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Meet the team

Senior Management Team
Louise Fall
Principal and Chief Executive

Louise took over the role of Principal and Chief Executive on August 1, 2024 after being Deputy Principal since January 2022. She reports to the Board of Governors and is responsible for the achievement of the college’s strategic aims and objectives, and ensuring that all students and apprentices receive an exceptional learning experience to equip them with the skills they need to succeed in their future careers. Louise joined the college in September 2014 as Quality Improvement Director having responsibility for developing and implementing a comprehensive and effective strategy to drive quality development and improvements across the college and all areas of the curriculum, including the design and delivery of excellence teaching, learning and assessment. This supported the college to be rated ‘Good’ by OfSTED in 2014 which was maintained in 2017 and 2023. Following a move into an Assistant Principal role, Louise was appointed as Vice Principal – Student Engagement in March 2020.

Peter Merry
Deputy Principal and Chief Executive

Peter Merry took up the role of Deputy Principal and Chief Executive on August 1, 2024. He joined the college as Vice Principal in October 2017 and was appointed as Deputy Chief Executive in January 2022. In addition to deputising for the Principal where required, Peter’s key areas of focus are to optimise the resources and support infrastructure available to students – most notably in delivering the college’s campus transformation programme – and working with the Board of Governors to assure the long-term financial sustainability and efficiency of the college. Before joining the college, Peter was Finance Director of a further education college and, prior to this, spent over 10 years as part of KPMG’s national education team supporting a range of organisations and funding bodies with finance and funding matters, including in the filing of annual published financial statements. Peter is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Lynn Parker
Assistant Principal

Lynn has been at the college since 2014. Prior to becoming Assistant Principal, Lynn was Head of Faculty – Professional and Service Industries which encompasses Access to HE, business and digital, health & early years, leisure industries, hospitality, and hair and beauty. During her career in further education Lynn has been a lecturer, assessor and curriculum manager. Prior to this she trained as a dance teacher and beauty therapist, owning her own businesses and treating many high profile clients.

Michael Dixon
Assistant Principal

Michael has worked for the college for over 20 years and is currently Assistant Principal. He has previously held the roles of Head of Faculty for Technology, Creative and Academic Studies and Curriculum Manager for Creative Industries.

Paul Davies
Director of Finance

Paul joined the college as Director of Finance in August 2023 with a remit covering finance, IT and the specialist Polymer Training and Innovation Centre (PTIC) in Telford He is responsible for the strategic development of finance systems to meet the operational needs of the organisation, an IT strategy to meet the needs of the ever-developing curriculum, and developing a new business model for the Polymer Training and Innovation Centre to maximise its commercial opportunities. Paul has spent the past ten years working in further education – most recently as Vice Principal at Strode College in Somerset, and before this as Head of Finance at Bath College and Finance Manager at City of Bristol College. Prior to this, Paul had a career in commercial business, sales and agriculture. Paul is a Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants.

Mark King
Head of Technology and Business Services

Mark has worked at the college since 2018. He holds trade qualifications in both construction and engineering and has wide experience of further education, managing construction, engineering and motor vehicle at a number of colleges. Mark is highly motivated by the challenges ahead and drawing on his past experience to improve the opportunities for all learners in his faculty.

Andy Armstrong
Head of Funding and Compliance

Andy has held this position at the college for the past 23 years. Andy’s role combines ensuring compliance with student and funding data capture processes, adherence to relevant external funding guidance rules along with contributing towards the analysis and eventual submission of relevant data for funding and monitoring purposes (to both internal and external recipients). This requires the oversight of effective management of student enrolment, funding data collection and supporting the planning and development of the curriculum offer. This covers various aspects including supporting the development of appropriate data capture systems, provision of funding advice and course validation and contributing to the effective analysis and monitoring of applications, enrolments, learner numbers, funding, registers and attendance, retention, timetables and staff utilisation data and exam entries. The role is also responsible for all student related engagement and funding data returns to external agencies (including the West Midlands Combined Authority, Education & Skills Funding Agency and Office for Students). He is also a major contributor in the provision and analysis of data for departmental self-assessments and is the key contact for data relating to student related external audits and inspections. Andy is also the college’s Data Protection Officer.

Jaime Davies
Head of Communications and Marketing

Jaime joined the college as Head of Communications and Marketing in January 2022. As well as overseeing all aspects of marketing and communications, her key responsibilities include setting and executing marketing strategies, oversight of the college brand and enhancing the student communication experience. Prior to joining the college, Jaime worked in marketing and communications roles for nine years across a variety of sectors – including npower, which was one of the big six energy suppliers at the time, and the NEC Group, the UK’s largest live events business.

Daniel Degg
Head of Employer Engagement and Business Development

Daniel joined the college in December 2021 as Head of Employer Engagement and Business Development. His role is to maximise the college’s employer-facing activities including apprenticeship recruitment, work experience and other work-based learning solutions to help broaden opportunities for young people and the wider workforce across the region. Daniel has experience leading employer engagement teams in FE colleges, higher education institutes and local government organisations, as well as developing skills solutions to meet the needs of the local business community and local and regional priorities, along with implementing strategies to raise the profile of providers. Daniel graduated from Keele University in 2012 with a BA (Hons) in Human Resource Management & Marketing and has since gone on to study Prince2 Project Management and more recently a CIPD Level 5 Diploma in Learning & Development. He has particular expertise in work-based learning (including apprenticeships) and is a registered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development (CIPD).

Rose Urkovskis
Head of Student Entitlement

As Head of Student Entitlement, Rose’s role is to ensure that the college meets the needs of all students along their journey from application to progression into education, training or employment, and she manages all aspects of student support, welfare and services which ensure that they receive appropriate advice, guidance, support and opportunities to reach their full potential. Rose manages the centralised services for admissions, attendance monitoring, enrolment, financial advice, SEND, inclusion and learner support, student counselling, careers guidance, student projects and the Students’ Union and works closely with all academic and cross college areas and teams to develop highly effective services and to embed personal development, behaviour and welfare into the tutorial system. Rose started her career in further education 22 years ago, firstly as an assessor then a lecturer in early years, health and social care and teacher education (Cert Ed and PGCE), and has managed curriculum areas in the college as well as leading on teaching and learning.

Mary Carter
Head of Human Resources

Mary has worked at the college since October 2010. With the HR team she contributes to and delivers the HR strategy across the College which includes employee engagement and promoting and managing effective people/performance management through internal stakeholders i.e. recruitment & selection, handling grievances, absences, expectations, DNA meetings and disciplinaries. Mary also manages the college’s occupational health provision.

Darren Webley
Head of Information Technology

Darren has been the college’s Information Technology Manager since June 2013 and is responsible for overseeing the operational aspects of information technology in the college and implementing the IT strategic plan across all aspects of the institution. Before joining the college he was the ICT Operations Manager at Primecare where he was responsible for the operational delivery of ICT, providing services to support clinical staff working alongside the NHS, and before this was ICT Manager at Bromsgrove District Council.

Conrad Taylor
Head of Business Learning and Technologies

Conrad’s role as Business Learning Technologies Manager is to ensure the college is using the latest technology to support teaching, learning and assessment and effective business processes across all aspects of the institution, he also oversees the digital up-skilling of all staff and students to ensure they can live, learn and work in a digital society. Conrad has over 20 years’ experience in further education in roles such as computing lecturer, teaching and learning advisor and a programmer creating software for accessible screening and assessment tools for dyslexia and dyspraxia. His specialist interest lies in encouraging collaborative practice, personal development, and creative thinking, and he is deeply passionate about technology and believes it has the power to influence change.

Anil Sharma
Head of Safeguarding and Equality & Diversity

As the college’s safeguarding & equality manager, Anil is responsible for ensuring the organisation has the necessary framework in place across all aspects of safeguarding and equality. Anil has many years of experience in the education sector and holds qualifications in safeguarding, equality, youth work and mediation, as well as post-graduate qualifications in leadership and security management. He combines his knowledge and experience in these areas to support students and staff. Prior to becoming safeguarding & equality manager, Anil held the posts of safeguarding co-ordinator, social inclusion manager and youth & security team leader.

Dan Harris
Head of Facilities and Procurement

Dan joined the college in 2009 as an apprentice in the finance team. He became Contracts and Procurement Supervisor in 2013 and was promoted to Facilities and Procurement Manager in November 2018. His key responsibilities include ensuring learners have access to high quality facilities with particular focus on canteen provision, campus security and cleanliness, and he is also responsible for managing the college’s procurement, tendering and contractual arrangements to achieve agreed outcomes and improved value for money. Dan has extensive knowledge and understanding of the college’s estate and business activities and holds a number of financial qualifications including AAT and CIMA.

Richard Hewitt
Head of Apprenticeships

Richard was appointed as Head of Apprenticeships in October 2023. His key area of focus is to work closely with internal stakeholders to drive up the standard of apprenticeships, ensuring that they develop in line with individual employer requirements and position the college as one of the leading apprenticeship providers in the West Midlands region. Richard joined the college in 2017 as an account manager in the employer engagement team, and became sector lead for apprenticeships in 2021, managing provision in the automotive, construction and engineering sectors.

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