Who we are

Anthony Millard BSc (Econ), PGCE, FRSA

Chairman and Executive Director

Anthony was a Headmaster for fifteen years and was responsible for leading two HMC schools, Wycliffe College and Giggleswick, through important stages in their development. In 2000 he was Chairman of the Boarding Schools Association. Before devoting himself full-time to AMC he was Managing Director of Nord Anglia plc's schools division. In his early career Anthony worked in manufacturing and advertising.

David McGahey MA (Hons), MA, PGCE, FRSA

Chief Executive and Executive Director

David McGahey was Director of Education for Buckinghamshire until 2000, having previously worked for five other Local Authorities and over the years with the head teachers and governing bodies of hundreds of schools. He was himself once a teacher. From 2001 he has been Managing Director of a number of education businesses: Amey Education, VT Education & Skills and ETeach. Immediately before joining AMC, he was Business Development Director of the TES. He is a Non-executive Director and Strategic Adviser to Contour Education Services.

David is a Freeman of the Guild of Educators, a Fellow of the RSA and serves on the Recruitment and Employment Confederation's Education Executive.

Natasha Watson BSc, PGCE

Non-Executive Director

Natasha has taught in both the UK and Kenya. She has extensive experience in both preparatory and senior schools. In addition to her interests in education and sport Natasha has established a successful business in event and hospitality management.

Edward Clark MEd, BA (Hons), MIRP, MIoD

Recruitment Director

Edward was Recruitment Director with TES Prime from 2008, the leadership search division of the TES, recruiting leaders for schools within the state and independent sectors, as well as internationally. Prior to this, from 2006, he was Director of Recruitment and Consultancy for Gabbitas Educational Consultants Ltd. Before his career in recruitment, he was School Principal of a co-educational independent prep school in Surrey for four years.

Edward is currently studying towards an MBA at Henley Business School. He is a qualified member of the Institute of Recruitment Professionals (IRP) and won Executive Recruiter of the Year 2009 at the IRP Awards.

Angela Forsyth BA, PGCE, DipIPD

Recruitment Director - Teachers

Angela is a former Recruitment Director of two leading education consultancies, and brings to AMC a wealth of experience recruiting for UK independent and international schools. She has recruited at all levels from First Appointment to Headship and across the pre-prep, prep and senior sectors. Angela also has substantial experience as a school governor in the independent and maintained special sectors, where she has introduced a range of innovative personal development and marketing initiatives. In her early career, Angela worked in tourism, MFL teaching and children's adventure holidays.

Karen Mort, BEd (Mathematics), NPQH

Recruitment Director

Karen was previously an Executive Board Member for a national association of autonomous schools, where she led delivery of a Department for Education national initiative for three years. She has expertise in Recruitment, Leadership Team support and challenge and enabling schools to change character, to Trust, Foundation or Academy and the establishment of Free Schools or new schools as well as delivering training to governors for example. She is recognised by OfQual as a ‘National Subject Expert’.

Prior to this, Karen was received at Downing Street as Headteacher of one of the top ten schools in the UK for improvement in attainment, OfSTED described her leadership as providing ‘Excellent’ vision. She led the school through a significant Capital Build, developing school buildings to enable active and creative approaches to teaching and learning. Her knowledge has been used as part of a publication for architects worldwide.

Nigel Woolnough

Business Development Director

Nigel has over 20 years experience as a Headmaster in the Independent sector, with experience in the United Kingdom and in International Schools in Europe and the Middle East.  His background is in educational management and the business of schools. He has been actively involved in the recruitment of head teachers, in school mergers and in school acquisitions and transfers. He has experience at every age level from Nursery to Sixth Form, and in small and large schools alike. His philosophy is based on the straightforward principle that a passionate commitment to Education underpinned by a good business model, with clear financial planning and effective management of expenditure and pricing, will lead to good schools. Nigel believes that the present economic situation will lead many schools to seek innovative business and marketing solutions in order to prosper, and to this end looks to provide “hands on”, supportive, and practical advice and guidance to Heads and Governing Bodies.

Liz Gibbs MIRP

Recruitment Manager

Liz has spent the past 15 years working within the recruitment industry both at Consultant and Senior Management level throughout the South West and London area. She joined AMC in April 2010 and is responsible for candidate and client support for the company.

Becky Packer MIRP

Business Manager

Becky has recently joined AMC. She has 17 years' administration experience of which 15 were in the Recruitment Industry and 2 years within Human Resources.

David Chapman BA Dunelm, F Coll P,  FRSA

Associate – Strategic Consultancy

David was a Headmaster for more than 20 years, latterly taking responsibility for the merger creating Hampshire Collegiate School, Embley Park. A member of HMC Education and Academic Policy Committee, he chaired the equivalent committee in the Society of Heads of Independent Schools (SHMIS), subsequently serving as national chairman of the Society in 2006, as well as being a Council member at ISC. Following Headship, he worked in academy and independent school development for UCST/ULT.

Rowland Constantine MA (Cantab)

Associate – Recruitment and Appraisals

Rowland Constantine has taught in the independent sector, at both Prep and Secondary level, throughout his career. He has been a Prep School Headmaster for most of that time; he has also been Chairman of the Independent Association of Prep Schools (IAPS). His particular interest is headship, from the recruitment process through appointment to the ongoing support and development of individual heads. Rowland Constantine is also passionate about the appraisal of heads, seeing it as an opportunity, through mutual agreement, to reflect back to school leaders on their leadership styles – an exercise from which everyone in the school community, including the Head, can benefit.

Albert Hudspeth BA, LCP, DPE, FCollP

Associate – Leadership Recruitment

Albert was a Headmaster for 27 years in secondary schools throughout the UK and overseas. His career has included 10 years as County Secretary of the NAHT, 16 years in membership of HMC and latterly, 3 years as General Secretary of COBISEC. He specialises in elite staff recruitment, leadership and management consultancy and pre-inspections. He has produced numerous publications and articles on education and sport and was made an Honorary Fellow of the College of Preceptors in 1983.

Mareve Kilbride-Newman MA, NPQH, EDIS

Associate – Strategic Reviews, CPD and Recruitment

Mareve has worked in Senior Leadership for over 15 years in both the maintained and independent sectors, 7 of those as Head of British International Schools overseas (COBIS and BSME). She has been an A Level and International Baccalaureate examiner and senior moderator. Her background is wide, encompassing both American and British Educational Systems as well as the IB Diploma Programme. Mareve has served on Governing Bodies overseas and is currently a Lead Inspector with ISI.

Peter Lacey MA, PGCE, FRSA

Associate – Review & Appraisal and Staff Development

Peter was Headmaster of The King's School, Gloucester for fifteen years. As well as being a seasoned inspector for HMC and ISI, he chaired the Choir Schools Association, served on the Area Child Protection Committee, and was a board member for the OASC, Cranwell. He serves as a Governor of three schools and acts as adviser to two schools in NSW. His main areas of involvement have been Review & Appraisal and Staff Development.

Helen Madaras BA (Hons), PGCE

Associate – AMC Families

Helen joined AMC as an Associate in January 2008. She offers educational advice and consultancy to families and schools as well as being part of the AMC recruitment team. Helen brings a wealth of experience gained as Director of an international educational consultancy for 14 years and Principal of a successful Summer School for a leading GSA boarding school. Helen has provided school placement and guardianship services for nearly 200 boarding schools and hundreds of parents in the UK and internationally.

David Pullinger MA, BA, FCIPD, FRSA

Associate – Coaching and Psychometric Profiling

David provides coaching for Heads and members of senior management teams, and psychometric profiling for shortlisted candidates. He has his own business which provides consulting, training and coaching services in the insurance industry, and he also works part time as a Coach and Careers Consultant for Imperial College Business School, where he works primarily with MBA students.

He has over 10 years' experience as an HR Director in Thorn and Legal & General and he also has an MA in Coaching from Oxford Brookes University.

Shane Rutter-Jerome FCMI

Associate – Governance and Administration

Following 30 years in the Army, Shane was Bursar of Cranleigh School and Cranleigh Preparatory School for 7 years. He then took the role of General Secretary of the Association of Governing Bodies of Independent Schools for 6 years. Since leaving AGBIS in 2009, he has continued to work on projects in governance and administration of independent schools, both freelance and with AGBIS and AMC. He is a governor of Dauntsey's School.

Richard Walker BSc, CChem, FRSC

Associate – School reviews and pre-inspection audits

Richard has spent 37 years working in schools – 23 of them as Head. He was Head of Chemistry at St. Paul’s Girls’ School in London before moving to Abbey 6th Form College in London as Principal. He founded Portland Place School in central London where he remained as Head until 2011. Richard chaired the Inspections Committee of the Society of Heads of Independent Schools (SHMIS), is an inspector for ISI and was, for two years, a member of the ISI Board. He is currently on the Governing Bodies of two ISC schools. He has published Chemistry texts for Penguin Books and has been a GCSE examiner and moderator.