ETF announce the appointment of a new Chair of Finance Committee and three new Trustees to its Board

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF) announce the appointment of a new Chair of the Finance Committee and three new Trustees to its Board

Thewlis Graham Associates were delighted to support the ETF with these appointments this year. We wish Anthony, Shazia, Brenda and Mark well in their new roles.

ETF appoints four new trustees to its Board - The Education and Training Foundation

The Education and Training Foundation (ETF), the professional development body for the Further Education (FE) and Skills sector, has appointed four new trustees to its Board. Following a thorough and competitive recruitment process, Anthony Carey, Shazia Ejaz, Mark Malcomson CBE, and Brenda McLeish OBE DL will be joining the ETF Board.

These four new trustees bring a variety of perspectives and experiences to ETF’s Board, including representation from independent training providers and adult community learning and expertise in finance and membership and professional bodies.

Anthony Carey

Anthony is Senior Adviser, Board Practice and Public Policy at Forvis Mazars, the accountancy firm, where he was a partner for many years. Anthony is a chartered accountant and chartered director, with a strong interest in education and social mobility. He is an experienced non-executive board member and charity trustee for third sector organisations and has advised boards on their effectiveness. His other current appointments include membership of the Council of Lancaster University and of the board of the Margaret Beaufort Institute. Anthony also serves on the audit committee of The Passage, the charity that helps homeless people. His previous appointments include being on the Executive of the Quoted Companies Alliance and of the Financial Reporting Council's Financial Reporting Review Panel.

Shazia Ejaz

Shazia is Director of Campaigns and Insights for the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC), a membership organisation for recruitment and employment businesses across the UK. She started her career in Government communications working across various Departments, including the Department for Education and Employment (as it then was). She has since worked in a range of sectors, gaining commercial insights at a global management consultancy firm and then working in political campaigning and the charity and not for profit sectors. In her current role at REC, she has led campaigns on issues including labour and skills shortages, apprenticeships reform and inclusive employment practices.

Mark Malcomson CBE

Mark has been Principal and Chief Executive of City Lit, Europe’s biggest adult education college, since 2011. Previously, he was the Director of Executive Education at London Business School and President of the New York Institute of Finance. Mark has facilitated, interviewed, taught and lectured on five continents. Over many years, he has run major annual events for the likes of Swedbank and Pearson, helping in their design and ensuring their delivery over several days. Mark was made a CBE in the 2017 New Year Honours list for services to adult education. 

Brenda McLeish OBE DL

Brenda is CEO of one of the UK’s largest training providers, Learning Curve Group, where she has helped drive significant growth of the business from 40 full-time employees to almost 1,000. Brenda was awarded an OBE for her services to education in the 2022 New Year Honours list, recognising her 20 years of dedication to the education and training sector on a national scale. In 2022 she was appointed Deputy Lieutenant of County Durham for her dedication and contribution to education and skills in the region. Brenda is an active member on a series of strategic boards and network steering groups including AELP, the Hartlepool Development Corporation and St Martins Group. She has also led on strategy to respond to local and national priorities to support NEETs, apprenticeship provision, delivery to the unemployed, work-based training, flexible learning provision and English and Maths.

Sir Frank McLoughlin CBE, Chair of ETF, said: “I am delighted to welcome Anthony, Shazia, Mark and Brenda to ETF’s Board. Bringing a rich variety of perspectives, expertise and experiences with them, they all share our commitment to the Further Education and Skills sector and its transformative impact on individuals, communities and wider society. I look forward to working closely with them all.”

Dr Katerina Kolyva, CEO at ETF, said: “As our sector rises to the challenges and opportunities presented by a new government and an evolving skills landscape, our Board plays a vital role in ensuring the effectiveness of ETF’s work to enable sustainable change and improvement across Further Education and Skills. I am proud to welcome four dynamic, talented and experienced individuals to our Board at this pivotal time, and to bolster representation on our Board from key parts of our sector, including independent training providers and adult community learning. I look forward to working with Anthony, Shazia, Mark and Brenda.”