and accountability. Shaun has served as a school governor for several years and is committed to supporting education through thoughtful leadership and collaborative working.
Brian Goldie has many years of experience in school governance; he has also advised on several major scale capital school projects and has a keen interest in health and safety.
He has a BSc honours in Chemistry from Glasgow University and is a chartered chemist (CChem) and chartered scientist (CSci) and a professional member of the Royal Society of Chemistry. After 25 years in research and development with an international oil company, where he also provided guidance on protection of offshore and onshore facilities, he has been working as a consultant to the global Surface Protection industry. He provides technical and market advice, has been involved with technology transfer on a global scale, and been a lecturer on MSc courses at Hull and Sheffield Universities. His strengths are in estate and building maintenance and safe working practices within the school and wider environment.
Christian Hicks is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Trust. He served as one of His Majesty's Inspectors for Ofsted between 2023 and 2025. Prior to that, Christian has been a very successful Headteacher, leading his school to top grades in terms of Ofsted, attainment and progress scores and other measures. Christian has also held the role of Executive Headteacher, working across two schools to establish high quality provision.
Christian's qualifications include: First Class BA Hons, MA in Literature, MA in Education and PGCE in English. He also holds the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership. As an HMI, Christian has inspected chools ranging from outstanding to inadequate in all phases and sectors including primary schools, secondary schools, non-association independent schools and special schools. Christian has significant experience in leading and supporting school improvement, quality assurance and self-evaluation, leadership and management, curriculum development, teaching and learning and safeguarding.
Rebecca McGowan is a Fellow of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries and has over 20 years’ experience advising trustees of occupational pension schemes. She also has a number of leadership roles with her employer with responsibilities for business development, client management and people management. Becky is an experienced School Governor and is also Chair of Trustees of a local secondary school. She is also a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Charity ‘Working Families’.
Becky has lived in Sutton for many years and her two sons attend local schools. Becky is a mentor for the 30% Club to support the development of talented young women in business. She has a BSc in Actuarial Science from the University of Kent.
Barbara Rayment was Director of Youth Access, the national membership association for young people’s information, advice, counselling and support services, for many years. She has had extensive school governance experience.
With a degree in law and post- graduate qualifications in careers guidance, counselling and training management, she has had over 30 years’ experience of working in and championing services for young people. This included working in and managing frontline services, as well as undertaking training, writing good practice guides and leading national developments.
Over the years, she has been a member of various national forums and committees and a number of Government advisory and working groups. Her most recent work included being a member of the Department of Health Children and Young People’s Mental Health and Well-Being Taskforce; membership of NHS England’s Expert Group on Improving Access to Psychological Therapies to Children and Young People and a DfE Expert Group on school counselling. She also has also been Chair of the Children and Young People’s Mental Health Coalition.
Sharon Roberts has worked in the Education Sector for over 23 years and is currently the CEO of a Primary Multi Academy Trust in Sutton. Sharon is a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, a National Leader of Education and holds the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leadership.
Additional to this, Sharon is the Vice Chair of a local Sutton primary school and sits on School's Forum and the Local Authority Leadership Group as Primary Headteacher representative.
Sharon has significant experience in leading and supporting school improvement, leadership and management, school budgets, data analysis, teaching and learning and safeguarding.