Governors of a further education college corporation hold responsible positions.

The corporation owns the land, buildings and other assets, employs the staff, and decides on the future strategy of the college.

At present, there is one vacancy for external governors on the Governing Body. For further information, please contact Alasdair MacDonald, Clerk to the Governors, on (01793) 498203 or via our online contact form.

Further education colleges are at the forefront of the Government’s attempts to improve the skills base in this country. The post is unpaid but many people who are committed to public service and feel strongly about the importance of education and training volunteer to do it.

Members of the Governing Body:

 
Anthony Cohen (Chair)

Anthony was appointed to the role of Chair of Governors in July 2012. He had previously been Chair of the Audit Committee, having joined the Board in 2006. Anthony is a chartered accountant and has recently retired as a partner with Monahans in Old Town, Swindon. He has a passion for vintage cars and regularly tours the delights of rural France. Anthony is a long-standing resident of Swindon.

Adrian Moore (Vice-Chair)

Adrian has recently taken over as Chair of the Audit Committee and he is also a member of the Quality & Standards Committee. Adrian is a solicitor and retired quite recently from WithyKing where he was a partner. He has lived in Swindon for many years and has an extensive knowledge of people, places and businesses in the town.

Other Independent Members of the Governing Body are:

Paul Inman 
Paul joined the Governing Body in February 2012.  He is the Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of Faculty of Technology, Design and Environment at Oxford Brookes University. Paul has a strong professional background in Media and is an active producer/director of film and television documentaries. He sits on the Quality and Standards Committee.

Ian Larrard

Ian joined the Board in December 2011. He is currently Director of Initiative in Swindon and Wiltshire for GWE Business West. Ian is also a Board Member of the Swindon Strategic Economic Partnership. Ian is a banker by profession having held senior posts with HSBC in Swindon and district for many years.

Sue Pycroft
Sue joined the Governing Body in December 2012. She is the co-founder of Vox PR based in Swindon, which has enabled her to develop a detailed knowledge of many aspects of the Swindon business community. Sue has lived in Swindon for 22 years and has undertaken a number of roles in the local community. Sue will sit on the Resources Committee.

Philip Richmond

Philip joined the Board in July 2007. Philip was born in the town and received some of his further and higher education and training at Swindon College. He is a qualified engineer. Philip has an extensive knowledge of the manufacturing industry, in particular car manufacturing and the application of quality assurance processes within it, having spent some years with Honda in Swindon. Philip was until recently Production Director for Gowerings Mobility based in Newbury. He is a member of the Audit Committee and the Quality and Standards Committee.

Dr Siraj Shaikh
Siraj joined the Board in October 2012. He is a senior lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering and Computing at Coventry University but is resident in Swindon. He was previously a Research Fellow at Cranfield University, based locally at Shrivenham. Siraj will sit on the Quality and Standards Committee.

Carol Stone
The Reverend Carol is Vicar of St. Philips the Deacon, Penhill and Pinehurst. She joined the Governing Body in 2006 as a student governor whilst studying photography. On completion of her studies, Carol was re-elected as an external governor. Carol chairs the Search Committee and also sits on the Remuneration Committee.

David Swann 

David was elected to the Board in July 2011. He has a BSc in Mechanical Engineering and an MBA. David’s early industrial experience was with Rolls-Royce but more recently he has worked for consultants PwC and KPMG, was Group Treasurer of BAT plc and then Finance Director of BAT in The Netherlands. David is the chair of the Resources Committee.

Ram Thiagarajah

Ram joined the Board in Autumn 2008, having recently retired from a career as a qualified Civil Engineer. Ram has extensive experience in working within the Swindon Community and is on the Board of several charities including the Swindon Tamil Association, of which he is the Chairman. He sits on the Audit Committee and the Search Committee.

Peter Wells
Peter joined the Board in January 2011.  He was previously the Executive Head Teacher of St. Joseph’s Catholic College in Swindon. He played a key part in the design, development and delivery of the new college which opened in 2006. A head teacher for 19 years he has been in senior school management for more than thirty years. He has been for many years involved in work with disabled children and has supported the development of a rural secondary school in western Uganda. His academic background is in history and management. He is the chair of the Quality and Standards Committee.

Nigel Wichall
Nigel was elected to the Governing Body in July 2008. Nigel previously held the post of Facilities and Services Director here before moving to the University of Gloucestershire as Director of Estates, so Nigel has an excellent knowledge and understanding of the College. He is a member of the Resources Committee.

Staff Governors:

Mike Wadley - Business Support
Mike is the College's Student Enrichment Officer and is based in the Student Enrichment Centre, co-ordinating events and activities for students, tutorials for enrichment theme weeks, the enrichment support and youth worker team and running Student Council meetings. Mike sits on the Quality and Standards Committee.

College Principal:

Andrew Miller - Principal

Andrew joined the College in January 2010 as Principal and Chief Executive. He was previously Principal/Chief Executive at Kidderminster College, Worcestershire, for nine years. He has worked extensively in the FE sector, holding positions at Evesham and Newbury College. His background is in Economics and Business Studies, which he taught for 12 years in schools, sixth forms and FE colleges. Andrew is a keen sportsman and lives locally with his family.

Clerk to the Board of Governors
Alasdair MacDonald
Alasdair has been the clerk since 1998. He has also undertaken a number of senior academic roles in the college, including Director of Faculty of Business and HE Development Director. 

The Appointment of Governors
When a vacancy occurs, the Search Committee meets to review the mix of skills and experience which could best add value to the Governing Body, within the context of the College’s needs at the time.

The Committee will take account of the present gender, ethnicity, age and disability profile of the Board. New governors are normally elected for a four year term but a lesser period can be agreed. For re-appointments, a further term of office is often very appropriate but a third term should be the exception rather than the rule.

If you are interested in becoming a College Governor, please click here for more information.