Our Board

Professor David Forrest is Deputy Vice-President for Education (Student Experience) at the University of Sheffield, and chairs the HEPP Board, and the University of Sheffield’s Access and Participation Strategy Group. David has extensive experience of leadership and strategy in access and participation, and has recently led an OfS funded project exploring the benefits of knowledge exchange for students from underrepresented backgrounds.

Fiona is the Business Manager for Rotherham School Improvement Service (RoSIS). She has worked supporting schools in Rotherham for over 25 years in various roles. Fiona is passionate about partnership working to build sustainability to the RoSIS team and is always keen to develop collaboration for and between schools and external partners.

Fiona is Chair of a Local Governing Board and Vice-Chair of a local authority maintained primary school. She believes that these roles keep her grounded in school improvement and in touch with the challenges and opportunities schools are facing.

Nicola is Head of Student Recruitment and Access at Sheffield Hallam University. From a widening participation background, she is a passionate advocate of higher education and the transformational impact it can have on both individuals and wider society. She has led student recruitment and access teams at a number of universities over the last 20 years in the North East and North West of England, and now, Yorkshire. She is actively involved in HELOA where she works collaboratively with colleagues across the sector supporting students in making informed decisions about HE.

Tony is Deputy Director of Marketing, Admissions, Recruitment and Communications at the University of Sheffield with a specific focus on Admissions and Access. Following a career in commercial recruitment in construction and engineering across the north of England, Tony has been working in higher education for the past 15 years with previous roles in student support, UK/international student recruitment and admissions at two UK universities. Having experienced first hand the transformational impact of widening access to higher education, he strongly believes that education, and its potential to change lives, should be available to all irrespective of background.

Heather is Head of Access within Marketing, Admissions, Recruitment and Communications at the University of Sheffield. The first in her family to enter higher education, and from a low participation neighbourhood, Heather completed a BA in Politics and MA in Governance and Public Policy at the University of Sheffield before undertaking the prestigious National Graduate Development Programme in Local Government Management linked to Lincolnshire County Council. With 15 years of public sector experience, focused on community development, youth offending and widening access to education, she is a passionate advocate for equitable educational opportunities and outcomes for all.

Carol and Cathy share the post of Director of Student Recruitment and Admissions at Sheffield Hallam University, leading the Student Recruitment and Widening Participation/Outreach function and the Student Recruitment Strategy for both home and overseas markets. Both Carol and Cathy have detailed and extensive experience of engaging with all stages of young people’s journey towards entry into higher education and are also actively involved in the wider region in education and charity governance in related organisations. They are also Strand Leads for the Aspiration Strand of the South Yorkshire Futures social mobility programme.

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A highly experienced school leader in teaching and learning and performance management, Chris is passionate about building aspiration in young people, especially those who have come from challenging backgrounds. As Deputy Head Teacher of a school that works with Hepp, Chris has direct experience of what Hepp can offer to schools and the impact on both teaching staff and students from Year 7 upwards.

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Louisa is the Chief Executive of The Sheffield Chamber of Commerce, additional roles include Chair of Sheffield Business Together a consortium of private sector organisations harnessing their resources to tackle key social issues and support voluntary and charitable organisations in the City supported by BITC, a trustee at St Lukes Hospice and a member of the Higher Education Partnership (HEP) Board which is a collaboration between the University of Sheffield and Sheffield Hallam University to improve educational attainments in the most deprived and structurally disadvantaged parts of Sheffield. Louisa is also on the Sheffield City Partnership Board chaired by Lord Blunkett.

Louisa is representing the three South Yorkshire Chambers ( Barnsley & Rotherham, Doncaster and Sheffield) on the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Business Advisory Board. Working collaboratively with local authorities, the mayoral combined authority and the BCC network to lobby on behalf of business to improve the ecosystem here in South Yorkshire.  

Louisa is an established entrepreneur with 20 years’ experience working in the employment and skills arena in Sheffield.  She founded Benchmark an ethical employment agency in 2006 which she exited via MBO in 2022. A keen vegetable grower and amateur cricketer!

Read more about Louisa