Governors Profiles

Stephen Davis - CEO, Group Principal and Governor

Stephen joined United Colleges Group as Principal of the College of North West London in April 2018, before becoming Group Principal of the United Colleges Group and most recently Chief Executive Officer & Group Principal. Previously, Stephen was the Deputy Principal of City & Islington College and was a member of the Senior Management Team that delivered the successful mergers with Westminster Kingsway College and College of Haringey and North East London to form Capital City College Group. A fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and member of the Leaders Council of Great Britain Stephen has worked to inform education policy at both a parliamentary and local level for the benefit of Londoners. An alumni of both Strathclyde University and the University of Oxford with a professional background in Accounting & Economics, Stephen has been an committed educator for 30 years both in England and his native Scotland.

Franklin Asante - Chair of Corporation

Franklin has over 14 years’ experience in Private Banking dealing with HNW & UHNW clients, specialising with Entrepreneurs based in the UK. As a Director of Coutts & Co Franklin is responsible for providing bespoke lending solutions in both a regulated and unregulated capacity. Following his studies in Communications & Media at Brunel University, his early career included a brief stint as a BBC Journalist and local news editor. In 2017 Franklin was appointed to represent Coutts on the RBS Junior Management team and is currently the Global Co-Chair of the Natwest Multicultural Network which has over 10,000 members. Franklin is also a Board Member for the Charity ‘Goals 4 Girls’ a development program that raises the aspirations of girls and young women through sport and education. He is delighted to be the Chair of United Colleges Group.

Alex Fyfe - Independent Governor

A qualified accountant and member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, Alex has substantial and broad senior financial management experience from her roles as Finance Director/CFO within both listed international company groups and SMEs in the marketing services sector, as well as in the not-for-profit/charity sector. In addition to the business and technical skills which she brings to the Governing Body, Alex also has voluntary experience of helping adult students with basic skills literacy. Alex is a member of the Finance & Resources, and Property & Infrastructure Committees.

Ross Mackenzie - Independent Governor

Ross is a Managing Director for a multinational bank and has over twenty years’ experience in the financial services sector. He has held a variety of senior leadership roles in risk management and internal audit, including Chief Operating Officer and transformation leadership for several global functions. Ross is a Chartered Accountant, a graduate of the University of Glasgow in Accounting & Finance and Harvard Business School, where he studied General Management.

Ross joined as a Governor in August 2020 and is the Chair of the Finance and Resources Committee.

Colin Smith - Independent Governor

Beginning his career in the land-based sector, Colin moved into further education first as a teacher and then as a middle and senior manager. He has covered a wide range of curriculum areas including construction, commercial services and provision for learners with additional needs. He has worked with colleges, prisons, independent training providers and local authorities. He has been a senior college manager, on both a permanent and interim basis, working with colleges in London and the South East to develop and manage curriculum, implement quality improvement and deliver staff training. He is also a practicing inspector for Further Education and Skills. Colin chairs the Teaching, Learning and Skills Committee.

Derrick Betts - Independent Governor

Derrick has been working in the education sector for over 15 years. He is currently a Partner in the education practice at EY-Parthenon where he provides strategic advice to investors and corporates across the education sector. Derrick has previously worked at UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) where he supported UK education companies to win commercial opportunities with overseas governments which were looking to transform their education systems. Derrick also spent 5 years as a student managing an educational development NGO in South Africa. Derrick graduated from Oxford University with a PPE degree where he studied as a Rhodes Scholar. Derrick is chair of the Audit Committee.

Grainne Brankin - Independent Governor

Grainne is an experienced general counsel, executive leader and board member with specific expertise in organisational change, risk management, sustainability, law and governance. She qualified as a lawyer at Clifford Chance LLP and has held leadership roles in global commercial and public organisations, based in the UK, France, Switzerland and the USA, notably Imperial College, the British Standards Institution, Yahoo! and CBS Inc. For UCG she is a member of the Audit and Property & Infrastructure Committees. Throughout her career Grainne has been a passionate advocate of inclusion in the workplace, implementing practical solutions as well as mentoring lawyers and students from diverse backgrounds.

Elom Tay - Independent Governor

Elom Tay is a managing director for a global IT service provider. He began his career in the telecommunications industry working for several companies such as Verizon, O2 and Ericsson before moving into consulting, working for PwC, NTT DATA and now Accenture. Elom is member of Accenture’s Technology Strategy & Advisory leadership team. He is experienced in delivering strategy through to execution and consulting into the value and potential of ‘Digital’, Cloud Automation, Artificial Intelligence, Intelligent Automation, Big Data and Augmented Reality. Elom is based in the UK but his career has taken him all across the world including South Africa, India, U.S., Netherlands, Finland, Greece, Belgium, Germany, Romania, Poland, Switzerland, Ghana, Tanzania and Congo. Elom is a member of the Property & Infrastructure Committee.

Alistair Procter - Independent Governor

With a degree in French & Spanish from St Andrews University, Alastair has enjoyed an extensive series of international Human Resources leadership roles across the hospitality, entertainment and financial services sectors; he is currently SVP Strategic HR Operations for the Interpublic Group, a global marketing communications holding company, dividing his time between London and New York.

Alastair’s cross cultural exposure has included multiple periods living and working abroad, as well as substantial inner city volunteering within the UK youth work sector. As well as sitting on a number of professional Advisory Boards including the UK & Ireland CHRO Community, he is a trustee of Richmond CVS, an infrastructure charity.

With a postgraduate diploma in Coaching, as well as an early career specialised in Learning & Leadership Development, Alastair has a strong interest in education and supporting the professional growth of others – as such he is delighted to be working with the United Colleges Group. Alastair is a member of the Finance & Resources Committee.

Laura Griffin - Independent Governor

Laura is an independent business consultant specialising in HR transformation and HR shared services. She began her career in management consultancy, building a broad range of experience with clients from many sectors. She is passionate about making change happen in a positive way and believes businesses work best when they put their people first. Laura chairs the Governance, Search and Remuneration committee.

Stephen Grainge - Co-opted Governor

Stephen is a chartered accountant with extensive experience of leadership roles in large regulated financial services businesses in the UK and Europe and for the last 12 years he was Finance Director for Tesco Underwriting Limited, Tesco’s UK Motor and Home insurance company. He has been responsible for achieving high-quality outcomes within a wide range of areas including governance, regulatory compliance, outsourcing, operational resilience, financial management and strategy. He is passionate about the benefits of education to individuals and communities and has seen this demonstrated through the work of other members of his family in the sector. He is determined to use his business skills to assist in driving forward the strategy of United Colleges Group. Stephen is co-opted to the Audit Committee.

Nadia Babar - Staff Governor

Nadia is a Marketing Executive at United College’s Group based at the College of North West London. She has over 20 years of experience working in marketing in the FE sector. Nadia studied at the College of North West London back in 1995 and then successfully went on to complete an undergraduate degree in Marketing and Management at Middlesex University. Shortly after graduating she was employed at the college as a Marketing Assistant. Her journey has been a great one and she feels the time is right to ‘give back to the college’ as a staff Governor. Nadia currently works across the Group and supports the delivery of the marketing strategy, with specific responsibility for day to day management of integrated marketing campaigns. Nadia is a member of the Finance & Resources Committee.

Max Maalimey - Staff Governor

Max is an ex professional academy football coach. He began his coaching career in amateur youth football in 2006. In 2009, Max earned a UEFA ‘B’ Diploma from the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and became a junior development Coach for Millwall FC. He Joined the academy of Sport Club Internacional in Porto Alegre, Brazil in 2010. Max worked under the tutelage of Brazilian football manager Enderson Alves Moreira, one of the leading football managers in Brazilian Football. After his return to the UK, Max worked as first team and academy coach with several semi-professional clubs in England. In 2017 Max joined the City of Westminster College as a trainee teacher in the sports department and a Sports and Exercise Science lecturer. Max holds a LLB (Hons) Law degree from London Metropolitan University and a MA in Education Management from King’s College London. Max is a member of the Teaching, Learning and Skills Committee.

Andrew Dowsett - Co-opted Governor

Andrew is an Audit Manager in Ernst & Young’s Banking and Capital Markets team and an armed forces veteran. He has over 10 years’ experience in providing a range of audit and assurance services, with particular focus on external audit, internal controls assessment, group audits and financial reporting under IFRS and UK GAAP. He currently works with a range of clients across Europe, Norther American and the Middle East.

Originally from Newcastle, Andrew has lived in London since 2012, studying at Kings College London with a semester at the University of Toronto, Canada. After completing his ACA qualification at both EY and Mazars, Andrew spent time in Deloitte’s BCM audit division before returning to EY in 2021.

Outside of his day-to-day role, Andrew serves on number of other charity boards including the Certified Chartered Accountants Benevolent Fund, and the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, working to empower individuals and strengthening the communities the charities serve.

Andrew is a keen cyclist having undertaken many long-distance trips including appearing on the Global Cycling Network in 2022. Andrew is co-opted to the Audit Committee.

Tim Ryan - Independent Governor

Tim brings a wealth of diverse experience and knowledge gained through his professional journey starting as a motor vehicle apprentice before establishing his own successful garage business which he operated successfully for over 25 years. With a passion for education and commitment to supporting the development of skills training for young people, apprentices and adults Tim moved into further education, initially teaching before bringing his business acumen to the fore in progressively more senior leadership roles across a range of colleges. Since 2012 Tim has worked as a national FE consultant focusing on improving the quality of provision, leadership capability and financial viability of colleges alongside his previous work as an Additional Inspector. Tim is a member of the Teaching, Learning and Skills Committee.

Tanya Rose - Independent Governor

Tanya's experience in education has spanned several sectors and three countries. She has worked in universities and charities, schools and the private sector in the United States, Australia, and the UK. In particular, her work has focused on education policy and teacher development and she has worked variously with students, teachers and lecturers, and university leadership and boards of governors, among others. Currently working as Deputy Head of English and Head of Film Studies at Walthamstow School for Girls, she previously worked as a researcher for Teach First, in senior university leadership in Sydney, and as a university lecturer and head of research and curriculum in the United States.

Her academic training and PhD are focused around professional development and the ways in which educators are prepared and supported to provide effective and inclusive teaching and learning. She is particularly interested in the ways in which students, educators, and leaders alike are prepared for the constantly shifting professional demands facing them. She comes to UCG with a particular investment in the power of further education and the pivotal role it plays in providing a strong foundation for successful global citizenry. Combining her academic and professional experience and expertise, Tanya looks to meaningfully contribute to the ongoing development and growth of United Colleges Group. Tanya is a member of the Teaching, Learning and Skills Committee.

Janet Davidson - Independent Governor

Janet brings 28 years of senior leadership experience in further education, having worked with prominent college groups such as Newcastle College Group, where she served as Assistant Principal and Designated Safeguarding Lead, and Capital City College Group, where she led Student Services, Careers, and most recently, Skills and Employability in London’s sixth form education sector.

Beginning her career in 1997, Janet has collaborated extensively with diverse communities, businesses, and served as both a school governor and entrepreneur. With a master's degree in leadership, qualifications in teaching and education, and experience teaching young people and adults in Business and Management programmes, she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to her role as Governor and Lead Safeguarding Governor at United Colleges Group.

Janet possesses a strong skill set in safeguarding, equality and diversity, teaching and learning, and enhancing the student experience. She also dedicates her time as a volunteer with the Careers Hub in South East London, assisting career leaders in schools and colleges with their career strategies, and supports women in leadership through business networks. Additionally, she serves as the Lead Safeguarding Governor and is a member of the Teaching, Learning, and Skills Committee.