Philip Johnson
Philip Johnson Chair of the LTE Group Board, member of the Group Professional Services Board, The Manchester College Divisional Board, UCEN Manchester Divisional Board, Investment & Estates Strategy Group, Remuneration Committee, and Governance Committee.

Philip was previously a senior partner in the Deloitte UK firm, having retired in 2007 after being a partner for 30 years, specialising in audit and mergers and acquisitions.  He was an elected member of the Deloitte UK Board of Partners and the first chairman of the firm’s Audit Committee.

In 2002, Philip had primary responsibility for integrating the clients, partners and staff of Arthur Andersen UK into Deloitte UK. From 2003 he was head of Quality and Risk Management for the UK audit practice of Deloitte until his retirement from the firm.

Philip chaired the Audit Policy Board of Accountancy Europe (formerly the Federation of European Accountants (FEE)) from 2006 until 2010 when he was elected as the Accountancy Europe's President for 2011 and 2012. He was a member of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board Consultative Advisory Group (IAASB CAG) and the International Ethics Standards Board Consultative Advisory Group (IESBA CAG) from 2006 until 2011. From 2013 until 2019, Philip was a member of the Standing Advisory Group of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB) in the US.

From May 2007 to April 2015, Philip was a non-executive director of Yorkshire Building Society, where he also chaired the Audit Committee. He was a seconded member of the Audit Committee of Wellcome Trust for 9 years from 2008.  He chaired the board of governors of Cheadle Hulme School, a large independent day school in Cheshire, for 13 years until December 2020, was a member of the Council of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland and a trustee of the Rugby Football Foundation, the charitable arm of the Rugby Football Union.  Philip has recently stepped down as chairman of the Audit Quality Board at Grant Thornton.

Currently, he is a non-executive director of Lakeland Limited, a retail kitchenware company based in the Lake District, chairman of a property management company in London and a member of the RFU Audit Committee. 

John Thornhill
John Thornhill Chief Executive Officer

John joined us as CEO in 2012. His previous roles included director and CEO positions within BT Group.

John has also held a number of non-executive positions, most recently four years on the board at Manchester Metropolitan University.

He is a member of the Remuneration Committee . John leads LTE group, shaping the strategic and operational direction of the organisation, ensuring we deliver against national priorities, remain financially sound and do so in a way that aligns with the strong values and social mission of the organisation.

Lady Rhona Bradley DL
Lady Rhona Bradley DL Member of Novus Divisional Board, Chair of Governance Committee and Safeguarding Link Governor

Rhona has over 25yrs experience of working in the criminal justice system with the National Probation Service in Greater Manchester and Cheshire, and in local government youth justice services in the region.

She has recently retired after 14 years as the Chief Executive of the charity ADS (Addiction Dependency Solutions) which has provided innovative substance misuse services in the region for almost 50 years. Rhona continues her involvement with the charity as a trustee of the Board.

Before joining ADS Rhona was seconded by HM Inspectorate of Probation to work for what is now the Care Quality Commission (CQC) as a service inspector, conducting statutory inspections of Youth Offending Teams and local authority Children’s Services.

Rhona is a non-executive director of Wrightington, Wigan and Leigh University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, and is also a non-executive director of a large national housing association, Home Group, where she chairs the Clinical Governance Committee.

In addition Rhona is a trustee of a national homelessness charity, Pathway, which seeks to secure NHS healthcare services for homeless people.

In 2010 Rhona was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Greater Manchester.

Cllr Garry Bridges
Cllr Garry Bridges LTE Group Governor and member of The Manchester College Divisional Board

Garry is Deputy Leader of Manchester City Council with portfolio responsibility for Manchester’s Cultural Sector, Crime and Disorder and large-scale capital programmes such as the refurbishment of Manchester’s Town Hall.

Previously Garry served as Executive Member for Early Years, Children and Young People- overseeing Manchester’s journey to its first ever “Good” OFSTED rating. Garry’s political leadership was highlighted by successive OFSTED inspections as a key strength of the service.

Garry is a Director and Trustee of several organisations including Factory International, Greater Manchester Arts Centre (HOME) and Manchester, City of Literature. He represents Manchester on the Greater Manchester Police and Crime Panel and Steering Group.

As Executive Member for Children he led work looking at the response to the challenges posed by missed learning opportunities from the pandemic and introduced targeted initiatives including additional investment in educational psychology and speech and language therapy.

As well as work in Manchester, Garry is a member of the Local Government Association Children’s Board and has contributed and spoken on policy issues for a range of organisations. He is also an LGA Peer Mentor for Councillors for several local authorities across the country.

Garry previously worked for the late Tony Lloyd MP in Manchester Central before working for his successor Lucy Powell MP, running her office in Manchester which he has done since 2012.

Jenifer Burden MBE
Jenifer Burden MBE Member of The Manchester College Divisional Board

Jenifer is a Director of Programmes for the Education team at the Gatsby Charitable Foundation. At Gatsby she focuses on programmes to support the delivery of technical education in the further education and training sector.

Prior to joining Gatsby, Jenifer was inaugural Director of the National STEM Centre in York, which provides resources and professional development for teachers and tutors of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

She has previously worked at the Centre for Innovation and Research in Science Education at the University of York, with a focus on science curriculum development, and the Association for Science Education.

Jenifer studied Genetics & Cell Biology at the University of Manchester, completed a PGCE and taught for 12 years in secondary schools in the North West of England.

Jenifer was awarded an MBE in the 2020 New Year’s Honours list  for services to education.

Paula Cole
Paula Cole Member of the Audit & Risk Committee, Remuneration Committee, Novus Gower and Novus Divisional Board

Paula is a member of the LTE Group Board, Novus Divisional Board and the Audit and Risk Committee.  Paula is also chair of the Remuneration Committee and Novus Gower.

Paula retired as a solicitor in 2022 having spent the majority of her career as a Partner in a number of Manchester city centre law firms where she specialised in Employment law.

Paula is also a Governor of Bridgewater School in Worsley and a Trustee of The Joshua Tree, a charity which provides support for the emotional well-being and mental health of children and families affected by childhood cancers.

Anika Ephraim
Anika Ephraim LTE Group Governor | Member of Novus Divisional Board

Anika is a qualified engineer, she has spent the majority of her career with international corporations in the energy and manufacturing sectors, she has lived and worked in Scotland, Nigeria, Romania and USA, and had the privilege of visiting more than 30 countries during her extensive travels. Her career experience includes Managing Director positions with clean energy technology startup, Grafmarine, and Elfab part of Halma a FTSE100 company.

She is a member of the LTE Group Board, Novus Divisional Board and lead Governor on the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Committee. Outside of LTE Group, she is also a Non-Executive Director with Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Trust and a former Trustee of Remarkable Autism Charity.

Anika has a Design & Manufacturing Engineering degree from University of Central Lancashire, and a joint MBA degree from IE University, Madrid and Brown University, Providence.

Nicholas Garbett
Nicholas Garbett Staff Governor

Nicholas has worked in mainstream and custodial education since 2012 as Head of Music in secondary education, and teacher of music technology within the FE sector. Nicholas currently works for Novus as a Staff Training Development Technologist, focusing on developing and driving high quality digital learning content to improve the standards of teaching and learning across the organisation. His current work includes a flexible on-demand digital training offer which operates within all Novus prison colleges. He currently advises on digital CPD strategies within the organisation and takes an active role in the planning and development of the LTE Group annual Teaching & Learning Conference.

Nicholas has held various posts on committees of musical organisations and is a conductor, composer and published arranger.

Dame Ann Limb DBE DL FRSA
Dame Ann Limb DBE DL FRSA LTE Group Governor | Chair of The Manchester College Divisional Board

A Mancunian by birth, Dame Ann describes herself these days as a ‘philanthropist, mover & Quaker’, trying to navigate her way through life by doing least harm to people, places,  and planet. 

Ann’s teaching career in Further Education began at Wythenshawe College in 1976, whilst she was undertaking her PhD at the University of Liverpool. She enjoyed a successful career in the sector in Manchester and Derbyshire before becoming a Principal & CEO – of Milton Keynes College in 1986 and then Cambridge Regional College in 1996. In 2001, Ann joined the civil service where she led the delivery of the UK government’s flagship digital learning initiatives, learndirect, UK online and gov.uk.  From 2015-2021 Ann was Chair of The Scouts, the UK’s largest youth engagement charity and between 2017 and 2023, was Chair of the London to Cambridge UK Innovation Corridor, the country’s leading sci-tech region.

Ann is currently Pro Chancellor of the University of Surrey, Chair of the City & Guilds of London Institute, Chair of The Lloyds Bank Foundation, the charity arm in England & Wales of the Lloyds Banking Group, and Deputy Chair of The King’s Foundation, a heritage-led regeneration charity founded by HM The King. Ann is also Founding Vice President of the FE sector’s social justice charity, the Helena Kennedy Foundation which she founded in 1998,

In 2019, Ann was named #1 LGBTQ+ public sector role model in the OUTstanding List and one of the 50 most influential women born in the North of England in the Northern Power Women Power List.  In the 2011 Birthday Honours, Ann was awarded the OBE for services to education, in 2015 ‘upgraded’ to CBE for public service, and in Jubilee Honours 2022 ‘elevated’ to the rank of Dame Commander of the British Empire, DBE for services to young people, philanthropy and charity. 

Barry Lynch
Barry Lynch Chair of Total People Ltd, MOL Divisional Board and member of Novus Divisional Board, member of the Group Professional Services Board and Governance Committee

Barry retired as Chairman and CEO of The Sutton Group after spending 38 years building up the group and employing more than 800 people. The group has moved away from its footwear manufacturing base and is now one of the country’s leading retailers under the ‘Wynsor’ banner, whilst their import companies supply most of the top UK stores. 

After his retirement Barry retained the Chair of The Riverside Charitable Trust Ltd, which is responsible for donations to local and national charities as well as being a major shareholder of the group. 

Until retirement, Barry was a Fellow of both The Chartered Institute of Secretaries and The Institute of Directors. 

Barry is a Liveryman of The Worshipful Companies of Pattenmakers in The City of London and is also a Freeman of the City of London.

Professor Malcolm J. Todd
Professor Malcolm J. Todd Chair of UCEN Manchester Divisional Board

Professor Malcolm J. Todd is the Provost and Deputy Vice Chancellor at Leeds Trinity University. He has over 20 years of experience in higher education, and he is a recognized expert in the fields of sociology, social science education, and research methods. He has published numerous articles and books, and he has presented his research at numerous conferences and workshops.

He is also a member of the editorial board of several journals, and he is a regular reviewer for funding agencies. He is a passionate advocate for student learning and success, and he is committed to providing students with the knowledge and skills they need to succeed in their careers.

Tim Sargeant
Tim Sargeant Chair of the Group Professional Services Board

Tim is a technology leader at the BBC, responsible for media-focussed tools and systems across television, sport, news and audio, for both linear and digital output.

He’s based at MediaCityUK, in Salford, which is home to some of the BBC's biggest brands, including BBC Children’s, BBC Sport, Radio 5 live and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, as well as around 700 of the BBC’s Technology and Product staff. Tim is a Chartered Engineer and Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology, and began his technology career working in Research & Development. This included working on TV graphics and with European technology companies, broadcasters, and universities in the early days of on-demand television. After working in other roles, including project management and technical strategy, he was part of the project to build and establish the BBC at MediaCityUK in 2011. He currently leads technology solution, engineering and product teams based across the whole of the UK to transform production systems and processes so that the BBC remains at the forefront of digital media. Those teams design, build and deliver everything from studios for Radio 6 music, through to the latest video streaming technologies used to cover live events, and web tools to help journalists produce news stories and graphics output.

Tim oversees the BBC’s engineering degree apprenticeship schemes. In recent years, graduates from the scheme have been recognised with the Young Technologist Award from the Royal Television Society.

Malcolm Sugden
Malcolm Sugden Co Vice-Chair of LTE Group Board, Chair of Audit and Risk Committee, Chair of Novus Cambria, Chair of Novus Transforming Lives, member of Governance Committee and Remuneration Committee

Malcolm is a chartered management accountant. He has operated at a senior finance level in the utilities sector including United Utilities and as finance director for Electricity North West. Malcolm has also served as Deputy Chair of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust and Chair of Trustees for the Electricity North West (ESPS) Pension Scheme. He was previously Chair of Novus within the LTE Group.

He is currently Vice Chair of Stamford Park Academy Trust, where he also chairs the Audit and Risk Committee.

Philip Wheatley C.B.
Philip Wheatley C.B. Governor of LTE Group Board and Chair of Novus Divisional Board

After gaining a law degree, which included the study of criminology, Phil joined the Prison Service as a Prison Officer in 1969 and was promoted to Assistant Governor in 1970. In 1986 he became Governor of Hull Prison, moving on in 1990 to a variety of headquarters’ roles. In 1995 following a series of high-profile escapes, Phil became Director in charge of the six highest security prisons. He led security improvements that prevented high security escapes. In 1999 he took charge of all prison operations and was responsible for improving prison performance. He set clear standards for decency and improved the management of Governors, securing greater effectiveness and efficiency as a result. In 2003 he became Director General of the Prison Service, then in 2008 of the National Offender Management Service, responsible for all prisons and probation services in England and Wales. He delivered improvements that reduced reoffending, escapes, drug abuse and suicide and increased efficiency in both prison and probation. He also led the development of the policy for dealing with extremist prisoners. He retired from this role in June 2010. 

Since then, he has held a portfolio of roles. He provides operational advice to public and private sector prison operators in the UK and internationally. He contributes to training, international conferences and academic study on penal practice. He acts as an expert witness on the operation and management of prisons.

 He is currently a member of the Management Committee of the Institute of Criminology of Cambridge University and is a Director of Inside Time.

Adam White (MRICS)
Adam White (MRICS) Chair of Investment & Estates Strategy Group

Adam is an Executive Director in CBRE’s northern Development Advisory team, providing strategic development advice on major mixed-use / multi-phase schemes to public and private sector clients. Adam joined CBRE from Manchester Airport Group where he led on the delivery of the £1 billion, 5 million sq ft Airport City scheme located adjacent to Manchester International Airport.

At CBRE, Adam advises corporates, developers, institutional funds, local and regional property companies and public sector bodies. This work covers inter alia; disposing of and acquiring land and buildings; providing commercial input to large scale and standalone development projects; undertaking detailed financial appraisal analysis; and advising on complex delivery mechanisms and procurement routes. Major projects include; advising the University of Manchester on joint venture partner procurement for a 4 million sq ft, £1.5 billion innovation district located adjacent to Manchester Piccadilly Station; and advising Stockport Mayoral Development Corporation on joint venture partner procurement for a 1,200+ unit residential scheme, including mixed typologies, tenures and levels of affordability.

In addition to sitting on the LTE Group Board and chairing the Investment & Estates Strategy Group, Adam also chairs the board of This City – Manchester City Council’s affordable housing development company - and has supported Manchester Climate Change Partnership's Net Zero New Build Challenge task and finish group.

Jilly Atherton
Jilly Atherton Member of the Group Professional Services Board

Jilly is a HR practitioner, with extensive experience working for world-renowned international blue-chip FTSE100/250 and equivalent companies. She has over 26 years’ experience across regulated services, manufacturing and research industries, with 15 years working at executive committee level, including as a statutory director and board member in nuclear research.

Jilly currently works as Chief HR Officer for Victrex plc, a chemical manufacturer with strong sustainable credentials across medical transport and industrial sectors. She has been a volunteer trustee and governor for over 12 years. She flexes her time between Cheshire, Lancashire and the Lake District for work and fun.

Alison Blackburn
Alison Blackburn Member of the UCEN Manchester Divisional Board

Alison’s career in HE extends over 40 years. She has held a number of senior roles in UK universities, most recently as Registrar and Secretary at the University of Salford, as interim University Secretary at Durham University and as interim Deputy Secretary at the University of Leeds. She has worked with other higher education institutions and agencies nationally and internationally on project and consultancy work.

Her roles have encompassed Executive responsibility for Student Administration, Student Experience and Support, Quality and Enhancement, School Operations, the Library, Legal and Compliance functions and supporting, guiding and advising the Chair of Council (the University’s governing body) and the wider Council.

Alison is a member of the governing body at Hartpury University and is a long-standing Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) Reviewer. She has a Master’s Degree in Higher Education from the University of Manchester.

Malcolm Bruce
Malcolm Bruce Director of Total People Ltd, MOL Divisional Board

Malcolm has held various management and senior management positions in further education. In these roles and through previous teaching posts he has over 40 years’ experience of quality and standards in further education, sixth form, work based, apprenticeship and offender learning.

Malcolm has taught from GCSE through to degree level in further and higher education. Malcolm has over 20 years’ experience of educational inspection and is currently contracted with Ofsted as an Ofsted Inspector. Malcolm is also now Vice-Chair of Governors at a Further Education College.

Mark Dewhurst (MRICS)
Mark Dewhurst (MRICS)

Mark is a Senior Director within Arcadis and is responsible for their Project and Cost Management  Property teams across the UK. With a background in Quantity Surveying Mark has been instrumental in delivering successful projects across various sectors, ranging from commercial and residential to education and manufacturing.

Previously Mark has held senior positions in national construction consultancies and led his own Cost Management business Christal Cost Management prior to its acquisition by Arcadis in 2014.

Major projects include the construction of the Co-operatives 330,000sqft Head Office in Manchester,  strategic advice on the 155 hectare Victoria North regeneration Masterplan in Manchester City Centre and the delivery of Manchester Metropolitan University new flagship Science and Engineering building.

Louise Durose
Louise Durose Director of Total People Ltd, MOL Divisional Board

Louise is General Counsel, PrimeServ International for MAN Energy Solutions, one of Germany’s oldest engineering companies. She is based at their UK headquarters in Stockport and is responsible for legal services to the aftersales business worldwide which has annual revenue of €2 billion and operates in over 80 countries.

In addition she chairs the Employer Skills Advisory Board at the Greater Manchester Chamber of Commerce.

Justice Ellis
Justice Ellis Member of The Manchester College Divisional Board and UCEN Manchester Divisional Board

Justice has held senior Marketing positions in private and public sectors across Sport, Media and Entertainment. Justice joined Liverpool Football Club, initially in a senior Marketing role and is now a Director for Strategy. Here, he also sits on a variety of committees including the Club's Diversity and Inclusion, as well as the Digital, Media and Marketing Leadership Team - a division that is responsible for all the Club's global digital media platforms, Social channels and Marketing output.

Prior to Liverpool FC, as Head of Marketing for Manchester City FC, he was an integral member of the Senior Leadership Team, responsible for all UK and Global Brand Strategy and Marketing Leadership. Before Sport, he held Marketing roles at the BBC, as well as credible radio network Xfm (as it was known then), as part of the launch team when it came to Manchester.

Justice was born, and studied, in Manchester - graduating from the University of Manchester with a Bachelors in Multimedia Journalism.

Mark Fletcher
Mark Fletcher Member of The Manchester College Divisional Board

Mark is the Chief Executive Officer at Manchester Pride, one of the UK's largest LGBTQ+ charities. Since his appointment in 2014, Mark has been responsible for spearheading a programme of change within the LGBTQ+ charity which has springboarded its profile and positioned the Manchester Pride Festival as one of the world’s most recognisable pride celebrations.

Mark also sits on the Editorial Advisory Panel for British newspaper, magazine and digital publisher, Reach Plc, representing LGBTQ+ communities.

Catherine Hill OBE
Catherine Hill OBE The Manchester College Divisional Board and Director of Total People Ltd

Catherine is the former Deputy Principal of Blackpool &The Fylde College.  The college was designated Outstanding by Ofsted in 2013, was awarded Foundation degree awarding powers in 2015 and TEF Gold in 2017.

Catherine has worked in the further education sector for over 30 years; initially as a lecturer in science and maths, progressing  to executive roles.  She has worked in a number of North West colleges and has been involved in national level work such as Best Practice networks, National Challenge Initiative and Study Programme review.

As a former Ofsted associate inspector and a reviewer for the QAA, Catherine's work has always focused on high quality learning and teaching to help bring about life changing opportunities for all students. 

Catherine is involved in a range of work involving both education and community work. Catherine was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s honours of 2016 for services to further education.

Sue Kershaw
Sue Kershaw Member of the Group Professional Services Board

Sue is a Chartered Accountant and has spent the majority of her career holding senior leadership positions  within the Education sector. She was Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Planning and Resources) and Director of Finance at the University of Bradford and Deputy Director of Finance at the University of Manchester. Before retiring, she was  Chief Operating Officer at a large independent school in Cheshire. 

Sue is now a Board member in the Further Education and School sectors. At LTE Group, she is a member of the Novus and Audit and Risk Boards. She is a board member at Oldham College, and chairs its Resources Committee and is a Governor at ST Hilda’s primary school in Oldham. She is also involved in the Charity sector. 

Working across a number of very different education providers has helped Sue understand the challenges faced within the education sector in England and the importance education plays in creating opportunities and changing lives.

Clarence Odogwu
Clarence Odogwu Member of the Audit & Risk Committee

Clarence Odogwu is an accomplished executive with over 25 years’ experience in Information and Cyber Security, Privacy and Technology Delivery. His career has taken him to over 40 countries across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Americas, where he has successfully navigated diverse cultural settings and complex environments to deliver transformations on a global scale.

Clarence is a seasoned Chief Information Security Officer who has held senior roles in leading organisations, including Heinz, Bechtel and Sainsbury’s Argos. His experience spans sectors such as Business Process Outsourcing and Professional Services, Digital Governance, Engineering and Construction, FMCG, Government, Industrial Manufacturing, Retail and Telecoms.

He previously served as Chief Security Officer at His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC), where he led a high-profile cross-government security transformation programme and was also accountable for protecting the data of UK citizens and securing a diverse portfolio of Critical National Infrastructure assets from cyber security threats.

As Group Chief Information Security Officer at Capita Plc, Clarence oversees security across the organization, with further responsibility for the security capabilities that enable Capita to deliver innovative solutions that transform and simplify the links between its clients and their customers, as well as governments and citizens.

Prior to this, Clarence was engaged by Meta’s (Facebook) Oversight Board as an Advisor, to take on a critical role in advising on, and shaping the technology and security agenda of the newly established first-of-its-kind digital governance institution.

Mubarak Oyebode
Mubarak Oyebode Student Co-opted Member

Mubarak is the student co-opted member of the Manchester College governorship board with a passion to provide his views and experience as a member of the student body at The Manchester College. Mubarak is currently studying business at Shena Simon campus, and hopes to go onto the field of international business.

John Thornhill
John Thornhill Chief Executive Officer

John joined us as CEO in 2012. His previous roles included director and CEO positions within BT Group.

John has also held a number of non-executive positions, most recently four years on the board at Manchester Metropolitan University.

He is a member of the Remuneration Committee . John leads LTE group, shaping the strategic and operational direction of the organisation, ensuring we deliver against national priorities, remain financially sound and do so in a way that aligns with the strong values and social mission of the organisation.

Peter Cox
Peter Cox Managing Director Novus and Group lead for bids and tenders

Peter is the Managing Director of Novus, the Group’s national organisation dedicated to working within the justice sector. Peter holds executive responsibility for Group strategic business development priorities. Since joining us in 1994, Peter has held a range of positions across the whole organisation including business development and college Vice Principal roles.

Alison Close
Alison Close Chief Financial Officer & Deputy Chief Executive

Alison joined LTE Group in July 2021 having spent the majority of her career at the Co-op Group. Alison is a Chartered Accountant, who has had an extensive career in various senior finance, commercial and business development roles with the Co-op. She has operated as Director of Finance, Chief Commercial Officer and latterly as Managing Director, Life Planning, Risk and Regulation within one of the Co-op’s largest divisions, Life Services. Alison has predominantly worked in the Funeralcare, Life Planning, and Legal Service businesses.
 
Alison has also held a number of non-executive positions, including Chair of the Audit Committee and member of the Finance Committee for St Helens & Knowsley NHS Teaching Trust, Board Director Co-op Legal Services and non-executive Director for the Funeral Planning Authority. In addition, Alison has served as a Co-op Academy Governor for Co-op Connell College.
 
Alison is the LTE Executive Lead for Group Professional Services which includes Finance, IT, HR, Marketing, Communications, Public Policy/Affairs, Health, Safety, Environment & Risk 
 
Alison is responsible for providing strategic financial and commercial support to the Group and its business units, financial planning & forecasting, and leading on all operational finance matters including treasury management, audit, financial governance and ensuring robust systems and processes.  Alison is accountable for the strategic leadership and operational planning of Group Professional Services, ensuring all colleagues contribute to the Group’s success and drive a culture of high performance. Alison oversees Group Professional services to ensure the long term success and sustainability of LTE Group, overseeing  the financial health of the Group, driving operational efficiency and performance across Group Professional Services, managing risks, and maximising value creation for key stakeholders (colleagues, students and external partners). 

Rachel Curry
Rachel Curry Deputy CEO / Principal

Rachel joined the College in 2015 in the role of Vice Principal before becoming Deputy Principal in 2019. Prior to her appointment as Principal, Rachel was the strategic lead for the College’s ambitious £140m estates transformation project which successfully completed in 2022, delivering industry standard facilities. Rachel started her career at the FE Funding Council (FEFC) where she spent 9 years, including leading investigations into underperforming colleges and overseeing the smooth transition from the FEFC to the Learning and Skills Council for all 13 Lancashire colleges. She then moved to Blackburn College, where she progressed to become Deputy Principal.

Lorna Lloyd-Williams
Lorna Lloyd-Williams Company Secretary and General Counsel

Lorna has many years of experience leading on governance and regulatory compliance in the FE sector and previously held a role as a practising solicitor specialising in family law. Her role as Company Secretary and General Counsel includes acting as professional governance advisor to the Board and Executive Team, advising and guiding on statutory, regulatory, constitutional and ethical matters.  She is responsible for managing the Group legal and data protection teams, providing leadership on industry best practice and compliance.

Melanie Nicholson
Melanie Nicholson Managing Director of MOL and Total People

Melanie joined us in 2020, bringing with her 15 years director/executive level experience across organisations including Capita and Serco. In her previous role as Executive Director at Seetec, she was responsible for the strategic leadership, development, growth and direction of the apprenticeships, skills and quality directorates. Having worked in the apprenticeships and skills sector for over 25 years, Melanie is now ensuring quality of provision and a clear growth strategy for both MOL and Total People.