Trustees

Chair of the Trust Board - Mark Butcher

Current job role: Account manager for Automotive Diagnostic supplier

Background and experience:

Various commercial management and project delivery roles over 30+ years in various 
industries. 20+years as a governor originally at Cuddington latterly on the Create Learning 
board

Other interests:

Sport. Mainly cricket and golf. Cricket coach and local league admin

Why I became a trustee:

As a follow on from governor work at Cuddington and to help establish CLT as a strong trust 
that delivers for the children plus I enjoy it!

Faye Russell

Current job role:

Senior Associate (Due Diligence) commercial property solicitor at Bryan Cave Leighton 
Paisner LLP

Background and experience:
I Qualified as a commercial property solicitor in 2002 and have undertaken a broad 
range of landlord and tenant work, real estate financing and development transactions 
before transitioning to a remote working role as part of a team who specialise in 
undertaking the property title due diligence for an international law firm. 

Other interests:

Travel, reading and spending time with friends and family.

Why I became a trustee:

I wanted to help support schools in providing an environment in which children are able 
to flourish and are given the skills and opportunities to succeed in the next stage of their 
education. 
I am the Chair of the Quality of Education Committee.

Emma Caddell

Current job role: 

Audit and Accounts Manager

Background and experience:

I am a qualified accountant with 15 years' experience in client management. In my recent  role I manage education sector audits including colleges and academies and the not-forprofit sector. I have specialised in helping small and medium size business owners developand grow their businesses.

Other interests:

I am a keen theatre goer and enjoy spending time with my family

Why I became a trustee:

I wanted to be able to pass on some of my knowledge to drive the Trust forward. Having 
children who are going through the education process I feel this is a way to give something 
back

Lynda Mallon

Current job role:

Retiree

Background and experience:

Predominantly in the NHS working at management level within the field of medicine in a range of specialties. Then working with the Postgraduate Dean for the North West Region Deanery delivering the education and training programmes for postgraduate students, trainee doctors, dentists and general practitioners. Lastly working at Create Learning Trust delivering the Operations, Compliance and Governance objectives, trust wide. I am an NGA trained L3 Governance Professional.

Other interests:

Interior design, house renovation, travel, my family.

Why I became a trustee:

To continue working with the trust in a different capacity, following on from my retirement. I wish to give back to the trust, by supporting the trust board, its committee work, the CEO, the Academy schools leadership teams and all the school children, Investing my time, offering my specialist skill and knowledge, to support the trusts continued growth and development.

Gareth Williams:

Current job role:

Senior Fellow in the Proliferation and Nuclear Policy Team at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) 

Background and experience:

After finishing a PhD in Chemistry at the University of Manchester, I moved to Salisbury to work for the Ministry of Defence, supporting the delivery of scientific and technical capabilities for the defence and security of the UK and its allies. After a few years working on arms control and non-proliferation for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), I moved to the Netherlands to join the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons as the Head of Assistance and Protection. I returned with the family in 2023 to Hartford and am now working freelance alongside my role as Senior Associate Fellow in the Proliferation and Nuclear Policy Research Group at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI). 

Other interests:

I’m a bit of a politics junkie and enjoy listening to politics podcasts and reading political books. I enjoy socialising, travelling, cycling and long walks – not necessarily in that order (unless I have a puncture!).

Why I became a trustee:

I was very fortunate to have a great education, which has given me some amazing opportunities in life. I, therefore, want to give something back and make sure my children and other children can enjoy the same great education and opportunities that I had. This is something I care deeply and passionately about.

Geoff Porritt:

Background and Experience:

30 years ago I started my journey in a hybrid role of business process, finance and IT – and that has been the central theme ever since.  I quickly discovered that my passion lay in two interconnected areas; those of change management and governance.  I enjoy the challenge of delivering change, but equally like to know that it is performed using a sensible approach and with due diligence.  

Having been at the coal-face of change delivery across many disciplines, I have an excellent first-hand understanding of what good change management looks like as well as the pitfalls.  In my time I have been a Business Analyst, Data Analyst, Coder, Tester, Solutions Architect, Trainer, Project Manager, Programme Manager and, most recently, Delivery Governance.  The next, natural evolution to this is to continue this trajectory into other governance roles as a foundation to a future portfolio of Non-Executive Director roles (NEDs).  

My personal ethos is to both help organisations deliver change now, but also equip them to manage change better as they move forwards.  In doing so I seek to build teams that are self-sufficient, but also collaborative with other teams.  It is through this combination that a very strong resilience is borne, and a mind-set of finding ways to overcome all challenges.  I think this chimes particularly well with your vision to work together, encourage innovation and self-belief, as well as acting with a moral purpose and integrity.