Mark has over 25 years' experience in (Essex) education.  He is currently a Local Leader of Education (DFE approved), a member of The Leadership Council of Great Britain & NI, and is the CEO for Bridge Academy Trust where he has been since 2017. 

He has also been an Executive Headteacher and a Headteacher for over 10 years and worked for Essex LA for 3 years as a School Improvement Advisor. 

Mark has worked in a wide variety of schools and is passionate in seeing children have high quality provision to ensure they have the best life chances. 

Term of Office:  17/10/2024 - 16/10/2027

With over 40 years of educational experience, Dr Maggie Wilson has served as a secondary headteacher in London and Essex, leading her school to achieve outstanding ratings in every category. Her extensive career includes being the founding CEO of a Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) and an academy advisor to the Department for Education (DFE). Additionally, she has held prominent roles such as Vice Chair of Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) and Non-Executive Director of Pearson Education Ltd.

Currently, she serves on the board of Peterborough University and is actively involved with a local charity that supports the poorest and most vulnerable in society. In recognition of her services to education, she was awarded a CBE and serves as a Deputy Lieutenant to the Lord Lieutenant of Essex.

Term of Office : 11/06/24 - 10/06/28

Paul spent his first seven years working in professional education, three years in higher education and for the last seventeen years Paul has worked in Executive Search and is a Partner at Anderson Quigley leading on all FE  recruitment.  Paul has significant experience working with boards of Colleges, Universities, government bodies and multi-academy trusts recruiting senior leaders and board members.

Term of Office:  12/04/2021 - 13/04/2029

Cherie Root is currently a Director in local government and has worked in the public sector for over 23 years in various roles. 

She has considerable experience of working with local communities and leadership of multidisciplinary teams.

Cherie has previously served as a trustee at a Multi Academy Trust and parent governor at her local secondary school, and is keen to support the delivery of an excellent learning environment for students, giving them the best opportunities to reach their potential.

 Term of Office:  07/09/2022 - 06/09/2030

Term of Office: 11/02/2025 - 10/02/2029

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Helena’s career has largely been based in financial services in London. She has a strong background in governance and board engagement with technical expertise in various corporate areas such as takeovers, mergers and corporate restructurings. Key skills include building strong, cohesive relationships to facilitate better board and business engagement with stakeholders, project management and best practice governance.

Term of Office: 04/06/2025 - 03/06/2029

Ana started her career in Strategy Consulting following the completion of a PhD in Strategy Development and Implementation. She has worked in the Financial Services Sector for more than 20 years and has proven track record in the successful delivery of new business development initiatives, complex, large scale projects and customer experience improvements.

In recent years Ana has applied her customer and commercial focus, combined with key skills of strategy development, analytical problem solving, and disciplined execution to initiatives in the not for profit sector through her involvement with Conception X (a leading PHD deeptech venture programme) and Pilotlight initiatives.

Term of Office: 01/09/2025 - 31/08/2029

Caroline is a highly accomplished global HR executive with over 30 years of leadership across the legal, insurance, and professional services sectors.  Renowned for transforming HR into a strategic driver of growth and leadership excellence, she has led large-scale, multi-jurisdictional teams and managed budgets exceeding £3 million.  At Kennedys Law, she played a pivotal role in scaling the firm internationally, overseeing talent integration and global workforce expansion.  Caroline's expertise spans performance-led leadership development, partner remuneration strategy, and data-driven talent insights that guide succession, inclusion, and cultural transformation.  With a reputation for trusted C-suite partnership, she brings deep commercial understanding, coaching strength, and a passion for building agile, high-performing organisations.

Term of Office: 08/07/2026 - 307/07/2030

Nigel brings over four decades of experience in education, spanning teaching, school and Multi-Academy Trust leadership, training, governance, inspection and consultancy. His commitment to education has been recognised nationally; he was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2006, and in 2016 his excellent practice was highlighted by HMCI.

Nigel has a strong background in strategic school collaboration, having founded PISH, a partnership of independent and state school heads, and led the East Hants Education Improvement Partnership. Nigel also has extensive MAT-level experience, including serving as Chair of the Hamwic Trust in Southampton and as a Trustee of the Bohunt MAT across Sussex and Hampshire.

After 15 years as a Headteacher and Principal, during which he led an underachieving school to become an outstanding academy in Hampshire, Nigel stepped back from senior leadership in 2016 and returned to his first love: classroom teaching.  Nigel taught English in Spain before settling in Chelmsford and now looks forward to supporting the work of Bridge Academy Trust.