David Gleed

David Gleed

Chief Executive and Executive Principal

David is a qualified chartered accountant who has worked for a number of leading international financial organisations. He joined the College as Principal in 2010, having previously occupied the same role at Bexley College for two years prior to joining North Kent College. He joined Bexley College as Director of Finance in 2001 and then became Deputy Principal in 2003 before becoming Principal in 2008. David was born in Dartford and educated at local schools before gaining an MA in Mathematics from Oxford University.

Keith Norman

Keith Norman

Chair of Corporation and member of Search, Governance & Remuneration Committee and Estates Strategy & Capital Projects Committee

Retired experienced corporate banking professional (ACIB qualified).  Keith had a 37 year career with Lloyds Banking Group until April 2016.  Whilst working for Lloyds Banking Group, Keith had a number of diverse roles but the last 13 years of his career focused on leading the Bank's national team dedicated to supporting the Higher and Further Education sector.  Keith's responsibilities included direct management of a portfolio of College and University clients, liaison with sector regulators, informing the Bank's strategy and risk appetite towards the sector and, at the time, its £2.5bn of sector lending exposure.

In April 2016, Keith established a Company to provide consultancy services to Colleges, Universities and Charities, principally to support the raising of corporate funding.  Now fully retired, Keith puts his skills in business management, negotiations and relationship management to help support the North Kent College Board.

David Martin

David Martin

External Governor - Chair of Quality & Standards Committee, Member of Search, Governance & Remuneration Committee and Lead Safeguarding Governor

Until his recent retirement, David was one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors. He is a veteran of the further education sector, inspectorates and successive inspection cycles. After a successful teaching and senior management career, he was a full-time education and skills inspector for over 20 years, originally with the Further Education Funding Council, from its inception, the Adult Learning Inspectorate and then with Ofsted.

He inspected all aspects of general further education and sixth-form colleges, workplace learning and adult and community learning. He has particular expertise in leadership and management, the quality of education and training and in the business and management curriculum.
Prior to inspecting, David was a full-time teacher of business and management studies and social sciences in further and higher education for over 24 years, latterly holding leadership roles, including deputy principal. He also held directorships of workplace learning companies.

David graduated in the social sciences.  He also has post-graduate and professional qualifications in management, marketing and export and tourism. David was born in Kent. After working in other parts of the country he returned “home” for work and remains there after his recent retirement.  He shares a love of food and travel with his wife, who is a longstanding chef-proprietor.

Jonathan Gurney

Jonathan Gurney

Chair of Audit Committee and Member of Estates Strategy & Capital Projects Committee

Jonathan is a Corporate Banking manager with over 30 years’ experience in the Retail and Corporate Banking environment.  Employed by Svenska Handelsbanken based in Dartford, having previously worked for Barclays Bank for 30 years. He is a Relationship Banker for the SME business sector, providing a full range of funding and general banking services to support local businesses.

Dr Richard Longman

Dr Richard Longman

External Governor - Member of Quality & Standards Committee and Member of Estates Strategy & Capital Projects Committee

Richard Longman is Partnership Director for Greater North Kent, a public sector partnership that seeks to promote economic prosperity, social wellbeing and sustainable place-making in North Kent with particular attention to health, culture, skills, climate change and infrastructure. He is also Coordinator for the North Kent Enterprise Zone. Richard started his career as a classical musician and musicologist and has also worked in central Government, national agencies and regional partnerships in a wide range of national and international policy development and programme management roles.

Teja Birring

Teja Birring

External Governor - Chair of Estates Strategy & Capital Projects Committee and Member of Audit Committee

Teja Biring is a qualified architect and a partner working for calfordseaden out of their London office. The projects range from designing private houses, for one off clients, to large residential developments, care homes, offices, warehouses, Embassies and Gurdwaras (Sikh Temples). Currently working on tower blocks, removing flammable cladding and refurbishing a Grade 2 Embassy.

Louis Jones

Louis Jones

External Governor - Member of the Audit Committee & Member of the Estates Strategy & Capital Projects Committee

Louis joined Smiths Medical in March 2016 to head up the expanded GFS EMEA shared service center based in Ashford. In this role Louis is responsible for all Finance and accounting activity in the EMEA region for Smiths Medical.

Louis has over 25 years of Finance & Accounting experience in a range of Industries including, Automotive, building plastics, Telecommunications & for the past 20 years Pharmaceutical, including 14 years at Pfizer in a number of senior positions.

Prior to joining Smiths Medical Louis was Executive director of Finance, contracts and outsourcings for Daiichi Sankyo Development Ltd, the European development arm of this Japanese Pharmaceutical company.

Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants 2003

Association of the Chartered Certified Accountants member since 1996

Suzanne Davies

Suzanne Davies

External Governor & Member of the Audit Committee

Suzanne started her career in finance advisory, first as an auditor with BDO and then in Corporate Finance with Smith & Williamson.  In 2009, Suzanne moved into the not-for- profit sector and became the Treasurer of a children’s nursery social enterprise (London Early Years Foundation) and Chair of Audit at the housing association, Origin Housing.  Suzanne developed her specialism with children by first acting as Finance Director to a charity for children’s education in India (Kusuma Trust) and then as Corporate Services Director for the national children’s reading charity, Beanstalk. In 2018, Suzanne joined the VSC as Finance and HR Director.

Mandeep Sahota

Mandeep Sahota

External Governor & Member of the Audit Committee

Mandeep is a qualified CIMA accountant with over 20 years’ experience of working in various finance roles across the media industry.  Currently working as Finance Director for FutureBrand, a global brand consulting business.  Previously, Mandeep worked with CNN International supporting the Global Sales team and International news bureaus.

Sarah Henwood

Sarah Henwood

External Governor - Chair of Search, Governance & Remuneration Committee

Sarah is the Chief Executive Officer at leading South East law firm Thomson Snell & Passmore, and has over 25 years of experience within professional services. Her career has spanned marketing, business development, operational and general management roles with global and national practices across the legal and accountancy professions, in the UK, US and Asia. Sarah has held Board level positions in PLCs and has worked as the CEO of a major royal charity.

Jane Spurgin

Jane Spurgin

External Governor – Member of the Search, Governance & Remuneration Committee and Estates Strategy & Capital Projects Committee

For many years a Kent resident, Jane has been working in the Further Education sector since 1992 in a range of roles which took her from West Kent College, to the Learning & Skills Council, to KAFEC and finally to MidKent College.  Since her retirement in 2016 Jane has been acting as a consultant to the FE sector at senior management level supporting College mergers and providing senior leadership support.  Currently she is undertaking an Open University degree course (English Literature and Creative Writing) with a view to being able to write that book that she is sure she has in her!

Jane's interests include ballet, theatre, books, gardening and enjoying time with her two granddaughters.  Jane is delighted to join the NKC Board of Governors!

Sue Hubble

Sue Hubble

External Governor - Member of the Audit Committee and Quality & Standards Committee

Sue did a BSc in Environmental Biology then trained as a science teacher and taught in schools for several years.  She returned to studying full time and did a degree and then a PhD in law at King’s College in London. Her work in education and law led her to a job in the House of Commons Research and Information Department where she has worked as a senior policy analyst in higher and further education for 20 years. This job involves working closely with MPs and their staff and providing them with accurate and impartial information to assist them in their parliamentary and constituency duties.

Martin Jenkins

Martin Jenkins

External Governor - Member of Audit Committee

Martin is a civil servant who has been part of the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs since 2010.  He’s worked in a variety of senior roles, primarily developing government policy related to farming.  Since 2019 he has led work to develop new subsidies to improve the health and welfare of farmed animals in England.

Nicholas Smith

Nicholas Smith

Staff Governor - Member of Quality & Standards Committee

Nicholas Smith’s background is in Plumbing. He has been working in Further Education for 11 years. During this time, before moving to Kent, his teaching career has been in Leeds. However, he also worked in Birmingham and Warwickshire. Nicholas began his career within further education to provide young people with opportunities to progress. He has recently been elected as Secretary of the West Kent District for The National Education Union and sits on the South East Regional Council. Nicholas will continue to do the upmost to provide a fair and equal work life for everyone and to ensure young people are given the opportunities they require.

Heidi King

Heidi King

External Governor – Member of the Quality & Standards Committee

Heidi King is a marketing and engagement professional with over 25 years’ experience of working across Higher Education and various commercial sectors working with young people. Heidi is currently the Executive Director of Marketing and External Relations at the University of Greenwich which has campuses in Greenwich, Avery Hill in Southeast London and Medway in Kent.

Emma Cosby

External Governor – Member of the Quality & Standards Committee

Emma is a CIM-qualified marketing professional with over 25 years’ experience in various sectors from the travel and leisure industry to education and membership organisations. She also has worked as a teacher in FE and training, having taught Travel and Tourism and CIM Marketing qualifications. Recently worked for the Education and Training Foundation, driving teacher professional development opportunities, including the rollout of T Level teacher training for the DfE. She is currently Head of Marketing at the Chartered Governance Institute, a membership body for governance professionals.

Nikki Moore

Nikki Moore

Staff Governor

Nikki’s background is in both theatre and ESOL teaching. She has worked in numerous countries as a language teacher and currently teaches part time as a Functional Skills Lecturer to native English speakers.

Her other pathway is in Theatre where for the last 28 years, on and off, she has been a part of the Miskin Theatre Company. She is currently the Theatre Business Manager overseeing the management of the commercial side of the Miskin Theatre. Nikki has fostered a great relationship with both curriculum and support staff across the Dartford campus during her time at North Kent College.

Niamh Langan

Niamh Langan

Student Governor

I’m a Level 4 Training and Management student at Hadlow College. I have been at Hadlow for 2 years studying my extended level 3. Outside of University I enjoy riding and competing my own horses, show jumping is my passion.

Yolanda Hughes

Yolanda Hughes

Clerk & Governance Advisor to the Corporation

Yolanda joined North Kent College in 2011. She has over 15 years’ experience working in the FE & HE sector as Clerk to the Corporation and is qualified in FE & HE Corporate Governance. Prior to joining North Kent, she worked for Farnborough College of Technology and The Henley College. Her background before joining the FE sector was working with Hampshire Local Education Authority, Governor Services Department contracted to both primary and secondary schools. Yolanda was born and educated in Zimbabwe, Africa.