Meet the Executive Team

Angela is an accomplished further and higher education professional with more than 30 years' experience across the sector. She possesses extensive knowledge of Ofsted and Office for Students requirements, safeguarding, awarding bodies, and higher education validation processes.

Throughout her career, she has held a range of senior leadership positions covering curriculum, student support, skills, employability, safeguarding, and equality, diversity, and inclusion. Her experience spans colleges across London, the South East, the North West, and South Yorkshire.

Angela also plays a prominent role in the region's skills agenda, serving on the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Business Advisory Board and chairing both the Sheffield Skills and Employability Board and the South Yorkshire Skills Advisory Board.

Angela lives in Sheffield, enjoys cycling, running, gigs and the theatre and is proud to be a part of The Sheffield College.

Angela is ex-officio member of Finance, Employment and General Purposes Committee, Search, Remuneration and Governance Committee and Teaching, Learning Quality and Student Experience Committee.

John joined the Governing Body in February 2020. From 2008 until December 2019, John was Chief Executive of Sheffield City Council. John joined Sheffield City Council in 1998 as Executive Director and was directly involved in much of the regeneration of the City. Prior to moving to Sheffield, he was a Director with the London Borough of Camden, and before that had extensive experience in local government, arts and community development.

John is Chair of the National Lottery Community Fund England Committee, Guardian of the Sheffield Assay Office, a member of the Sheffield Management School Advisory Board and has previously been a Trustee and Chair of Meadowhall Education Centre, an independent training provider.

John holds an MA in English and a Diploma in Management Studies.

John is Chair of the Governing Body, a member of Finance, Employment and General Purposes Committee, Teaching, Learning, Quality and Student Experience Committee and Chair of Search, Remuneration and Governance Committee.

Aisha previously studied Level 3 Photography and Media at Hillsborough Campus and joined the Governing Body in August 2026 following her election as Students’ Union President.

As a Student Governor, Aisha brings her experience of studying at the college to the Governing Body’s strategic discussions.  She is also a member of the Teaching, Learning, Quality and Student Experience Committee.

Matt joined the Governing Body in December 2021, after being a co-opted member of the college’s Audit and Risk Assurance Committee. Currently a partner in the corporate team at Knights PLC in Sheffield, Matt is a lawyer with over 20 years’ experience working across international, national and regional law firms. Throughout his career, Matt has advised clients from a wide spectrum including listed and non-listed private companies including international companies, large UK corporations and local and regional SMEs. Matt advises on corporate work such as mergers and acquisitions, raising funds for development and debt financing/refinancing as well as corporate governance and compliance advice. This means that Matt has considerable knowledge of corporate structures and governance requirements. He is well versed in working with a wide range of different entity structures including not-for-profit organisations, unincorporated corporations, partnerships and LLPs. Matt is Chair of Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

Holly joined the college in August 2015 and is currently Director of Marketing, Communications and Learner Recruitment. She has worked in Further Education for the last 8 years after spending a number of years working in advertising. She studied for her degree at Nottingham Trent University before becoming professionally qualified with the Chartered Institute of Marketing. 

Holly is an elected staff governor and a member of Finance, Employment and General Purposes Committee and Search, Remuneration and Governance Committee.

Helen is a co-opted member of the college's Governing Body since August 2025. In her role Helen sits on the Finance, Employment and General Purposes Committee

Lawrence joined the Governing Body in August 2026 as a governor and Chair Designate.

He is an experienced executive and non-executive leader with expertise in strategy, organisational transformation, governance and performance. Most recently, he was Director of Strategy and Impact at the British Heart Foundation, where he led the development of its Strategy to 2030 and established a strategic performance framework to strengthen organisational oversight. His earlier senior leadership roles include positions with Barchester Healthcare, the Caravan Club, Tourism Ireland and Unilever.

Alongside his college role, Lawrence is Chair of the Board of Trustees at Sheffield Hospitals Charity, Vice-Chair and a trustee of Aston Community Education Trust, and a trustee of the Geographical Association.

Having moved to Sheffield in 2024, Lawrence is committed to contributing to the city and its communities through his governance work and wider community involvement. He is a volunteer with Sheffield Association for the Voluntary Teaching of English (SAVTE) and a keen fell runner.

Lawrence is a member of the Search, Remuneration and Governance Committee, the Teaching, Learning, Quality and Student Experience Committee, and the Estates Strategy and Capital Projects Sub-Committee.

Peter has spent his working career in IT and Electronics, mainly in commercial roles but with significant involvement with public sector organisations. As CEO and then director of The Electronics Group (and its predecessor, Electronics Yorkshire), Peter has led a company that provides both commercial and publicly funded training including Apprenticeships.

Peter has been a member and chair of a number of national sector bodies on business and technical education. He has advised universities on the development of Apprenticeship Standards for new degree and masters level Apprenticeships and has advised regional and national government and funding agencies on the wider skills development and training for IT and electronics sectors.

Peter also has significant experience in the not-for-profit sector. As a trustee and, since 2013, Chair of Trustees of Sheffield Media and Exhibition Centre, Peter has led the board of the Showroom Cinema and Workstation.

Peter qualified to teach online with The Sheffield College and has a Master of Education in e-Learning from the University of Sheffield. 

Peter is Vice Chair of Finance, Employment and General Purposes Committee, a member of Search, Remuneration and Governance Committee.

Henry has worked at college for over 16 years, holding roles across curriculum support, teaching and professional services. This breadth of experience gives him a strong understanding of the college, its staff and the factors that influence students’ experience and success.

As a staff governor, Henry brings a practical, college-wide perspective to the Governing Body and contributes to strategic discussion, constructive challenge and oversight of the student experience. He also brings external governance experience from more than 12 years as a charity trustee and his previous role as a director of a local community charity.

Henry is an elected staff governor and a member of the Teaching, Learning, Quality and Student Experience Committee.

William previously studied Level 3 Business at The Sheffield College and is now Deputy President of the Students’ Union. He brings direct knowledge of the student experience and a strong interest in ensuring that students’ perspectives help inform the Governing Body’s strategic discussions and decision-making.

William joined the Governing Body as an elected student governor in August 2026 following his election as Students’ Union Deputy President. He is also a member of the Finance, Employment and General Purposes Committee.

Meredith Dixton-Teasdale is currently the Strategic Director Children’s at Sheffield City Council having previously held a similar post at Cornwall Council. 
Meredith’s role involves being a leader of strategic and transformational change and she is passionate about place-based leadership, levelling up and reducing inequalities 
Meredith joined the Governing Body on 1 August 2024 and is a member of Teaching, Learning, Quality and Student Experience Committee. 
 

Kam is Headteacher at Meadowhead School Academy Trust in Sheffield and joined the college’s Governing Body in December 2022. As a secondary school leader for over 20 years, Kam has been highly successful in leading school improvement and maximising students’ opportunities to develop the skills, attitudes and behaviours they need to develop into responsible adults and for success in employment or progression to further or higher education. The board also benefits from Kam’s extensive experience of safeguarding and supporting young people through the recent pandemic and current economic challenges. Kam was a designated National Leader of Education in Derbyshire before taking up her second headship in Sheffield and in this role supported local schools with their school improvement journeys to a Good Ofsted judgement.  

Kam is Vice Chair of Teaching, Learning, Quality and Student Experience Committee

Stephan Hollingshead is a Commercial Director with experience covering finance and operational management, building on his background as a Chartered Accountant, and operating at a high level in a number of industries. Stephan has extensive experience of leadership and management roles with a wide variety of retail and wholesale businesses in the Fast Moving Consumer Goods sector, from blue chip multinationals to small and medium sized enterprises. Stephan also has experience as a consultant in private equity and venture capital trust reporting, liaising closely with funders, investors and bankers.

Stephan is currently Chief Finance and Operating Officer for Iceotope Technologies Ltd Sheffield.

He is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and holds a BSc (Hons) in Physics from York University.

Stephan is Chair of Finance, Employment & General Purposes Committee and a member of Search, Remuneration and Governance Committee.

Victoria brings extensive senior leadership and financial expertise, with a strong track record in governance, risk management and organisational performance. She is currently Managing Director at Mercia Group, a UK-wide provider of training, compliance and professional support services to the accountancy and tax profession, where she is responsible for strategic direction, organisational performance and financial sustainability.

Victoria has held a range of senior leadership roles within the finance and professional services sector. Earlier in her career, she worked in audit and business risk services at Deloitte and Grant Thornton, advising organisations on governance frameworks, internal control and risk assurance.

A qualified chartered certified accountant and a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), Victoria brings strong commercial judgement and financial governance expertise, and is committed to contributing effective challenge and assurance as a member of our Governing Body.” – Content will also reference being a member of the ARAC committee.

Sol Miah works in human resources in Higher Education and is a committed supporter of Further Education and lifelong learning.

Sol joined The Sheffield College Governing Body in August 2020, after serving for nine years as a governor of The Bedford College Group. Sol understands the benefits of Further Education having been a student at Bedford College for sixth form education and as an adult learner. Having completed the maximum term of office as a governor of Bedford College, Sol is keen to continue his association with Further Education and, as a governor of The Sheffield College, contribute to ensuring that the College provides a high quality education for all our learners, supporting their personal and professional growth, delivering staff engagement and contributing to the communities we serve. Sol is a member of Audit and Risk Assurance Committee and Teaching, Learning, Quality and Student Experience Committee. 

Sol is a Graduate in Financial Services, he has Postgraduate qualifications in Management and Human Resources. He was awarded a Fellowship of the Chartered Management Institute and he is currently completing an MSc in Occupational Psychology.

Rebecca is a co-opted member of the college's Governing Body since August 2025. In her role Rebecca sits on the Finance, Employment and General Purposes Committee

Professor Sarah Pearson is Dean of Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange at Sheffield Hallam University (SHU) and joined the Governing Body on 3 September 2024.

Sarah brings considerable experience of leading cultural and institutional change. She has recently led a programme of work leading to the establishment of a development academy, which equips researchers and innovators at all career stages to grow and expand the benefits of sustainable research and innovation.

Sarah is committed to EEDI and has had key roles in supporting initiatives to promote the career development of women, and access to doctoral training for students from Black and minoritised communities. She is active in supporting the career development of Early Career Researchers, participating in mentoring schemes at SHU and in collaboration with other universities.

Sarah also brings skills in collaborative working and the successful delivery of initiatives involving large teams of partners in education and industry.

She has extensive experience in governance. She is Vice-Chair of Mercia Learning Trust, a Multi-Academy Trust providing education for over 3000 children aged 2-18+ years in Sheffield. She is also a non-Executive Director of Sonnet Advisory and Impact, a Community Interest Company providing social impact consultancy to charities and organisations seeking to improve and demonstrate social value.

Sarah is a member of Audit and Risk Assurance Committee

After serving as a governor of DN College Group for five years, Paul joined The Sheffield College Governing Body in January 2022. Paul currently runs his own consulting company and works with a surveying company that uses drones for construction surveying.

Much of Paul’s working life has been in various sectors of the construction industry. Over the past 10 years, as well as being a director of a large construction firm, Paul has been Chairman of the Chartered Institute of Building for Yorkshire, President of the Yorkshire Builders’ Federation and both regional and national Chairman of the National Federation of Builders. Paul is keenly interested in people development and training, supporting education initiatives with the Chartered Institute of Building and Construction Industry Training Board.

Now Paul runs his own consultancy business and continues to devote time and energy to encouraging and developing young people, working as a university lecturer, a school governor, a college governor and a trustee of the Sheffield Wednesday FC Community Programme. Paul says that in all his roles as a teacher, leader and governor, he is committed to promoting health and safety, effective communication, people development and innovative solutions. Paul is a member of Finance, Employment and General Purposes Committee and Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

Juste has worked in further education for over 12 years, including 10 years at the college. Her experience spans apprenticeships, quality improvement, IT systems, business architecture and organisational change.

As a staff governor, Juste brings a strong understanding of how strategic decisions, systems and organisational change affect staff, students and the delivery of the college’s priorities. Her knowledge and experience support her contribution to strategic oversight, risk and assurance, and constructive challenge.

Juste is an elected staff governor and a member of the Audit and Risk Assurance Committee.

Shiella brings extensive senior leadership and governance experience across the public and voluntary sectors, alongside a strong commitment to inclusive leadership and public service. Alongside her governor role at the College, she is also a Non-Executive Director at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and an Independent Panel Chair for the Parole Board for England and Wales. She has previously also been a member of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Independent Ethics Panel.

Shiella’s executive career includes senior leadership roles within the criminal justice system, including Deputy Chief Executive and Director of Operations at Nottinghamshire Probation Trust. She has also held non-executive and trustee roles within healthcare and the voluntary sector. Sheila is a former mature student of Granville College, one of the predecessor colleges of The Sheffield College, and has strong links to Sheffield. She brings valuable experience of governance, public accountability, and inclusive leadership to the Board.