Governance

As a manager in the adoptions service of Ealing Council, Milena has a passion for ensuring that each child is offered the same opportunity and support to achieve to their full potential. In her capacity as a local authority employee, Milena works with vulnerable young people, considering how to best support them to achieve stability and to excel in all areas of their development. Milena also offers support to their parents/carers as a way of ensuring that the child’s needs are at the forefront.  Milena is also an active participant in a teaching partnership across London.  In her collaboration with the Royal Holloway University of London Milena ensures that social work students are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to practice following the completion of their degree.   

Previously, Milena was an active member of Montpelier Primary School’s PTA group and its treasurer for a few years.

Milena lives and works in West London and her 2 children are proud to attend Ark Acton and to see it grow and flourish.

Tom lives in Acton with his wife, two teenage daughters and dog, he grew up in West London and has made a life for himself here. In his professional life he is a partner in an Executive Search firms and spends much of his time advising and consulting with senior leaders in financial services on talent. He is passionate about purposeful engagement and affording individuals the opportunity to truly shine in what ever direction they choose.

Tom is passionate about tennis, endurance running having completed Ironman events and ultra distance marathons.

Paul was born in Newcastle and grew up in Yorkshire. He attended a local comprehensive school and then Cambridge University. After a period working in investment banking he co-founded an asset management business and held the role of CEO for fifteen years. Paul takes a keen interest in education, believing passionately that all children should have access to a quality education capable of equipping them to fulfill their potential.

Patrick Fuller has over 25 years of corporate financial experience. He is a Chartered Accountant and a fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accounting. 

He has held supervisory positions at Burton Group before moving to HSBC.He then moved to Infratest Burke, one of the leading market research organisations. As Group Chief Accountant he was the finance lead in the successful acquisition of market research agencies. In 2012 the Finance department won the prestigious University sector Times Higher Education Leadership and Management Awards 2012: Outstanding Finance Team Award. 

Prior to joining the University of West London in 2011, Patrick Fuller was Head of Finance and Procurement at the Learning Trust in Hackney, as well as Director and Company Secretary of the Kench Hill charity. In 2010 the Learning Trust Finance team won the Hackney Educators Awards Team of the Year 2009/10. 

Josephine is an experienced R&D professional who has worked in the pharmaceutical industry since 1999. She is currently the Vice President, Program Strategy and Development Operations at Aeglea Biotherapeutics, a Texas based biotech company, specializing in developing drugs for rare diseases. Before moving into the pharmaceutical industry, she gained a PhD at the Institute of Cancer Research, London, in molecular biology and genetics.

She also has a BSc (1st class Hons) from Sussex University in Biology with European Studies (French) and a diploma from the Universite Joseph Fourier, Grenoble. Josie is a keen scuba diver, skier and more recently a snow boarder. She lives in London with her husband, primary age twin children and twin cats. Josephine was previously the parent governor at Ark Byron for a three year term.

Monica is an experienced political consultant, who has spent a number of years working with the public sector, where she was a keen advocate for the vital role that education plays. Monica has vast experience in the education sector having previously worked for an education trade body, and as the education lead for a major political publisher.

Monica holds a master’s degree in Intelligence and International Security from King’s College London and is also fluent in four languages.

I am an experienced Deputy DSL at Ark Acton Academy. I work very closely with our Vice Principal to ensure all students and staff are safe. However, I have an invested interest in all things Equality Diversity and Inclusion. One of my many hats that I wear outside of AAA, is that sit on the Ealing panel that approves both Adopters and Foster Carers as well as matching placements. I also sit on the Equality, Exclusion and Attendance Board for Barnet and I am a parent governor. As I am a governor outside of Ark it has been a fascinating journey to see how schools are run outside of the day-to-day functions. As an employee, I believe very much in Mr Knights vision for the school and all those that attend. With that being said, I would like to contribute and help move the school forward in a positive way to ensure that all who attend leave school with the skills to become a good role model and inspiration to their community.

Kiera Oluwunmi is a Barrister practising in criminal law. Prior to being called to the Bar, Kiera worked for a member of the House of Lords and completed leadership programmes with a focus on reconciliation in her native Northern Ireland. Kiera had volunteered leading workshops and careers advice panels for school leavers as well as those not in education and employment. Kiera has volunteered extensively with those affected by homelessness and refugees and feels passionately about amplifying the voices of those who feel disillusioned by society. In this role as a governor, Kiera hopes to bring her experience from advocating for the vulnerable and entering a competitive professional environment to help benefit current and future pupils.

Nick Pointer is Associate Dean of Learning Design and Strategy at Ambition Institute, where he oversees the design and delivery of programmes of professional development (CPD) for teachers and school leaders. As a teacher educator and coach Nick specialises in research-informed approaches to the development of teacher expertise. In the classroom, Nick has previously worked in a number of state secondary schools teaching science and physics, in addition to leading teams as a director of science. He is passionate about the power of education to give young people the best start in life and believes that schools play a crucial role in serving and supporting local communities. Nick is a keen sailor and windsurfer, and before working as a science teacher taught watersports in sailing schools across Europe.