Governing Body

GOVERNOR

BIO

Mark Shires BA (Hons) FCA - Chair

Mark is the Chair of Governors and has been a Governor since 2013. Educated at Rossall School, Mark went on to read Economics and Accounting at Manchester University. A Chartered Accountant, he is a former PwC Partner. Mark's two sons and daughter all attended Repton Prep and Repton.

Andrew Bock BSc MRICS

Andrew is a Chartered Surveyor and has been a Governor since 2016. He spent 30 years as a Director at Derbyshire based Clowes Developments undertaking commercial development projects. He now runs his own property company.  He lives in the Peak District and is Chairman of Thorpe Parish Council.

Andrew Churchill OBE, FREng, MA, FIET+

Andrew Churchill is the Chairman of JJ Churchill Ltd., an aerospace precision-engineering business based in the Midlands. 

He is a fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and of the IET as well as having been a Commissioner for the recent Manufacturing Commission.  He is also a Business Leadership Council member of the 5% Club, a dynamic movement of employer-members working to create a shared prosperity across the UK by driving ‘earn and learn’ skills-training opportunities.  Since 2021 Andrew has been a Board and then Council member of ADS, the trade association representing the UK’s aerospace, defence, space and security sectors.  As a director with the ERA Foundation he is focussed on supporting the next generation of UK engineers, encouraging organisations' and individuals' entrepreneurship and technical excellence. 

He has been a member of the Prime Minister’s Industrial, Manufacturing and Infrastructure Business Council and for ten years was on the boards of Make UK (The Manufacturers’ Organisation) and Midlands Group Training Services (a centre of excellence for education, training and development of engineering apprentices), as well as six years as a director with the Design & Technology Association (championing D&T education in schools). 

Previously, Andrew sat on the Ministerial Advisory Group on Manufacturing and was part of the All-Party Manufacturing Group.  

Away from work, he is a previous district councillor for South Derbyshire and was appointed OBE in the King’s first Birthday Honours in 2023 for “services to Engineering".

Professor Katharine Dell MA DPhil PhD DipLCM +

Katharine was the first Head Girl of the Abbey in 1979 and then went up to Oxford to do a degree in Theology at St Hugh's College. She stayed on at Oxford to do a PhD in Old Testament studies on the book of Job. After a first teaching post at Ripon College, Cuddesdon, she moved to the University of Cambridge where she is now President and Fellow of St Catharine’s College and a Professor of Old Testament Literature and Theology in the Divinity Faculty.

Stephen Gould BA (Hons) FCIPD

Stephen is an established leader and general manager with over 30 years' experience in the Pubs, Brewing, Property and Leisure industries. Currently Managing Director of Everards Brewery Ltd, Stephen is also a Non-Executive Director of Dunstall Holdings Ltd and Chair-Elect of McMullen & Sons Ltd. He is a graduate of Staffordshire University (Sociology 1st Class), a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development and in 2017 was awarded Outstanding Alumnus of The University of Oxford's Advanced Management and Leadership Programme. Stephen was installed as Renter Warden of The Worshipful Company of Brewers in July 2023. The Brewers' Company is Trustee to several charities and foundations and Stephen is also Governor of Dame Alice Owen's School (DAOS), appointed in November 2023. Stephen lives in Derbyshire with his wife, Wendy. They have 3 children who are all Old Reptonians, George (Orchard 2010), Lucy (Mitre 2014) and James (New House 2017)

Chris Hibbs FCA BSc (Hons)

Chris studied Chemistry at Birmingham University and subsequently trained as a Chartered Accountant.   He is a partner with PwC and advises on a range of business issues both in the UK and internationally, particularly focussing on India, China and South East Asia.  He was previously on the board of Birmingham Repertory Theatre and has a keen interest in the links between education and business.  Chris has three sons all of whom attended Repton Prep and Repton.

Ben Hughes BSc FRSA

Ben is a digital leader with extensive experience in strategic and digital change. Previously, he served as a Partner at McKinsey & Co. and founded Go Incremental, advising major organisations on digital strategies. Ben now works at Apple, advising large organisations on how to best adopt and create value from new and emerging technologies.

Ben holds a First Class BSc Hons. from Leeds Metropolitan University and is an active community volunteer as a first responder and treasurer for the local Community First Responder scheme. Ben is an OR living in Barton-under-Needwood with his wife and two daughters.

Rick Johnson BSc (Hons)

Rick is the Chief Executive Officer of EduReach Education, an international school operator and investor with school projects across seven countries all of which are prestige UK branded exports. A former governor of Cranleigh School for thirteen years and British Airways pilot he is also a former trustee of the MCC Foundation at Lords Cricket Ground. 

Krishan Joshi MA Cantab

Krishan studied law at Clare College, Cambridge University and subsequently undertook the Legal Practitioners Course at Nottingham Trent University. Since then, Krishan has enjoyed a successful career within a diverse portfolio of commercial and property activities. He has previously held the position of governor at schools in the state sector and has experience in the Non-executive Directorship. All of Krishan’s three children have studied at the Repton schools.

Matthew Needham LLB +

A Solicitor and Partner in a Leicestershire Legal Practice, Matthew became a governor in 2010. Having been educated at Foremarke (now Repton Prep) and Repton he then read Law at Newcastle University.

Max Casini BSc

After a long career in stockbroking, Max recently founded Actio, an independent investor engagement advisory business. Prior to that, Max was a founding partner of Redburn Europe, a leading independent equities broker. An Italian national, he was educated at Repton, and went on to Imperial College to read engineering.

Ann Haydon MBE, BSc PGCE NPQH FCCT

Ann is Head of Harrow International School Hong Kong having previously held the position of Principal at Surbiton High School and leadership posts at Guildford High and Sutton High School. Ann graduated from the University of Surrey with a degree in Geography and Economics and completed her PGCE at Nottingham University, she completed the NPQH at the Institute of Education, University of London. Amongst her many achievements in the education sector, Ann has received a Headteacher of the Year Award and has gained national recognition for work in leadership, governance, teaching and learning and marketing in schools. As a leading educator, Ann is committed to securing the best out of young people and preparing them for top universities and life in an ever-changing world.

In 2023 Ann was named in the New Years Honours List and awarded an MBE for her services to education in the UK and Hong Kong.

Ann and her family currently live in Hong Kong and North Leicestershire.

Jeremy Wyld BA (Hons)

Jeremy is Headmaster of St Hugh’s School, Woodhall Spa, Lincolnshire. An OR, Jeremy has a degree in French from Leicester University and further academic qualifications from the Universities of Leicester and Aberdeen. Before becoming Headmaster at St Hugh’s, Jeremy was Deputy Head at Holmewood House School, Tunbridge Wells, a Boarding Housemaster at Sevenoaks School and taught at The Judd School, Tonbridge. Jeremy is the Boarding Governor for both Repton and Repton Prep.

Nick Walford BA

Nick is an OR and is the current Chairman of the Old Reptonian Society. After graduating from Durham University Nick began a career in marketing. He then started working in advertising, before specialising in advising companies about how to use sponsorship to grow their business, be it through the platforms of sport, entertainment, culture or social responsibility. Nick worked for almost 20 years for two international companies owned by WPP plc before becoming a partner and shareholder in a Management Consultancy specialising in sponsorship from which he is now retired. He is married with three daughters and lives in West London with his wife Helen.

Emma Hattersley BA (Hons) Dunelm

Emma is Co-Head of the Schools Practice at Saxton Bampfylde, working as a consultant supporting schools to find exceptional leaders. Prior to this, Emma spent over three decades teaching in a variety of educational settings. She has experience of day and boarding schools, co-educational and single sex, prep and senior. Emma was Head of Godolphin School, an HMC day and boarding school, for nine years. Before joining Godolphin, Emma was Housemistress at Canford School and then moved to Sherborne Girls to take up a Deputy Head position.

She brings extensive understanding of educational leadership, as well as significant GCSE, A Level, and IB teaching experience. Emma has examined for OCR and the ABRSM and is a School Governor at both prep and senior level. She has chaired the HMC Inspection sub-committee, served as an inspector for ISI and is a former member of the ISI Educational Advisory Forum. She read music at Durham University and studied for two years at the Royal Academy of Music as a postgraduate.

Sally Wan BSc MBA DipM

Currently working as the District Safeguarding Officer and Team Leader for the Northampton District of the Methodist Church, Sally has been a Safeguarding specialist since 2013, working as Designated Safeguarding Officer for Leicestershire and Rutland County FA, Leicester City Football Club and Lead Safeguarding Officer for British Rowing. Sally has previously acted as the safeguarding governor at her children’s primary school.

Sally is also an active leader with the Scout Association and is committed to the holistic education and development of young people through the delivery of the scout programme and D of E.

Ian Davenport – Associate Governor and Education Director (UAE)

After graduating Ian worked in The City for a number of years, for Morgan Stanley and Arthur Andersen before beginning his teaching career at Radley College, where he served as a housemaster and Head of Department. Ian led Blundell’s School as Head Master for eight years, and has also been an Economics tutor at Oxford University. He was an adviser to the Department of Education and led their social impact project: ‘SpringForward’. Ian was a Governor of Repton School for seven years before taking on the Associate Governor role.