Meet the Governing Body

Co-Chair Governor
Link Governor - Safeguarding / Student Welfare /Attendance

I work as a senior lawyer in central government, and have experience in a wide range of legal issues affecting bodies in the public sector.

Interests: All the usual ones! Cinema, walking, swimming, cycling, languages and travel. I’ve also been known to enjoy a bit of sci-fi.

I live close to Oak Lodge, and like playing an active role in my local community, and using my professional skills to help the pupils and staff at the school.
I’ve got BSL level 2, and it’s great to be able to put that to good use as a governor too.

Co-Chair of School & Residential Committee
Link Governor - Teaching & Learning Impact

I have a son (George) and a daughter (Katie) who are both now teenagers. My daughter has been at Oak Lodge School for over three years.
I have been an academic in public health within the higher education sector for over twenty years. This has involved teaching, curriculum development and health research with particular research interests in mental health, hearing, vision, cognition, and disability. I love spending time with my children, and we spend many hours exploring the countryside, historic houses, and having picnics when the weather is good. We also love technology and keeping up to date with the latest films at the cinema. As a family we have a keen interest in sports and in particular, hockey. Although, the rest of the family maybe on the pitch, you will often find me wrapped up warm and watching from the side. I have always enjoyed volunteer work and have been a volunteer in both primary and secondary schools. I am passionate about education as our educational experiences are life-changing. It has been great to contribute and make a positive difference to the community, and over the years it has been a pleasure to meet many dedicated people who I wouldn’t otherwise have met. I have enjoyed learning new skills, and also using skills that I use day to day in another setting. I have particularly enjoyed talking to people and asking questions. This can lead to reflection on an issue, understanding of the different perspectives, and discussion on the different ways to approach it, which I find both fascinating and insightful.

Link Governor for Residential (Phoenix House)
Co-Link Governor for Quality of Education
Co-Chair for School & Residential Sub-Committee

I am part British, part Dutch and studied French with Spanish at university. I have spent my career as a global human resources director and leadership coach, working for a variety of companies across different cultures, languages and time zones. I set up my consulting business in 2019 to help organisations with their growth and change plans, and to help them foster a diverse culture where everyone feels they belong and can contribute.

When not working I like spending time with family and friends, enjoying the great outdoors and exploring new places. I love walking and like to relax by cooking and reading.

I feel proud to be a governor for the Oak Lodge community, where I hope my experience can add value to students and staff, and where I can learn from everyone at the school and from my fellow governors.

Link Governor - Quality of Education

In my professional life I am a Director at PwC. As a management consultant, I help global corporates solve problems to do with their workforces and culture. My niche area is working closely with executive teams and HR Directors to develop people strategy and drive behavioural change.
Outside of work I am a mum to 2 young boys, Monty and Rex, who keep me very busy. We spend our weekends getting muddy in London's parks and beyond. You have likely seen them causing mayhem on Clapham Common! I'm also trying very hard to instill my love of travel and foreign foods in them both. I enjoy reading (Charles Dickens is a personal favourite) and now we are settled in Clapham we are spending as much time as we can on home improvements.
I have actively been seeking a role as a school governor because I am passionate about the role of education in improving lives. I am also excited about the opportunity to contribute more widely to my local community.

Link Governor - Finance and Resources

I started my career in finance back in 2002, after completing an MSc Finance from Lancaster University.

After 13 years in Investment Banking, working in Toronto and in London, it was time for a change. This is when I launched my first business, which was like a mini-MBA. Since then, I have gained expertise as an owner and operator of multiple businesses in Recruitment, Technology, Property Development and finally Adult Social Care.

My focus now is on using my knowledge to help businesses set appropriate goals and achieve them.

I am very proud to be a member of the Oak Lodge School community and hope to support them in their ambitious plans.

I am a keen fan of sports - I play tennis & squash. I also enjoy reading, mostly history, philosophy, and biographies.

Link Governor

In my day job, I work as a Diversity and Inclusion Partner within the Civil Service and have experience with establishing equitable practices and processes to enable a culture where everyone can bring their whole selves to work. Before this, I spent 7 years in education. I was a pastoral leader in residential schools and a teacher of Spanish, German and Italian in secondary schools in Yorkshire and Oxfordshire. In my free time, I love to read, to go for runs, eat and spend time with my friends and family.

Despite leaving education this year, I still remain passionate about education and the welfare of our children and young people and am thrilled to be part of the Oak Lodge community.

Link Governor - Safeguarding / Whistleblower

I am a Corporate Finance advisor working at a professional services firm in London, where I focus primarily on providing Higher Education clients with advice on major capital investments and ongoing financial planning activities.
I am looking to use my financial and analytical skillset to give something back to the community, and hoping to learn more about the education sector at a grass roots level in the process. I work in the Education sector because I am passionate about learning and about the importance of learning throughout your life.
I live locally and in my spare time I enjoy running, cycling and playing netball. I have a passion for languages and linguistics and am a serious Francophile - having studied French at University and lived in Paris for a year"

Link Governor - Communication, Language and Reading

I grew up in Istanbul, and have experience in management consultancy, having studied Economics and Applied Mathematics in the USA. I am currently on the Supervisory Board of a bank in the Netherlands, and run independent consulting projects. I also have some work experience in higher education where my focus has been lifelong learning, teaching and learning methods for better student success and the future of work/education. I am fascinated by all things related to learning, particularly around overcoming challenges via solutions that leverage fact-based and innovative methods. I am therefore very excited to be a governor at Oak Lodge School.

Outside of work, I love to play piano, travel, spend time outdoors, and learn new things. In the past few years, I have been interested in data science, psychology and climate change. I have been living in Clapham since 2020 with my husband and two boys, and very much enjoy being part of the community here.

Link Governor – 16+ and Schools Leavers

I'm a management consultant and strive to have a tangible impact on improving patients' quality of life. I have expertise across clinical trials, medical affairs, customer experience, compliance, commercial, and process improvement having worked in the UK, USA, France and Romania. A career highlight for me was working with doctors, trial teams, and regulatory bodies to test the efficacy of a COVID-19 treatment.

I live in Balham and enjoy playing for local football and cricket clubs. I really appreciate the opportunity to contribute to the local community and the education of students at Oak Lodge.

Staff Governor

I’ve worked at Oak Lodge since 2014 and throughout that time had various roles working in all areas of the school, 6th Form and Residential. In and out of the classroom setting. Over the last two years I have been developing my role as Medical Lead for the school with the aim of creating a safe environment for both learners and staff. I am delighted to be voted by my colleagues to represent a staff perspective within the board of governors. As a nuerodivergent person I’m passionate about ensuring policies and protocol are not only adhered to, but accessible, user friendly and easy to understand. I hope to strengthen the communication between staff and the governors.
When I’m not working at Oak Lodge I am studying towards a BA in Creative arts or playing roller derby for the London Rockin’ Rollers.