Julia Bridgewater MBE – Chair
Julia joins our Board with a wealth of experience following a successful 40-year career in the NHS, including 25 years in Board-level leadership roles such as Chief Operating Officer, Deputy Chief Executive, and Chief Executive.
She joined the NHS Graduate Scheme after achieving a First-Class Honours degree in Theology from the University of Manchester and has gone on to play a pivotal role in some of the NHS’s most complex and high-profile programmes.
Julia spent a significant part of her career in the West Midlands, serving as Chief Executive at both North Staffordshire NHS Trust and Shropshire Community Trust. For the past 12 years, Julia has been a senior leader at Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust (MFT), most recently undertaking the role of Deputy Trust Chief Executive. MFT is one of the largest teaching Trusts in the NHS spanning 10 hospital sites and community services, with 32,000 staff and a budget of £2.8 billion.
Julia’s expertise includes operational leadership at scale, delivering the benefits of large-scale mergers, and overseeing complex transformational change programmes. In 2023, Juliawas awarded an MBE for her services to the NHS, particularly in recognition of her contribution during the COVID-19 pandemic. She holds a strong belief in the value of the Catholic education system, and she has served as Foundation Director at All Saints Catholic Collegiate in Stoke-on-Trent over the past 12 years. Julia is an active member of her parish of Holy Trinity Newcastle and enjoys nothing more than spending time with her family.
Bernard King – Vice Chair
Bernard was fully educated at Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Birmingham and graduated from the University of Leeds.
For the last 25 years, he has worked in financial services and is the Founder and Managing Director of an investment management and financial advisory firm managing capital for high net worth and ultra-high net worth individuals and families, specialising in the bespoke portfolio management of pensions, onshore and offshore investments.
Bernard is also the Chair of a Charitable Trust which provides financial support to university students and apprentices; the charity works with many universities in the fields of healthcare and engineering and offer bursaries to students throughout the UK.
He has served as a Foundation Director at St Catherine of Siena MAC and has also served as a Foundation Director at Emmaus Catholic MAC.
In addition to St Gabriel the Archangel MAT, Bernard is currently the Chair of Governors at a two form entry primary school in Sandwell, so he has the privilege of serving in governance positions at local as well as MAT level.
Bernard is married with two children and his wife and children were educated at Catholic schools within the Archdiocese of Birmingham; He is passionate that all young people should have the chance to participate in a flourishing, fully inclusive education. In his spare time, he enjoys reading and spending time with family – but his true passion is running which allows time for thought and reflection.
Dr Yemisi Akinbobola
Dr Akinbobola is a leading voice on gender equality in and through media in Africa. Her work, spanning research, media practice, and advocacy, has informed policy, shaped industry standards, and fostered global dialogue on the rights and representation of African women in media. She is a Senior Lecturer and Research Degrees Coordinator for the College of Media and English at Birmingham City University (UK), where she supports doctoral education and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Dr Akinbobola is the co-founder and CEO of African Women in Media (AWiM), an international organisation driving structural change in media industries through research, capacity building, and policy engagement towards achieving gender equality and equity. Under her leadership, AWiM has grown into a global network of over 10,000 and has co-developed key frameworks such as the Kigali Declaration on the Elimination of Gender Violence in and through Media in Africa. She has been on key policy committees, including the UNESCO and African Union-led committee that wrote the Lusaka Declaration on Press Freedom in Africa.
Her research centres on African feminisms, media representation, and journalism practice, focusing on the lived realities of women media professionals. She regularly delivers keynote talks at major academic and policy platforms, including various United Nations agencies, the African Union, and the International Association for Media and Communication Research.
A former investigative journalist recognised with the CNN African Journalist Award, Dr Akinbobola created Her Media Diary, a podcast platform amplifying African women’s voices in media. She serves as Vice President of the Sustainable Journalism Partnership (Sweden), is a member of the International Panel on Social Progress, and sits on advisory boards, including the Global Media Congress (UAE) and the Africa Media Convention. In 2021, she was named one of the 100 Most Influential African Women.
Mike Ion
Until December 2024 Mike was the Education Director of a large Multi Academy Trust (Avanti Schools Trust) and has recently been appointed one of the Department for Education’s RISE Advisers. Mike has extensive experience in developing and implementing successful education programmes at local, regional, and national levels. Mike has an MSc Learning and Teaching from the University of Oxford and is a Visiting Fellow, with the Ambition Institute
James McGeachie
James has been CEO of the Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Multi-Academy Trust in the Diocese of Nottingham since its formation in 2018. Initially, Our Lady of Lourdes comprised of 17 primary and 4 secondary schools. In 2021, he became interim CEO of a second CMAT within the diocese and in 2022, he oversaw the merger of that MAT into Our Lady of Lourdes. This rapid expansion saw the Trust grow to 36 schools (30 primary and 6 secondary).
James and his team have provided MAT to MAT support through the DfE’s Trust and School Improvement Offer and have provided support and guidance to CEOs and senior executives from a number of growing Catholic MATs. In February 2024, Our Lady of Lourdes held an immersion day which was attended by over 100 CEOs and senior executives from Catholic MATs. James has been advising two Catholic dioceses on their MAT growth plans.
Prior to becoming CEO, James was headteacher at a large Catholic secondary school in Nottingham. During this time, he worked closely with the diocesan education service as a board member and chair of the diocesan standards committee.
James qualified as a teacher of French and German and has held several senior leader roles in both Catholic and non-denominational schools. James is a seconded member of Nottinghamshire County Council’s Children and Families select committee.
Fr Linh Nguyen
Fr Linh is the Parish Priest at St Bernadette’s, Brownhills and St Joseph & St Theresa’s, Chasetown. Fr Linh will contribute to the Board through his pastoral experience and theological knowledge.
Paul Rushworth
Paul Rushworth is a seasoned local government lawyer working in law, governance, and public sector leadership. He graduated with a degree in Politics in 1998 and completed an Executive MBA at Aston Business School, qualifying in 2022. His research investigated the challenges associated with municipally owned companies and the mechanisms which can be used to overcome them. He holds a level 7 diploma in strategic management and leadership practice from the Chartered Institute of Management. Following a first career working for the BBC, he trained as solicitor, qualifying in 2009. Paul is currently employed by Staffordshire Moorlands District Council and High Peak Borough Council as part of the council’s shared leadership team. He is a Board member of the East Midlands Lawshare Consortium, and a foundation Governor at St Dominic’s Catholic Primary School in Stone. During his his time in local government, he has advised in strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing service delivery and operational efficiency. His responsibilities encompass leading governance frameworks, and optimising, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. Paul is particularly prominent in promoting high standards of conduct among elected members and staff. He has extensive experience of alterative service delivery vehicles, including the incorporation of council owned companies. Paul is an accredited international election observer, having undertaken missions on behalf of OSCE and ODIHR to Ukraine, Moldova and Georgia.