School Governors

Tony Evans MA MPhil FCIL FKC. Tony Evans has been a Governor since March 2000 and became Chairman of Governors in June 2008. He was educated at De La Salle Grammar School, St Peter’s College Oxford, University College London and the Institute of Education, London University. As an Assistant Master he taught at Eastbourne College and Winchester College, before becoming Head of Modern Languages and Head of Humanities at Dulwich College. Tony was the Headmaster at Portsmouth Grammar School before taking up appointment as Headmaster of King’s College School Wimbledon, a position from which he retired in December 2007. He was Chairman of the Headmasters’ and Headmistresses’ Conference in 1996.
Carin Pimlott BA. Carin Pimlott joined the Governing Body in 2004 and became Vice-Chairman in June 2010. She was a teacher of modern languages, as well as a programme organiser in the Visitors Department of the British Council and the Deputy Director of the British Association for Central & Eastern Europe. Carin has undertaken voluntary work for the Citizens Advice Bureau and Southwark Cathedral Education Centre. She is a Trustee of the Thomson Foundation, which trains journalists throughout the developing world, as well as of the Bulgarian Children’s charity Karin Dom.
The Rt Revd Dr Brian Castle PhD MA BA. The Rt Reverend Dr Brian Castle is the Bishop of Tonbridge and was nominated in 2002 as a Governor by the Bishop of Rochester. He was educated at Wilsons Grammar School, as well as at University College, London and the Universities of Oxford and Birmingham. He was a social worker in London before being ordained into the Church of England in 1997 and serving in parishes in Surrey, Northern Zambia and Somerset. He has been Visiting Tutor of the Ecumenical Institute, World Council of Churches of Geneva and Vice Principal of Ripon College Cuddesdon, Oxford, a theological training institution.
Ian Doherty MA. Ian Doherty, who joined the Governing Body in 2010, was educated at St Columb’s College, Derry and Peterhouse, Cambridge where he studied History. The Managing Director of James Doherty Meats Ltd, a family business, Ian also holds non-executive positions as the Chairman of Pi Communications and a Director of the Progressive Building Society. He has previously filled a number of other non-executive roles and was a Civil Service Commissioner for Northern Ireland between 1998 and 2003. Currently a Director of the Leuven Institute for Ireland in Europe, he has been a Governor of two schools (including that at which he was a pupil), a member of the Senate of Queen’s University, Belfast and Chairman of an organisation set up by business leaders to establish meaningful connections between schools and employers. Ian, who speaks French, Irish, Italian and German lists his interests as literature, music, travel, walking and skiing.
Sarah Dunnett BA. Sarah Dunnett was educated at the Latymer School and University College, London. She joined the Governing Body in March 2009, previously having been a governor at a local preparatory school. A Geography graduate, she spent almost 20 years in the oil industry and gained management experience in retail, marketing, corporate planning and end user computing. Sarah is the Chairman of an NHS Trust, a position she has held since 2001. All three of Sarah's sons were pupils at Sevenoaks School.
Eliza Ecclestone LLB Dip LP. Eliza Ecclestone, who joined the Governing Body in 2010, studied for the International Baccalaureate at Sevenoaks School, having previously attended Wycombe Abbey. A graduate of Southampton University and the London College of Law, Eliza practised as a solicitor specialising in family law. Now the managing trustee of a local estate, she has previously been a Governor of a primary school and currently sits on other local voluntary bodies.
Andrew Golding MA. Andrew Golding, who became a Governor in 2003, was educated at Sevenoaks School, Magdalen College, Oxford and Tulane University, New Orleans. Formerly Managing Director of the European Financial Sponsor Group at Bank of America, London and Head of Leveraged Finance for Continental Europe at Barclays Capital, Andrew has also been a business angel and has held various company directorships. He is currently the Banking Partner for European Buyouts at 3i Investments plc. Andrew's son is a pupil at the school.
Nicholas Gould BA. Nicholas Gould became a Governor in 2003.Educated at Oundle School and Magdalene College, Cambridge, Nicholas is a former partner and now consultant to Lovells, an international law firm. He was formerly Head of departments specialising in construction and in intellectual property, and is Chairman of the firm’s Professional Standards Panel. He is a former Co-Chairman of the International Construction Projects Committee of the International Bar Association.
David Griffiths MA FCA. David Griffiths has been a Governor since 2000 and is the Chairman of the Finance and Property Committee. He was educated at Bolton School and Christ Church, Oxford. A former partner in Accenture, David specialised in assisting large corporate organisations with major programmes of change. A former Chairman of the Sevenoaks School Parents’ Association, David holds a ministerial appointment as chair of a public sector body. He is also the Chairman of a prominent regional disability charity.
Melvyn Hughes MA. Melvyn Hughes, who was appointed to the Governing Body in 2010, was educated at Newcastle Royal Grammar School and St Catherine’s College Oxford. Joining Slaughter and May as trainee solicitor, he qualified in 1976. He was made a Partner of the firm in 1983 and became a member of its Partnership Board in 1986. He practised as a commercial lawyer advising on a wide range of commercial, corporate and financing transactions, before being appointed Executive Partner in 1993, a position he held until his retirement from the firm in 2008. Melvyn has been closely involved in the development of legal training and is currently a member of the Advisory Council to the Law Faculty at Oxford University. His interests include sport, particularly football and cricket, travel, books, music, history and theatre. Two of his children were educated at Sevenoaks School.
Emma Johnson MBE MA. Emma Johnson, who joined the Governing body in 2007, attended the Sixth Form of Sevenoaks School during the 1980s. A past winner of the BBC's Young Musician of the Year competition, she read English Literature and Music at Pembroke College, Cambridge and subsequently made her career as a solo clarinettist, giving recitals, broadcasts and guest appearances in many different countries. Emma has recorded numerous CDs, and the Times Newspaper recently described her as "Britain's favourite clarinettist". Following a period as Professor of Clarinet at the Royal College of Music, Emma has frequently enjoyed working with students in masterclasses. The first woman to be made an Honorary Fellow of Pembroke College, she is a Patron of the childhood cancer charity, ClicSargent.
Anthony Little MA. Anthony Little was appointed to the Governing Body in 2010. He was educated at Eton College and Corpus Christi College, Cambridge where he was a Choral Scholar and read English. Having completed a Postgraduate Certificate in Education at Homerton College, Cambridge, he taught English and Drama at Tonbridge School (where he was also Master i/c Rowing), before spending seven years at Brentwood School as Head of English and Drama. At both schools he was Housemaster of a boarding house. In 1989 Anthony was appointed Head Master of Chigwell School, moving to become the Head Master of Oakham School in 1996. In 2002, he moved to become the Head Master of Eton College, a position he still holds. Anthony is the Chairman of the Mvumi School Trust and the Dorney Inter-faith Project and also a member of the Windsor, Slough and Eton Schools’ Partnership. His interests include film, theatre, music and Norfolk.
James London LLM. James London was nominated as a Governor by Sevenoaks District Council in 2011. He was educated at Tonbridge School, Hull University, Queen Mary College, London and the College of Law, Guildford. Having qualified as a solicitor and worked in private practice he joined a financial regulator, now the Financial Services Authority, where he specialises in financial crime. He has been seconded to both HM Treasury and the Home Office. A District Councillor since 1995, he is Chairman of the Joint Transportation Board. Currently the Governor of a local primary school, James is also a member of the Kent Council of the Order of St John, serves on the Management Board of the Sevenoaks Division of St John Ambulance and is a serving officer in the Territorial Army. James is the parent of a former pupil.
David Phillips BA ACA. David Phillips was educated at St Peter's School, York and at Nottingham University where he read Economics. He joined the Governing Body in 2010. A Chartered Accountant, David is the senior Corporate Reporting Partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers and has been a member of the firm's supervisory board. David has spent much of his career working to enhance the quality of corporate transparency and governance, being involved with a number of working groups and think tanks. He is an active member of the Prince of Wales Accounting for Sustainability project and a working member of the newly created International Integrated Reporting Committee. His daughter was a pupil at Sevenoaks School.
Pratap Shirke MBA. Pratap Shirke, who joined the Governing Body in 2007, studied for a degree at the College of Engineering in Pune(India), later obtaining a Masters in Civil Engineering from Stanford University. He also gained a Masters in Business Administration from Stanford and served on the Advisory Board of the Stanford University Graduate School of Business between 1991 and 2000. Having started his business career in the construction industry in Dubai, Pratap moved to the UK after 10 years where he has developed businesses in construction, hotels and shipping. Pratap serves as a non-executive Board member of various companies in the UK and India. A Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Shipwrights, his three daughters all studied for the International Baccalaureate at Sevenoaks.
Derick Walker MA. Derick Walker joined the Governing Body in 2002 and is Chairman of the Education Committee. Educated at Westminster and Christ Church, Oxford, he took up a career in advertising working for BMP, Leagas Delaney and Ted Bates, before becoming a founder partner of Laing Henry in 1988. Derick moved to Saatchi & Saatchi in 1995 where he is a Director and Group Strategic Consultant. His son and daughter have both been pupils at the School.
John Warde DL MA. John Warde was nominated by the Trustees of the Will of Charles Plumptre Johnson and became a Governor in 2006. Educated at Eton and Trinity College, Cambridge, where he read Agriculture, John is a farmer and estate manager. He was a member of Sevenoaks District Council for 12 years and was Chairman in 1980. John was High Sheriff of Kent in 1990 and is currently a Deputy Lieutenant. He is a Trustee of the Chevening Estate.
Professor Michael Waring ScD FRSC. Professor Michael Waring was nominated as a Governor by Jesus College, Cambridge in 2005. Educated at the Friends’ School, Lancaster and Downing College,Cambridge, Michael is a Fellow of Jesus College. He held a number of posts at Cambridge before his appointment as Professor of Chemotherapy in 1999. Michael is also an Honorary Visiting Consultant at the Cancer Research Laboratory in Auckland, New Zealand and has been a Visiting Professor at universities around the world, most recently at the California Institute of Technology. A prolific writer, he sits on a number of editorial boards, societies and advisory panels, as well as lecturing widely.
Dr Mark Whittow. Dr Mark Whittow was nominated in 2004 as a Governor by St John’s College, Oxford. A Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Oxford, he is a medieval historian and archaeologist, specialising in the Mediterranean and Byzantine worlds. Mark carries out field work on Byzantine sites in Turkey, and is currently writing Feudal Revolution: the Transformation of Europe 900-1250.

 

Bursar and Clerk to the Governors
Air Vice-Marshal Andrew Burton OBE BSc (Econ) FCIS Chartered FCIPD