Trustees (ID 1098)

• Julian Cobley
  Chair Of Trustees
  Julian Cobley

  Julian has 18 years' experience in strategic leadership roles, working in public and the private sector. He started his career as an IT consultant which led into a permanent role managing ICT infrastructure across Europe and the Emerging Markets region.Joining the local government sector in 2007, Julian held senior management roles at Cheshire County Council and Cheshire East Council where he specialised in digital, economic development and skills. In 2016, he went on to establish theSkills & Growth Company, providingeconomic development and skillsservices with the mind-set that everyone deserves the opportunity to succeed and every business the opportunity to thrive.

  Harnessing his skills and experienceJulian joined the ENGIE group in 2019, where he istheNorth WestPartnership Director in EQUANS,whosepurpose is to make zero carbon happen.Julian leads strategic partnerships with public sector customers providing technical services & facilities management, energy efficiency and regeneration.

  Julian is an experienced non-executive director having been anambassador for Institute of Directors and sat on several industry advisory boards during hiscareer.He hasbeen a Trustee of Crewe University Technical College,since 2017,and remains a member of the local governing board,following the school's merger with The Learning Alliance multi-academy trust in September 2021.

• Craig Ridge
  Chair of Finance Committee Trustee
  Craig Ridge

  Craig has over 25 years' experience in finance across a number of sectors. For the last three years he has been the CFO of HECSU, a charity, and Graduate Prospects its trading company. Craig is on the HECSU/GP board, and a member of the executive team. Tasked with delivering the charity's vision to advance graduate careers research, knowledge and services for the higher education sector.

  The charity's trading subsidiary generates income from advertising and degree verifications. While also tasked with delivering the charity's objectives.Craig has recently started to consult with a small number of small local businesses on a pro bono basis. This is to ‘give something back' and he joined the Weaver Trust in Jan 2019.

• Matt Lord
  Chair of the Education and Standards Committee
  Matt Lord

  Matthew is a Partner in a successful general practice Law Firm working exclusively in the area of child protection law in East Manchester. He has been a governor at Comberbach primary school for eight years and the Chair of governors for the last five of these.

  In addition to this he is on the board The Observatory School in the Wirral which has provision for children with behavioural special needs. In the three years that Matthew has been on the board the school has rapidly improved which has been incredibly rewarding.

• Rob Foreman
  Trustee
  Rob Foreman

  Rob has enjoyed a long and successful career across a variety of sectors, with a proven track record growing sales in multinational businesses including Shell and Michelin. As an experienced senior leader, Rob has managed critical customer relationships, developing growth plans around jointly beneficial strategic partnerships.

  Currently, Rob's business consultancy activity includes mentoring at CEO level, whilst also serving as a Development Director/Non-Executive Director of the ‘Sporting Memories Foundation'.

  As an Ambassador for ‘Be the Business' ,driving productivity in the UK , Rob also brings previous experience from working as a Non-Executive Director within a growing MAT.

  Rob aims to support Weaver Trust with its strategy for growth.

• Chris Heptinstall
  Trustee
  Chris Heptinstall

  Chris has worked in the Schools/Academy sector as a School Business Manager, and Trust CFO for the last 10 years, across 3 different Multi Academy Trusts.

  Before that, he worked for Cheshire East Local Authority in the Business Support team, supporting various business and finance functions across the Children and Families Service, before moving to the School Organisation and Capital Strategy team in 2011, where he worked with schools and colleagues in assets and capital finance on the LA's capital programme for schools and other settings. This role gave him the opportunity to work with colleagues across the borough, on estates management and capital planning, including carrying out suitability and sufficiency surveys in schools, and contributing to the monitoring and reporting on the Childrens' Services and Education Capital Programme.

  Currently, as Director of Business (CFO) at the Youth Engagement Schools Trust, Chris has led the finance and operational set up of 4 schools (3 Free Schools and one Independent), soon to be 5 schools with the opening of a 5th school, September 2024. This will be a brand new, 64 place, SEMH Free School in Halton.

  Chris has undertaken a huge amount of training and professional development over the last 10 years, including completing the CIPFA Level 7 Certificate in School Financial and Operational Leadership in 2020. His learning on this course, along with the growth and development in his own Trust, has given a detailed and broad understanding of the Academy and Free Schools sector, and the many financial and operational challenges of running successful schools and academies.

• Sandy Cameron
  Trustee
  Sandy Cameron

  A qualified banker, Sandy has over 35 years of commercial credit and operational risk management experience gained in the UK and across Europe.

  Having held senior leadership roles within multinational organisations such as Barclays Bank and General Electric, and in smaller challenger banks, Sandy now operates as a consultant providing interim risk management expertise to banks and other financial institutions who require additional short-term expertise and / or capacity to fulfil interim Chief Risk Officer / senior leadership roles.

  As a Trustee, Sandy aims to use his experience to provide guidance and support to the leadership team in the management of risks faced by the Trust.

  He has lived in Comberbach for over 30 years where he is currently a Parish Councillor. He is also an active member and volunteer rider for the ‘Shropshire, Staffordshire and Cheshire Blood Bikes' group.

• Eve Bartlet
  Trustee
  Eve Bartlet

  Eve is a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, Fellow of the Society of Education and Training, Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute and over her career in education has been a Director of Education, Acting Director of Operations, Independent School Improvement Partner, Special Needs Consultant, Executive Headteacher, Headteacher, Deputy Headteacher and Senior leader across all school phases from EYFS to Post 16, within SEN and mainstream.

  Eve took teaching and Learning from 33% good or better to 86% good or better in 12 months. With a 10-year track record of 0% NEET, Eve set up and led alternative provisions which have been graded as Outstanding for the last 10 years. She has also overseen 15 schools with 100% good and 46% outstanding inspection results for Ofsted and ESTYN, and, in 12 months, increased qualifications achieved across the schools by 42%.

• Kathy Hardy
  Trustee
  Kathy Hardy

  Kathy has been in education for over 30 years. She is currently CEO of Affinity Learning Partnership, a mixed MAT spanning schools in Derbyshire and East Staffordshire. She previously held headships in secondary schools in the East & West Midlands. She has also been a Deputy Head in Derby City in charge of assessment, T & L and safeguarding.

  Kathy delivers on the PGCE course at Loughborough University. Her qualifications include: B.Ed (Hons); MA.Ed & NPQH

  Kathy is committed to driving a culture of where children belong, progress & thrive to have healthy, happy and successful futures. Her vision as a system leader is to empower teachers to teach and leaders to lead, through evidence informed collaboration.

  Since Kathy's appointment as CEO, there have been considerable improvements in the culture and standards across the trust and a true desire to provide enrichment opportunities for all students across every school.