Hertford Regional College Corporation: Member Profiles
Victoria Bew
Appointed
Oct 2019
Committees
Quality, Standards & Business Planning (Chair), Remuneration, Search & Governance
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Victoria joined HRC’s Board in autumn 2019 and is Chair of the Quality, Standards and Business Planning Committee. She is a strategy expert who works across public services, currently in HM Treasury in their strategic projects team. Her experience and background is in strategic decision making, including business cases, partnerships (inc. M&A), and options appraisals.
Victoria holds a degree in Philosophy and Economics from the London School of Economics, and an Executive Masters from the University of Cambridge, Judge Business School, in Social Innovation. She is passionate about driving evidence-based change, and committed to driving social value in the public sector.
louise burt
Appointed
July 2022
Committees
Quality, Standards, and Business Planning
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Louise is one of our Student Governors
jo Dyne
Appointed
Dec 2020 (re-appointed)
Committees
Resources (Chair), Remuneration (Chair), Search & Governance
Other Positions
Vice Chair of the Corportation
Profile
Jo is part of the Finance Director of the Shared Services team at VolkerWessels UK Ltd, a multidisciplinary contractor that delivers innovative engineering solutions across the civil engineering and construction sectors including rail, highways, airport, marine, energy, water, and environmental infrastructure. A Chartered Accountant, Jo brings to the Board 20 years’ financial expertise across different sectors including practice, telecoms and civil engineering along with experience risk management and acquisitions and mergers.
Patience Egbo
Appointed
October 2022
Committees
Resources
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Patience is a solicitor practising in corporate/company law. She has a Masters’ Degree in Law from University of London, and attended the College of Law, Chester. She is a qualified solicitor in England and Wales, having first qualified as a solicitor in Nigeria. She is a graduate of the University of Nigeria and holds an LLB.
ricky irons
Re-appointed
March 2019
Committees
Quality, Standards & Business Planning
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Ricky is the support staff governor. He worked for a local Pharmaceutical company for 24 years and joined the College just over 6 years ago. He was the Health and Safety Manager at the College for 4.5 years before taking over the role of Facilities and Estates Manager. Ricky wants to ensure we provide our students with the best educational experience and watch them grow and develop in their careers.
tony medhurst
Appointed
Aug 2015
Committees
Resources, Search & Governance, Quality, Standards & Business Planning
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Tony has in excess of 12 years’ experience as Principal & Chief Executive in two colleges and was appointed to the role at HRC in August 2015. He has senior leadership experience in both the public and private sector. He has an established track-record of delivering demonstrable quality improvement, partnership development, income growth, curriculum development and complex projects. He has chaired conferences, national policy groups and working parties reporting directly to ministers. He has delivered keynote speeches and workshops on education leadership in both the UK and overseas including the USA, Tanzania, Vietnam and Jordan. He was a previous winner of a national Education Partnership Award.
jon sills
Appointed
Oct 2017
Committees
Audit
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
John is the Director of Finance at the Education & Training Foundation (ETF). He has a commercial background working in the telecoms and technology sector. Prior to joining the ETF, he spent 25 years with Dixons and then Orange as they went through various mergers and acquisitions. He has been responsible for the financial plans, due diligence, contract negotiations, integration of systems and processes and staff management. In 2013 John joined Action for Children where he gained his first experience in the charity sector and got exposure to local authority contracts and funding.
charlotte simmonds
Appointed
Oct 2017
Committees
Audit
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Charlotte began her career in the charity sector supporting small businesses before moving on to the construction and rail industries in a range of environmental, safety and quality management roles. In 2008 she joined the Houses of Parliament as their first Head of Fire Safety & Environment and is now their Head of Enterprise Portfolio Office with oversight of Parliament’s portfolio of investment projects. She is a Chartered Environmentalist, has featured in Management Today’s 35 Women under 35 as well as a runner up Shell Business Woman of the Future and is a STEM Ambassador. She has two small children and plays in goal for Bishops Stortford Hockey Club.
judith wickes
Appointed
Oct 2019
Committees
Audit
Other Positions
Nominated Governor for Special Educational Needs
Nominated Governor for Safeguarding
Profile
Judith currently works as a Finance Business Partner at the Department for Education. She is a qualified chartered accountant having qualified with Deloitte, and has worked across a number of sectors including professional audit firm, charity, music company, internet service provider, university and civil service.
Nick Buckland OBE
Appointed
August 2021
Committee
Resources, Remuneration, Search & Governance. Quality, Standards & Business Planning (attends)
Other Positions
Corporation Chair, Chair of Search & Governance
Profile
Nick brings a wealth of experience to the position, alongside a keen interest in the further education sector, from both a personal and a business perspective. As an experienced Chair, Trustee and Director of a wide range of organisations in the public, private and voluntary sectors, he offers considerable expertise in governance, innovation and technology across a variety of industrial and commercial sectors.
Originally educated as a Mathematician, Nick worked in the IT industry for a number of years, in commercial solutions, high performance computing, virtual reality and the internet. Making a career change in the mid 1990’s, he developed a portfolio career working with many different organisations. He retains an interest in education, the arts, transport, agriculture and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics).
A Fellow of a number of professional bodies and a Chartered Engineer, Manager and Information Technology Practitioner, Nick was appointed OBE in 2009 for services to Innovation and Technology. As a product of the further education sector himself, with fond memories of completing his A-Levels at College, he has maintained a passion for further education throughout his career.
katie laffoley
Appointed
July 2022
Committees
Quality, Standards & Business Planning
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Katie is one of our student Governors.
rosie spackman
Appointed
July 2022
Committee
Quality, Standards & Business Planning
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Rosie is one of our students and is a Co-opted member of the Committee.
Tarun chotai
Appointed
December 2021
Committee
Audit
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
A father of two teenage daughters, Tarun is a professionally qualified accountant, employed and working full-time in an educational environment, supporting and managing all activities relating to the education of young people.
Sophia Howells
Appointed
October 2022
Committee
Resources
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Sophia has worked in the Housing sector for 9 years and is currently Head of Housing Services for B3Living, the main provider of social housing in the Borough of Broxbourne. Sophia currently oversees all aspects of housing management, including ASB, Sheltered Housing, Lettings, Rents, Estates and Leasehold services. Sophia is passionate about delivering excellent customer experiences and building strong links with the local community to enable an effective and customer-centric service. Sophia has previously worked in a range of roles, including Head of Operations at Co-op Homes and Retirement Housing Manager at RHP in the Borough of Richmond. She holds a BSc in Government from the LSE.
Cecilia mutuma
Appointed
October 2022
Committee
Resources
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Cecilia is a strategic Inclusion and HR Leader with 20 years’ experience gained in multiple industries including financial services, legal, consulting, media and recruitment. Cecilia is passionate about Diversity and has delivered successful corporate diversity initiatives as well as working in the community mentoring teenagers from diverse backgrounds. She has two young children and is committed to creating a society where everyone can thrive.
Anatoliy Strembitskyy
Appointed
November 2022
Committee
Quality, Standards & Business Planning
Other Positions
n/a
Profile
Born in Ukraine, Anatoliy (Toly) has lived in the UK for the last 24 years working in hospitality and event management sector for 14 years. In 2013 Toly completed a Master of Science Degree with distinction at University of Hertfordshire (Hertfordshire Business School) becoming a teacher the same year. As a critically reflective teacher and executive coach, Toly is passionate about inspiring colleagues and students to raise their own awareness and responsibility through their reflection and actions and Toly’s coaching and mentoring
