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Executive Leadership Team

Our Executive Leadership Team is responsible for the day-to-day management of the Trust and is accountable to both the Local Governing Bodies and the Trust Board. 

Dr Thomas Flynn (Chief Executive Officer)

Tom joined the Trust as COO in September 2022 before becoming CEO in September 2024. Before this, he was a senior leader within the higher education and charity sectors for over ten years, having completed a PhD at the University of York in political science. He was previously the Managing Director at Imperial College Union – one of the largest students’ unions in the UK, having held similar posts at several other universities. In his spare time, he is a governor and board member of Newham College London, and a trustee of two charities – The Albert Kennedy Trust and Oxford Brookes Students’ Union.

Under ESFA regulation, Tom serves as the Accounting Officer for the Trust.

Lucie Funnell (Chief Financial Officer)

Tandridge Learning Trust - Trustee - Lucie FunnellLucie is a fully ACCA chartered accountant with significant experience in both the academy trust and independent school sectors. Before joining the Girls' Learning Trust, she worked as the Director of Finance and Bursar at a large independent school in Surrey, and before this, as the Finance Manager at a large all-boys school in Sutton. She is also a Trustee of the Tandridge Learning Trust.

Under ESFA regulation, Lucie serves as the CFO for the Trust and joins the organisation on 28 October 2024.

Abi Jesson (Chief People Officer)

Abi joined the Girls' Learning Trust in 2022 in a new role responsible for leading our Human Resources and Governance Support teams, before joining the Executive Leadership Team in September 2024 with additional responsibility for Trust-wide safeguarding. Abi has over 20 years’ experience in senior HR roles in the public and third sector, having worked at the BBC, Royal Holloway University and a social impact charity. She is also a Trustee of the British Liver Trust.

Rachel Green (Chief Infrastructure Officer)

Rachel joined the Girls' Learning Trust in 2022 in a role responsible for leading our Estates and Facilities teams and management of facilities management contracts. She joined the Executive Leadership Team in September 2024 with additional responsibility for our IT provision in a new combined infrastructure post. Rachel has 18 years experience as a senior leader in operations and estates in the higher education, charity and health sectors. She was previously Head of Strategic Estates Management at The Children's Trust - a charity for children with brain injury that provides rehabilitation, education and support. 

Alexis Williamson-Jones (Headteacher Nonsuch High School for Girls

Profile photo of Alexis Williamson-JonesA  graduate from Loughborough University, Alexis also gained a MSc in Educational Leadership from Leicester University. She has been a school leader for over 20 years with responsibility for all aspects of school leadership including improving teaching and learning across a Trust, developing and delivering high quality CPD, and leading on behaviour for learning. Having previously worked in the independent sector, including 7 years spent at a large Girls School Trust, Alexis joined Nonsuch in September 2021 as Deputy Head Pastoral before being appointed as Head for September 2024. In her spare time, she is a governor at a primary school in Hammersmith, where she chairs the safeguarding committee.

Peter Baumann-Winn (Headteacher Carshalton High School for Girls)

Profile photo of Peter Baumann-WinnPeter is the newly appointed Headteacher of Carshalton High School for Girls from September 2024. His professional background is as a lawyer working in the corporate sector. He career-changed to Education in 2009, and prior to taking his current role was Assistant Head at St Marylebone CE School for Girls in central London and then Deputy Head at The Kingston Academy in Kingston upon Thames. As well as degrees in Philosophy & Politics and Law, Peter has the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH). 

Tracey O'Brien (Headteacher Wallington High School for Girls

A Geography graduate from the LSE, Tracey has been a school leader for over 15 years. She has been responsible for all aspects of school leadership, including improving teaching and learning, delivering high-quality CPD, planning school self-review and evaluation (Ofsted readiness), and leading on behaviour and inclusion. She has worked for London Challenge supporting other schools, and set up and became the director of one of the early National Teaching Schools. She has written leadership courses for middle / senior leaders, delivered teaching programmes as an AST, and was awarded one of the few London Commissioner Teacher roles. She has written two books on school self review and inspection.

Megan Mannion (Head of Governance)

Profile photo of Megan MannionMegan was previously an Assistant Company Secretary at Ark, a multi-academy trust with schools across London, Birmingham, Hastings and Portsmouth. Prior to this, she worked in governance roles across a number of charities and non-profit organisations. She has an MSc with distinction in corporate governance (with GradICSA status).

Megan is the Governance Professional for the Trust and serves as the formal Clerk to the Trust Board.