Colin was appointed as principal and chief executive officer of Leeds City College in 2015, before it became a member of Luminate Education Group and he took on the role of Group chief executive officer.

Prior to that, Colin spent seven years as principal of Barnsley College, where he steered the College to an Ofsted rating of outstanding.

He has worked in the further education sector for over 35 years, as both a teacher and manager in Skills for Life and provision for students with disabilities or learning difficulties.

Colin has also worked as a part-time inspector for Ofsted and the Adult Learning Inspectorate. He was awarded an OBE for services to further education in the Queen’s 2015 New Year Honours list.

As group chief executive officer, Colin is a governor of Luminate Education Group and sits on each board within the group’s governance structure. He is also a member of the Finance Committee, Governance & Nominations Committee and Property Strategy Committee.

Having retired in 2018, Andrew now has a small portfolio of board roles. He is a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee at the National Metrology Institute (NPL - National Physical Laboratory); Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit & Risk Committee at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust; Governor of York St John University; and Trustee of Wilf Ward Family Trust (a social care provider).

Andrew’s previous posts include Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at Bradford District Care NHS Foundation Trust, Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management, Non-Executive Director and Chairman of the Audit Committee at Bradford College, Chairman of Training for Bradford Ltd (that trades as City Training Services), Trustee of Bradford Grammar School, Treasurer of Yorkshire WaterAid (WaterAid in Yorkshire).

Andrew’s earlier career includes risk management consultant for Stantec UK, Chief Internal Auditor with the Kelda Group (including Yorkshire Water Services Ltd), covering UK and overseas operations and a senior auditor post with National Power. He is a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants and a retired member of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors (formerly QIAL, CIA, MIIA).

As well as being a current governor on the Luminate Education Group board and Chair of the Finance Committee, he was previously co-opted for three years onto the Audit Committee and the Leeds City College board.

Andrew is a governor of the Luminate Education Group (Group Board) and Chair of the Group Finance Committee.

Mark has spent over 35 years in senior roles in Marketing, Communications and Customer Relationship Management in a variety of high-profile private and public sector organisations worldwide.

In his early years he was Marketing Director for Principality Building Society in Wales and Head of Customer Management for Royal & Sun Alliance (responsible for leading Customer Management for the launch of MORETH>N), before running his own international Customer Management consultancy, helping over 30 companies worldwide to develop effective customer management practices.

He was instrumental in setting up Confused.com, before taking up a senior interim management career with organisations such as Open University, Royal Bank of Scotland PLC, Yell Group PLC, British Airways and Barnardo’s.

He joined the higher education sector in 2009 and has been in senior marketing, communications and student recruitment director roles for City, University of London, the University of West London, University of Bradford, Swansea University, and University of Law. In May 2022, he was appointed to the University Executive Team at Anglia Ruskin University as Director of Marketing, Communications and Recruitment.

He is Chair of CASE Universities’ Marketing Forum and is a campaigner for equality, diversity and inclusion. He is also an ambassador for AWLO (African Women in Leadership Organisation) and the White Ribbon campaign. He was previously on the Advisory Board for Bradford Literature Festival and a Board member of Bradford UNESCO City of Film.

Mark is a governor of Luminate Education Group and Chair of the University Centre Leeds Board.

Becky is a commercially focused HR professional with a successful track record in financial services and legal services sectors, operating across all business functions. She has extensive experience in developing and implementing HR strategies to deliver business objectives and strategic change programmes, latterly as Director of People at Leeds Building Society. Becky has several years’ experience as a non-executive director in the learning sector and is a Director at Ahead Partnership, a social enterprise. Becky is also owner/founder of Becky Hewitt Consulting, offering people and commercial support and mentoring.

Becky is a governor of the Luminate Education Group (Group Board) and Chair of the Group Remuneration Committee.

Richard is the elected staff governor for Luminate Education Group. Having left university for a career in theatre in the late 90s Richard never planned to be a teacher. In 2024 he celebrated his 25th year at the college. Richard joined what was then Park Lane College as the Theatre Technician and then completed his PGCE in service. Whilst Richard’s passion is for creating family orientated work, he has directed everything from Shakespeare to musicals and from political satire to devised plays involving rubber chickens. In his current post as Assistant Principal for Creative Arts, Richard supports the work of 1700 Creative students and staff across the Quarry Hill campus.

Richard is also a board member of Red Ladder Theatre Company, sits on the committee of two scout groups, was a school governor for 11 years and is part of the core volunteer team of Wakefield Thornes parkrun.

Richard is the elected staff governor sitting on the Luminate Education Group Board of Governors (Group Board).

Cath has worked in education for almost 40 years, 30 years of which were senior leader experience in schools, mostly in Leeds. In particular, 27 years at Brigshaw High School, firstly as Deputy Headteacher, then Headteacher, then CEO of the newly formed multi-academy trust, Brigshaw Learning Partnership. She has undertaken complementary roles during those years, such as Ofsted Inspector, School Improvement Partner and Local Leader of Education. She has always been committed to wider partnerships, particularly within Leeds and has been Chair of East Area Inclusion Partnership and East Fair Access Panel. She has undertaken a secondment for Leeds Children’s Services as a Learning Leader.

In August 2021 Cath retired from Brigshaw and since June 2022 has undertaken a part-time contract with Leeds Children’s Services as a Headteacher Support Consultant.

Cath is a governor of Luminate Education Group (Group Board), a Vice Chair of Luminate Education Group and Vice Chair of the Group Audit Committee.

Carolyn is a partner at Clarion Solicitors and has spent all of her life in Leeds and Yorkshire. In a career spanning over 30 years, she has advised on some of the most significant development schemes in Leeds, as well as projects across the UK, and has been appointed to external roles to deal with areas of governance of local authorities in West Yorkshire. She is also a trustee of Yorkshire Sculpture Park.

With nine years as a governor at Leeds Trinity University and further two years as a member of the Board at Leeds Conservatoire before taking the Chair role in January 2022, Carolyn is passionate about opening up opportunities of Higher Education (HE) to the widest diversity of students and helping to ensure the long-term success of the specialist HE institutions that add to the region’s cultural richness.

In addition, Carolyn has a life-long love of music which she has passed on to her three sons. She has sung in many choirs and was a founder member of St Peter’s Singers in Leeds in her teenage years. She has also sung in or been associated with Leeds Cathedral Choir since the 1980s.

Carolyn is a governor of the Luminate Education Group (Group Board), Chair of the Leeds Conservatoire Board of Directors, a member of the Group Remuneration Committee and a member of the Group Property Strategy Committee.

Ken worked for over 30 years with Leeds City Council in Education and Children Services – latterly as Head of Service for Young People and Skills with responsibilities for Youth Services, Information, Advice and Guidance service, and the school arts and music services. Since retiring Ken has also built up a portfolio of volunteer ‘governance’ roles – in addition to his roles within the Luminate Education Group, he is Director of the Brigshaw Learning Partnership (a 6 school multi-academy trust), Governor of Springwell Leeds (an SEMH Special School), Primary School governor at Kippax Ash Tree and Hunslet St Mary’s, Trustee and Chair of YAMSEN (a small musical charity for providing inclusive opportunities for people with additional needs), and a trustee of GIPSIL which provides housing and well-being support services for young people and families in Leeds.

Ken is a governor of the Luminate Education Group (Group Board), a Vice Chair of Luminate Education Group and Chair of the Leeds City College Board.

As a chartered accountant, Jane’s experience has included senior management in three further education colleges as well as finance and operations roles in several private and public sector organisations. She has a wide knowledge of schools, FE and HE governance. Jane has recently undertaken a PhD in the field of comparative vocational education and training policy at the University of Huddersfield and developed a portfolio career as a researcher and part time tutor. Jane lived in Leeds for over 20 years but now lives in North Yorkshire and is passionate about improving educational opportunities for young people and adults across West and North Yorkshire. Her special interest is sustainability and raising awareness of the impact of the climate emergency wherever possible.

Jane is a governor of Luminate Education Group (Group Board), Chair of the Harrogate College Board, Chair of the Group Audit Committee and a co-opted member of the Leeds Conservatoire Audit Committee.

Richard is a director at Gen North, an advisory company that focuses on workplace consultancy and programme and project management in the property and construction industry.

Prior to that, Richard was operations director at Mace Group, a leading construction company, where he led the consultancy business in Yorkshire and the North East, supporting clients in the planning and delivery of property and construction projects.

He is a chartered civil engineer and qualified project manager (PRINCE2 and APM), and has a passion for developing others through mentoring, coaching and engagement across the wider skills agenda.

As chair of the Luminate Group’s Property Strategy Committee, Richard brings a wealth of experience and expertise in the strategic planning of real estate portfolios, and in the planning, management and delivery of construction projects.

Richard is also a trustee of the Hunslet Club in Leeds.

Richard is a governor of Luminate Education Group, sitting on the Group Board, Group Finance Committee and is Chair of the Group Property Strategy Committee.

John retired recently as a Partner with an international legal services business. By profession, he is a solicitor and Chartered Tax Adviser. He has lived and worked in and around Leeds for over thirty-five years and first became involved with FE and HE governance in 2006 with Doncaster College. A passionate believer in the transformative power of education, John has also been a lay trustee of Leeds Beckett Students' Union, amongst other charitable trusteeships.

John is Chair of Governors of Luminate Education Group, Chair of the Governance & Nominations Committee, a governor member of the Finance Committee and a governor member of the Remuneration Committee.

Matt is an experienced public sector manager with extensive experience of working in the education and skills sector. Formerly with the Learning and Skills Council, Matt is now with Bradford Council. He has considerable experience as a governor in secondary and primary schools in Bradford and is an Advisory Board member of the Yorkshire Learning Providers network.

Matt is a governor of Luminate Education Group (Group Board) and Chair of the Keighley College Board.

As the elected SU President for 2024/25, Shaik Qasim serves as Student Governor on the Luminate Education Group Board of Governors (Group Board) and as student member on the Leeds City College Board.