Experts Join School's Governing Body

Last term, the Bolton School Foundation recruited four experts in their fields to fulfil roles on the School’s Governing Body. James Chadwick, Katie Clinton and Stewart McGuffie are all former pupils of the school who took up their posts as Governors and members of the Finance Committee at the beginning of October. Another Old Boy, John Craven, also became a Governor and member of the Investment Committee in December.

James Chadwick (Class of 1998) is a qualified Chartered Accountant with over 20 years of experience working in Finance, Corporate Finance and Strategic Finance. He is currently a Finance Director with Adlington Retirement Living.

Speaking about his appointment, Mr Chadwick said: ‘I will always be very grateful for the opportunities Bolton School afforded me during my time at school and when the opportunity to become a Governor arose, I was delighted to accept. Quite simply, I would like to give something back to the School and its pupils, to build on the foundations of the School and help shape it for future generations. I look forward to working with the Executive team and Governing Body and I hope to offer the benefit of my experience in finance and business through appropriate levels of challenge and strategic support at what is an incredibly exciting time for the Foundation.’

Katie Clinton (Class of 1997) is a Partner at KPMG and leads the UK firm’s Governance, Risk & Compliance Services practice whilst representing the UK on the Global firm’s leadership team for the same. A Fellow Chartered Accountant, Katie is a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales and has more than 20 years of experience providing assurance services to clients operating in the UK and internationally.

Ms Clinton said: ‘As an Old Girl who is incredibly proud of her heritage, Bolton School fuelled my ambition to reach the top, provided me with the academic firepower and confidence to succeed and taught me about the importance of staying true to myself and being authentic. Bolton School has a special place in my heart and my motivation to join the Governing Body is very simple – I want to give something back.

‘I passionately believe in Bolton School’s founding ethos that children of the highest potential should be afforded the best possible education irrespective of their financial means. As a Governor, I hope I can make a difference by playing my part in the strategic management of School in order to deliver on our vision for the future – to be the school that any talented child in the Bolton area can come to and flourish, regardless of their parents’ ability to pay the fees.

‘I loved my time at Bolton School and, nearly 25 years on, I am very much looking forward to getting back involved in School life.’

Stewart McGuffie (Class of 1986) is Group Chief Executive of Allied Textiles Ltd, a post he has held for nearly 14 years. He has almost 30 years of experience as a senior general manager and director in a range of produce and geographic markets.

Mr McGuffie said: ‘I remember my time at Bolton School with great affection – my education (in its broadest sense) left me well placed to develop an international career. Socially, my best and longest standing friends are still those from my time at the School. The advertisement [for a new Governor] caught my attention, and it seemed the perfect time to give something back.

‘Whilst I claim no specific skills in the educational arena, I have broad based business experience in a range of settings here and abroad. Hopefully this experience together with some clear and fresh thinking will add some value to the future development of the School.

‘I hope to give some input to how to protect and build the most terrific legacy. I am also very much looking forward to seeing how the School operates now – not quite “40 Years On”, but getting pretty close.’

John Craven (Class of 1982) is a Managing Partner of Smith Square Partners, an independent corporate finance advisory firm he co-founded in 2010. In a 30-year investment banking career he has also worked for Credit Suisse and Schroders and has mainly specialised in advising on mergers and acquisitions. He is also a Business Mentor for the Prince’s Trust, and volunteers as a mentor on the School’s Sixth Form Entrepreneurship Scheme. In addition to being married to an Old Girl, John’s family has a long association with Bolton School: his father and brother were also pupils and his great-grandfather’s building company was involved in the construction of the main school buildings in the 1920s.

Mr Craven said: ‘Bolton School provided a great start in life for both me and my wife Nancy. We have maintained a life-long connection to school, and both have a strong interest in supporting young people’s development. I’m proud to have the opportunity to become more closely involved with the school again and I want to help it to continue to thrive and develop.

‘I’m very interested in the development of the Bursary Fund and the objective of offering support to a much larger number of pupils over time. I hope to contribute to major progress on this during my time as a Governor. I’m particularly looking forward to spending time at School, getting to know both the institution and its people better and learning how it really works.’

On welcoming the new Governors to their posts, Philip Britton, the Head of Foundation, thanked them for their support and said: ‘Those of us who work at the school are always so grateful that members of the Governing Body volunteer so much of their time to play this important part in school life. Governors guide the long-term strategy of the school, act as charity trustees and are members of a company board. They make themselves aware of school life at first hand, visiting and talking to staff and pupils. All of this takes time. That many governors have an understanding of the school from their own school days and sometimes as parents is also immensely valuable in judging how we maintain an enduring ethos and shape that for our modern world. Alumni generously give back to the school not only as Governors, but in in all sorts of ways: as guest speakers for careers events and at special occasions, by offering pupils their valuable advice and guidance, through donations to the bursary fund, in their support of musical and dramatic performances, and much more. They form a crucial part of the ongoing success of the school.’