Directors and Central Trust Staff

NAME	EXPERIENCE
Members:
Cardinal Vincent Nichols Archbishop of Westminster	In 1998 Bishop Nichols was appointed chair of the Bishops’ Conference Department for Catholic Education and Formation and also chair of the Catholic Education Service. In 2008 he was appointed President of the Commission for Schools, Universities and Catechesis of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE). In 2014, appointed by Pope Francis, he became Cardinal. He was asked to lead the work of the Church against human trafficking and modern slavery.
Canon Michael Dunne Chair of the Education Committee, Diocese of Westminster	Currently, Parish Priest at Our Lady of Grace and St Edward, Chiswick. In 2017, he was appointed Chair of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster (RCDOW) Education Commission. In this role he is responsible for all areas related to education as outlined in Canon law. He is also Chair of the RCDOW Academy Project Board and has played a pivotal part in enacting the vision that every school and college will sit within a nexus of collaboration and support.
Mr Peter Sweeney Director of Education Westminster	In 2020, he joined the Diocese of Westminster as Director for Education. This builds upon his extensive educational experience in leadership. He has been Executive Headteacher over three schools and was CEO of a Catholic Academy Trust. He has also been a National Leader for Education, providing consulting and mentoring services to Senior Leaders in Education.
Mr Paolo Camoletto Chief Operating Officer Westminster	In 2016, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Diocese of Westminster, where he continues to provide strategic and operational oversight for Education Services, Caritas (Social Justice), youth provision and the Financial Secretariat. This builds upon his career experience, including as an auditor for Arthur Anderson & Co. and then as Vice President at JPMorgan Chase, London before joining the Diocese of Westminster where he held the position of Financial Secretary with responsibility for reshaping the financial and asset management of the charity.
Trust Directors:
James Coyle MBE Chair	Teaching and training background Building on his experience as a teacher at a Catholic secondary school in Brent, Mr Coyle went on to a career in teacher training as a tutor at UCL and University of Buckingham for PGCE/QTS trainees. He has undertaken extensive work within Education, including as Head of Education ILEX, Senior Manager Pearson and Director of Standards and Qualifications LLUK. He also has extensive experience as an Ofsted and Section 48 inspector. As a founding Director of The Blessed Holy Family Catholic Academy Trust, he has supported the formation of the Lux Mundi Trust, where he sits as a director. He continues to play an active role in Parish life and the local educational offer. Experience includes parish council work, board member Harrow Council Schools Standards and Effectiveness Committee, National Leader of Governance DfE, Regional NLG Advocate for West London boroughs RSC/TSA, Member Diocesan Governors’ Academy strategy and policy advisory group.
Brendan Byrne Vice Chair Chair of Estates and Premises	IT Programme Manager background. IT Consultant within the public sector, Project Management of large infrastructure projects. Mr Byrne has worked on large scale IT programmes across multiple sectors with experience in business management, change management, sales, programme and service delivery across different industry sectors, including the education sector. He has been actively engaged in parish life, including his role as a children's liturgy catechist in the parish for many years.
John Hamilton Chair of Finance & Risk	Management Finance professional Currently, the Head of Sustainability and Data Insight in the Finance and Resources Directorate of Westminster City Council. This builds upon his background as a Management Finance professional with expertise in business strategy, performance management, project/programme management and team management. He has been a parishioner of Wealdstone Parish. Foundation Governor at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, chair of Personal Development and Wellbeing and Achievement Committees, lead governor for maths and SEN, member of steering and pay committees and also chaired the resources' committee.
Paula Thompson Safeguarding and Wellbeing	Currently, a Compliance Analyst and Neuro-inclusivity Champion at a Financial Services company. This builds upon a career as a professional Project Manager, working in multiple business areas within large corporate organisations and delivering complex technical and business changes. She has been a parishioner for 60+ years at Most Sacred Heart Ruislip Parish, where she served as confirmation catechist for over five years. She is also a foundation governor at a local primary school.
Central Trust Staff:
Geraldine Higgins CEO / Accounting Officer	Founding CEO of the Blessed Holy Family Catholic Academy Trust. Previously Headteacher of The Sacred Heart Language College for over 17 years. She is passionate about enabling all young people to grow and thrive, empowering all to be self-confident, well-informed leaders of Catholic social teaching in their communities. She has worked for a local authority as a senior school improvement adviser linked to a range of primary and secondary schools. She has led school inspections across both phases. As an accredited school improvement partner, she has worked with a range of Headteachers on school improvement and governing bodies on Headteacher performance management. She became a Headteacher in 2007. Since 2019, she has also been our CEO, establishing all BHFCAT and policies and systems to make the Trust effective. This includes mentoring of Headteachers, leading on training for teaching and learning, safeguarding and leadership.
Peter Tomkins CFO	Finance consultant and Educational leadership background Mr Tomkins has many years' experience of managing school finance systems to ensure the best value and the needs of all pupils are met. As a former Headteacher, he is well-placed to understand the needs of school communities and how resources should be best utilised to address need and raise levels of achievement.
Meena Tailor COO	Background in the corporate industry, working in a variety of positions, applying a logical and programmatic approach to change initiatives. Her extensive career has given her the skills and expertise as a Transformational Change Manager, Leadership, HR Implementation and Operational and Performance Management. Her passion is her ability to build and develop strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, balanced with the desire to create a culture of collaboration and colleague engagement.

NAME

EXPERIENCE

Members:

Cardinal Vincent Nichols

Archbishop of Westminster

In 1998 Bishop Nichols was appointed chair of the Bishops’ Conference Department for Catholic Education and Formation and also chair of the Catholic Education Service.

In 2008 he was appointed President of the Commission for Schools, Universities and Catechesis of the Council of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe (CCEE).

In 2014, appointed by Pope Francis, he became Cardinal. He was asked to lead the work of the Church against human trafficking and modern slavery.

Canon Michael Dunne

Chair of the Education Committee, Diocese of Westminster

Currently, Parish Priest at Our Lady of Grace and St Edward, Chiswick.

In 2017, he was appointed Chair of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Westminster (RCDOW) Education Commission. In this role he is responsible for all areas related to education as outlined in Canon law.

He is also Chair of the RCDOW Academy Project Board and has played a pivotal part in enacting the vision that every school and college will sit within a nexus of collaboration and support.

Mr Peter Sweeney

Director of Education

Westminster

In 2020, he joined the Diocese of Westminster as Director for Education. This builds upon his extensive educational experience in leadership. He has been Executive Headteacher over three schools and was CEO of a Catholic Academy Trust. He has also been a National Leader for Education, providing consulting and mentoring services to Senior Leaders in Education.

Mr Paolo Camoletto

Chief Operating Officer

Westminster

In 2016, he was appointed Chief Operating Officer of the Diocese of Westminster, where he continues to provide strategic and operational oversight for Education Services, Caritas (Social Justice), youth provision and the Financial Secretariat.

This builds upon his career experience, including as an auditor for Arthur Anderson & Co. and then as Vice President at JPMorgan Chase, London before joining the Diocese of Westminster where he held the position of Financial Secretary with responsibility for reshaping the financial and asset management of the charity.

Trust Directors:

James Coyle MBE
Chair

Teaching and training background

Building on his experience as a teacher at a Catholic secondary school in Brent, Mr Coyle went on to a career in teacher training as a tutor at UCL and University of Buckingham for PGCE/QTS trainees. He has undertaken extensive work within Education, including as Head of Education ILEX, Senior Manager Pearson and Director of Standards and Qualifications LLUK.

He also has extensive experience as an Ofsted and Section 48 inspector.

As a founding Director of The Blessed Holy Family Catholic Academy Trust, he has supported the formation of the Lux Mundi Trust, where he sits as a director.

He continues to play an active role in Parish life and the local educational offer. Experience includes parish council work, board member Harrow Council Schools Standards and Effectiveness Committee, National Leader of Governance DfE, Regional NLG Advocate for West London boroughs RSC/TSA, Member Diocesan Governors’ Academy strategy and policy advisory group.

Brendan Byrne

Vice Chair

Chair of Estates and Premises

IT Programme Manager background.

IT Consultant within the public sector, Project Management of large infrastructure projects.

Mr Byrne has worked on large scale IT programmes across multiple sectors with experience in business management, change management, sales, programme and service delivery across different industry sectors, including the education sector.

He has been actively engaged in parish life, including his role as a children's liturgy catechist in the parish for many years.

John Hamilton

Chair of Finance & Risk

Management Finance professional

Currently, the Head of Sustainability and Data Insight in the Finance and Resources Directorate of Westminster City Council. This builds upon his background as a Management Finance professional with expertise in business strategy, performance management, project/programme management and team management.

He has been a parishioner of Wealdstone Parish. Foundation Governor at St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, chair of Personal Development and Wellbeing and Achievement Committees, lead governor for maths and SEN, member of steering and pay committees and also chaired the resources' committee.

Paula Thompson

Safeguarding and Wellbeing

Currently, a Compliance Analyst and Neuro-inclusivity Champion at a Financial Services company.

This builds upon a career as a professional Project Manager, working in multiple business areas within large corporate organisations and delivering complex technical and business changes.

She has been a parishioner for 60+ years at Most Sacred Heart Ruislip Parish, where she served as confirmation catechist for over five years. She is also a foundation governor at a local primary school.

Central Trust Staff:

Geraldine Higgins

CEO / Accounting Officer

Founding CEO of the Blessed Holy Family Catholic Academy Trust. Previously Headteacher of The Sacred Heart Language College for over 17 years.

She is passionate about enabling all young people to grow and thrive, empowering all to be self-confident, well-informed leaders of Catholic social teaching in their communities.

She has worked for a local authority as a senior school improvement adviser linked to a range of primary and secondary schools. She has led school inspections across both phases. As an accredited school improvement partner, she has worked with a range of Headteachers on school improvement and governing bodies on Headteacher performance management.

She became a Headteacher in 2007. Since 2019, she has also been our CEO, establishing all BHFCAT and policies and systems to make the Trust effective. This includes mentoring of Headteachers, leading on training for teaching and learning, safeguarding and leadership.

Peter Tomkins

CFO

Finance consultant and Educational leadership background

Mr Tomkins has many years' experience of managing school finance systems to ensure the best value and the needs of all pupils are met.

As a former Headteacher, he is well-placed to understand the needs of school communities and how resources should be best utilised to address need and raise levels of achievement.

Meena Tailor

COO

Background in the corporate industry, working in a variety of positions, applying a logical and programmatic approach to change initiatives.

Her extensive career has given her the skills and expertise as a Transformational Change Manager, Leadership, HR Implementation and Operational and Performance Management.

Her passion is her ability to build and develop strong relationships with a wide range of stakeholders, balanced with the desire to create a culture of collaboration and colleague engagement.

Directors and Central Trust Staff

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