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AoC 2030 Group

The 2030 Group was established in 2023 in response from members to streamline our work on influencing and campaigning and ensure that we continue to engage college leaders. Focussing on the important period beyond the general election with the aim of thinking about the next seven years and the role we want colleges to play the group helps shape our policy thinking across a range of topics relevant to colleges and FE, but particularly systems. The 2030 group is supported by four Strategy Groups aligned to the key influencing and campaigning asks: Workforce, Students, Curriculum, and Colleges, Funding & Accountability

Group Chair

Pat Carvalho, AoC President, Principal and Chief Executive, BMet College

Members:

Andrew Broadbent, Principal and Chief Executive, New College Durham: Regional Representative NE

Anthony Bravo, OBE, Principal, Basingstoke College of Technology: Regional Representative SE (Chair: AoC Technology Reference Group)

Clare Russell, Principal, Runshaw College: Regional Representative NW

David Warnes, Principal and CEO, Chelmsford College: Co-Chair Students Strategy Group

Debra Gray, Principal & CEO, Hull College Group: Regional Representative Y&H (Chair: HE Reference Group)

Gerry McDonald, CBE, Group Principal & CEO, New City College Group: Employment Representative

Jackie Moores, Principal/CEO, Tameside College: Co-Chair Curriculum Strategy Group

Jatinder Sharma, CBE, Principal & CEO, Walsall College: Regional Representative WM

Jerry White, Principal & CEO, City College Norwich: Chair Workforce Strategy Group

Karen Spencer, Principal & CEO, Harlow College: Regional Representative E

Marcus Clinton, Principal & CEO, Reaseheath College: Land Based Representative

Marion Plant OBE, Principal and Chief Executive Officer, North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College,

Mark Malcomson, Principal and CEO, City Lit College: Adult Learning Representative

Martin Tucker, Principal, Truro and Penwith College: Regional Representative SW (Tertiary)

Michael Jaffrain, Principal, Loreto College: Sixth Form Colleges Representative (Chair: 16-18 Reference Group)

Michelle Dowse, Principal & Chief Executive, Heart of Worcestershire College: Chair Students Strategy Group

Peter Mayhew-Smith, Group Principal & CEO, South Thames Colleges Group: Regional Representative London (Chair: MH Reference Group)

Shaid Mahmood, MBE, Durham University: AoC Chair: Regional Representative EM

Tony Medhurst, Chief Executive & Principal, Hertford Regional College: Chair Curriculum Strategy Group

Yiannis Koursis, OBE, Principal and Chief Executive, Bedford College: Co-Chair Funding & Accountability Strategy Group

Zoe Lewis, CBE, Principal & CEO, Middlesbrough College: Chair Funding & Accountability Strategy Group

AoC Representatives

Cath Sezen, Director of Education Policy

David Hughes, CBE, Chief Executive

Emma Meredith, Director of Skills Policy & Global Engagement

Jo Watson, Area Director South West

Julia Belgutay, Head of Communications, Media, Marketing and Research

Julian Gravatt, Deputy Chief Executive

Lewis Cooper, Director of Public Affairs and Campaigns

2025/26 meeting dates:

10 December 2025
16 January 2026 Away Day
29 April 2026
08 July 2026