Yiannis Koursis OBE
Yiannis has over 26 years of senior leadership experience both in the private sector and in Further Education colleges across the UK. Before entering the Further Education world, his early career was spent in managing Hotels for National and multinational companies. In 2005 he moved out of the profession to work in Further Education in a variety of roles before moving into Senior Leadership during his time in London.
He joined The Bedford College Group (TBCG) in November 2023. Before joining TBCG, Yiannis was CEO at Barnsley College. Under Yiannis’ leadership, Barnsley College received an Outstanding rating from Ofsted and is a National Association of Colleges Beacon Award winner.
Yiannis is active in a range of networks, and strategic groups and has extensive non-executive experience both regionally and nationally. He is a Regional Councillor at the CBI, a Chartered Manager and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management, a member of the Lifelong Learning Institute advisory group and a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts. He also sits as a Board Member of the Bedford Town Deal Board, is a board member of the Associations of Colleges 2030 strategy board, and is a member of the British Computing Society Schools & Colleges Committee. Through partnership, he has experience in bringing people together and inspiring meaningful results for all stakeholders.
Yiannis was awarded an OBE in the Birthday’s Honours in June 2022 for services to Further Education.
He is dedicated to supporting students and colleagues in realising their potential and committed to strengthening links which enable the achievement of inclusive growth in the community and across the region.
Gulam Fatima
Gulam is the Group’s Chief Financial Officer with responsibility for the Finance, MIS, Estates and Sustainability functions. She began her finance career as an apprentice at the College both as a student and employee in 1999, then moved on to the Local authority in 2004 returning to the College in 2014. During this period her career consisted of varying financial roles where she gained a wealth of experience. She is grateful to work with an institution which is centred around changing lives, just the way it did hers!
Gulam has been a Governor at 2 local schools and any spare time she has is spent with her family and being outdoors!
Karen Campbell
Karen Campbell is Principal of Bedford College and Shuttleworth College. Joining the Group as an Additional Learning Support Manager in 2007, Karen has since held several management roles– such as Head of Department for Care, Childcare and Counselling and then Director of Adult and Social Studies.
Karen is passionate about working within an organisation that provides staff with the opportunity to continue to learn and study. She is a graduate of both the University of Greenwich and the University of Bedfordshire, where she has been awarded various diplomas and certificates in Teacher Education, Professional Development as well as Strategic Leadership and Management.
Robin Webber-Jones
As Principal for Tresham College, Robin is responsible for overseeing the campuses in Corby, Kettering, and Wellingborough, The National College for Motorsport, alongside The Bedford Sixth Form and The Corby Sixth Form. Passionate about providing life-enhancing education opportunities for individuals of all ages, Robin began working for the Group in the Autumn of 2022.
With over 20 years’ experience within Further Education, Higher Education, and Skills sectors, Robin has undertaken many leadership roles, including Head of Apprenticeships at the University of Derby, Vice Principal at The Sheffield College, and Director of Learning at New College Stamford. Leading the way in promoting continuous improvements within the Further Education and Skills sectors, Robin is proud to have contributed to several books and academic publications.
Sarah Mortimer
Sarah Mortimer serves as Acting Principal for Central Bedfordshire College (CBC), which merged with The Bedford College Group in March 2023. She is the Accountable Officer for CBC’s financial and educational outcomes. Within her role, she manages all areas of the College alongside the senior leadership team.
Sarah joined Central Bedfordshire College as Vice Principal in 2012 and was later appointed as Acting Principal in 2022. She is also the senior Designated Safeguarding Lead at CBC. With a background in training and development, Sarah is looking forward to bringing more opportunities to the communities of Central Bedfordshire through the merger with the Group. She is a graduate of the University of Greenwich where she received a Certificate in Education.
Em Lowe
Em Lowe is Deputy Chief Executive for the Group overseeing a range of key areas related to the student experience and student success including Quality, Exams, Additional Learning Support, Professional Development, Equality, Diversity & Inclusion, T – Levels, Student Services, Centre Administration and Health and Safety.
Since joining the Group in 2012, Em remains committed to the Group’s vision to become a leading advocate for learning within the local community. Whilst with us, Em has been shortlisted for the 2021 TES FE Leader of the Year Award and has been lead on in Ofsted Inspections resulting in Good judgements. Em has also been the lead for the Group’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Sarah Baxter
Sarah Baxter is one of the Group’s Executive Directors, with accountability for marketing and communications, enquiries and admissions, stakeholder feedback and research to inform business decisions. With a background in marketing and business management within the services sector, Sarah has worked for the Group for over 20 years, progressing through a number of different roles and being appointed to the Executive leadership team in 2009.
Sarah’s portfolio involves playing a key part in planning and shaping the Group’s strategic direction, identifying business opportunities and helping the Group to grow to bring more choice to its local communities.
Some notable projects Sarah has worked on include launching The Bedford Sixth Form, the first dedicated A Level College in the area, and the merger between Bedford College and Tresham College which has led to a growth in student numbers and the significant expansion of Tresham’s Wellingborough campus.
Caroline Biddle
Caroline joined the Group in 2019 as Executive Director for HR (Human Resources). As an active member of the leadership team, she is accountable for the human resources management and payroll functions across the entirety of the Group’s campuses. Areas of expertise include, but are not limited to, HR Management, Process Improvement and Change Management, Recruitment and Onboarding, Employee and Stakeholder Engagement, Employee Learning and Development, Employment and Labour Laws as well as Revenue Growth and Cost Control.
Her professional career spans over thirty years within the public and not-for-profit sectors. Caroline began her working life within Child Protection Services. She later became the Human Resources Manager for the Metropolitan Police, overseeing the management of Riot Police, Traffic Police and Dog Handlers within the organisation and has worked in both charity and commercial sides of Social Care and Learning Disability Support. Due to her enthusiasm and demonstrated abilities, she was appointed her first Director of Human Resources role in 2004, this being the professional achievement she is most proud of.
Sheraz Amin
Sheraz Amin is one of the Group’s Executive Directors, with responsibility for the Digital Transformation. He pays a particular emphasis on the strategic use of technology across the Group in order to improve processes, the user experience, and most importantly implements technology into teaching and learning. After 20 years within the Financial Services sector, Sheraz joined the Group in 2022.
Sheraz enjoys seeing teams grow, learn new skills and take on more responsibility. He is responsible for overseeing the activities of the Digital Experience Team, IT Services, along with the Print Services team. Some notable roles he held before joining the Group included the Head of Digital Transformation for Santander, Portfolio Manager for TUI UK & Ireland and as the Head of Application Support/ Merger Consultant for Old Mutual.
Debbie Houghton
As the Executive Director of Apprenticeships and Business Development for the Group, Debbie is responsible for the overall strategic direction and performance of the Apprenticeships and Business Development Teams. Having worked in the Further Education and Apprenticeship sectors for over twenty years, Debbie joined us in 2017 and was appointed to Executive Leadership Team in the summer of 2022.
In her current role, Debbie is grateful for the opportunity to learn something new every day whilst leading, managing and collaborating with some of the best people in the sector. Debbie enjoys working at the Group, as it enables her to continue her professional development within ‘the best college in the region’. She is most proud of being promoted to Executive Leadership Team as well as completing her MBA.
