Jonathan is a solicitor specialising in corporate banking and debt advisory at national law firm Knights plc. Jonathan, who previously held the position of national head of banking at DWF, has featured in the Chambers and Legal 500 legal directories for more than a decade and has 30 years’ experience in the industry covering all banking and finance disciplines. He graduated with first class honours from the University of Kent in 1988 and then spent the early part of his career at City of London law firm, Simmons and Simmons. Jonathan moved to Manchester in 1996 and for three years was the Manchester managing partner of international law firm, Hammonds. He has lived in the Oldham area for the last 23 years and is a trustee and director at Dr Kershaw’s Hospice in Royton.

Janet has worked in local government for 30 years initially focussing on economic development within a housing renewal context. From 2002 - 2012 Janet led on regeneration initiatives in Tameside, including the Tame Valley Initiative and Hattersley Development Trust, and as part of this work held the position of Company Secretary for the regeneration companies. A change of career in 2013, Janet took up the role of Deputy Clerk to the Corporation. Having successfully completed the National Clerks’ Development Programme with the National College for Teaching and Leadership in August 2015 she applied for and was successful in being appointed to the role of Clerk to the Corporation and Academies from September 2015. Janet has also spent time as a governor and Chair of Governors for a primary school and a governor of a secondary school.

Dr Shaid Mushtaq is a well-respected local businessman and a very active member of the Oldham community. He is a governor at a local academy, a committee member of Oldham Race Equality Partnership (OREP) and was elected as local councillor for Alexandra Ward in May 2014. Dr Mushtaq is also a member of the newly formed Ethics Committee for Greater Manchester Police helping to shape the Police approach and build the trust of greater Manchester residents.

Simon Jordan became the Principal and Chief Executive of Oldham College in September 2023.

His strong experience and knowledge in the further education sector – and his understanding of the people and partners that we serve – saw him emerge from a high-quality field of applicants for the role.

Simon’s focus is putting our learners at the heart of everything Oldham College does in order to raise aspirations – and change lives – across our diverse communities.

He believes passionately in the college’s vital role as an anchor institution in the borough and immediately set out his determination to work closer than ever with our employers, partners and communities to meet the regional skills gap and drive local economic growth. Simon joined Oldham College after being a valued member of the Senior Management team at Burnley College since 2012, where his final post was Deputy Principal.

His previous roles have also included Head of Apprenticeships at Runshaw College, and Senior Team Leader at North Lancs Training Group.

Sue was educated at Haslingden High School and then went on to study Economics at the University of Newcastle. She qualified as a Chartered Accountant and then spent the majority of her career in Higher Education. She was Deputy Director of Finance at the University of Manchester and Finance Director and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University of Bradford. Sue now works part time as Chief Operating Officer for a large Independent School in South Manchester. Working across a number of very different education establishments has helped Sue to understand the challenges faced within the education sector in the UK and the importance it plays in changing people’s lives.

Jane is a chartered accountant and has worked in higher education for almost 28 years. She is currently Finance, Legal & Portfolio Management Director for the University of Manchester Innovation Factory, which works with academic and student inventors to commercialise research that has the potential to create social and economic impact. Jane is also a primary school governor and is passionate about ensuring that young people have the opportunity to reach their full potential.

Michelle is Head of Student Services at Oldham College and has direct responsibilities for student recruitment, careers education and guidance, Bursary support, safety and engagement of learners and finally customer service through reception team. She has worked at the College for 8 years and prior to that was in International Banking where she was an Operations Manager. She works very operationally to ensure that the whole of the learner journey from pre-enrolment, enrolment, Induction and then progression is a collaborative and supportive approach to help learners achieve their ambitions. She is looking forward to supporting the Colleges aims and ambitions through the role as Governor.

Paul is the Chief Executive at Positive Steps, an Oldham-based charity supporting individuals and communities with a focus on education and employment, criminal justice, family support and safeguarding. Paul has over 20 years of experience working with young people and communities in Oldham, with a focus on inspiring those from disadvantaged backgrounds to fulfil their potential. He left school without formal education qualifications and subsequently re-entered education through a local FE college in Bolton. This ‘second chance’ gave him the platform to continue his education, going on to receive an Honours degree in Politics from Sheffield University and a Master's Distinction from Leeds University. These formative experiences underline his commitment to Further Education and the vital role it can play in opening opportunities. Paul is also a trustee at MAHDLO and is Chair of the Greater Manchester Resettlement Consortium, alongside other strategic board memberships.

Following 10 years at KPMG as a trainee and then qualified accountant, I then worked in the NHS for 10 years. In 2008 I started at Tameside and Glossop PCT as Finance lead for community services and then moved to Pennine Care NHS Foundation Trust, which provides mental health and community services as Assistant Director of Finance. In 2016 I moved to Central Manchester University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as Divisional Finance Director for Saint Mary’s Hospital and Clinical and Scientific Services Divisions and subsequently was appointed to the role of Hospital Director of Finance for both Managed Clinical Services in January 2018. I attempt to stay fit and enjoy cycling and running.

Adrian was educated through Oldham schools and colleges and went on to gain a Master Degree in Engineering from Sheffield University. Whilst regarding himself a proud member of the Oldham community he has been fortunate to live and work in Europe and North America. His engineering qualifications have enabled him to work in the Chemical, Oil, Steel, Consumer Goods and Pharmaceutical Business in roles covering engineering design construction and project management. Through latter part of his career Adrian has transferred those engineering skills to work in Pharmaceutical Manufacture and Supply Chain teams, focusing particularly in the design and deployment of IT systems, specialising in how data is governed, created and transformed into information to drive business performance. Adrian hopes to use his experience to support the long term strategic development of the college and specifically supporting the digitisation and technology priority.

Phil is Managing Director at Muse, with overall responsibility for the company’s portfolio of regeneration projects across the UK. Phil joined Muse in 2006 to assist with the delivery of the company’s mixed use regeneration portfolio and was promoted to the role of Development Director in 2011.  He assumed the role of Managing Director in the North West in 2018, and was promoted to Managing Director of the business in 2023. Phil is a member of the Morgan Sindall Group Management Team and is on the Board of the English Cities Fund, a £200m mixed-use regeneration vehicle owned by Muse, Legal & General and Homes England. Phil is a member of the British Council for Offices, where he was formerly Chair of the Northern Region Next Gen committee.  He is also a member of the British Property Federation’s Property Leaders Council.

I have had the privilege of being a part of the Oldham College community for 14 years, initially joining as a trainee teacher before being appointed to a permanent teaching position in the business department. Throughout my time, I have actively participated in numerous committees and groups aimed at enhancing the college's work environment. With a particular interest in employee wellbeing, I have been proud to be a member of the college's wellbeing team for over a year now. I am committed to working with the college's leadership team, faculty and staff to achieve its vision and values for the future.

Carol is a semi-retired Assistant Principal with more than 22 years of experience working in a large further education (FE) college, which also had a significant higher education provision.

She currently undertakes interim management and FE consultation roles across the North West, specializing in the Business and Digital curriculums with a focus on T Levels and Higher Technical qualifications, as well as employer engagement to ensure the success of their delivery.

Carol believes that all young people should be given the opportunity to reach their potential and that FE plays a major part in that. She has lived in the Oldham area for more than 36 years and has many hobbies, including music and hiking as well as volunteering in the Girl Guiding world.

Sarah is an Associate Director at Metro Dynamics and has worked in economic development and regeneration consultancy for over 20 years. She is an experienced policy analyst and works with public and private sector organisations across the UK to create stronger and more resilient communities. Sarah is a strong advocate for inclusive growth and has worked with the Inclusive Growth Network to ensure that economic policy and investment delivers the best possible outcomes for everyone. She has a background in social policy research and evaluation, including work for DWP and sector skills organisations; and works with places across Greater Manchester to better connect skills provision with local economic needs. Sarah is also a member of the Liverpool-Manchester Railway Partnership Board where she advises on maximizing the local benefits of infrastructure investment

Rob is the serving Headteacher of The Blue Coat Academy, an 11-18 school in Oldham, with over 1,700 students currently on roll. The school has been designated outstanding by Ofsted in 3 successive inspections in 2007/08, 2011/12 and 2022/23. Rob has been in post for eight years, prior to this he was Deputy Headteacher at the school. Under Rob’s guidance, The Blue Coat School has consistently delivered outstanding academic outcomes, with students securing exceptional results at both GCSE and A-Level. Rob is a strong advocate for character education, believing that success is measured not only by grades but by the integrity, compassion, and ambition of the individuals the school nurtures. The Blue Coat is also the Lead School of the East Manchester Teaching School Hub, which extends over several Local Authorities. The Manchester Nexus SCITT also operates out of Blue Coat. 75% of all trainees through Manchester Nexus secure employment within Oldham schools and 95% within the North-West Rob is currently the Chair of Oldham Secondary Heads and Principals and also a Oldham representative at the Greater Manchester Headteachers’ Group.

Stuart has worked in the Leisure Sector for over 30 years for Councils, private sector and predominantly Leisure Trust operators across the North of England. He has worked for over 14 years as CEO of Oldham Community Leisure, the Council’s contracted partner managing their leisure estate and delivering community-based health programmes. He is currently Honorary Secretary of Community Leisure UK following a 4 year term as Chair for the membership-led trade association for Leisure and Culture Trusts across the UK. Stuart is a Director of GM Active, the consortium of Leisure Operators managing facilities owned by Greater Manchester Authorities, and also a Board member of Northern Roots. He sits on Oldham’s Health & Wellbeing Board as well as the Oldham Strategic Partnership Board and is a member of E3M, a cross-sector social business leadership group.

Karen worked in the FE sector for more than 25 years before retiring last year. During this time she held a number of senior leadership and strategic roles, including her final role of Assistant Principal at The Manchester College (LTE Group) for Careers, Welfare, Employer Partnerships, Schools and Recruitment.

Her previous roles also included Head of School & Studies at Runshaw College, where she led on the design and implementation of the 14-19 Diplomas in partnership with local schools, and Assistant Principal at Blackburn College, including curriculum and quality responsibilities for Hair, Beauty, Hospitality, ESOL, Skills for Life and Student Services.

In all these roles Karen has led diverse teams and taken strategic leads on numerous projects including the formalisation of industry and work placements into all 16-18 study programmes. She also has experience of managing teams through Ofsted inspections and has worked at two Grade 1 colleges. Karen has been responsible for leading the business planning process and the development of curricula to provide a highly responsive offer and maximise funding. She has a proven track record in curriculum development to support growth whilst ensuring alignment to government, regional and local priorities and drivers.

Karen is also a volunteer for Look Good Feel Better, a leading national cancer support charity.

With a career spanning more than 35 years in the voluntary housing sector, Brian has dedicated two decades to serving as Chief Executive. After earning a Housing Degree from the University of South West England, he began his professional journey as a Housing Officer in a Merseyside Local Authority. It was there that he discovered a genuine passion for supporting and empowering local communities. In his twenties, Brian transitioned into the finance department of a Manchester-based Housing Association, where he qualified as an accountant and steadily advanced to become the Chief Financial Officer. Later, as CEO of one of the Northwest’s largest housing providers, Brian continued to champion local communities, striving to foster meaningful connections and promote community growth at every opportunity.

I am an experienced strategic finance leader with over 25 years of expertise spanning audit, telecoms, and the NHS. Having qualified at PricewaterhouseCoopers as an accountant I have various senior roles including as Chief Finance Officer at Oldham CCG and as programme director through multiple NHS re-organisations. I am currently working to support NHS Primary Care providers across Greater Manchester to improve the range of services they can offer. I have a strong commitment to education and community, influenced by a family background in teaching, and has served as a school governor and charity trustee. I enjoy rowing and singing in my spare time.