Members & Trustees
Our Members
Paula Cain - Member
Appointed 5th September 2016
Paula is a former Chief Executive of both Knowsley and Halton Chambers of Commerce. Having left her role at Halton Chamber in August 2017, she spent time as a self-employed business coach and mentor, working with individuals and local small businesses. She now works for the Charity Commission for England & Wales as Complaints Case Manager in the newly formed Customer Relations team. Prior to joining the Heath Family (NW) Trust as a Member, she spent two years on the board as a Trustee. Over the years Paula has played an active role on the boards of other bodies including the NHS as a Non-Executive Director of a Hospitals Trust (where she chaired a number of committees – Audit, Clinical Governance), a director of the former Merseyside Training & Enterprise Council and the Business Link for Greater Merseyside, as well as being a Trustee of a number of local charities.
Lisa Driscoll - Member
Appointed 6th January 2019
Lisa has had more than twenty years’ experience in the field of policy, strategy, regulatory compliance and partnership development across a range of different public and private sector bodies. Lisa has spent a significant amount of time working within local government policy and strategy leading on areas such as education, economy and skills, as well as within policy development, compliance management and regulation of social housing.
Alison Duckworth - Member
Appointed 15th December 2022
Alison is a marketing professional with 30 years’ national and international experience. Her sector experience includes economic development, sport, culture and tourism. As a senior marketer, Alison has worked at Manchester’s Commonwealth Games, Liverpool’s European Capital of Culture, and sub-regional tourist boards promoting the North as a place to live, work, invest and visit. Her public and private sector experience includes both local and national government departments developing partnerships across the North of England. As a marketing consultant, Alison advises and develops marketing strategies for destinations and business. She is keen to ensure a sustainable, bright future for all. Alison also has governance experience in that she sat as a Trustee on The Heath Family Trust Board prior to her becoming a Member. She is also a Trustee for Room at the Inn, a local homeless charity in Warrington.
Our Trustees
The Trustees of the Heath Family (NW) meet regularly throughout the academic year, either as a full board or through either of their sub committees of Education & Standards or Business, Finance & Audit.
Helen Stevenson - Chair of the Board
Appointed 15th March 2018
Helen Stevenson was previously the Director of Development & Governance of a large MAT, where she oversaw the growth of the Trust from 2 academies to 32 plus a Free School. She has been responsible for the successful conversion of over 50 academies, and has led on the development of numerous successful Free School applications, opening a primary Free School in the East Midlands in 2013. She is a former teacher and senior leader with NPQH, and has worked extensively on the Academies and Free Schools programmes since 2008, working directly for DfE, local authorities and a number of multi academy trusts. She recently established her own consultancy business supporting the development and set up of MATs, as well as supporting leadership recruitment and resourcing across the education sector.
Helen has been is the Chair of Governors at Carmel College, an outstanding Sixth Form college in St Helens, and is also Chair of the Local Academy Board for Waterhead Academy in Oldham.
In her spare time, Helen enjoys travelling, reading and socialising with friends and family.
Karl Smith - Vice Chair and Chair of Education & Standards Committee
Appointed 24th May 2018
Karl is a serving Principal of an outstanding Sixth Form College. The college consistently reports at the top of performance leagues tables for A Level progress. Karl delivers and coaches across a number of nationally accredited leadership programmes and has successfully led several school and college improvement projects.
Prior to teaching, Karl was a Commercial Director in industry, responsible for all aspects of managing operations including marketing, sales, purchasing and administration. His has particular strengths lie in strategic, resource, and financial planning, developing people, designing and implementing effective systems.
Christopher Davis - Trustee
Appointed 22nd January 2021
Christopher has been a Headteacher and Executive school leader for a number of years, with experience in both the local authority and multi academy trust settings.
Now as Director for Secondary Education for another multi academy trust; Christopher has oversight of 8 secondary schools and 1 alternative provision setting. Leadership coaching is a real interest for Christopher and he has coached both primary and secondary leaders, many of which have gone on to secure headship opportunities.
Anthony Gundersen - Chair of Business, Finance and Audit Committee
Appointed 22nd January 2021
Anthony has held a number of senior roles working in Financial Services including as the UK Director for an international Fintech company. Anthony is currently working with a Fintech start up as Head of Operations.
In addition to this, Anthony has over 20 years’ experience as a Governor in one of the largest inner city primary schools in Liverpool and has served as Chair of Governors for the past 5 years. Anthony has also held Safeguarding responsibilities for his LGB.
Janine Inglis - Trustee
Appointed 22nd January 2021
Janine has over 15 years’ experience in professional and financial services in areas including Risk, Compliance, Operations, Consulting and Change. Roles centred on delivering transformation, operational efficiencies, risk maturity and new regulatory requirements.
In the later part of her career she operated at a senior level designing strategic road maps, culture and engagement campaigns and target operating models to embed new frameworks. Janine’s specialism is 3LOD (Three Lines of Defence) Risk Management Models and the operational resilience and effective business management this brings about.
Stephen Kirkpatrick - Trustee
Appointed 13th November 2024
Stephen Kirkpatrick has been the Headteacher at The Deans Primary School in Salford for the last 10 years, during which time he has overseen its growth, doubling in size and complexity. Under his leadership, the school has retained its Ofsted Outstanding judgement and achieved Flagship School Status for Inclusion. Alongside his role at The Deans, Stephen has served as an Ofsted lead inspector and supported schools both locally and nationally, sharing his expertise to help improve standards and outcomes. His focus on building strong relationships and fostering a supportive, inclusive environment continues to be at the heart of the school’s success.
Alan Price - Trustee
Appointed 2nd February 2024
Alan has been at the forefront of championing good business practices for over 23 years, from supporting employees with the trade union movement at the start of his career, to now supporting over 110,000 SME’s covering 3 million employees worldwide, in his current position as CEO at BrightHR and Chief Operations Officer at the Peninsula Group.
The Peninsula Group provides people support namely HR, employment law and health & safety transformation to over 75,000 businesses in the UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. He is responsible for the leadership of the Group’s operations strategy, presiding over 250,000 client monthly service interactions and client experience engagements. He also holds a number of non-executive positions across the 11 Group companies, while maintaining a Group operational overview and Group HR responsibilities.
Alan is proud to be a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD with 18 years’ experience in employee relations, a Chartered Manager and Fellow of the CMI, a certified practitioner and Fellow of the AHRI (Australian Human Resources Institute), and a Senior Certified professional member of SHRM, Chartered Professional in Human Resources with the Canadian Human Resource Professional Association
Having demonstrated a significant contribution to business and society, he is also a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA)
In 2003, Alan was appointed to His Majesty’s Court and Tribunal Service and was one of the youngest judicial appointments which he continues to hold.
He formally served for 4 years as a Charity trustee and Non-Executive Director for the world's second largest HR professional body, the CIPD, which represents over 140,000 HR professionals worldwide as well as a Non-Executive Director for the Chambers of Commerce in Ireland who represent over 10,000 organisations across Ireland also serving on the Audit Committee. Alan is an Ambassador for the North West Air Ambulance Charity, Parish Councillor and Honorary Industry Fellow at the University of Salford.
Annette Williams - Trustee
Appointed 22nd January 2021
Annette has been teaching since 1994 and worked at a number of schools across the North West region. Latterly, she has been the substantive Headteacher of Barnton Community Nursery and Primary School in Northwich and it was in this role, that the decision to convert to academy status was taken.
In April 2017, Weaver Trust was formed and Annette is now the CEO. During this time, Annette has had experience in turning a sponsor school around; with it being one of the lowest 20% nationally when the school converted, to it now being in the top 1% of schools nationally for progress in Reading, Writing and Maths.
Annette’s expertise is in primary education and during her career, she has worked in a range of schools across all demographics, from a 3% rural school, to 75% urban school - each with their own challenges! Previously, as an Advanced Skills Teacher, and more recently, as a Local Leader of Education, Annette has enjoyed several secondments to schools needing leadership support.
Henry Forsyth - Trustee
Appointed 11th July 2024
Dr Henry Forsyth is Director of the School of Public and Allied Health at Liverpool John Moores University. Henry started his career in a manufacturing organisation in the Liverpool City Region before becoming an academic in the School of Computing & Mathematical Sciences at Liverpool John Moores University. He taught at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels before becoming Academic Manager and Head of Student Experience in the school. He completed a PhD in Artificial Intelligence during this period before becoming Faculty Registrar for the Faculty of Engineering and Technology. He completed an MBA at University College London (UCL) in Higher Education Management before moving to the Faculty of Health and then the Faculty of Business and Law in a registrar role. He was appointed as School Director of Public and Allied Health in March 2024. Henry is currently Chief External Examiner for the University of Worcester’s undergraduate provision and an Office for Students (OfS) assessor for Degree Apprenticeship provision. He is taking a lead role in the use of artificial intelligence at Liverpool John Moores University to improve teaching and learning as well as opportunities for business process improvement.
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Trustees who have left within the last 12 months
Edward Vitalis (Chair of Business, Finance and Audit Committee) - resigned 14.07.23
Cheri Kelly - resigned 05.01.24