Mohsen Ojja
Chief Executive
Derek Hills
Chief Operating Officer
Dipo Odunsi
Chief Financial Officer
Claire Pannell
Director of Governance - General Counsel
Helen Barker
Director of People
Elma Lawson
Director of Education
Vicki Briody
Associate Director of Education, Primary
Simon Morley
Associate Director of Education, Primary
Matt Watling
Associate Director of Education, Secondary
Mohsen Ojja
Chief Executive
Mohsen is Anthem’s new Chief Executive Officer from January 2023. He has come to us from The Mossbourne Federation in East London, where he was Deputy CEO for two years before becoming Acting CEO in January. Prior to that, Mohsen was National Director of Education at E-ACT, having been a successful Principal of the Crest Academy in North London. He is a highly motivated leader with extensive experience of working with schools in areas of high deprivation, and an uncompromising commitment to equality of opportunities for all.
Derek Hills
Chief Operating Officer
Derek is Anthem's new Chief Operating Officer with effect from March 2024. Previously the Director of IT, Data and Systems at Ark multi-academy trust, he has been working in education since 2009, after roles in data analytics within financial services. Prior to Ark, Derek was the Head of Data and Management Information Systems at the Harris Federation, and Director of Data Strategy and Performance at the David Ross Education Trust. He is deeply passionate about education and the impact that education has on social mobility and breaking the cycle of disadvantage and poverty.
Dipo Odunsi
Chief Financial Officer
Anthem's new CFO, Dipo Odunsi, has a wealth of experience from both the private and public sectors, and has worked in higher and further education for over 10 years. Dipo's previous role was in a small MAT where he worked for eight years, successfully managing multiple back-office functions including finance, governance, IT and estates.
Claire Pannell
Director of Governance - General Counsel
Claire is Anthem’s new Director of Governance – General Counsel. She has worked for the Trust in various forms for over 12 years, most recently as our Head of Legal. Claire is a qualified solicitor, specialising in education law and is also Anthem's Data Protection Officer and Company Secretary. She has previously worked for Education Development Trust as in-house legal and senior education development consultant, and as a senior education solicitor at education specialist law firm Veale Wasbrough Vizards. Beyond Anthem, Claire is an Academy Councillor for Hans Price Academy in Weston and Lime Hills Academy, a special school in Somerset.
Helen Barker
Director of People
Helen Barker is Anthem's Director of People, leading on the development and delivery of all workforce-related policies and practice across the Trust. Helen's background is in primary teaching and leadership. She was a Headteacher for four years, and one of the ‘early adopters’ of Peer Review with Education Development Trust’s Schools Partnership Programme. She was also Head of KYRA Teaching School in Lincolnshire for a number of years. Helen is committed to developing, training and supporting leaders for Anthem, and forging new partnerships to the benefit of all.
Elma Lawson
Director of Education
Elma is Anthem's newly appointed Director of Education, responsible for assuring the quality of education delivered across the whole Trust. Elma has 14 years’ experience in senior leadership roles and has a track record of improving student outcomes and raising standards. Most recently she was a Regional Education Director at E-Act, working with both secondary and primary schools.
Vicki Briody
Associate Director of Education, Primary
Having been Headteacher at Abacus Belsize Primary School since it opened in 2013, Vicki is now ADE for Anthem’s five primary schools based in London and the Thames Valley. Vicki leads our work on Instructional Coaching across Anthem primary schools.
Simon Morley
Associate Director of Education, Primary
Simon Morley is the ADE for our five East Midlands primary schools. Simon brings extensive experience of school leadership in primary education to the Trust. He has worked for over 25 years in good and outstanding schools in London, Cambridgeshire and Lincolnshire, with 12 of those years as a headteacher in two different schools, including Anthem’s Boston West Academy, where he was Headteacher between 2017-2022. Simon is a collaborative leader who is deeply committed to striving for excellence and maximising opportunities for all children and young people.
Matt Watling
Associate Director of Education, Secondary
Matt Watling is ADE for Anthem's five secondary schools, working alongside our Director of Education to drive continued improvement in these academies. Matt has considerable experience in senior leadership positions at a wide range of settings, most recently as a Regional Director at E-Act multi-academy trust. Before that he worked at the David Ross Education Trust and was Principal at Humberston Academy in Lincolnshire.