none of uS, AS THEY SAY, is as good as all of us

 Warren McKeown 

Recently retired from Thames Valley police after serving over 30 years of police service in many different roles, primarily front-line policing. Warren was a police inspector for over 13 years leading teams in front-line response, neighbourhood policing and the busiest custody suite in Thames Valley police. Warren worked with the Counter Terrorism team for many years as the force lead for custody and PACE compliance. For Warren's final year of service was seconded to the violence reduction unit leading Home Office projects to reduce violence in young people. Warren has received formal recognition for many aspects of his strong leadership and high-performance. Warren has a vast amount of experience and knowledge of dealing with conflict, drugs, alcohol, and violence. 

 Julie is owner and Director of Further Matters Ltd and offers coaching for effective leadership, management and improved performance to senior leaders and managers.

Julie is a qualified Leadership and Management Coach and a Senior Practitioner of the European Mentoring and Coaching Council who takes a person-centred approach to coaching and believes in the power of coaching to deliver change, personal growth and learning.

“Julie is …is explicit in her expectations, is open and honest, makes you feel at ease in discussion and above all she makes you stop and think. Julie has a knack of highlighting subtleties in your thinking that may prevent desired progress; …The (coaching) I received from Julie enabled me to view my professional world through a far clearer lens.” LM Quality Officer

She brings a wide range of experience into coaching from a long career in both the private and public sectors where latterly she was a Vice Principal in an FE College, a Management Consultant working in HE, FE and Health and an Adviser to the FE Commissioner.

Julie is also a volunteer counsellor for the NSPCC’s Childline service.  

Robs is a Director of RGD CTS LTD, a company that provides Consulting, Training and Technical Services across a range of areas.

With over 20 years of experience in leadership, management, teaching, project management, and education systems, Robs has a proven track record of driving operational excellence and delivering impactful results. As a specialist in on-site technology and cloud-based systems, he has led teams in the development and implementation of innovative solutions that drive business growth and enhance customer experiences.

Throughout his career, he has managed a variety of support departments, including IT, Learning Technology, MIS, Exams, and Admissions, and has consistently delivered improvements in service levels and operational efficiencies. He is highly proficient in technical design and implementation, with a particular expertise in network design, Cybersecurity, databases, system migration / integration, and upgrading. He is also experienced in a range of cloud technologies, including Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, and Azure.

Notably, he has led successful mergers that integrated IT and associated systems, resulting in streamlined processes and cost savings. 

As a qualified practitioner of GDPR, he has demonstrated expertise in ensuring compliance with data protection regulations. With experience serving as a Data Protection Officer, he has successfully led the introduction and implementation of GDPR as a core principle in various institutions, promoting a culture of data protection and privacy.

Overall, his broad expertise and achievements make him a valuable asset to any organization seeking a results-driven leader with a proven track record of success.

   Nichole was recognised in 2017 for as the face of parity in the fields of education and leadership with ILE, UK.

Nichole serves as an educational consultant with over two decades of experience in providing strategic and operational project management services to educational institutions, including schools, higher education settings, and private sector organizations. Her expertise spans across the United Kingdom and the MENA region.

Previously, Nichole held the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO) within a publicly-listed company, where she oversaw the execution of an extensive education and community center portfolio valued at £160 million in Kuwait. Additionally, Nichole was an Executive Principal, and founded seven educational institutions, including UTCs, Early Years facilities, and Sports Centers across Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and Kuwait. She specializes in offering guidance on international education, growth strategies, quality enhancement, and senior leadership support.

Nichole is currently pursuing her Doctorate of Business Administration, which she expects to complete in the summer of 2024. She holds an MPhil in Business Administration and a Master's degree in Education. Furthermore, Nichole is an associate member of the Institute of Leadership and Management in the United Kingdom. Her track record demonstrates consistent success, and her ability to grasp the unique drivers of change within each organization enables her to work effectively and empathetically.

Lee has twenty years’ experience in further education and skills.  He has worked in the funding body, a representative body and in colleges.  Lee served as a college principal and chief executive officer for almost eight years in both the South West and in Yorkshire.  He has led the development of post-merger corporate and student services financial turnaround, quality improvement and been involved in several inspections.

Lee now runs his own consultancy: Leading – Developing – People.  Though which he works with middle and senior leaders on people development, strategy development and review, research and evaluation and supports with leading and managing change, as well as project management.

Julie has spent over 30 years in HR and in this time has worked for several large organisations, including over 8 years with Thames Valley Police as the HR lead for the Bracknell and subsequently the Slough Police Area.

Julie has held senior roles in FE colleges between 2005-2019, successfully leading HR departments with significant change management experience including mergers and TUPE. 

She previously worked with Kate and Graham in delivering East Berkshire College's first merger with Strode’s 6th Form College. Following the merger, Julie played a key role in negotiating new terms and conditions with staff and unions within the newly formed The Windsor Forest Colleges Group.

During her time within FE, Julie worked in partnership with other Colleges, successfully managing the HR Department of a local college in the absence of a HR Director over a number of months in addition to her substantive role.

Julie chaired the Association of Colleges South East (AOSEC) network meetings of HR professionals, representing members at the Association of Colleges (AoC) national HR network, contributing to the development of policies and practices, sharing information and developments in the sector.

More recently, Julie has once again supported The Windsor Forest Colleges Group in working towards the merger with Berkshire College of Agriculture, planned for August 2022.

  Jayne has over twenty years’ successful experience in the FE sector starting out as a part time lecturer and moving rapidly up to CEO of the Orbital South Colleges group, having undertaken a variety of senior leadership roles along the way. Jayne has an MA in FE sector management as well as holding a range of teaching qualifications. She has served as an examiner for the Cambridge and OCN boards as well as having experience as an external peer reviewer.

During her time as Principal/CEO at East Surrey College, Jayne led the College to two ‘Good’ inspections with many areas of ‘Outstanding’ practice noted. Jayne led on the successful merger with John Ruskin College in Selsdon, Croydon, overseeing the transformation of the curriculum at John Ruskin as well as several new estates/capital build projects and the growth of the Group’s reputation as a trusted, collaborative partner. As CEO, under her leadership, East Surrey College and Orbital South Colleges maintained ‘Outstanding’ financial health category over many years, including in the first years of merger. 

Prior to working in the FE sector, Jayne held a senior hospital management post before moving to Surrey and into a commercial marketing role. She has also run a successful franchise business. 

Emma Forrest-Leigh is a highly accomplished and experienced leader across the education sector. 

With over 25 years of experience in education, Emma has garnered a wealth of knowledge and expertise. Her accolades, including awards from the AoC (Association of Colleges) and a Queen's Award in 2022, highlight her significant contributions to the field.

One of Emma's key strengths is her ability to mentor and lead teams to achieve exceptional results. Her success in achieving some of the very highest retention and achievement rates in the UK demonstrates her proficiency in this area. Her skills extend beyond traditional educational roles; she is also a change maker who excels in performance management and innovation. This capability positions her to positively influence college culture and drive improvements in student and staff satisfaction.

Emma's diverse skill set includes not only curriculum and quality management but notably also extends to specialist areas including Turing/Erasmus overseas mobility projects, college interior design, signage aligned to the education framework (Fundamental British Values, Consent etc.) social media, video content creation, and particularly exceptional events management. 

Emma is available for consultancy work, on site or hybrid, for large or small projects.