Malcolm joined the AMAT Board in July 2018 and is also a member of the AMAT Personnel Committee. He worked for Birmingham City Council as a Departmental Head of Personnel Services and Solihull MBC as a Human Resources Business Partner working with schools, totalling over 30 years. In addition, he has worked for Marks and Spencer undertaking a variety of roles including recruitment, employee relations, customer service and sales.. He is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (FCIPD).

He has been a Governor at Lode Heath School for over 20 years (including 6 years as the Chair of the Governing Body) and now, as well as being on the LGB, he chairs the Teaching and Learning Committee.

He is married, has lived in Knowle for 32years and enjoys most sports. He is delighted to join and contribute to the very successful AMAT Board in some very interesting and challenging times.

Chair of AMAT and Vice-Chair of Governors at Arden (Community Governor). Dr O’Donovan has worked in education for over 25 years as a University lecturer, Chief Examiner (French), secondary school teacher and Nursery Inspector. She has been a sponsor governor at Park Hall Academy since 2009.

Dr O'Donovan has been a Parent Governor at Arden, a position she also held at Knowle Primary School until 2006. Her major skills are team working, team building, leadership and management training. She is currently Cambridge Inspector for Language-Literature, (Option International) French Baccalauréat. Her child attended Arden in the past.

Mr Harley-Mason is Vice-Chair of Governors at Arden; a Community Governor and member of the BSII and Admissions and Behaviour committees. He is a youth work tutor and consultant, previously having worked at Knowle Parish Church.

He has a degree in Economics and an MA in Theology & Youthwork. He has been running residential trips for young people both in the UK and abroad for over 20 years. His particular interest and experience is in taking young people on experiential visits to Africa.

He has involvement locally with an organisation working to promote understanding among young people from different religious backgrounds. Living in the community, Mr Harley-Mason was previously an LEA governor and has three children all of whom have been students at Arden. Music, student welfare, wellbeing and progress and curriculum enrichment are areas of particular interest.

Andrew is currently the NEC Group Director of Property, Partnerships and Media after being the Centre Manager of Touchwood Shopping Centre for five years from 2013-2018.

Andrew is also Executive Committee of Solihull Chamber of Commerce and has been Chair of the Solihull Business Improvement District and sat on a range of Boards including Solihull Shopmobility, the Employment and Skills Board and the Tourism Forum. In 2016 Andrew was awarded an MBE for services to retail and charity, coordinated the Solihull Round Table Fireworks display for five years and started a ‘Blood Bike’ charity.

Andrew lives in Solihull with his wife and two children, both of whom graduated from Arden. Andrew is degree-educated from Bournemouth University and outside interests include adventure motorcycling, music and photography. Strategic Management, property, management of change and brand marketing are his specialities.

Vice-Chair of Governors at Park Hall Academy and Chair of Teaching and Learning; Arden school governor since 2006; PTA member and Primary school governor since 1996.

Mrs Jarema has previously been UK sales and marketing manager; International Business Planning Manager; IPR manager for the Forensic Science Service; Senior HR, Health and Safety and also has risk management experience. Policy development, due diligence and the robust analysis of data are key strengths. Her children attended Arden in the past.

Mr Murphy has extensive senior leadership experience and has been Chief Executive Officer of Arden Multi Academy Trust since 2019.  His journey in Education began when he read Geography at the University of Newcastle upon Tyne where he also completed his PGCE teacher training.  He taught in Northumberland before being promoted to a role of Headteacher in Cumbria for 11 years then moving down to the West Midlands in 2011 to take up the post of Principal of Arden, one of the schools within the MAT.  He has been recognised by the Department for Education for his leadership skills being awarded a strategic role as a National leader of education. Mr Murphy is passionate about education for all and is keen to work with the communities in which schools within the Trust are located.

Key Responsibilities include Policy and Strategic Direction of the Multi Academy Trust; Financial Accounting Officer; Community Liaison; Facilities Management; Reporting to the Trust Board; Ofsted and School Improvement Priorities.

Dr Devitt was appointed as a Member of Arden Trust in October 2018 following a period of five years as a parent governor on Arden’s board of Governors and Chair of the T& L committee since March 2015. His professional background is in Higher Education, having worked at the Universities of Birmingham, Nottingham and Edinburgh. He currently teaches Microbiology and Immunology at Aston University (Pharmacy, Biology, Biomedical Science and Biological Chemistry programmes) and leads a research team addressing the fundamental biology underlying inflammatory disease (eg cardiovascular disease, cancer and autoimmunity). Andrew is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, the Institute of Biomedical Science and the Royal Society of Biology.

Des joined the AMAT Board in February 2020. He retired from teaching in 2019 a school term short of serving forty years and through this period has enjoyed various roles in a number of schools as a teacher, Deputy Head Teacher and as a Head Teacher of a very successful Primary School for almost 28 Years. He served on Solihull Metropolitan Borough Council School Forum for a number of years which makes recommendations to SMBC on financial matters affecting schools. Des was on Solihull Schools Strategic Accountability Board which provides a strategic and overarching body that represents all schools and academies within Solihull in relation to partnership development, securing value for money and leading strategic development.

His Masters in Arts awarded by The University of Warwick focused in Primary Education. He believes that all children have the right to a high-quality education that nurtures and develops their skills and talents for the 21^st Century. Des relishes the opportunity of bringing his experience to the AMAT Board. He has a passion for children’s learning and is deeply committed to promoting high quality education and life experiences for all students and their communities in an environment where both they and the staff around them thrive.

Andrea joined the AMAT board in October 2019. Andrea is currently Business Manager and a volunteer at Lifespace Trust, a charity based in Stratford upon Avon which mentors children and young people across South Warwickshire. Previously she was a governor at Henley in Arden school and a school business manager. Her background is engineering and consultancy having worked for Accenture for over 10 years.

Andrea is delighted to have been invited to serve as an Arden MAT Trustee. She has lived in Henley in Arden for 18 years and has been married for 25 years. She has 2 daughters.