Mark Jeffries is the former senior partner of the national law firm Mills & Reeve LLP.  He is now Chairman of N W Brown Group Ltd (an investment management group) and a Non-Executive Director of R G Carter Holdings Ltd and the Norfolk & Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust where he also chairs the Charitable Funds Committee. He is a member of Council of the Norwich University of the Arts and a board member of the Norfolk Museums Development Foundation. Between 2014 and 2017 he was a member of the Regional Schools Commissioner’s board for the East of England and NE London. Previous external roles were as an elected member of the CBI Council in the Eastern Region and as a member of the Bank of England’s Economic Advisory Panel for the East of England.

Drew Whitehead joined Evolution Academy Trust as a Trustee in 2018 following on from the role of Chair of Governors at Eaton Primary School where he oversaw the move from local authority to academy status. 

Drew has worked in the IT and Financial services industries for over 30 years as a Senior IT Leader and Consultant, with a focus on strategic planning and organisational transformation.  Drew lives in Norwich with his wife and has two children who attend Evolution Academy Trust schools.

Keith Philpot

Keith Philpot is Head of Learning and Development for Norfolk and Suffolk Constabularies.  He is a Senior Police Officer with over 25 years’ service in leadership roles within investigation and public protection roles.  He was previously the Vice Chair of Governors at Eaton Primary School, Consultant at Pricewater house Coopers and a Strategic Analyst at the Home Office/Department of Environment.

Alison Randall

Adrian Matthews is the Owner of XE Associates Management Consultancy.  He is also a Non-Executive Director, Chair of the Finance and Business Board sub-committee and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for Norfolk and Suffolk NHS Foundation Trust.  Adrian is a member of the Audit Committee for Norfolk Police and Crime Commission and Norfolk Police.   He is a National Trainer for NHS Employers for the NHS Job Evaluation scheme. Previous roles include Director of Strategy and Business Development and Director of Non- Emergency Services for the Ambulance Services.  Adrian was previously Vice Chair of Trustees at Diversa Multi Academy Trust, and a Governor at Angel Road Schools Federation and at Hellesdon High School. Adrian is a Director for Diversa Trading Limited, that deals with the commercial services run by Evolution.

Rhys Jarvis 

Rhys Jarvis is a Non-Executive, with Sheffield City Region Mayoral Authority as a member of the Risk and Standards Committee.  He is a Non-Executive Vice Chair, with South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Authority on the Risk and Audit Committee.  Rhys is a Member Advisory Council and previous Board Member for German Industry UK, Vice Chair of REAch2 East Anglian Regional Board.  He is President of the Southwold Museum and Historical Society Charitable Trust and a Fellow of The Institute of Directors.  Previously he was a Non-Executive member of Network Rail and a Council Member of Rail Industry Association.  He held positions of the Chair and Managing Director of Voith Turbo Ltd, Board Member and Head of Operations at Alstom Transport Limited.  He was the Divisional Group Managing Director and Corporate Planning Director at Luxfer Group plc.

Geraldine Hutchinson is Non-Executive Board Member for Education for 21^st Century Academy Trust London, and a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of Freedom Charity, UK. She was Director and Chair of Board at St Mark’s Academy (Anthem Schools Trust) London. Geraldine has over 30 years of experience of working in education, in schools, universities and with a not-for-profit charity leading on the implementation of education reform and teacher professional development programmes for the Department of Education in England and for Ministries of Education in the middle east. She led on Teacher Training at Southbank University London for 10 years holding the position of Head of Department. She held Director leadership roles at Education Development Trust for over 20 years leading education reform programmes in the UK and internationally. Geraldine was an Ofsted lead and team inspector until 2018 working extensively in the UK and the middle east.

Angela Jordan

Angela was formerly the Director of People and a member of the Executive team at Boudica Schools Trust which sponsored 10 academies. She played a significant part in enabling a number of organisational changes to leadership and governance at the Trust until leaving in June 2020.

She is now a Trustee for The Free School Norwich as well as being a school Governor at Chapel Break Infant school. She was previously a senior, national HR Manager for Royal Mail and more locally for Flagship Housing Group and YMCA Norfolk. She also served a four-year term of office as a member of Norfolk Police Authority. In this capacity she had a portfolio of chairing the Property and ICT Committee and the South Norfolk Strategic Partnership as well as being a member of the County Strategic Partnership and Professional Standards committee. Angela is a long-standing councillor and former Chair of East Carleton and Ketteringham Parish Council.

Kate Blakemore

Kate Watts is a Strategic Director at Great Yarmouth Borough Council, having started at the organisation as a student Environmental Health Officer in 2005. Kate is currently taking a lead role in several ambitious projects across the Borough of Great Yarmouth, including the Higher Education facility and library relocation to the Town Centre as part of the Future High Streets and Town Deal regeneration funding bids, awarded directly by central government. Kate is passionate about education for all and is really excited to be joining Evolution Academy Trust Board.