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Our Board of Directors oversee the strategic direction of the Trust and ensure it's full compliance and financial probity.  

Chair of the Xavier Catholic Education Trust - Peter O’Brien

The commercial expertise I bring to the Board, comes from my time as Director of Finance and Operations at a large secondary school, Chief Executive of a National Charity, and over thirty-five years in Banking undertaking roles in Operational Strategy, Business Transformation, Sales and Communication. I also have over seventeen years’ experience of school governance in primary and secondary schools.

I applied to be a Director because I want to use my expertise to help make a positive difference to the life chances of children. I am Chair of the Xavier Catholic Education Trust and sit on its Finance and HR Committees.

 

 

 

 

Director of Xavier Catholic Education Trust & Chair of Xavier Risk and  Audit Committee - Mirek Gliniecki

I live in Camberley and work in management consultancy. I have been a Foundation Governor for eight years, and Chair of Governors at St Augustine’s Catholic Primary School in Frimley. I am also an Additional Skills Governor (ASG) for Surrey and have supported Governing Bodies in other schools in this role.

I have worked in management consultancy for over 24 years and the expertise I bring to the Board of Directors is through my strategic business analysis experience, helping to understand, analyse and manage data, finances and risks, as well as extensive experience of leadership, performance management and organisational strategic planning.

I applied to be a Director because I see this as a unique and exciting opportunity to work with all the Catholic schools in the Woking and Weybridge Deaneries; to build on the experience and achievement of good and outstanding schools in a cross-phase environment. I believe I can bring the right skills and experience to work as a Director to ensure that we deliver the very best Catholic education for our children.

 

Director of Xavier Catholic Education Trust & Chair of Xavier Finance Committee - John Wells

I have been a Governor of primary and secondary schools in north-west Surrey over a period of more than 25 years, including 8 years as Chair of Governors at St John the Baptist School.

It has been most rewarding to be associated with the development of so many students during that time, and

to have seen them gain in knowledge and maturity as they progress through our Catholic education system. The preservation and reinforcement of our ethos is important to me. The Xavier Catholic Education Trust will strengthen and prosper the provision of Catholic education within the Diocese of Arundel & Brighton.

My commercial experience includes forty years as a Chartered Accountant in professional practice. I am currently Chair of the Xavier Finance Committee and a member of its Risk & Audit Committee.

 

Director of Xavier Catholic Education Trust & Chair of Xavier HR Committee - Mike Harrington

Prior to becoming a Director I was Deputy Chair of Governors at Salesian School, Chertsey.

I bring to the role, extensive experience in HR and Operations management, gained through managing large groups of employees across two complex industries.

I applied to be a Director of the Trust because I now wish to serve the Catholic Diocese of the community as a whole, rather than just as a single school. I want to do all I can to ensure the children of the Trust receive the best academic and pastoral education possible, as they progress through their school lives.

 

 

 

Director of Xavier Catholic Education Trust - Maria Dineen

I have 30 years plus, business expertise gained from working in large corporate organisations both in the private and public sectors.

I applied to be a Director as I wanted the opportunity to utilise my extensive business experience and skills, within the Xavier Catholic Education Trust. I feel that the work being pursued by the CEO and Directors in tackling the challenges of a multi-academy trust to improve every child’s learning opportunities, is where I can make a positive contribution. My strong inter-personal and change management skills will support the Board in achieving stretching goals. Change can be driven through strong influencing, coaching & leadership skills.

I have dealt with many challenging situations in my working life and I have found that by consistently operating with a high level of integrity and ethics, namely doing what is right, together with effective communication, will make the difference. It’s about winning the hearts and minds of our Governors, teachers and all the support staff, in order to drive forward and optimise the learning experience of every child.

I am a practising Catholic and active in the church community. I am a Marriage Preparation Facilitator, FOCCUS Facilitator and Centre Co-ordinator for NE Hants & West Surrey.

 

Director of Xavier Catholic Education Trust & Chair of Xavier Enterprises Committee - Sarah Clark

I’m a communications specialist whose career has largely focused on delivering internal communications across organisations in the financial sector, and more recently in the NHS.

I have three children who act as a daily reminder of how important it is to provide a great education and a supportive environment for young people. I strongly believe that by working together people can achieve more, and think the Xavier Catholic Education Trust is as fantastic example of this. I’m an active member of Our Lady’s Help of Christians parish in West Byfleet and place a lot of importance on the values of the Catholic Church.

I’m really excited to be part of this experienced team of directors, and hope to add a valuable perspective and positive benefits to the work of the Trust.

 

Director of Xavier Catholic Education Trust - Greg Melly

I am a passionate believer in the Catholic School system and am delighted to have the opportunity to play a part in it. My children were beneficiaries of excellent Catholic Schools now within the Xavier Trust and now my grandchildren are too.

I enjoyed a busy and successful career across the banking, electricity, telecoms, space and higher education sectors in Africa, mainland Europe and the UK. I have led very large development projects and fast growth businesses as well as mature organisations but have particularly enjoyed my time in a large UK University where I was Senior Vice President responsible for running their subsidiary businesses, operations and non-academic activities.

Now semi-retired, and a dedicated Catholic, I find myself in the fortunate position of having the time and interest to devote to the Catholic Church and its educational system that has done so much for my own family. I believe that the Trust will be able to draw on my experience and am committed to contributing in every way I can.

 

Director of Xavier Catholic Education Trust - Ani Magill

I have been in education for 35 years, working in both primary and secondary schools. During this time, I was CEO of Xavier Catholic Education Trust and headteacher of St John the Baptist School for 23 years. Additionally, I've held a number of roles, including five headships of schools in difficulty that required rapid change and as part of a Surrey intervention strategy.

I have been an associate headteacher for the Specialist Schools & Academies Trust, worked as part of the Leading Edge and Raising Achievement Transforming Learning partnership, been appointed a National Leader of Education, and been a member of the Secretary of State’s consultative group of headteachers.

This experience culminated in a CBE for Services to Education in the 2017 Birthday Honours List. However, my ultimate passion is striving for excellence for all the children whom we serve.