Governors

Elected Chairman in January 2021

Born in Camden, Stephen has lived locally for most of his life. He attended Mill Hill School and, after a year teaching in Nigeria on Voluntary Service Overseas, read Russian and French at Keele University, followed by a PGCE at New College, Oxford. He subsequently had a long international career in educational, medical and legal publishing and information including divisional CEO positions at Oxford University Press, Reed Elsevier/RELX plc and Informa plc, before leading a management buyout of Medimedia, an international medical information group.

Over the last 15 years, Stephen has held several chair roles including Cambridge Education Group, a provider of education for international students, and TeamSystem srl, Italy’s largest professional and SME software provider.

Stephen has also been vice-chairman of the international education charity United World Schools and a trustee of the Philharmonia Orchestra.

He has two sons and lives in Hampstead with his wife Sophie. He has particularly keen interests in the theatre, cricket, tennis and Chelsea FC.

Stephen Warshaw can be contacted by emailing clerksec@ucs.org.uk.

Co-opted to Council in March 2022

Andrew started his career in strategy consulting and has since had digital and commercial executive leadership roles in consumer businesses across multiple sectors. He is also an advisor to early stage ventures.

Andrew is married to a History teacher and has four children.

Co-opted to Council in September 2022; Chair of Finances and General Purposes Committee

Joe is a founding partner of Trilantic Europe, a mid-market European private equity firm. Prior to founding Trilantic Europe in 2009, Joe spent 21 years at Lehman Brothers, including 13 at Lehman Brothers Merchant Banking where he was European co-head. Joe’s Lehman’s career also featured spells on the investment management division’s European operating committee and as a member of the corporate finance team based in Paris, New York and London.

Joe is currently a director of  Verian Group and has recently stood down from the Board of Marex. He holds a BSc degree in Economics from the London School of Economics, and is an Old Gower having been at UCS from 1980–85.

Co-opted to Council in September 2023

Richard was born in Salford and educated at Manchester Grammar School and Queen’s College, Oxford where he read PPE. He recently retired from a long career in the City, initially as an Investment Banker and from 2004 as a Partner in the private equity investor Hg. During his time at Hg, the firm grew rapidly, and now has funds under management of approximately $65bn and 400 employees based around Europe and the US.
On retiring from the firm in 2020, Richard helped to establish the Hg Foundation, with a mission to support those who might otherwise be excluded from employment in the Technology market. In the first three years of its existence the foundation has provided funding of c.$17m via 15 active partnerships to 15,000 young people.
Richard has a particular interest in the impact of education on social mobility. He chairs the UK Online Giving Foundation, a Donor Advised Fund that last year distributed around £177m of donations globally to over 77,000 charities, and is also a member of the Development Committee of Queen’s College Oxford. Richard is married with a son, who attended UCS, and a daughter. He splits his time between North London and Somerset and is a longstanding and slightly obsessive supporter of the premiership rugby club Saracens.

Co-opted to Council in March 2022

Reena is a banking partner at Paul Hastings (Europe) LLP.

She studied Law at the London School of Economics and Political Science and is also admitted to the New York Bar. She began her legal career at Slaughter & May in 1999, followed by a move to international firms Latham & Watkins in 2003 and Weil Gotshal & Manges in 2014 before joining Paul Hastings in 2024.

She is passionate about youth progression, diversity and inclusion and also acts as trustee on the board of Power2, a youth development charity.

Reena lives in St John’s Wood with her husband and their two sons. Her sons are currently Senior School pupils at UCS.

Co-opted to Council in May 2010; Council Member with responsibility for child protection and safeguarding

Robert retired as headmaster of New College School, Oxford in 2019 and moved to become director of the NCS Foundation. He was educated at Bristol Grammar School and St Catharine’s College, Cambridge where he was a choral exhibitioner and read English. He trained as a teacher at Worcester College, Oxford and Oxford University of Education. He taught English at Watford Grammar School and then King’s College School, Wimbledon where he held increasingly senior posts, culminating in the position of undermaster.

In 2001, he moved on to become deputy head (academic) of the Dragon School, Oxford, then deputy head of Bristol Grammar School before taking his role at New College School in 2008. Robert has been an ISI inspector since 2003 and was elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in 2010.

He is a contributor to A New Dictionary of Hymnody, published in 2011, and has also written on opposition to the 1902 Education Act.

Co-opted to Council in October 2021

Avinash (Avi) brings more than 20 years of expertise in the digital and technology domains to our Governing Council. He serves as managing director in the global consulting firm Accenture. Previously, he served as the chief digital officer at M&G Plc and led Wipro’s digital business globally. He is passionate about using digital technologies to personalise learning pathways and amplifying teacher impact.

Co-opted to Council in January 2019 and Chair of Development Committee

Christopher became chairman of the Port of London Authority in January 2016. In May 2018 he became an ambassador for the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), and in January 2019 chairman of the Development Committee at UCS Hampstead. In January 2020 he became chair of the Royal Ballet School.

Christopher was chairman of Openwork from 2014–20; chairman of the British Council from 2016–19; chairman of the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association from 2013–19; chairman of VisitBritain from 2007–17; chairman of International Personal Finance and Windsor Leadership from 2007–15; chairman of the Almeida Theatre from 2008–16. Christopher was a council member of the National Trust from 1997–2004 and again from 2010–12, and a trustee from 2012–16. He was on the executive committee of WTTC from 2007–16.

Christopher is a graduate of Cambridge University (MA) and the Harvard Business School (MBA, Baker Scholar). He was awarded an honorary degree of doctor of the University of Surrey (DUniv) in April 2013. He rowed for Cambridge in the 1970 and 1971 Boat Races, is a past chairman of Leander Club and is a steward of Henley Royal Regatta.

Christopher was made a Commander of the British Empire in the 2007 New Year Honours list for services to British business interests and charitable works in the UK and USA.

Co-opted to Council in March 2022

Angela was born and raised in the United States. She attended the University of Michigan, Notre Dame Law School and the University of Chicago, studying Business and Law and received her Juris Doctor and MBA in Economics and Finance.

Angela started her career with the United States Attorney’s Office in Chicago. She subsequently joined McKinsey and Company in Chicago and then London as a strategy consultant with a focus on consumer goods and retail. She went on to work at Diageo where she held various roles including finance director in marketing, sales and global innovation, investor relations director, and strategy director for Diageo’s Europe business. During that time she was named in the Timewise UK Top 50 Power Part Time List.

Angela lives in St John’s Wood with her husband, Adam, and their three children. Her son is currently in the Lower School. She enjoys singing in a local choir, playing the piano and flute, horse riding, tennis, and has been an active member of the UCS Parents’ Guild.

Co-opted to Council in February 2022; UCL Representative to Council

Li Wei is director and dean of IOE, UCL’s Faculty of Education and Society, where he also holds a professorship in Applied Linguistics. He was previously head of the School of Education at Newcastle University and pro vice master of Birkbeck College, University of London. He is a fellow of the British Academy, Academia Europaea, Academy of Social Sciences, and the Royal Society of Arts.

He has served on various governing bodies of schools in Newcastle and London. He lives in Golders Green. His two sons were UCS boys.

Co-opted to Council in September 2021

Edward was born in Leeds and educated at Clifton College, Bristol and Leeds University. He has worked for Town Centre Securities PLC, a listed property investment and development company, since 1981 and currently serves as chairman and CEO. He is currently chairman of the Leeds Hospitals Charity and is a past chairman of the Leeds Jewish Welfare Board. He was a governor of The Grammar School at Leeds, which is a large independent mixed day school, and served on Council of the University of Leeds. He was also a non-executive director of the Leeds Building Society.

He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in June 2017 and has been deputy lieutenant of the County of West Yorkshire since July 2018.

He is married to Dee and has three sons and a daughter and four grand-daughters. He has keen interest in Fine Art, golf and football and is a life-long supporter of Leeds United.

Co-opted to Council in March 2024

Tim was born and brought up in New Zealand, where he first taught at an all-girls school in Wellington. He has since been working in schools in Britain for the majority of his adult life, including twenty years at The Hall School in Hampstead, completing his time there as Deputy Head Academic. Tim is currently Headmaster at Hampton Pre-Prep & Prep School, one of the two schools that constitutes The Hampton Trust.
He is a Governor at Richard Cobden Primary School in Camden Town and an active and engaged member of the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools (IAPS), where he is an Elected Board Director. He is also an experienced Team Inspector for the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate (ISI) and a qualified Executive
Professional Coach.
Tim is a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching. He is married and lives in West London.