Executive Team

Sam Wright

Principal & Chief Executive

Sam Wright became the Principal & Chief Executive of the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group following the merger between Selby and Wakefield Colleges on 1^st March 2022.

Sam has worked in Further Education for 28 years. She became Principal and CEO at Wakefield College in February 2011 and took over as interim Principal and CEO at Selby College on 1^st January 2022, just prior to the merger.

Sam started her career in Further Education as a lecturer and then worked as a middle and senior manager, with a focus on curriculum and quality. She is inspired by the opportunity to improve lives and help individuals to achieve their potential through learning, as well as further developing excellent relationships with key partners and employers to inform the Group’s strategy, curriculum development and delivery.

Clare Allcock

Group Executive Director:
Student Experience & Support

Clare has worked in the further education sector for almost 25 years, spending the last decade at Wakefield College leading on Student Experience and Support.

Clare is also the Chair of the Youth Association Board of Trustees and is a coach/mentor with the Yorkshire Accord coaching and mentoring scheme.

Clare is responsible for:

Student Experience
Safeguarding & Prevent
Student Engagement
Student Support & Services
Student Wellbeing
Pastoral Curriculum
CEIAG, Guidance & Support
Enrolment
Sustainability

Lorraine Cross

Group Executive Director:
External Relations & Development

Lorraine has worked in the further education sector for more than 20 years. Lorraine joined Wakefield College in 2021 to project manage the merger with Selby College to form the Heart of Yorkshire Education Group in 2022.

Lorraine has strategic Group responsibility for:

External Partnerships
Marketing & Communications
School Partnerships
Admissions
Employer Engagement & Partnerships
Special Projects & Tendering Opportunities
Adult Skills Strategy & Planning
Distance Learning Provision
Apprenticeships Strategy, Recruitment & Delivery

Lisa Macdonald

Group Executive Director:
Curriculum & Quality Standards

Lisa has worked in the further education sector for more than 20 years. Students and teachers are at the heart of her strategic management.

Lisa has strategic oversight of curriculum and quality standards across the Group, with responsibility for:

Further Education Provision, including A levels, Vocational and Technical Education, Maths & English, Access Programmes and T Levels
Higher Education Programmes
Quality Assurance and Improvement Strategy
SEND Learners and Additional Learning Support

Jason Pepper

Group Executive Director:
Finance & Resources

Jason has held senior finance positions at a range of further and higher education institutions over the past 25 years. He has been regional representative for colleges on both the Yorkshire & Humberside College Finance Directors’ Group and the National FE Finance Directors’ Group.

Jason has also held a range of non-Executive roles, and has been instrumental in the creation of three multi-academy trusts. He has also led the successful completion of a variety of major capital projects, worth over £120m in total.

Jason uses this wealth of experience to lead the following teams:

Finance
Estates
IT & Network Services
Business Systems
Libraries & Learning Resources
Management Information Services
Legal

Karen Sykes

Group Executive Director:
People

Karen has worked in human resources and staff development for 30 years, spending the last two decades overseeing Human Resources at Wakefield College.

Karen is responsible for:

People Strategy & Culture
Employee Relations
Payroll & Benefits
Workforce Development
Employee Wellbeing
Attraction and Retention
Safeguarding of Staff (Employment & Vetting)