Our Trustees
Trustees oversee the performance of our academies and report to the Members. They hold overall responsibility for governance across all academies. This includes:
- Holding executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the school
- Overseeing the financial performance and making sure money is well spent
- Setting the strategic direction of the Trust
Our trustees are:
Kevin Crompton - Chair
Kevin is a former teacher in London, having worked in various roles in local authorities, been adviser to the Teacher Training Agency on Teacher Standards, held senior roles in Birmingham Education Department, was Director of Children’s Services in Solihull and Bedford, and Chief Executive for Luton and Haringey local authorities.
David Houghton - Vice chair
David is a former senior Royal Air Force officer and aviator with experience of programme/change management and, as the UK’s Defence Attaché to both countries, was a member of the British Embassy’s Senior Leadership Team in Poland and then Vietnam. David holds a BA(Hons) in Education as well as Masters degrees in Training and Management & Airport Planning. He is currently a student at Portsmouth University, undertaking a Masters in Leadership & Management. Away from work, David unwinds on his bicycle and is a keen supporter of the Cobblers and the Saints.
Ayo Salam
Ayo has a background in financial services regulation with a number of regulatory compliance roles for various organisations in the finance and financial services sector. Currently head of compliance for a global financial services business, he also has a background in law and has served as school governor in a secondary school in Milton Keynes.
Stephen Morales
Stephen’s career experience spans 30 years leading operations and change management in the public and private sector, including international roles. Currently, Stephen holds the position of CEO at the Institute of School Business Leadership. His responsibilities include advocating on behalf of the profession, creating the conditions for continuous improvement, providing confidence in the SBP workforce and contributing to discussions related to system-wide education policy reforms and implementation. In 2009, Stephen was awarded National School Business Manager of the Year. In 2015 and 2017 respectively, Stephen was invited to the Queen’s Garden Party and then the Queen’s 90th Birthday celebrations in recognition of services to education.
Leigh Jones
Leigh is Head of HR Operations for a national social justice charity working with disadvantaged children and adults. Leigh is experienced in project/change management, finance and HR and has worked across both private and charitable sectors. Prior to her appointment to EMAT, Leigh served as a Local Authority School Governor for a number of years.
Andy Davis
Andy’s background is in the hotel and conference industry before moving into vehicle sales and management. Andy has since worked as a Learning and Development Manager for almost 15 years and is currently employed as the Global Dealer Training Manager for a Major UK car manufacturer. Andy has served as a school governor on two governing boards, most recently of which was at Prince William School in Oundle. He has a been a member of the EMAT board of trustees for over two years. He also sits on and chairs the finance, HR and Estates committee as well as sits on the Audit and Risk committee.
Fiona Wheeler
A former parent governor at Northampton International Academy, Fiona worked as a solicitor in Northampton for more than ten years. She has been involved in school governance at a number of schools in Northampton for the past eight years.