Head office:
Foundation Degree Forward
Lichfield Centre
The Friary
Lichfield
WS13 6QG
Telephone: 01543 301150
Fax: 01543 301152
Location of the Lichfield Centre
London office:
Foundation Degree Forward
44 Bedford Row
London
WC1R 4LL
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Media enquiries
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Recent organisational developments have led to some changes in our current regional staffing. See regional contacts for named regional contacts.
Professor Derek Longhurst FRSA, Chief Executive
Derek was educated in Northern Ireland and graduated from the Universities of Warwick and Birmingham. In 2008, Derek was elected by the Board of Trustees as a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the Arts, Manufactures and Commerce). He has worked in higher education for over thirty years in both the UK and USA, including extensive experience as a senior manager with responsibility for creating and sustaining both international and regional partnerships between academic institutions. He has also worked for the Quality Assurance Agency as an auditor and reviewer.
As Chief Executive of fdf (Foundation Degree Forward), Derek has led initiatives to develop higher education opportunities in partnership with employers and others in the belief that high quality and innovative forms of work-based learning can contribute to diversity and participation in higher education, stimulate employee aspiration and meet employers needs for workforce development.
Telephone: 01543 301150
Email: d.longhurst@fdf.ac.uk
Judi Ash, PA to the Chief Executive
Judi provides comprehensive adminstrative and secretarial support to the fdf Chief Executive.
Telephone: 01543 301108
Email: j.l.ash@fdf.ac.uk
Frances Cambrook, Associate Director
Frances joined fdf from Bournemouth University where her role was Head of Quality in the department of Partnerships, Access and Community Engagement included responsibility for the development, validation and quality assurance of Foundation degrees across a range of discipline areas. She has a particular interest in the role of link tutors, alternative mechanisms for providing specialist subject support for collaborative programmes and the development of research and scholarly activity in the HE in FEC environment. Having lived and worked in the South-West for 15 years, Frances has a thorough understanding of regional priorities and the challenges posed by the current skills agenda in the largest of the English regions.
Email: f.cambrook@fdf.ac.uk
Helen Dewhurst, Associate Director
Helen joined fdf as an Associate Director in March 2009 and works alongside the Director of Employer Partnerships (Private Sector) to develop and build partnerships with employers. She is currently working with major employers in the travel, retail, aviation and telecommunications sectors. Helen has over fifteen years experience of working in vocational higher education, as a Senior Lecturer and Course Manager and most recently as Curriculum Sector Manager for Leap Ahead, the Lifelong Learning Network for Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire.
Telephone: 07920 087 242
Email: h.dewhurst@fdf.ac.uk
Rachel Fuller, Finance Officer
Rachel is AAT qualified with many years experience in a range of public sector institutions. Rachel works with the Finance & Contracts Manager on the co-ordination of fdf's financial systems.
Telephone: 01543 301157
Email: r.a.fuller@fdf.ac.uk
Lee Garnett, Business Development Officer
Lee joined fdf is October 2007, coming from a background in Communications and IT. His responsibilities include management of external employer conferences, development of employer engagement relationships and internal communications.
Telephone: 01543 308675
Email: l.garnett@fdf.ac.uk
Paul Groves, PR and Marketing Manager
Paul is a trained journalist and has spent 20 years working in the media and PR in a variety of roles, including magazine editor and media consultant. He has responsibility for public relations and media liaison, promoting Foundation degrees and the work of fdf.
Telephone: 01543 308659
Email: p.groves@fdf.ac.uk
Warwick Hall, Director of Regional Strategy
Warwick Hall trained as a Mechanical Engineer and worked in the civil construction and access equipment industries before moving into the automotive sector and a career in Human Resource Management where he has focused on employee relations, organisation development, people resourcing, development and training. He has a particular interest in preparing individuals for the ever changing challenges of our 21st century global workplace, developing flexible work practices and increasing people’s skills, experience and capability.
For the last 15 years he has had close involvement with further and higher Education / industry strategic planning on national and regional skills needs and has been involved in the development of Foundation degrees since their inception.
Prior to joining fdf
Email: w.hall@fdf.ac.uk
Susan Hayday, Director of Workplace Learning Strategy
Susan Hayday joined fdf in August 2006 to take forward fdf’s widening participation strategy with an initial focus on enhacing information, advice and guidance support for Foundation degree provision and supporting progression to and through Foundation degrees for less advantaged learners. From July 2008 her role has focuseed more strongly on work-place progression and diversity. Formerly Susan was HE and Curriculum Manager at the Association of Colleges and prior to that enjoyed a long and varied career in London FE including a period as an ILEA advisor.
Email: susan.hayday@fdf.ac.uk
Dr Esther Lockley, Research and Information Manager
Esther's PhD was in the field of Biochemistry. Prior to joining fdf in 2004, she worked in widening participation. Her responsibilities include management of research projects and development of the fdf website. Esther is also the editor of the fdf journal Forward.
Telphone: 01543 301155
Email: e.lockley@fdf.ac.uk
Angela Maguire, London Region Co-ordinator
Angela's career started with the Hospitality Industry in Germany and the UK, where she also gained professional vocational qualifications. Upon completion of her teaching qualifications she went to work at Westminster College Hotel School, and was also a visiting lecturer in Switzerland and for private training providers in the UK. She continued her studies in Business and Finance with London South Bank University and the Open University. Angela has experience of being an external examiner for a number of universities and has also worked for QAA as a Subject and Academic Reviewer. Prior to joining fdf she was acting head of school at Westminster Kingsway College in London. Upon joining fdf Angela worked as Regional Development Manager for the West Midlands working with a variety of partners within the region. Angela has now moved to work as the London Region Co-ordinator.
Telephone: 07766 520371
Email: a.maguire@fdf.ac.uk
Clive Paddison, Finance and Contracts Manager
Clive joined fdf in 2007 having previously worked in the Staffordshire University Finance Department for 12 years. Before working in higher education he was a Senior Executive in the building materials supply industry. Clive is responsible for all financial matters and contractual arrangements for fdf.
Telephone: 01543 308647
Email: c.paddison@fdf.ac.uk
Alix Pearson, Regional Director North East
Alix Pearson has been working in fields of work-based learning and corporate and vocational education for 17 years. She has significant experience in guiding learners through vocational and negotiated routes of learning, and of programme design and validation at undergraduate and post-graduate levels. She led one of the prototype Foundation degree projects in 2001, working across a partnership of 3 HEIs and 6 FECs. As corporate programmes manager at Sunderland Business School, Alix worked with a wide range of public and private sector employers, designing and delivering accredited staff development programmes. She was awarded a teaching fellowship at the University of Sunderland for her work on PDP. Since joining fdf in 2004, Alix has continued to develop her interest and expertise in work-based learning, supporting the development of flexible, employer focussed Foundation Degrees, both regionally and nationally.
Email: a.pearson@fdf.ac.uk
Leslie Peers, Associate Director North
Leslie has worked at management level in the construction and related industries for most of his life. In the last 20 years he has been involved with construction training at HE and FE levels and has also worked for the Sector Skills Council for Construction. For the last 6 years, as Training Manager for a large national construction group, he has been dealing with workforce development, Apprenticeships, NVQs, higher level skills and employer partnerships. Leslie joined fdf in March 2009 as Associate Director for the North.
Email: l.peers@fdf.ac.uk
Charles Pickford, Director of Employer Partnerships (Private Sector)
Charles Pickford leads on fdf's work to develop and build partnerships with employers in the private sector. He is currently working with major employers in the ICT, retail, rail, utilities, engineering, manufacturing, biopharma and construction sectors. With a career history that spans both industry and higher education, Charles believes strongly in the contribution that higher education can make to the performance of UK plc and works to ensure that higher education is both accessible and appropriate to meet employers' higher level skills needs. Charles is a Chartered Engineer and leads fdf's strategy and joint projects with Sector Skills Councils and the Engineering Professional Bodies.
Email: c.pickford@fdf.ac.uk
Katharine Price, Clerical Assistant
Katharine provides general adminstrative support to fdf.
Telephone: 01543 301150
Email: k.price@fdf.ac.uk
Therese Rogan, Regional Director Northern Ireland
Therese joined fdf in May 2007 having previously worked as a Management and Training Consultant. She has been a member of the National Training Awards (NI) Consultancy Team and NI Investors in People Assessment and Advisory Teams. Therese has twenty years experience of leading and managing learning and training initiatives in a range of sectors and over many occupational areas.
Email: therese.rogan@fdf.ac.uk
Dr Margaret Seiffert, Associate Director
Dr Margaret Seiffert has worked in London and the East of England for many years in health, social care, education and the voluntary sector. She has experience of working in both further and higher education and is particularly interested in the management of education, curriculum development and vocational education. She has an extensive range of contacts in the region, both strategic and operational.
Email: m.seiffert@fdf.ac.uk
Ian Starkie, Director of Corporate Affairs
Ian joined fdf in September 2008. Previously the Director of Finance at Staffordshire University, Ian has worked more recently in the Further Education sector and as a freelance consultant. Ian's responsibilities include the leadership and management of the Business Support Services and the management of fdf's financial, IT and human resources. Ian also provides secretarial support to the fdf Management Board.
telephone: 01543 301158
Email: i.starkie@fdf.ac.uk
Dr Sue Tatum, Director of Employer Partnerships (Public Sector)
Sue was previously the lead for Education Strategy, NHS London (North East). She has worked in the NHS, for a range of charitable organisations and in higher education. As a senior manager at the University of Wales Newport, St Martins College and Liverpool Polytechnic, Sue led a number of major new educational initiatives to open up learning opportunities to a wider population working closely with employers to develop vocational programmes. She has worked in education, health and social care commissioners and providers, Sector Skills Councils, the Department of Health and the Department for Education and Skills and education providers.
Email: s.tatum@fdf.ac.uk
Dr Helen Thomas, Associate Director
Dr Helen Thomas is a Clinical Biochemist with a background in research for both the NHS and pharmaceutical industry. She was previously the lead for the Division of Clinical Education at the University of Kent where she led a range of health and social care developments including Fds. Since joining fdf she has continued to support partnership working to develop Foundation degrees across all sectors and in particular developments which specifically meet regional priorities and the challenges faced by employers and learners in the South East.
Email: h.thomas@fdf.ac.uk
Simon Tudor, Business Development Officer
Prior to joining fdf, Simon spent 15 years in the hospitality industry working for a variety of organisations. Simon's responsibilities include the management of fdf's conferences and events.
Telephone: 01543 308613
Email: s.j.tudor@fdf.ac.uk
Lorraine Westwood, Director of Marketing and Communications
Lorraine holds a first degree in Business Studies and a postgraduate Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Aston University. She has worked in marketing for over twenty years and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing. Her career has included 5 years as Marketing Manager for a large further education college and 7 years as Director of Marketing and Education Liaison at a post-92 university. This latter position included responsibility for regional Aimhigher programmes. In addition Lorraine has delivered marketing training to SMEs across a variety of sectors.
Email: l.westwood@fdf.ac.uk