The Gateway Qualifications Board of Trustees provides strategic leadership and oversight, helping to ensure the organisation continues to deliver on its charitable objectives and serves the needs of the education and skills sector.
Our Trustees bring a wealth of experience from across further education, higher education, apprenticeships, workforce development, business, technology, governance and quality assurance. Together, they help guide the long-term direction of Gateway Qualifications and support our mission to widen participation in education and skills.
Meet the Board of Trustees
Dr Anthea Hockly
Chair of the Board of Trustees
Anthea worked in education and workforce development within the NHS for over 20 years retiring as Associate Director for Workforce Development and Learning at Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (EPUT), in 2022. She had a varied career background in science, IT, and secondary education prior to this.
Whilst working as a science teacher she took an MA in Education, and then, following her move to the NHS, achieved a professional doctorate in Workforce Planning. This expertise enabled her to build on the staff development that was already in place at EPUT and build internal development pathways that can take staff through from entry level to registered professional status. Under her leadership she ensured that EPUT fully embraced the opportunities offered by the Apprenticeship Schemes. She worked with local colleges and universities to ensure EPUT staff could access the courses that met their career aspirations within the NHS, whether in clinical or non-clinical professions. In line with personal interests, Anthea worked on developing pre-employment pathways and engaged with initiatives such as Kickstart to offer employment trials to young people who are currently unemployed.
Outside of work, some of her activities have demonstrated her commitment to education and opportunities for all. She has been a School Governor at a local primary school and is an active Mentor for young people engaged with the King’s Trust.
Dr Margaret Joojo-Richards
Vice-Chair of the Board of Trustees, Vice-Chair of Finance and General Purposes Committee
Margaret has recently retired as the Head of Adult and Community Education for Hounslow London Borough Council. She currently works part-time as an ESOL Tutor for Camden ACL and ESOL Assessor for English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. She has worked in education for adults for over 35 years, starting with teaching English as a Foreign Language, largely English for Business or Special Purposes, in the UK, Japan, Germany and Sweden. Inspired by working with so many speakers of other languages, she indulged her love of linguistic theory by studying for her masters and doctorate in Linguistics at the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies, specialising in phonology.
Staying in London, she joined the staff of International House for a couple of years, before making the switch to teaching English for Speakers of Other Languages with the WEA London Region. After joining the management team in 2005, she upskilled in maths education and enjoyed teaching and leading Functional Skills maths and English in London workplaces and communities.
n 2015, Margaret joined the Adult and Community Education service of Hounslow Council as the Skills for Work and Life department manager, responsible for provision in ESOL, basic skills and vocational areas. She became the Head of Service in March 2020 with her responsibilities expanding further to include Careers Education and Skills and Employment Services in 2024.
Claire Gill
Chair of Quality and Standards Committee and Vice Chair of the Governance Committee
Further and adult education are the golden thread through Claire’s life and work. As a strategic leader, adviser, and consultant, focussed on education and skills Claire has worked with FE colleges, unions, sector and awarding body representative organisations, and a range of agencies across government. She has led marketing and communications teams, run large-scale research and change programmes, and been responsible for strategic partnerships.
Claire began as a lecturer and then manager in an FE College. It was here that Claire’s interest in the use of technology in learning and teaching began; this was an area on which she then worked for DfE, supporting colleges and schools across the country.
Claire progressed to being Director of Communications and Engagement in a range of organisations with a focus on the development of the FE teaching and leadership workforce. Until 2023, Claire was Director of Strategic Engagement for vocational and technical qualifications (VTQs) for Ofqual, the qualifications regulator, leading engagement with a broad range of employers, sector stakeholders and the regulated awarding organisations.
This included on the regulatory and awarding arrangements for VTQs over the period when assessments were impacted by the Covid pandemic, on the introduction of regulation of Apprenticeship assessments, and on the introduction of regulations for a range of reformed qualifications including Digital Functional Skills.
Paul Whitehead
Chair of Finance and General Purposes Committee and Chair of the Governance Committee
As Deputy Principal of Harlow College Paul has a wide remit covering many corporate service areas including Finance, MIS and Student Services.
Having undertaken a degree in Management with Business Studies at Middlesex University Paul started his career with Harlow College in 2005 supporting learners to find Apprenticeship opportunities across the mid and west Essex partnership.
This expanded quickly into leading on projects, partnership management and then most predominantly data management as Head of MIS. Paul then progressed to a Vice-Principal and then subsequently took up the role of Deputy Principal in April 2025.
Dr Leon Annett
Vice-Chair of Quality and Standards Committee
Leon is Head of UK Partnerships at the University of Greenwich, where he leads the University’s strategic partnerships with further education colleges, employers, public sector organisations and community partners. His work focuses on creating collaborative opportunities that enhance education, workforce development, research, social value and civic engagement.
With over 20 years’ experience across secondary, further and higher education, Leon has held a range of senior leadership roles spanning academic quality, curriculum development, external engagement and institutional partnerships.
Prior to joining the University of Greenwich, he served as Dean of Higher Education, leading initiatives to improve the student experience and strengthen educational provision.
Leon holds a Doctor of Professional Practice and is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE. He has served on national educational committees, including HEFCW and QAA, and is Vice-Chair of Gateway Qualifications’ Quality and Standards Committee, supporting the organisation’s governance and oversight of academic quality.
He is passionate about widening participation, developing meaningful partnerships and creating opportunities that enable individuals and communities to thrive.
Richard Brennan
Trustee
Richard has worked in Further Education for nearly 30 years and has held a wide range of roles. Richard is Assistant Principal for Student Experience at Kidderminster College covering Safeguarding, Learner Experience, English and Maths and provision for learners with SEND and has also held roles overseeing provision for Young People, Adults and Apprenticeships.
As an Ofsted Inspector in the West Midlands, Richard has inspected providers across FE and Skills across the region. Richard has also held several senior roles at Pearson Qualifications, developing examinations and overseeing quality assurance for Creative Media qualifications. Richard has been a contributing author to several qualification text books and resources for Media Production, working for Harper Collins as well as Pearson Publishing.
Richard has studied Educational Measurement with Durham University at master’s level as well as holding an MA from Birmingham Institute of Art & Design.
Clare Chaffe
Trustee
Clare Chaffe has worked in education and skills development for over 20 years and is currently Assistant Principal at Hull College, where she leads on curriculum innovation, quality improvement, and strategic delivery across a diverse technical and vocational portfolio.
Clare has extensive experience in curriculum design, quality assurance, and the implementation of national reforms. She has worked in close partnership with employers and industry representatives to ensure that programmes are relevant, rigorous, and aligned with labour market needs. Her work has consistently focused on raising standards, improving learner outcomes, and developing pathways that enable young people to progress into meaningful careers.
In her current role, Clare oversees the development of inclusive, future-focused provision for 14–19 and adult learners, ensuring that technical education reflects both regional and national priorities. She has a strong record of leading high-performing teams, embedding robust quality processes, and driving innovation through collaboration with stakeholders and employers.
Alongside her college leadership role, Clare is a Board Trustee and Co-Chair of Governors within the school sector, where she provides strategic oversight and contributes to ensuring high standards of teaching, learning, and inclusion.
Mark Hilton
Trustee
Mark is the Director for Policy Delivery and Membership at BusinessLDN, the leading business membership group which campaigns to make London the best city in the world to do business, working with and for the UK. Mark leads the People Team, which drives the organisation’s work on skills, immigration, employment, inclusion and diversity and education, including running the London Local Skills Improvement Plan, the largest in the country.
He also leads the organisation’s member retention and engagement strategy.
He works to ensure London business has access to the talent it needs, by working with members and stakeholders to lead high profile and integrated policy and campaigning activity, including the successful London Skills Commission as well as the #Full Strength coalition which influenced post-Brexit immigration policy in the UK. He has built an extensive network across business, education, policy and government.
He works closely with the Greater London Authority including his role on the Skills for Londoners Jobs and Skills Business Partnership. He is also a member of the London Apprenticeship Ambassadors Network run by the Department for Education, the Home Office’s Employer Advisory Group and the London Higher Board.
Prior to BusinessLDN, he was a retail property consultant for eight years, developing asset management strategies for blue chip property companies, and spent four years in local government providing policy advice and training programmes to councillors as well as leading on community engagement.
Mark joined BusinessLDN from the Association of Colleges where he ran the London region.
Andrew Horton
Trustee
Andrew Horton is a C-suite digital transformation and innovation leader with over 25 years’ experience delivering growth and change across different sectors and markets. He is the Global Director of Digital and Technology and an Executive Board Director at the British Council.
He has developed a portfolio of digital learning and assessment products, launched AI-driven adaptive learning capabilities, led award-winning digital teams, and increased digital audiences to over a quarter of a billion at the British Council.
Andrew is passionate about the power of education to create opportunities and transform lives. He is passionate about the potential of technology to shape and enable education, culture and creativity around the world. He has deep experience in strategy, creating and scaling new products, developing international partnerships and business model innovation across B2C, B2B and B2O sectors.
As a Trustee, Andrew aims to provide value and expertise in strategy, digital, EdTech, transformation, risk management and investment evaluation and oversight, to support the organisation’s mission to broaden access to learning and skills.
A Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts and Global Tech Advocates, Andrew also serves as Chair of BC Trading International and Director of the British Council’s Investment Board. He has held senior roles at Time Warner and previously worked at the BBC and Guardian Media Group.
Paul Huggett
Trustee
Paul Huggett is a senior business leader with over 30 years of experience specialising in supplier compliance and assurance, relationship management, operational risk, and organisational change. Currently serving as the UK Managing Director at Hellios Information Limited, Paul is driving the development of the business in multiple sectors and acting as a Third Party Risk thought leader while supporting international expansion.
Prior to joining Hellios, Paul held key leadership positions at Nationwide Building Society, Bank of Ireland, Lloyds Banking Group, and Deutsche Bank where he built and embedded risk frameworks, led transformation programmes, and engaged directly with UK and European regulators. Paul previously held senior internal audit roles, managed large scale transformation portfolios, outsourcing programmes, and global technology deployments. He began his career managing front line customer facing operations functions.
Paul holds an MBA from Warwick Business School and is an Associate of the Chartered Institute of Bankers (ACIB). He always looking to develop his skills and is a Certified Information Security Manager (CISM). He currently serves as a Non-Financial Risk Advisory Board Member at CefPro and as an Advisor to the Finance and Administration Committee for the Commercial Education Trust.
Camilla McCloskey
Trustee
Camilla McCloskey is an accomplished technology and risk management leader with over 18 years’ experience across global financial institutions including Morgan Stanley, Bank of England and JPMorgan. Currently serving as Global Head of Technology Compliance at Morgan Stanley, Camilla leads on regulatory oversight of all technology related domains.
Her expertise spans operational resilience, cybersecurity, and technology governance, with a strong record in establishing second-line oversight frameworks, delivering transformation programmes, and driving strategic risk initiatives. Previously, she held roles shaping technology strategy, service operations, and delivering major regulatory programmes at the Bank of England and JPMorgan.
Camilla holds a BSc (Hons) in Software Engineering Management and professional certifications in ITIL, Prince2 and CISA (Certified Information Systems Auditor).
Sammy Shummo
Trustee
Sammy Shummo is a senior skills, education and business engagement leader with nearly two decades of experience across further and higher education, apprenticeships, employer engagement and workforce development. He is currently Group Director of Business Engagement, Skills & Training at London South Bank University (LSBU) Group, with strategic responsibility spanning London South Bank University, South Bank Colleges and South Bank Academies.
In his role, Sammy leads the Group’s employer engagement, apprenticeship and skills strategy, working with employers, public bodies and communities to create stronger pathways into education, employment and professional careers. His portfolio includes business engagement, apprenticeships, skills development, employer partnerships and initiatives designed to improve learner success, progression and social mobility.
Under his leadership, LSBU Group’s apprenticeship provision has grown significantly in both scale and impact. Apprentice numbers have increased from just over 1,000 in 2020 to more than 3,500 learners across the Group, alongside substantial growth in apprenticeship income. This expansion has been accompanied by sustained improvements in quality, achievement and the learner experience. LSBU was rated Good overall and Outstanding for Personal Development by Ofsted, reflecting the Group’s focus on high-quality, employer-responsive provision.
Sammy has also helped establish LSBU as a nationally recognised leader in apprenticeships and technical education. LSBU has been ranked among the Top 50 apprenticeship providers in the RateMyApprenticeship Awards for three consecutive years and was named Best University for Apprenticeships at the Apprenticeship Guide Awards 2025.
Alongside his senior role, Sammy contributes actively to national and regional skills policy. He is a Board Director of the University Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) and has contributed evidence and expertise to parliamentary, policy and sector discussions on apprenticeships, higher technical education and workforce skills. He has provided evidence to the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships and contributed to discussions involving Skills England and other national stakeholders.
Sammy is also closely involved in London’s skills and employment agenda. His external roles include membership of local skills and employment partnerships, where he works with employers, local authorities and education providers to improve access to skills, employment and progression opportunities and to support inclusive economic growth.
He holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of West London alongside professional qualifications in strategic management and leadership.
As a Trustee of Gateway Qualifications, Sammy brings extensive experience of vocational and technical education, awarding and qualification environments, employer engagement, organisational growth and education policy. He is particularly committed to ensuring that high-quality qualifications and skills pathways respond to the changing needs of learners, employers and communities and provide genuine opportunities for progression and social mobility.
Simon Willmore
Trustee
Simon Willmore is a Trustee of Gateway Qualifications and a senior digital transformation leader with more than 25 years’ experience helping organisations embrace change, develop skills and realise the benefits of technology.
Having served in the Royal Navy before moving into engineering and business leadership, Simon has spent his career helping organisations navigate technological change. His work has focused on making complex ideas understandable, developing digital skills and supporting the adoption of emerging technologies. He is also the author of a guide to adopting generative AI within the workplace, written to help individuals and organisations use artificial intelligence effectively and responsibly.
Simon is a strong advocate for lifelong learning and believes education plays a vital role in unlocking opportunity and helping people achieve their potential. As a trustee, he brings experience in technology, leadership and organisational transformation.
Simon lives in the Cotswolds with his wife and two children and enjoys spending time with his family and exploring the countryside.
Anne Wright
Trustee
Anne has held senior leadership positions in the finance, hospitality and logistics sector before moving to employability and skills in 2003, working for large and multi-national corporate companies during this time.
Joining Workpays in 2014 was a significant change to her career where she worked alongside her business partner to grow Workpays from a micro employer to become a significant and respected independent employability and skills provider, now working to improve the lives of around 4,500 people each year. Anne is now the CEO of BrightPeak which has recently brought together three unique independent training providers, Orangebox, WS Training and Workpays.
Anne’s passion has always been in training and development throughout her extensive career. She is now bringing all of her experience and skills together to continue the growth and development of BrightPeak, ensuring that it is a catalyst for the changes required as we transition to net zero. A significant part of Anne’s strategy is to ensure that green skills are a priority for continuous development and delivery inclusion for customers, employees and employers, to support the creation of a sustainable world.
Anne has worked closely with the Department for Education and other local government bodies on a number of projects and represented the voice of other training providers as a network director.