This week’s movers and shakers include a leader who worked on Bill Clinton’s presidential campaign and a journalist who once dined with Donald Trump.
This column is our fortnightly guide to who is moving where in the schools community.
We are keen to hear about appointments at a senior level. Please send submissions for this section to news@schoolsweek.co.uk with ‘Movers and shakers’ in the subject line.
Mark McCandless
CEO, Areté Learning Trust
Start date: April 1
Previous/current role: CEO, Ryedale Learning Trust
Interesting fact: Mark once appeared on the television series ‘Springtime on the Farm’ due to his hobby and passion (outside of education) for keeping and breeding domestic animals and poultry native to Shetland.
Louis Coiffait-Gunn
CEO, CILIP: the library and information association
Start date: May 8
Previous/current role: Director of policy and public affairs, Publishers Association
Interesting fact: Louis loves being up in the hills and mountains, on foot, bike or board, and thanks his lucky stars he’s still able to after breaking his back in three places snowboarding in 2012.
Nick MacKenzie
Head of education, Browne Jacobson
Start date: May
Previous/current role: Partner, education team, Browne Jacobson
Interesting fact: Nick is a part-time podcaster and, despite suffering from claustrophobia, recently took up scuba diving with his (enthusiastic) son.
Kelly Robinson
Chief financial officer, HISP multi-academy trust
Start date: April 1
Previous/current role: Head of finance, HISP
Interesting fact: My great, great grandad was a famous English jockey, who rode his last race at the age of 78, died at 105 and had 32 children!
Jonny Uttley
Visiting fellow, Centre for Young Lives
Start date: April
Concurrent job: Chief executive of The Education Alliance
Interesting fact: I once went running with Bill Clinton when I was at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and was an unpaid volunteer on his presidential campaign.
Journalist to chair exam board
A former national newspaper editor has been appointed as chair of trustees at exam board AQA.
Anne Spackman joined the charity earlier this month, taking over from Justin van Wijngaarden.
Spackman worked in senior journalism roles, including at the Financial Times and The Times. More recently, she has held trustee roles for a range of charities. She’s also chair of the Greenshaw Learning Trust.
The board of trustees is responsible for overall strategy, policy and steering AQA to fulfil its educational and charitable objective.
Interesting fact: When property correspondent at the Financial Times, Anne had lunch at Claridge’s with Donald Trump. He ordered steak and potatoes and asked the waiter to go heavy on the potatoes.
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