Our board & rules

English UK members are at the heart of everything we do. To ensure our members voices are heard, we encourage as many as possible to engage in how English UK is run and advised.

English UK structure, rules and boards

The English UK board of trustees and the chief executive are responsible for the conduct of the association's business outside the AGM. 

English UK boards and advisory groups 

English UK rules

Our rules cover categories of membership, the code of practice, board powers and duties and the procedure for elections, subscriptions and general meetings.

 

The English UK Board of Trustees

The Board of Trustees has 12 seats including a chair and vice-chair. Members serve for a maximum of three years and are eligible for re-election for a further period of three years. A rotation system retires at least one-third of the serving members each year. Elections take place ahead of the AGM, which is usually held in May as part of the Members' Conference.


Rendell Mark

Mark Rendell (Chair) is the CEO of International House London. Prior to joining IH London in 2019 he was principal of St Giles International London Central for seven years. Mark is a member of Accreditation UK's Executive Board and has a BA in English and History, Trinity Licentiate Diploma in TESOL and an MSc in ELT Management.


Shoko Doherty 80x80

Shoko Doherty (Vice Chair) is CEO of Celtic English Academy in Cardiff. She has worked in the industry for over 15 years, having first come to the UK as an international student. She has been an active committee member of English UK Wales for the past five years.


Jago Brown 80x80

Jago Brown is commercial director at UK Language Courses (UKLC) which has ten centres located across the UK. He has over 20 years expereince in senior leadership roles, often leading teams through significant change and uncertainty. He is based in the north and is a former chair of English UK Scotland.


Tim Cooke 80x80

Tim Cooke is CEO of Elac Study Vacations a language school which has been delivering year-round and multi-centre summer school courses for juniors for 30 years.  He worked in the industry for over 20 years and was previously treasurer of Young Learners English UK.


Mary Doody Photo 80x80

Mary Doody has been director of Kings Young Learners, part of Kings Education since 2014. Mary trained as a school teacher in Ireland before moving into the world of international education. She has worked in many different roles with young learners right from activity leader up to operations manager.


Catrin 78x78

Catrin Diamantino is the CEO of Bell English. She helped build EC into a global brand. Catrin says she wanted to join the Board to bring her expertise in global markets and sales at an important time for the industry "when we need to join together and speak with one voice to be heard and taken seriously."


Untitled design34

Spencer Fordham worked in marketing and advertising in national newspapers for a decade before moving into ELT. He founded the Capital School of English in Bournemouth in 2003 with his wife Paulina, and is now managing director. He has recently created Future Success, a pioneering two-week programme during which English students collaborate with local businesses and school students on real-world projects.


Francesca Giacomini 80x80 Francesca Giacomini has been director and shareholder of North West Academy of English in Northern Ireland for 15+ years.

Neil Harris 80x80

Neil Harris is director of marketing and lead teacher trainer at CELT Cardiff and has been involved in ELT since the mid-1990s. He has worked as a teacher, director of studies, teacher trainer, agent and marketing director. He has been an active member of the English UK Wales committee for 4 years.


Farhan 80x80

Farhan Quraishi is CEO and co-owner of Speak Up London, which he founded with his partner almost ten years ago.


Stephan Roussounis 80x80

Stephan Roussounis is managing director at Bayswater Education, which he founded in 2018. He was managing director of Stafford House International for over six years where he oversaw the opening of three new schools in London, Brighton and Cambridge, and led on major acquisitions in the US and Canada. He has over 20 years expereince in the sector. 


Leon Zhang 80x80 A

Leon Zhang is CEO at KKCL English, an English language school based in Harrow, North West London. He became the owner and director of KKCL at the age of 24 and has experience of running English language schools, summer camps (in the UK and China), Early Years nursery schools, educational travel, and online TEFL training.


Back to the top


The Enterprises Board

All members of the Enterprises board are directors of English UK Enterprises Ltd, a subsidary company of English UK Ltd, the charity.


Shoko Doherty 80x80

Shoko Doherty (Chair from January 2023) is CEO of Celtic English Academy in Cardiff. She has worked in the industry for over 15 years, having first come to the UK as an international student. She has been an active committee member of English UK Wales for the past five years and is a trustee of English UK. She first joined the Enterprises Board in February 2021.


Tregarran Percival 80x80 Tregarran Percival (Vice Chair from January 2023) is sales and marketing director at UK Language Courses (UKLC). He has worked in the sector for over 10 years. Tregarran first joined the Enterprises Board in February 2021.

Sam Bufton Bell LinkedIn 80x80 Sam Bufton is sales and marketing director at Bell. He has held senior sales and marketing roles within international education for the last decade, working with and for schools around the world. Sam joined the Enterprises Board in December 2021.

Jodie Gray 80x80 Jodie Gray is chief executive of English UK.

Neil Harris 80x80 Neil Harris is director of marketing and lead teacher trainer at CELT Cardiff and has been involved in ELT since the mid-1990s. He has worked as a teacher, director of studies, teacher trainer, agent and marketing director. He has been an active member of the English UK Wales committee for 4 years. Neil joined the Enterprises Board in December 2021.

Peter Hayes 80x80

Peter Hayes is managing director of International House Manchester and chairperson at International House World Organisation. Peter joined the Enterprises Board in December 2021.


Lisa James EC LinkedIn 80x80 Lisa James is managing director of young learners at EC English Language Centres. Prior to joining EC in 2019 Lisa was global sales and marketing director at Embassy English. Lisa joined the Enterprises Board in December 2021.

Quinn Michael

Michael Quinn has been working in the ELT business now for over 19 years with Centre of English Studies. He is an owner and director of CES and has worked in nearly every role involved in the running of a school.


 Back to the top


The Finance Panel


Judith Haste 80x80

Judith Haste (Chair) is finance director at Bell Educational Services Ltd. She is a senior ACMA qualified accountant, with strong international commercial experience. She has worked in a range of sectors and organisation sizes, including as director of finance in both a FTSE 250 international group and a conservation charity before joining Bell in 2014.


Jago Brown 80x80 Jago Brown is commercial director at UK Language Courses (UKLC) which has ten centres located across the UK. He has over 20 years expereince in senior leadership roles, often leading teams through significant change and uncertainty. He is based in the north and is a former chair of English UK Scotland.

Tim Cooke 80x80 Tim Cooke is CEO of Elac Study Vacations a language school which has been delivering year-round and multi-centre summer school courses for juniors for 30 years.  He worked in the industry for over 20 years and was previously treasurer of Young Learners English UK.

Neil Low Neil Harvey is the chief executive of UKCE overseeing their businesses in the UK and Dubai. He has been in the for-profit education sector for over 30 years, working for major chains and start-ups. Neil has spent most of his time in the UK, Italy and Canada where he served on the board of Languages Canada.

Vimala Jayaraman 80x80

Vimala Jayaraman is a senior director in the finance practise with a global research and advisory firm. With 20+ years' experience in senior finance roles across the private and public sector, Vimala specialises in sustainable transformation of organisations with particular focus on financial and commercial strategies; aligning financial performance with organisational strategy to sustain enhanced financial performance and resilience. She holds a Bachelor's in Commerce, MBA and is a Fellow of CIMA.


Karen 80x80 Karen Smith-Watson works as a portfolio finance director for The FD Centre, offering part-time FD services to SME businesses. Prior to this, she worked as CFO for a number of years for organisations in student travel, property and education. She is familiar with the ELT sector as she has previously been CFO for British Study Centres and Finance Director for TUI Travel plc's Education Division.

Gareth Mainwaring 80x80

Gareth Mainwaring is director of operations and development for the Birmingham International Academy (BIA) at the University of Birmingham. Following 12 years in government, including the Department for Education, he joined the HE sector. He has operational responsibility for the growth and delivery of Foundation Pathway, Presessional English and Insessional programmes at the university. He also worked with the university to open its first international branch campus in Dubai and continues to work on other TNE initiatives.

Back to the top


The Professional Development Advisory Group


Chris Farrell (Chair) Centre of English Studies

Ruth Chambers EF International Language Campuses

Fiona Dunlop Wimbledon School of English

Sian Matos English Path

Huan Japes English UK

Will Nash English Language Teaching Centre, University of Sheffield

Nigel Paramor English in Chester

Siobhan Small English UK

Anna Thatcher Loxdale English Centre

Eleanor Thomas English UK

Back to the top


External Relations Advisory Group


Huan Japes (Chair)

English UK


Mark Allen East Sussex College 

Margie Barker English in Totnes

Jane Dancaster Wimbledon School of English

Shoko Doherty Celtic English Academy

Sue Edwards Kaplan International

Sarah Gore Edinburgh College

 Jodie Gray English UK

Kate Hargreaves Living Learning English

Val Hennessy International House, Bristol

Nicole Kennedy Studio Cambridge 

Sian Matos English Path

Neil McLoughlin BOSS

Paul Murray Foyle International 

Nigel Paramor English in Chester

Naadiya Rawat English UK

Richard Simpson University of Sheffield, English Language Teaching Centre

Susan Young English UK

Back to the top

 

Governance Review Task and Finish Group


Timothy Blake (Chair)

London School of English                                            


Richard Day English in Chester 

Shoko Doherty Celtic English Academy

Tim Cooke ELAC Study Vacations

Jodie Gray English UK

Val Hennessy International House, Bristol

Leon Zhang KKCL English

Back to the top