The College Corporation

Chair of the Corporation

Member of the Remuneration Committee and the Search Committee Appointed 2013 Paul has been involved in the college sector for over 25 years in various ways. He has a particular interest in East London, and actually attended Waltham Forest College to undertake a part-time course many years ago. In addition, he held the position of Area Director for Waltham Forest London East TEC, and WF College was one of his main providers of learning, so he had a close relationship with the senior teams of all the colleges, businesses and Local Authority in the borough. He has a passionate commitment to young people and adults and the importance of providing them with quality training and education opportunities that helps them to achieve their potential with vocational opportunities and preparing young people for employment in addition to more academic subjects. He has extensive experience and networks within the education/skills sector. Paul’s company works with the Metropolitan Police and other agencies and colleges on the issue of gangs and provides targeted programmes within the college setting. Paul’s skills, networks and experience provides the Corporation with a high level of contribution to the overall strategic vision and drive within the college.

Vice Chair of the Corporation, Chair of Curriculum & Quality Committee

Appointed October 2017 Alison has worked in the skills sector for over fifteen years. She is currently Director of Sector Development at the Education and Training Foundation, where she is responsible for technical education, wellbeing and social inclusion, learning technologies, and initial teacher education. Alison previously worked at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills where she carried out policy and research work in areas including higher level skills, employability, education-business links and careers guidance.

Principal & Chief Executive

Janet is an experienced strategic leader with a successful track record of transformational change in senior leadership roles within diverse and complex FE colleges across London. She was appointed as Principal & CEO to Waltham Forest College in July 2020. Janet moved into the FE sector following a successful career in the private sector where she developed an expertise in business turnarounds and developing high performing teams. Janet is passionate about promoting equality of opportunity and has led on several regional and national projects in collaboration with partner organisations to support hard to reach pockets of the community. Janet is a member of the AoC National Employment Group.

Governor

Amir was appointed as a governor in March 2022 Amir has 30 years’ experience in financial services and auditing. He currently holds a senior finance role at a leading international bank. This is a control focussed role that includes responsibilities for addressing finance related Board concerns and facing off to UK regulators. Prior to this he has held a wide variety of roles covering budgeting, financial reporting, valuation of financial instruments and managing controls over the institution’s trading activities . Amir has a degree in Physics from Cambridge University and is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.

Governor

Andy is a Senior Consultant specialising in Skills Systems Policy at the British Council. He has worked globally on education reform projects focused on a range of issues including apprenticeships, labour market analysis and systems governance. Andy has led a range of research pieces including on how systemic reform impacts upon employment outcomes and the structure and effectiveness of apprenticeships systems. For the last four years Andy has led the British Council’s Skills Policy offer including facilitating a range of seminars for Education Ministers and policy makers on topics such as inclusion, education in post-conflict societies and employer engagement. Andy has previously held roles at WorldSkills UK, the Skills Funding Agency and the King’s Fund.

Governor

Bryan is an experienced Senior Leader within Sixth Form and Post-16 Education with 12 years of experience supporting teaching, learning and pastoral care in an inner London context. In his role, Bryan specialises in A-level study programmes and safeguarding practices. Before joining Senior Leadership, Bryan taught A-Level Art and Design after obtaining an MA in Graphic Design Communication at Chelsea College of Art and Design (UAL). In 2019, he was appointed Principal Examiner for GCE A-Level Art and Design by the exam board, Eduqas (WJEC). In this role, Bryan works to monitor the standards of marking and moderation for all A-Level components at a national level. Bryan was appointed as a Governor in August 2023 and currently serves as a member of the Curriculum and Quality Committee.

Governor

Gbeminiyi was appointed as a Governor in July 2021. Gbeminiyi is a consumer / audience insights specialist having worked for both global research agencies, domestic and international organisations to help them understand more about their stakeholders using quantitative and qualitative data. During his career he has applied his insights skills across multiple sectors from FMCG, Media, Sports, Financial Services, Government to Retail & Telecommunications. Since summer 2020, he has moved over to the public sector as an Analysis and Project Management Lead within the COVID-19 Taskforce (Cabinet Office). Gbeminiyi has a Masters in International Business & Emerging Markets (Edinburgh University Business School) as well as a BSc Honours in Sports Management (Edinburgh University).

Governor

John is an experienced, transformational leader with extensive Senior Operational Management experience. He was appointed as a Governor in September 2024 and currently serves as a member of the Finance and Resources Committee. John has spent the last fifteen years’ working in the Higher Education sector. He currently holds a senior role at SOAS University where he is leading on a significant change management project to improve the Campus Experience. John spent most of his early career working in the Venue and Events Industry managing a number of high-profile, high-volume venues as well as assisting at major events across the UK. John has an MBA from Sheffield Hallam University and is a member of the Chartered Management Institute.

Governor

Leon Smith is the Head of Strategic Asset Management at the North London Waste Authority (NLWA). In his day role, Leon leads on the creation and implementation of NLWA’s Asset Management Strategy, including the processes and tools that govern their investments in various green and other energy production and waste management facilities and assets. Prior to this, Leon held a wide variety of roles including within FTSE 100 companies, management consultancies and in the public sector. Leon is a scientist by training, having completed a PhD in Chemistry at Imperial College London.

Governor

Paul is currently the Director of Finance of Islington Council having previously worked at the London Borough of Barnet and the City of Westminster. In his role, Paul leads the development and implementation of the Council’s financial strategy and the delivery of a comprehensive finance function. Key successes in this role have been successively positive Value for Money assessments from external auditors, the launch of the Country’s first Community Municipal Investment ISA and the successful management of the organisation's £1.8bn pension fund. Paul has a national profile within the local authority sector and is known for his work on the development of the workforce of the future.

Governor

Remi is a Divisional Finance Director for CBRE. She also holds the position as a CO-Chair for REACH Network, focusing on Race, Ethnicity, Cultural and Heritage. Remi has over 20 years experience in Finance within Facilities Management and Real Estate. Remi is experienced in Leading the Finance team within Business units and for Divisions. Remi has experience in leading business finances ranging between £10m and £150m. Experience in setting Divisional strategy, Business partnering, Projects Finance and Contract Finance. Remi is a Fellow Chartered Certified Accountant. Remi was appointed as a Governor in November 2023 and currently serves as a member of the Finance and Resources Quality Committee.

Governor

Renatta was appointed in June 2016. Renatta is a compliance professional with financial and non-financial services industry experience. Until recently, Renatta was working with the operator of the UK's retail payments system, however she has just taken on a new opportunity as the Director of Compliance UK, for a global insurance rating company. Having been brought up in Tottenham and understanding the challenges of growing up in such an environment, Renatta is a strong believer in giving back to the community, and supporting the infrastructures that can make significant changes to people lives. In her spare time, I she offers mentoring to young adults exploring a career in Compliance. She also continuesto play an advisory role to organisations in the development of their Diversity and Inclusion programme as in the words of Sundar Pichai, "A diverse mix of voices leads to better discussions, decisions, and outcomes for everyone".

Governor

Simon possesses over 35 years of experience in senior finance and auditing roles mostly within financial service institutions. He is currently part of the Global Finance Internal Audit team of a leading international bank. With a proven record of defining corporate strategy, driving financial performance, and achieving ambitious business goals, he has demonstrated expertise in strategy development, financial and risk management, and mergers and acquisitions. Simon holds an MBA from Grenoble Graduate School of Business, France, and a degree in Administration from Laval University, Canada. He is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant, and an England and Wales Associate Chartered Accountant.

Governor

Susannah is the Director of Evaluation in the Policy Institute at King’s College London. In this capacity, she also served for 18 months as Establishing Director of the Centre of Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education, the new What Works Centre for access to higher education. Prior to joining the Policy Institute, she was the inaugural Associate Director of the King’s What Works Department, and before that was Principal Advisor and Head of Skills at the Behavioural Insights Team, where she also led the Behavioural Research Centre for Adult Skills and Knowledge. She has authored a range of publications on young people’s career aspirations; access and success in further and higher education; political and civic engagement; social capital and belongingness; and evaluation methods.

Staff Governor

Antoinette is an ‘Experiential Marketing Enthusiast’ with over 15 years of experience in the marketing arena. Her passion for brand experiences and engagements developed during her placement year at university, working as an Account Executive at one of the UK’s leading live brand agencies. After a short career break to start her family, she joined Waltham Forest College in 2014 as a Marketing Officer, to further her career development. That marked the beginning of her journey in Further Education. A few years later, she was appointed Team Leader for Marketing before advancing to Head of Digital Marketing, Communications and Enrichment for the College. Antoinette has helped to pioneer transformational experiential and digital strategies to boost the College’s recruitment figures, brand exposure and reputation within the local borough and beyond, including winning a College Marketing Network award for the College’s targeted recruitment campaign. Antoinette has a track record of active participation as a guest speaker in industry-related events such as the AoC Marketing and Communications Conferences and the Government Event: The Further Education Marketing Conference.

Staff Governor

My journey with the College started as a student on Level 3 Travel and Tourism. The College has been instrumental in shaping both my personal and professional life. After completing my degree in Airline and Airport Management and gaining valuable industry experience, I returned to education, determined to help bridge the gap between industry and learning. In my previous role as the Teaching and Learning Coach and my current role as Deputy Head of Quality Improvement, I have had the privilege of working closely with many staff to drive improvements in teaching, learning and assessment. As a Staff Governor, I am committed to representing the voices of my colleagues and supporting the strategic vision of the College.

Student Governor

Ridoan Hoque is currently studying BTEC Level 3 Travel and Tourism at Waltham Forest College. His life goal is to become a pilot in the future, and he believes this will be achievable with dedication and focus. As a new student governor, Ridoan aims to ensure that every student's voice is heard, contributing to meaningful and impactful changes that benefit both the students and the College. In his free time, he enjoys playing football and spending time with his family - activities he believes help improve his thinking and caring skills, which he applies to his role as student governor. Ridoan is committed to enhancing his leadership, communication, teamwork, and time management skills, with the hope of making a positive impact in his role as part of the College Corporation.

Student Governor

Kwasi Owusu-Mensah is an aspiring software engineer currently studying for a BTEC Level 3 Foundation Diploma in IT at Waltham Forest College. He has a strong interest in maintaining his computer’s performance by regularly performing factory resets to keep it free from malware, such as Trojans. Additionally, Kwasi enjoys working with Virtual Machines (VMs)—essentially computers within computers—that allow him to test malware in a safe, isolated environment without risking his main system. As a student governor, Kwasi is excited to integrate his IT skills into his reports and initiatives. His main goal is to ensure that every student’s voice is heard and to make impactful changes that benefit the entire student body. He is committed to developing his leadership, communication, teamwork, and time management skills to become a well-rounded member of the student community and make the most of his time at Waltham Forest College.

Director of Governance

Naomi is a chartered secretary and has worked in the FE and charity sector for 20 years. Prior to that she held a variety of roles in central and local government, higher education, and the private sector. Her expertise encompasses corporate and financial governance for the voluntary, education and public sectors, compliance, audit, risk management, project management, human resources, and organisational development, along with significant experience of preparation for funding bodies and other public sector inspections.