Chrysalis MAT

Trustees

Steven Brunswick
Chair of Trustees

Steven is a Chartered Engineer and has successfully built up his own engineering practice, carrying out structural design and providing engineering input into significant building projects, primarily in the London area. Prior to this he was the Chief Engineer for Carillion where he was responsible for several teams of engineers across the UK and Middle East, gaining experience in people management, performance reviews, budgeting and recruitment.

When his daughter joined Claremont High School in the 1990s, Steven was heavily involved with life at the school as a Parent Governor and subsequently Chair of Governors. He found it a privilege to be part of the process of appointing Headteachers and being part of the start-up panel when Chrysalis MAT was forming. Now, as Chair of Trustees, he is proud to be working alongside other like-minded individuals on plans for the organic growth and expansion of Chrysalis MAT, ensuring finances are secure so that there is funding to maintain the estate and employ high quality staff to give the pupils the outcomes they deserve.

One of the Trust’s key values is Responsibility and Steven sees this as a fundamental part of his role. He ensures that he holds Trustees and senior members of staff responsible for what they do and encourages them to continuously strive and develop in their roles. He is also committed to ensuring that schools within the Trust are held responsible for providing safe environments that offer the resources, facilities and opportunities to allow pupils to develop to their full potential.

I became a Governor and now a Trustee to give something back to the community. I have been able to use the skills I have developed over the years to help the school and Chrysalis MAT grow and retain its great reputation as centre of excellence. It has been an extremely rewarding experience so far, especially seeing the development of both staff and pupils.

Dr Nigel Molden JP FRSA FIoD FCIM
Vice Chair of Trustees

Dr Molden has an impressive career history, bringing with him a wealth of experience and knowledge to Chrysalis MAT. His careers, qualifications and achievements include:

  • General Manager, Warner Brothers Records, 1977-79
  • International General Manager, WEA Records Group, 1979-80
  • Chairman, Magnum Music/Synergie Logistics, 1980
  • International Marketing Manager, Thorn-EMI Screen Entertainment, 1980-84
  • Magistrate, Beaconsfield and High Wycombe Bench, 1991-2013
  • First Certificate in Governance, National Governors’ Association, 2007
  • Appointed by Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport as Chairman of HM Courts’ Board for the Thames Valley in 2008
  • Post-graduate Certificate in Historical Studies, University of Oxford, 2016
  • Author of “Centre Of A Revolution”, 2018.

Dr Molden has been on the Governing Board of Claremont High School since 2000 and was appointed Trustee of Chrysalis MAT in 2018 before becoming Vice Chair of Trustees in 2020.

The ethos of Claremont High School Academy and Chrysalis MAT is particularly noteworthy in that it ensures every pupil is encouraged to achieve to their fullest ability. In parallel with the dedicated pastoral care, the opportunities for pupils are outstanding and the development of the academic, sporting and recreational facilities has been, and continues to be, extraordinary.

Dr Steven Kennedy
Trustee

Dr Kennedy has over 12 years’ experience teaching in independent schools and is currently Head of Classics at Harrow School. He joined Chrysalis MAT as a Trustee in 2021, with a determination to help shape the future of its member schools and to make a positive impact on the lives of children in his local community.

What Dr Kennedy enjoys most about his role is being involved in discussions on the strategic curriculum development, teaching and learning strategies and how to support them as well as learning more about the challenges facing schools and pupils today. He believes Chrysalis MAT is already working hard to address pupils’ social inequalities and the growing gap in academic achievement between disadvantaged pupils and their peers; and the schools within our MAT have put a lot of effort into improving children’s mental health and providing ways of asking for help.

He comments:

Our value of perseverance is important. It is a vital quality for our pupils to develop to help them stay motivated and determined in the face of challenges; and to work hard to achieve their academic goals. When any pupil faces failure, they must learn to learn from their mistakes and continue towards their goal. It is a key skill that should stay with our young people throughout their lives, whether they are pursuing further academic studies beyond school, starting a career, or when they face personal challenges.

Debbie Biles
Trustee

Debbie is a highly experienced finance professional, having worked in finance and finance regulation at various regulatory bodies over the years. With two young children herself, Debbie is in awe of the ability of teachers to inspire and develop pupils to be their individual best. She joined Chrysalis MAT in March 2023 to use her experience to help assist schools and teachers in their role so that they can continue to focus on the children. She is looking forward to making her mark alongside the inspirational people at Chrysalis MAT whom she believes have achieved so much to date.

It is incredible to see the breadth of topics that are being considered by the Board and senior leaders. The sheer scope of the work that has been, and is being, undertaken across Chrysalis MAT is staggering. Over the coming years, I hope to see a continuation of the excellent teaching and management of our schools within the Trust as Chrysalis MAT seeks to grow and support other local schools too.

ROB SHERR
Trustee

Rob is a banking professional with almost 50 years’ experience in the sector. Now semi-retired, Rob has operated at a senior executive level, the most recent as Chief Operating Officer in a UK bank where he oversaw Operations, Information Technology, Change Management and Deposit Raising. He has significant knowledge in the area of risk management and governance and is able to bring these transferable skills to the Board of Trustees.

Whilst not having any direct involvement in Claremont High or Sudbury, Rob has contributed to the schools his three children attended, being a member of two teacher/parent associations. Furthermore, he was actively involved in his wife’s business that focused on early years development. Education is very much a “family thing”, with his daughter now Deputy Head of a primary school.

Rob was introduced to the Chrysalis Multi Academy Trust by the current Chair. He found a close alignment of values and was happy to contribute his time to an aspirational organisation that places the welfare, safety and achievement of both pupils and staff at the heart of what they do. He is now Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee of the Trustee Board where he ensures that the Trust and the schools operate in a prudent and appropriate manner.

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