Professor Sir Kevan Collins

Meet our in-house team.

Kevan is a non-executive board member at the Department of Education and adviser on school standards to the Secretary of State.

About Kevan

Starting a primary school teacher Kevan has served in a range of school, local and national leadership roles. He was appointed as England’s Education Recovery Commissioner. Kevan was the first Chief Executive Officer of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). Between 2005 and 2011 Kevan was Chief Executive and Director of Children’s Services in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

Kevan serves on UK based and international boards for a range of organisations working in the youth, education, and early learning sectors.

Kevan completed his doctorate at Leeds University in 2001 and is a visiting professor at the University College London Institute of Education and holds honorary degrees from Durham, Lancaster, and Derby Universities.

Trustees

Executive Chair

Dame Christine Gilbert CBE

Dame Christine Gilbert CBE is providing additional support as Executive Chair while Becky is on secondment.

Naomi Eisenstadt CB

Naomi is currently a Non-Executive Board Member on the DfE Board and the DHSC Board. She also Chairs the NHS Northamptonshire Integrated Care Board.

Sir Peter Gershon

Sir Peter is a former Chair of National Grid, a former non-executive Chairman of the Aircraft Carrier Alliance Management Board, a former Trustee of The Sutton Trust, and a former independent Chairman of the Dreadnought Alliance.

Lucy Heller

Lucy is Chief Executive of Ark, an education charity.

Professor Sir Kevan Collins

Kevan is a non-executive board member at the Department of Education and adviser on school standards to the Secretary of State.

Hanneke Smits

Hanneke was most recently Senior Executive Vice President and Chair of BNY Investments, and a member of BNY’s Executive Committee.

Sonia Thompson

Sonia Thompson is the Headteacher at St Matthew’s C.E. Primary School and the Director of St Matthew’s Research School in Nechells Birmingham.

Sarah Breeden

Sarah Breeden is Deputy Governor for Financial Stability at the Bank of England. She is a member of the Monetary Policy Committee, Financial Policy Committee, Prudential Regulation Committee and the Bank’s Court of Directors.

Graham Elton MBE

Graham is a Partner at Bain & Company where he ran the Private Equity practice in EMEA from 2005 to mid-2018 and is now Chair. He has 17 years of experience on the firm’s Investment Committee and was also a leader in the Media practice.

Zoe Lewis CBE

Zoe became Middlesbrough College’s first female Principal in 2013 and has since developed the college substantially in skills priority areas such as engineering, green energy, construction, health and digital sectors.