Find out more about those who govern and manage Olive Academies Foundation.
Trustees
Olive Academies Foundation is governed by a group of trustees who oversee the fundraising and grant giving activities of the foundation.
Glyn Clark
Chair of Olive Academies Foundation
Glyn started out his career at Goldman Sachs at the age of 21 where he had a successful 25 year career including spells in New York, Tokyo and Zurich. Glyn then spent 12 years with a major hedge fund first as Head of Operations and then as Head of Compliance.
In 2016, Glyn launched his own company Eden Park Homes procuring and managing residential mobile home estates. Glyn has experience of supporting and advising boards on compliance matters as well as chairing the board of his own company.
In his voluntary work supporting at risk children and young people, Glyn is motivated by his own experience of having had a challenging time at school and leaving with minimal qualifications.
He holds a Trustee position on a synagogue board and is also a Member of Olive Academies Trust.
ADee
Trustee of Olive Academies Foundation
The Artful Dodger (ADee) is a veteran of the London urban art scene going back to the 1980s who has since made his name as a widely respected professional and community artist. His clients have ranged from Channel 4 and LucasFilm (Star Wars) to The South Bank Show and Weetabix, He was also responsible for the highly acclaimed portrait of the former Deputy Speaker of the House of Commons, Nigel Evans MP, which now resides in Parliament – the first piece of urban art ever to do so.
Working with disadvantaged young people is at the heart of ADee’s work – he organises and facilitates creative mural projects and workshops both in the UK and across the world. One of his community projects on the now fallen Aylesbury Estate in SE London, even won an award from the late Princess of Wales. In his own words, ‘science teaches us that energy cannot be destroyed, it can only be transformed. So, with the workshops and community projects that I do with youth and other people, I try to take what is often seen to be negative energy and turn it into positive energy.’
ADee is also a trustee of The Boafo Family Foundation in Ghana.
Mark Vickers MBE
Trustee of Olive Academies Foundation
Mark is an educational leader who is committed to preventing the marginalisation of vulnerable young people by giving them positive and enriching experiences both in and out of school. Mark has been a headteacher of a secondary school, an Ofsted inspector, a school leadership consultant and was a founding trustee of the PSHE Association. In 2013, he set up Olive Academies Trust, a multi-academy trust specialising in alternative provision schools – supporting those who are at risk of or who have been excluded from school. He has been its CEO since its creation.
In 2021 Mark was awarded an MBE in The Queen’s New Year Honours List for his services to children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
Leaders
The Foundation partners with key members of the trust's leadership team, inviting them to participate in all trustee meetings. This collaboration empowers trustees to actively share concerns and provide valuable feedback on the Foundation's annual cycle of events, while gaining firsthand insight into their progress and impact on Academies across the trust. For their part, leadership team members benefit from early understanding of community needs and fostering stronger partnerships with the Foundation. This engagement has already driven an increase in financial support and expanded programme implementation to all Academies within the trust and more students benefitting from the work of the OA Foundation.
Adam Tedesco
Strategic Lead
Adam is Deputy CEO at Olive Academies Trust and currently provides strategic leadership for Olive Academies Foundation.
Adam has over fifteen years experience as a senior leader and school improvement consultant. He is committed to altering students’ life chances by promoting fully inclusive education in secondary settings and ensuring that all students achieve to the best of their abilities regardless of their social or economic background.
Madeleine Betton
Financial Controller
Madeleine is the Financial Controller at Olive Academies Trust and provides finance leadership for the foundation.
Madeleine is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 25 years’ experience in finance and accounting, in both the public and private sector. She brings a wealth of experience in growth and company financial management to Olive Academies.
Chris Owen
Consultant
Chris is an experienced educator and consultant, having worked in and across schools, universities, local authorities and the NHS as well as management consulting. He has particular expertise in children and young people’s health and wellbeing and in SEND. Chris prides himself on bringing together partnerships of individuals and organisations leading to change and improvement in lives of children and young people.
Charlotte Crooks
Communications Manager
Charlotte is Communications and Marketing Manager at Olive Academies Trust and also manages communications for the foundation.
Charlotte has a solid communications background built over the past 16 years, backed up by a degree in marketing and Chartered Institute of Marketing professional diploma. With communications experience from both the private and public sector, including local government, further education and higher education, she brings a wealth of knowledge to Olive Academies.
Suzie Julien
Suzie is the Head of Governance at Olive Academies Trust.
Suzie has a wealth of experience in education, governance and volunteering. Suzie manages governance for the foundation.