Martin McNeill

Martin is a knowledgeable governance professional and consultant with wide experience of supporting schools, colleges and other public-facing institutions. Having developed his analytical skills in investment banking, he subsequently worked for 20 years for the Audit Commission, reviewing the performance of local public bodies and producing insightful reports on management and governance issues. In 2010 Martin became Clerk to the Corporation at Bicton College, where he supported the Board through a period of strong recovery leading eventually to merger with a larger institution. He then served as Company Secretary at Morley College London between 2015 and 2023, modernising governance practices and helping to recruit a capable and diverse board as Morley considered and then implemented a significant merger.

Since leaving Morley he has led external governance reviews at seven very different institutions in the FE sector, as well as serving on the governing bodies of Petroc (the FE College for North and Mid Devon) and Birmingham Newman University. Martin’s wider experience of education governance includes two years as a National Leader of Governance in FE, nine years as Chair of Governors at a large and complex 13-18 secondary school, and consultancy work in the schools sector, including as a School Improvement Partner.