Governance

I am Executive Director of Facing History in the UK. I am a passionate and committed leader, with over 18 years of experience managing education and youth-oriented charities. Prior to joining Facing History, I was the CEO of the Aldridge Foundation, an educational organisation which supports a network of 10 schools in underserved communities. I have also run my own management consultancy, and worked in business development and operations for two other youth-oriented charities, the Communication Trust and Youth At Risk. I hold a B.Ed Hons in Secondary Education.

As a competent, determined previous Assistant Head and current SENCO at Ark Elvin, Helga Afrika works in partnership with the head of pastoral care, and provides academic, emotional, social, and mental health support to vulnerable students. She has been involved in the Ark Community meal outreach, led and organized SEND enrichments and the Medical Professionals enrichment. She supports the school’s core values and displays that professionally in and outside of lessons. She is keen to make a further impact a governor, by making strategic decisions and work together with other governors, to develop a vision and strategy for our school.

I joined Ark in 2018 as an International Finance Manager and moved to the Financial Controller role in 2021. I joined Ark from KPMG, where I spent over six years specialising in statutory audits of medium to large organisations and pension schemes across numerous industries, whilst studying towards my bachelor’s degree and Chartered Accountancy qualification. I received a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from Durham University and am a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ACA). I am keen to use my financial expertise and professional experience to contribute to the betterment of schools as they played a huge role in my development.

Lisa Hawker, in her role as the Chief Information Officer and Founding Director at TransforMATive since March 2022, has been at the forefront of driving digital transformation in the Multi-Academy Trust (MAT) sector. 

Prior to her current role, Lisa played a crucial role at Ark, as Director of IT and Systems (Sep 2020 - Mar 2022) and Head of IT (Mar 2016 - Sep 2020), where she led significant IT transformation initiatives, managing extensive teams and budgets

Lisa's dedication to education and commitment to the welfare of young people and schools drives her purpose as a Governor at Ark Elvin. Her expertise in technology and leadership fuels her passion to contribute meaningfully to the educational journey of our students, ensuring they receive the best possible resources and guidance for their growth and success.

Mr. Hussain, is a LLB graduate currently pursuing the Barrister Training Course, he is a revered public speaker on education, philosophy, and theology. His eloquence captivates audiences, sparking insightful discussions. Beyond speaking engagements, his pivotal work includes developing Midlands-based non-charitable organizations, schools, and community initiatives. His efforts sustain academic excellence, empower youth, and foster robust community relations. Dedicated to justice, equality, education, and, accessibility, Mr. Hussain's impactful contributions reflect his commitment to societal betterment. With a unique blend of legal expertise, persuasive communication, and a fervent drive for community welfare, he continues to inspire positive change in academia, advocacy, and community involvement.

Being an integral member of the Reach Next Gen team delivering summits for teenage girls about life skills and careers Samantha is passionate about helping children realise their ambitions. The summits held around the country invite girls to come and listen to women in business talk about their career experiences including challenges they have had to overcome. Taking a keen interest in education she believes that all children should have access to good education to equip them for their chosen career, fulfil their potential and to aim for their dreams. She has a Diploma in Photography and lives in West London with her family.

Irene Kwok is a CIMA member and Chartered Global Management Accountant, with several years of experience in a range of commercial and finance based leadership roles as a civil servant in the Department for Transport. She has experienced a number of education systems and firmly believes that education is a powerful tool that can transform students’ lives, whatever their starting point, background or circumstance. She is passionate about championing an inclusive culture and the needs of pupils with SEND as well as being a critical friend to ensure limited resources are maximised to deliver the best outcome for students.

I am currently a Venture Associate with the Ark Ventures Team (currently working with Now Teach & Ark Start). I am on secondment from McKinsey & Co. where I have served a variety of clients across the public, private and third sector focusing on strategy/finance, organisation/governance and transformation topics. Here I was ranked in the top 3-5% of my cohort and completed an internal rotation as the deputy chief of staff to the EEMA Managing Partner.

I have a passion for driving educational equality especially in higher education access initiatives having been involved in Rare's Target Oxbridge Program since 2018.

She is a professional working in the community sector for over one decade and she is passionate about improving processes for the benefit of the community.
Her goal as a Community Support Officer is to strengthen individual’s cooperation with the services and with the organisations, so they can be part of the decisions making and be confident about the future.
It is important for her to challenge the schools in benefit of the students, parents and the school itself.
Having worked as a Service Desk analyst, she is an IT practitioner, therefore she is confident with new technologies.
Finally, her experience working in the education field, aligned to the ISO 9001:2015 certification know-how, gives her the experience needed to deliver a good service as a Parent Governor.