Having previously served as a charity trustee within the arts sector, Lisa has a strong grasp of effective charity governance. Her board experience has shaped her view that alongside essential financial and legal oversight, a board must actively safeguard the emotional well-being of everyone within the organisation.

Lisa’s connection to the Trust began through her community engagement role at the Shrewsbury Flaxmill, where she worked closely with the central SBMAT team and local Trust schools. Motivated by this collaborative spirit, she joined the board to further support the Trust’s mission of building meaningful, collaborative events that help every child and staff member feel genuinely included and connected.

After returning to her hometown of Shrewsbury, Lisa is delighted to reconnect with and give back to the local education community that supported her so well during her own youth.

Phil has worked for Shropshire Council since 1983, having joined the authority as a trainee accountant straight from university.  After securing his accountancy qualification, he worked across a range of finance teams within the council before moving into a management role in the education department, as it was then, in 1996.  As a senior education manager, he has led teams providing support services to schools including: school admissions, schools finance, governor support services, early years funding, professional development, Shire Services, School Library Service and Shropshire Music Service.

As the lead officer for school place planning, Phil oversaw the building of a large number of new classrooms and school expansions across the county, including a new school in Shrewsbury in 2023.  In relation to the Severn Bridges Multi-Academy Trust, he project managed the expansion of Harlescott Junior School and the relocation of Sundorne Infant School onto the Featherbed Lane site prior to them joining the Trust.

In his 25 years in the education sector Phil has built up particular knowledge and expertise in schools finance and funding, both revenue and capital, having been clerk to the authority’s Schools Forum and been responsible for the annual allocation of funding to maintained schools and academies.  During this time he delivered finance training courses for senior school leaders and governors.

After 40 years’ service with Shropshire, Phil now works part-time for the local authority, overseeing the conversion of Shropshire maintained schools to academy status.

Having invested so much time and energy in his professional career in contributing to the provision of quality education in Shropshire, Phil is delighted to be able to continue this work in a voluntary capacity both as Chair of a local primary school and as a Trustee with the Severn Bridges Multi-Academy Trust.  He looks to bring extensive knowledge, experience and understanding of how education works in the local Shropshire context based on over 25 years working in a senior education management role.  Front and centre are the individual needs of every child within the Trust’s schools, as well as the most effective and high quality support to the staff and volunteers who work in the individual schools and across the Trust.

Phil is Chair of Governors for the Local Governing Body for Bowbrook Primary School, the new school in Shrewsbury he played a role in getting built, part of The 3-18 Education Trust.  He also continues to work in the Learning and Skills team at Shropshire Council.

At the end of university, Kathryn started a career as a Chartered Accountant but soon realised that this wasn’t for her.  After two years of training, she applied to do a PGCE, left work and spent eight months travelling around the world. She was appointed in her first teaching job by Belvidere School, and stayed there for 28 years.

Despite the role evolving over the years, being a Maths teacher in the classroom was always the most rewarding part of her job.  It was the reason she went into the profession in the first place; nothing beats the relationships that are developed with pupils when you are teaching.

In her three decades in the profession, she was responsible for numerous roles, initially with responsibility for Maths and as a Head of Year, and then latterly as the Deputy Head for many years. This involved responsibility for reporting and assessment, curriculum, QA, examinations, data and performance measures, and deep-dives, to name a few.  Finishing classroom teaching in December 2020, Kathryn continues to work with students by tutoring Maths which she continues to find very rewarding.

With a vocation in education, she believes that you get the best out of people by being supportive, positive and modelling good practice, rather than adopting a less encouraging leadership style.

She retired from full-time employment in 2015 and became a co-opted governor at Mount Pleasant Primary School in March 2016.

From May 2017 to March 2020 she was part of the training section of Telford After Care Team (TACT) based at Wellington. TACT developed and delivered training to small groups of adults in recovery, as part of the service offered by the centre. Pat also joined the Exams Team at Shrewsbury School as an invigilator and specialist reader/scribe in November 2017.

Pat progressed through Mount Pleasant School as Vice-Chair and then Chair of Governors, before joining the MAT Trustee Board in July 2018, serving as a Trustee, then Vice-Chair, and currently Chair.

“Being a Trustee has given me the opportunity to contribute to the community on a voluntary basis, continue my involvement in Education and help to promote the vision and strategic development of the MAT. It has been very rewarding to continue to be involved in local education, getting to know the staff and children, supporting new initiatives and celebrating success.”

Dave has been involved with Severn Bridges Multi-Academy Trust since it was formed in 2017 when he became the inaugural Chair of Trustees. Before this he was Chair of Governors at Radbrook Primary School.

Dave is the Programme Director at the Scottish Public Pensions Agency. During his career he formerly headed Hewlett Packard’s Global Project and Programme Management Academy. He is recognised as a problem solver with the ability to build strong client relationships and partnerships, and a proven track record of programme and project management delivery experience. Dave regularly speaks at global conferences and has vast experience of managing successful large and complex IT systems integration programmes and projects.

Geoff offers extensive knowledge and experience from a long and successful career in education and a proven track record in governance.

Geoff began teaching in primary schools, before spending 22 years as Headteacher at Harlescott Junior School in Shrewsbury. He has also served as Headteacher at Cockshutt Primary School as well as the specialist Branas Isaf Residential School. He has worked closely with a number of Shropshire schools through his work as Associate Advisor to the Shropshire LEA.

Geoff is currently Chair of Governors at Lakelands Academy in Shropshire and Community Governor /Member of Teaching and Learning and Finance Staffing and General Purposes Committees.

Ernie is currently Innovation Advisor at Staffordshire University, where the Innovation and Pathfinder programme supports local businesses looking to grow through innovation. He is also a Business Mentor at the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Prior to this, his most recent role was Managing Director Tekdata Interconnections, a manufacturer of wiring systems for the Avionics, Defence and Space (Astrophysics) sectors. Ernie previously had a 30-year career as a Managing Director of technically demanding businesses, where he delivered operational improvement in design, manufacturing, supply chain, business development, and marketing strategy.

Ernie studied Engineering (electronics) and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. UK and European Product Marketing roles followed before transitioning to business management.

Ernie has been involved with Severn Bridges Multi Academy Trust for a number of years. As a Trustee he was Chair of Finance, before taking up a role as a member for the Trust.

Jon Arnold is Headteacher of Welshpool High School and was previously Headteacher at St Peter’s Collegiate Academy as well as Shrewsbury Academy, part of the Marches Multi-Academy Trust, and Senior Deputy Headteacher at Thomas Telford School. He has been teaching since 2000.

Jon is fully committed to working together with school leaders and Trustees in order to ensure that children with Severn Bridges MAT have access to the best possible opportunities and experiences that will enhance their future life chances. He is keen to give back to the MAT, having seen all three of his children enjoy the education they received while being pupils within Severn Bridges MAT.

As a practising Headteacher with over ten years of Senior Leadership experience working in schools, Jon is familiar with the educational landscape and frameworks that schools are working in.

Having gained the necessary qualifications, she has worked in schools, both on a voluntary and casual basis, and also given up her time to be treasurer and fundraiser.

Julie spent a number of years on the Severn Bridges MAT Board of Trustees before bringing her expertise to the Trust members.

He has worked for BT for 30 years, during which time he has held a number of significant roles, leading parts of the organisation through major transformation, leading people change programmes and developing strategies. He has worked with major IT Service companies, working in Australia, US and more recently India.

Ian has supported educational establishments for over 30 years, in the capacity of Governor, Chair of Governors or Trustee. It’s important for Ian to be able to use his business skills to support schools in delivering the very best environment, enabling every child to reach their full potential.

As well as being a trustee at Severn Bridges MAT, Ian is also a trustee at Excelsior MAT.