Trustees & Governors

Charles Parker

Chair of Trustees

Charles was CEO of Baker Dearing Educational Trust from 2012 to 2019 during which time 50 University Technical Colleges were opened. Before that he worked as Academies Advisor to Partnerships for Schools after ten years as Clerk to the Mercers’ Company. This followed 21 years in the mining and engineering industries, latterly as an executive director of Charter plc

Charles read History at the University of Oxford and took an MBA at INSEAD Business School in Fontainebleau. Charles is also a trustee of Yorkshire Ballet Seminars.

Andrew Gueterbock

Nys Hardingham

Nys is CEO of The Salterns Academy Trust, having been a trustee since 2014 when the multi-academy trust was established. She has also been Headteacher of Admiral Lord Nelson School in Portsmouth for the past 7 years, originally joining the school in 1998.

Nys studied Mathematics at the University of Bath and then subsequently worked in the financial sector as an auditor, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant with Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC) in 1993. She realised that working in education was her vocation, and has spent most of the past three decades teaching and leading in comprehensive state secondary schools in Manchester, West Sussex and Portsmouth.

Education has the power to transform lives! Nys believes passionately that every child has an entitlement to an excellent, inclusive education and she works collaboratively across the Portsmouth Education Partnership in support of that aim for every young person in Portsmouth. Nys was delighted to join the UTC Portsmouth Board of Trustees in July 2021 and to seize the opportunity to contribute to the next exciting stage of its future!

James Doherty

Principal

James has been a part of UTC Portsmouth since before it opened its doors. Having studied biomedical sciences, he has carried his passion for STEM forwards through to the establishment and running of UTC Portsmouth. His background in chemistry, biochemistry and genetics and his decision to study these subjects stems from inspirational teaching received during science lessons in school.

James is an experienced leader with more than 10 years’ experience of coordinating and delivering physics, chemistry and biology courses in local schools. As an educator his interests are in educational innovation at all ages and lectures both locally and regionally on this subject matter. Conveying the awe and wonder of the wider world and scientific developments is a key feature of his approach to leading STEM education.

Fiona Bell

Royal Navy

Driven by a passion for travel, adventure and a career in engineering, Fiona joined the Royal Navy at 17 after completing STEM and language A-Levels. A year later having completed basic training including some early adventures to the Caribbean, she proceeded to Cambridge to read Engineering. After graduating a varied career followed including service in HMS OCEAN, the former Helicopter Carrier and HMS PRINCE OF WALES the latest Aircraft Carrier to enter Service. Adventure also continued in the Navy’s Bobsleigh team.

However, the highlight of her career started when an unexpected call in late 2014 led to her appointment as the Project Manager for UTC Portsmouth. 32 months later when the college opened she transitioned to be the college’s year 1 business manager and was delighted to see the students thriving in the newly opened UTC. Now working for Director Personnel and Training in the Navy Headquarters, Fiona was delighted to be invited back to be the Royal Navy Trustee.

Dr Stephanie Barnett

University of Portsmouth

Stephanie joined the University of Portsmouth in 2010 after working on a number of research projects on cement and concrete science and engineering at the Universities of Aberdeen and Liverpool.  She holds a PhD in Physics/Chemistry from Staffordshire University.  She is a Chartered Physicist, Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining and Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Stephanie’s current role is Head of School of Civil Engineering and Surveying at the University of Portsmouth.  The School’s portfolio includes full time and degree apprenticeship courses in Civil Engineering, Construction Management, Quantity Surveying, Building Surveying and Property Development.

Roy Haworth

Robbie Adams

Robbie joined IBM in 2016 as part of their Futures program, and spent a year selling hardware and services to large advertising clients. After completing the program, Robbie was offered the opportunity to join IBM’s degree apprenticeship program on a permanent basis.

Robbie is now in his final year of completing a part-time Bsc in Digital and Technology Solutions at Exeter University. He works as a Project Manager in IBM’s Financial Services department supporting clients transform their IT systems, including implementations of cloud and blockchain technologies. Robbie leads an international team primarily working out of the IBM Portsmouth office.

Robbie is a passionate advocate of apprenticeships and leads the IBM engagement with the UTC. In 2020, Robbie was recognised as regional Degree Apprentice of the Year.

Alison Critchley

Alison is Head of Sufficiency and Resources at Portsmouth City Council, where her responsibilities include the full range of traded services provided to schools, school capital projects and place planning, and home to school transport. For the last two years she has also worked closely with public health to ensure that schools and families have up to date advice on coronavirus mitigations.

Alison studied Human Science at Oxford University, and spent a year teaching English as a Foreign Language in Greece before joining DFE on the civil service fast stream. Since then she has spent 30 years working with and for schools in a range of roles in the civil service, a number of different local authorities and, immediately prior to joining Portsmouth, as Chief Executive of RSA Academies.

Sara Denham

Sara is currently the Senior Enterprise and Skills Executive (SEND) at the Solent LEP, working closely with specialist careers professionals and wider stakeholders to establish the Solent SEND Community of Practice.  Sara has worked at the LEP for the past two years as Solent Careers Hub Lead, prior to which she worked at the University of Portsmouth for 15 years as a widening participation practitioner and manager drawing on her experience of pre-16 outreach in both further and higher education.

Sara holds two degrees from the University of Portsmouth; a BA (Hons) in Business Studies and an MSc in Educational Leadership and Management.

Sara has been a Portsmouth school governor since 2001 and carried out a number of roles including chair of governors at secondary and infant phase.  Sara also represented the British Councils collaborative Governance project with the Russian Ministry of Education and Science at the 2006 Civil G8 for NGOs.

Sarah Burr

Parent Trustee

Sarah is an Assistant Director at the National Trust, leading on conservation work in London & the South-East. Previously she worked at Transport for London, leading on all cycling strategy for London.

She is particularly experienced in developing and encouraging women and girls into STEM careers; supporting and funding women to retrain in surveying and engineering, and using her own analysis of travel behaviour to implement infrastructure improvements for female cyclists. She works regularly with universities throughout London & the South-East on careers events and research projects. With an academic background of both science and arts degrees, Sarah is passionate about the relationship between science and culture, inclusive leadership and climate action.

She has been a parent governor previously at a large, diverse school in North London and looks forward to bringing her expertise in environmental sustainability and leadership to the Parent Trustee role at UTC Portsmouth.

Emily Peters

Emily works at PwC Full-Time as an Audit Director. She has extensive experience in leading Group audits with complex accounting issues and in working on first year audits. Emily specialises in working with private equity backed businesses from start up through to potential exit.

She has extensive technical knowledge of both auditing and accounting standards and ensures she remains up to date on all regulatory changes.

Emily works to foster relationships with her clients and teams and is a strong project manager.

Emily believes in working inclusively and enjoys spending time with her teams as required – she is also Chair of the Southampton Inclusion and Wellbeing committee for PwC and leads the South East region role in this regard.

Key for Emily is her belief in leveraging the finance, accounting and audit skills she has built over the last 20 years and investing in ‘Place and People’. She does this through her role as Chair of the Business and Collaboration Committee at Oaklands Catholic School and in her role at UTC Portsmouth. Emily’s focus is on business and finance and works with the Board of Trustees in this regard.

Emily is married to Mark and they have a son, Elijah,  who is currently in primary school – he is part of the reason why Emily became a trustee in order to support and invest in the education and finance decisions that can impact his future.

Rachael Pickwell

Paul Summersell