Governors

About us
Governors

Macclesfield College’s Corporation is its Governing Body and comprises a board of diverse people drawn from a range of backgrounds across the community the College serves. The role of a Governor is voluntary and the composition of the Corporation ensures that it has the benefit of views from both the local and the business community, together with its students and staff. The skills, expertise and experience of individual Governors ensure the successful running of the College.

ceri johns

Chair of the Corporation

Ceri brings over 23 years of extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, with a distinguished career that includes roles at prestigious organisations such as PwC and Manchester City Council. As a qualified chartered accountant and Public Sector Consultant for KPMG, Ceri possesses a wealth of expertise in financial commercial leadership and has spearheaded significant transformation projects throughout her career.

Committees: Search and Governance (Chair), Remuneration

Martin wright

Vice Chair of the Corporation

Martin is an Engineer with over 30 years’ experience with major defence and aerospace companies. His experience includes the management of integrated production facilities for the manufacture of defence and aerospace systems and components, the management of major projects and business sectors within the industry.

Committees: Audit (Chair), Search and Governance, Remuneration

Rachel Kay

Principal & Chief Executive

Rachel is an astute business and operations leader with strategic vision and commercial acumen to improve financial and operational performance within challenging, intensely competitive and quality driven environments.

sarah gardiner

Director of Governance

Sarah is the Director of Governance at Macclesfield College. Sarah has worked in the FE sector for since 2020 and had gained exceptional knowledge on both a strategic and operational level. Prior to this, Sarah worked in the legal sector for almost 20 years.

Other Governors
Manny Botwe - Corporation Member

Manny Botwe was born, raised and educated in South London. He attended a comprehensive school and went to Corpus Christi College Oxford, where he gained a First Class degree in Politics, Philosophy and Economics.

Prior to moving north with his wife and two daughters in 2015, he was Deputy Headteacher for Raising Standards at an Outstanding School in South Oxfordshire. His outside interests revolve around his beloved Arsenal Football Club, reading and listening to new music. He was recently elected as the President of the Association of School and Colleges Leaders (ASCL).

Isabelle Jones - Corporation Member

An Associate Assistant Headteacher for Teaching & Learning, including CPD, Quality Assurance and Educational Visits co-ordinator, at The Macclesfield Academy (11-16). Additional skills include Teacher training mentor for MMU and University of Manchester.

Producer of Educational articles for TES and The Guardian. CPD trainer for Language Teachers (for the Association for Language Learning, Osiris and a range of language departments and Universities). Authoring and proofreading of language materials for a range of publishers including MGP, OUP, TeachIT, BBC Bitesize and Seneca Learning. Representing secondary language teachers on all national council (Association for Language Learning)-Volunteer work. First- hand knowledge of French and Spanish educational systems. Work experience in financial services and travel industry.

Alexander Hunter - Corporation Member

Phil is a qualified solicitor and ran his own legal practice. Previous Chair of an Open Awards educational charity for the last 8.5 years. The charity acted as a regulatory body for a number of different

qualifications, mainly aimed at Adult Education. Phil is an Associate Lecturer in HE. He has been involved in HE for over the last 20 years. As part of his various roles in HE, he has given numerous talks and run activities for schools and colleges.

Richard Milkins - Corporation Member

With over a decade of dedicated service at Cheshire East Council, Richard’s career has been a testament to driving economic prosperity through tourism and hospitality initiatives. Leading the Tourism & Hospitality Vacancy Project, Richard’s efforts have shaped Cheshire's hospitality sector, garnering local employment growth and transforming public perception. Their work has created a robust network of partnerships, enhancing customer relations and event management, all crucial in fortifying the region's status as a prime visitor destination.

David Rutley - Corporation Member

David is a former MP for Macclesfield (2010 - 2024) and UK Government Minister in FCDO, DWP, Defra and the Government Whips' Office. He also has Board-level experience working as a senior executive for major companies, including: Barclays, Halifax, Asda and PepisCo International.

Melissa Bowers - Co-opted Member

Melissa commenced her training contract with Harts in 1996, and qualified as a Certified Chartered Accountant in 2001. She works with a range of clients from owner managed businesses to foreign owned subsidiaries. She maintains a ‘’hands on” approach and undertakes diverse advisory work from operational to strategic support. As a business owner she’s fully able to understand and assist businesses with the challenges they face. Melissa sits on the North Cheshire Camber.

Nicola Hodkinson - Co-opted Member

Nicola is an Owner and Director of a 4th generation family owned construction business, where her role is all about ‘people’ – people Seddon employ and people Seddon work for. Her board responsibilities include leading the business’ training and development through Seddon’s ‘Grow Our Own’ programme.

Ed Kennedy - Corporation Member

Ed is Centre Manager for the Grosvenor Shopping Centre, Macclesfield. He has previous experience of Property Management and Facilities Management. Ed has expertise in Health and Safety, Risk and Finance Management. Ed is embedded in the local community and a champion of Macclesfield. Ed collaborates with many different organisations in the local area.

Ian Cass - Corporation Member

Ian is Managing Director of the Forum of Private Business. He became the managing director of the forum in summer 2015, taking control of all the key management functions of the organisation, setting the strategy, controlling the budgets and instigating a wholesale change. Since then he has recruited a new team with a more digital focus, fully refurbished the office space, introduced a new CRM system and a brand-new website. The forum has increased its membership in the last year and has made a profit every year since he became managing director, something that the organisation hadn’t done for the previous 6 years. Ian represents the forum and its members, in dealings with government and government agencies, respond to consultations and have worked both with Parliament and the House of Lords on a wide variety of issues. He works with regulators and has provided seminars and talks for BEIS and some of their regulators on the role of regulation, the issues and opportunities for small and micro businesses.

Graeme Bristow - Corporation Member

Graeme is a highly skilled Mechanical Engineer. His skills including: driving performance, Co creating solutions, strategic awareness, ability to influence and communicate at every level and managing complexity.

Rachael Charlton - Corporation Member

Rachael is Deputy Chief Executive and Director of People and Culture at East Cheshire NHS Trust. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel Directors and has a BA Hons in Education and Nursing and an MA in Health Services Management. Prior to joining the Trust, Rachael worked in a variety of workforce strategy roles at both a national and regional level across the NHS and at the Department of Health. In 2018 Rachael was appointed as an Executive Reviewer for the Care Quality Commission.

Harriet Taylor - Staff Member

Business Intelligent Analyst for Macclesfield College, working in the MIS Department.

James Lewis - Staff Member

Programme Lead for Building Services at Macclesfield College

Iain Lees - Co-opted Member

An experienced, commercially, and financially driven Non-Executive / Executive Director with extensive Private Equity experience, used to operating at the most senior levels internally and externally in a variety of industries. A successful team member focussed on building and securing sustainable shareholder value with extensive external stakeholder experience, structured, and leveraged transactions, acquisitions, and disposals to include business integration and change management.

 

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