The governance of ABE is overseen by its Board as laid out in its Articles of Association. The ABE Board comprises of people with extensive experience and expertise in their field. Governance responsibilities for the operation and management of ABE reside fully and solely with the Board of Directors, led by its Chairman. The Directors are also Corporate Members of ABE.
Meet the Board
Nicola Rylett-Jones is a highly experienced business leader and consultant, specialising in leadership, cultural alignment, and strategic transformation across the academic, medical, charity, recruitment, energy, and publishing sectors.
With over 25 years in senior management, she has held multiple board-level positions. Nicola is currently engaged with the Business Wales Accelerated Growth Programme, where she advises SMEs and start-ups on strategic growth and leadership development. Her expertise encompasses business transformation, revenue optimisation, operational efficiency, and team leadership.
Committed to fostering leadership and innovation in young people, Nicola’s work as a school governor has provided valuable insights into the academic and vocational education landscape, ensuring that future generations are equipped with the skills needed to thrive.
Ginny is a business academic with over 15 years leadership experience in education. She has held numerous roles including Deputy Dean of Henley Business School and Faculty Director of Teaching and Learning at the University of Reading. She has been an auditor for the Quality Assurance Agency and is an expert in e-learning as a member of the EFMD e-learning accreditation board. She is committed to Diversity & Inclusion leading Henley's Women in Leadership Forum and a founding member of the CREW Network UK, supporting women in the real estate industry.
Mariane has worked in the Adult, Further Education (FE) and Skills sectors for 25 years, and was Principal and Chief Executive of two large FE Colleges for 15 years. She now runs her own business, supporting colleges in the development of strategic plans, is a board member with two awarding bodies and a Professor with two Universities in China.
Her areas of expertise include strategic leadership of business growth, organisational development, cultural change, turnaround, mergers and acquisitions, and customer service. She has a keen interest in the development of entrepreneurial teaching and learning and in developing in students the skills of creativity and innovation and was a founder Director of the Gazelle Colleges Group.
Martin is a business consultant experienced in delivering international projects with a focus on the higher education and professional development sectors. He holds 22 years' experience of the financial services sector and has held senior leadership positions within the education sector at The London Institute of Banking & Finance, a degree-awarding body, and Henley Business School, a ‘triple-accredited’ international provider. Martin has served for 7 years as a strategic committee member of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) and was a founder member of the UK’s Banking Standards Board. He is also a non-executive director of the Institute of Contemporary Music Performance and has more than 15 years' experience as a Governor of schools with Academy status.