Strategic Leadership Team
Stephen Davis, CEO & Group Principal
Stephen is an established leader in further and higher education with over 30 years’ experience in the field. Stephen’s career spans the UK and USA, including City & Islington College where, as Deputy Principal, he showed a passion for improving the life chances of students and delivering for the College stakeholders. Now, as Chief Executive Officer & Group Principal for United Colleges Group, Stephen has worked extensively with government and employer representative bodies in the creation and implementation of skills development policy. Stephen has been an elected member of the AoC London Regional Committee for the past five years, and was recently appointed as a member of the Board of Skills Development Scotland.
Amanda Thorneycroft, Chief Financial Officer
Amanda has a wide range of responsibilities across the College Group including Property and Estates, Finance, Business Development, IT, Central services, Risk Management and Health & Safety. Prior to joining the College Amanda spent her early career in the accountancy profession before becoming Finance Director of a number of varying organisations predominantly in emerging businesses. In 2002 she was appointed Finance Director of Centurion Electronics which floated on AIM later that year. Subsequent to this she joined Keronite Plc, an equity backed business in 2005. Amanda has an MA in Geography and International Studies from St Andrews University as well as a Post Graduate Certificate in Shared Services from Canterbury Christ Church University. She is a qualified chartered accountant having trained with Ernst & Young in their London office.
James Wilson, Principal
James started teaching in Further Education over 20 years ago. Prior to that he was free-lance for 10 years in the world of performing arts and music, working across a number of different disciplines nationally and around Europe. For the last 15 years he has worked as a senior manager within inner London further education colleges, whilst undertaking Ofsted training as an ‘in-service practitioner’, where he has been a member of six inspection teams for other college inspections. He has a particular interest in the variety of prior experiences people coming to learn at general FE college have and how further education can support each individual to achieve their goals. James attempts to maintain a reasonable level of fitness outside of work, regularly participating in multi-disciplinary sports endurance training. He lives in Camden with his family, where he enjoys the live music scene.
Paul Bradley, Director of Business Intelligence, Information Systems & People
As Director of Business Intelligence at UCG, Paul’s current area of responsibility covers all aspects of Management Information Systems (MIS) and Information Technology (IT). Paul has worked for UCG since 2020, with the role being his first in the Education sector. Paul’s career has, extensively, been across Commercial and Manufacturing Technology sectors, working as Commercial Accounting Manager for a leading brand within the drinks industry, he has also held various senior Finance roles within the Subsea Design and Technology sector. Prior to joining UCG, he was a Senior Business Partner working with Shell International for 10 years, where his role evolved into Global Process Design, Continuous Improvement and Change Management across the Downstream Businesses.
