UST Members
Members are custodians of the governance of the Trust. They are independent of the Board of Trustees and their role is to provide oversight and challenge.
UST Trustees
The Board of Trustees is responsible for setting the Trust’s Ethos, Vision and Strategy.
Chris Howorth (Chair)
Chris is a senior lecturer in the School of Business and Management at Royal Holloway, University of London. In this role he has served in a number of school, faculty and college leadership roles. Chris has previously worked at Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, London School of Economics and Political Science and London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Away from the university Chris has served as chair of governors in two schools and is also a Non-Executive Director in a small Luxemburgish training company, as well as serving as a governor at Ashford and St Peter’s NHS Hospitals Foundation Trust.
Niall Dore
Niall is an experienced Board level CFO with a strong focus on turnaround and growth strategies. He has operated in multiple business models across six sectors including most recently 15 years in high growth technology businesses and has held senior finance roles at well-known international brands as well as SME entrepreneurial businesses. Niall is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants. He is also a Mentor with the New Entrepreneurs Foundation whose mission is to build an active community of young entrepreneurs with the skills, knowledge and vision to start, build and lead businesses.
Michael del Río (CEO)
Michael has worked in a number of different roles during his career, the majority of which has been spent in or around the world of education. He joined UST in September 2021 following eleven successful years working in south London where he led improvements that turned two special measures schools into successful, high achieving, academies. He is passionate about creating the right environment in which children and young people are able to flourish. In addition to his educational oversight responsibilities Michael’s particular areas of expertise include project direction and financial leadership.
Robin Kent (Vice Chair)
Robin spent the majority of his 30-year career in the international energy trading industry. He held senior management positions with both major energy companies and management consultancies. He has particular expertise in risk management, financial and business strategy, organisational design and large deal structuring. Robin has been a Trustee at UST for over 6 years and Vice Chair for 3 years. He is also Vice Chair of Governors at a secondary school near Kingston.
Richard Meddelton
Richard has spent his entire career in the Corporate and Commercial Banking sector, working for four major financial institutions. He has occupied senior positions in areas including client relationship management and service, business development, risk management and regulation. He is now a partner with Bank Brokers Ltd where he is Head of Debt Advisory for the UK and Ireland. He is also a Trustee member of Cricket Builds Hope, a charity promoting social change through sport and an Executive Committee member for a local Scout Association. In addition, he remains an active volunteer at Ashford and St Peters NHS Trust and a Mentor for Young People.
Funmi Brady
Funmi is the Smart Secure Electricity Systems Programme Director at the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), where she leads a dynamic and multidisciplinary team. A seasoned technology leader with over 20 years of experience, Funmi has a proven track record of driving impactful digital transformations in both the Public and Private Sectors.
Funmi is recognised for her collaborative leadership style and her commitment to fostering inclusive environments where diverse talent can excel. She is passionate about leveraging technology and Artificial Intelligence for Public good, with a strong focus on sustainability and societal impact.
Outside of her professional responsibilities, Funmi is dedicated to coaching and mentoring, helping individuals especially young adults, unlock their potential and navigate their careers with confidence.
Kathyrn Krynicki
Throughout her career in education, Kathryn has held a number of roles growing from classroom teacher to lead teacher, senior leader and Headteacher for over 16 years working across a number of London boroughs. Kathryn has a passion for school improvement with extensive experience of schools in the 2-19 sector. Kathryn is an accredited NLE and has had the privilege of working with a variety of schools across the South East region, she currently works as Director of Education for a MAT. Kathryn also works to support governing bodies within both the maintained local authority and academy sector cross phase to include primary and secondary.
The Board of Trustees uses the services of the following three committees:
Finance, Audit and Risk Committee
The Finance, Audit and Risk Committee will exercise responsibility for, and oversight of, the auditing of UST financial matters. It will also hold oversight of the management of Risk across the Trust. The committee also monitors the staffing complement and recruitment processes of the Trust, operations and marketing.
Curriculum and Standards Committee
The Curriculum and Standards Committee will exercise oversight of policies and procedures, and monitor implementation, in respect of safeguarding, pupil achievement, learning and teaching, student discipline and personal development, community relations and curriculum. It is the interface between the Local Governing Councils (LGCs) and the Board of Trustees.
Pay Committee
The Pay Committee will convene annually to review and approve any proposed pay awards for staff following the completion of the Performance Management cycle. They will also be directly responsible for undertaking the annual review and performance management of the Chief Executive Officer.
Local Governing Councils
Each constituent academy within the Trust has its own Local Governing Council (or LGC). The role of the LGC is to provide support and challenge to the Head of School at a local level, monitoring progress and outcomes against the Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) agreed for any one academic year. The LGC also supports the Head of School by nominating a Safeguarding Governor to oversee the policies and procedures in place at the academy.
Terms of Reference