Iain McCracken
Iain is an experienced information technology service leader having worked within IT since 2007. He is employed in a strategic leadership role as Head of IT Service Delivery at Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU) and has worked within the higher education sector since 2015. Iain led CCCU through a global IT best practice accreditation to become the 4th UK University to be accredited and maintain that against a best practice standard for three consecutive years.
Iain has led a cross-university task force to ensure appropriate systems supported revised University processes during the Covid pandemic. Previously, Iain worked within the NHS throughout Kent and Medway, acquiring significant experience of how large, public sector organisations operate. Iain utilised his people centred leadership skills to lead a range of teams ensuring high quality solutions to significant challenges.
Iain is an experienced committee representative and has shared his experiences at conferences hosted by the Service Desk Institute (SDI) and the Universities and Colleges Information Systems Association (UCISA). Iain is an established UCISA committee member working with IT service professionals from many UK institutions to contribute to the development of innovative and creative solutions to IT service delivery and future ways of working.
John Ker-Lindsay
Over 15 years Human Resources experience gained in multinational and large national organisations in variety of industries such as IT, Airlines, Housing Associations, Intellectual Property, Consumer Electronics, Security, Local and Central Government Outsourcing and Construction.
I have good experience of employee relations, compensation, benefits, organisational change, TUPE, business partnering and HR Policy and strategy. I have worked on several global IT outsourcing projects where I have been the HR lead in during the bid process, contract negotiation, transferring staff and ensuring business as usual was achieved quickly with minimum disruption to all staff involved.
Currently I head up the HR function for the UK and Ireland for a large US Consumer Electronics business based in Kent ensuring the full employee life cycle is managed in line with our business plans and aligned to our core values. I have a degree from the University of Kent in Industrial Relations and Human Resources Management.
Matthew Drinkwater
Matthew has been a Governor at St Stephen’s Infant School since January 2018. He has a keen interest in Health and Safety (expanding the experience he gained in a similar role as a Trustee for Age UK, Whitstable) and a focus on Pupil Outcomes and Teaching and Learning.
His eldest son attends St Stephen’s Junior School after graduating from St Stephen’s Infant School. His youngest son attends the Acorns Nursery. He brings to the Academy Trust 25 years’ experience of Risk Assessment, Planning, Training, Audit and Governance gained within the NHS, Health Protection Agency and Humanitarian Relief Organisations.
This experience is supported by qualifications in Environmental Technology, Healthcare Leadership, Business Continuity and Disaster Engineering and Management. Matthew’s employer provides him with 5 volunteering days a year, which can be used to support the Academy Trust.
Mike O’Connell
A qualified and registered Social Worker holding a MA and Diploma in Social Work and the Kent Approved Practice Teacher Award. I worked as a social worker and manager/supervisor in both Youth Justice and Child Protection. From 2003 I worked for Kent County Council Education Safeguarding Team as the Training and Development Officer, the Area Education Safeguarding Officer for East Kent and as Acting Principal Officer and Local Authority Designated Officer (LADO).
I retired in June 2018. I have developed safeguarding training for schools, colleges and early years settings. I provide training in Supervision in schools and early years and was an accredited Safer Recruitment Trainer with the Safer Recruitment Consortium. I have contributed Independent Management reports for serious case reviews for KCC Education department. I chaired the KCC online safety advisory group and was a member of the Kent Safeguarding Children Board Learning and Development Sub group.
I have contributed to national policy, most recently DfE Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment in Schools Guidance 2018. I have been a director of a local MAT since 2018, with lead responsibility for Safeguarding. I am also deputy chair of the Standards and Health and Safety committees of the Trust.