ABOUT US

Jim Sutcliffe

• Audit Committee Chair
• Human Resources Committee Member
• Remuneration Committee Member
• Search & Governance Committee Member

Jim Sutcliffe has been a Governor at the College since 1998, after being impressed by the high quality of education received by his sons who are former students. After leaving Burnley Grammar School, Jim Sutcliffe joined Burnley Building Society as a computer specialist and Audit Manager, transferring to the National and Provincial Building Society, Bradford, as Mergers and Acquisitions Planner and Integration Manager. Before his retirement, he developed his own management consultancy business.

Richard Thorley

Anita Wright

Anita has been a Governor at the College since 2022 and is an Accomplished Senior Manager with proven results in Housing, Higher Education and wider Public Sector. Her current role is Head of Analytics and insight at Onward Homes. Anita’s expertise is in strategy development and performance analysis.

Philip Turner

• Human Resources Committee Chair
• Remuneration Committee Member

Philip Turner has been a Governor at the College since incorporation in 1993. Philip who has been a solicitor since 1980 and retired as Senior Partner of Waddington and Son Solicitors after 24 years in the partnership. He specialises in Criminal Law and continues to work for the firm on a consultancy basis.

Gillian Bardin

• Finance Committee Member
• Search & Governance Committee Member

Gillian Bardin has been a Governor at the College since 2018. She was formerly Managing Director of Taylor Patterson, a financial services group based in Lancashire, where her key responsibility was the strategic direction of the business until its sale to an AIM Listed plc. Gillian is a Chartered Accountant and former President of ICAEW Lancashire & South Lakeland. She is currently a NED at Puddleducks Franchising Ltd and an Entrepreneur in Residence at Lancaster University.

Dr Gerald Griggs

• Curriculum and Standards Committee Member

Gerald Griggs has been a Governor at the College since 2019. Gerald is Dean of Etihad Campus at UCFB. He has worked in education for over two decades, with a majority of this time spent in the Higher Education sector. He is a globally renowned scholar in the field of Primary Physical Education and has published extensively in this area. Gerald is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood and co-founder of the Primary Physical Education Assembly. Gerald is also a Fellow of the Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce.

Paul Henderson

• Finance Committee Member

Paul Henderson has been a Governor at the College since 2014. Paul is owner and director of his chartered surveying practice. His areas of expertise are in architecture, project management and facilities management. Roles have included that of client Project Manager, responsible for the new build at Burnley College and consultant to large public organisations including Manchester City Council and Lancashire County Council. A former GNVQ Building Studies student at Burnley College Sixth Form Centre, Paul graduated from the University of Central Lancashire with a BSc(Hons) in Building Surveying and has completed a Master’s Degree in Business Administration.

Fiona Lugiano

• Curriculum and Standards Committee Vice-Chair
• Human Resources Committee Member

Fiona Lugiano has been a Governor at the College since 2018. Fiona is Group Deputy Chief Executive Officer at Ascentis, an educational awarding organisation which she joined in 2002. Fiona has managed a number of areas throughout Ascentis, including Operations, Marketing and Sales, Risk, Compliance and Governance and currently holds specific responsibilities as Company Secretary, Responsible Officer and Director of subsidiary companies. Fiona obtained a degree in Psychology and has continued her interest in both this subject and education by previously teaching at the Open University and more recently having completed an MBA.

Annette Weekes

Annette has been a Governor at the College since 2022 and is Managing Director of a group of Lancashire-based companies including world record-breaking Nelson-based PDS CNC Engineering Ltd, a precision engineering firm and leading aerospace supplier who worked extensively on the Thrust Supersonic car and rebuilt Donald Campbell’s Bluebird. Annette is a Non-Executive Director of the Lancashire Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and is a Director of the East Lancashire Chamber of Commerce.

Richard Robinson

• Audit Committee Member

Richard Robinson joined the College’s Governing Board in 2017. Richard is a Director at a local firm of accountants – McMahon Leggate. He is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

Guy Thomas

• Finance Committee Vice-Chair
• Search & Governance Committee Member

Guy Thomas has been a Governor at the College since 2014. Guy left aerospace manufacturing group Kaman UK in 2014 after six years, initially as Group Finance Director and then as Group Managing Director. He is now a self-employed consultant providing specialist support services to small and mid-sized businesses. Guy is a qualified accountant with many years’ experience both in practice, at Ernst & Young, and Industry with Metrotect Industries plc and Brookhouse Holdings, where he was Group Finance Director.

Steve Wilkinson

Steve has been a Governor at the College since 2022 and brings with him over 25 years’ experience across varied business environments, specialising in manufacturing sectors. Steve is Manager of the Lancashire Manufacturing Growth Fund at The Growth Company, focusing on supporting the growth and competitiveness of Lancashire’s SME manufacturers. His ethos is embracing innovation and creating sustainable relationships which inspire, influence and initiate positive change.