Council Members

Merryl is a business woman with 30 years’ experience in growing and running a software business exporting to around 96 countries worldwide.  She holds directorships in a number of companies. Additionally, Merryl is a Non-Executive Director and Trustee of the Hallé Concerts Society, Northern Consortium and St Endellion Festivals Trust.

Merryl read Agricultural Biochemistry at Aberystwyth University, and is a former pupil of College. She was elected to Council in 2019. In addition to being Chair of Council and Council IT Link, Merryl is a member of the Finance and Executive Committee, the Nominations Committee, the Land and Buildings Committee, and the Education Committee.

David was consecutively Head of Classics and Deputy Head (Academic) at Highgate School in London from 1992 to 2017. He then served on the founding leadership team of the London Academy of Excellence Tottenham, a new sixth-form academy co-sponsored by Highgate. He has been Chair of Governors of a London prep school and has served for over twenty years on independent schools inspection teams. David began his career as teacher of Classics in College and he was also the University Adviser.

David has an MA in Greek and Latin from the University of St Andrews. Elected to Council in 2021, he is Vice Chair of Council, Chair of the Education Committee and a member of the Finance and Executive Committee, the Nominations Committee and the Land and Buildings Committee

Jonathan is a qualified Chartered Accountant. He is an investor and non-executive director and has held a number of senior business positions in the UK and abroad.

Jonathan holds a degree from City University. He was elected to Council in 2018 and is a member of the Finance and Executive Committee and Chair of the Investment Sub-Committee. Jonathan is a former parent.

Sue is a Chartered Accountant and having worked in the profession for a number of years, has subsequently gained nearly 20 years’ experience of working in charitable and educational organisations. A former pupil, she has served as Vice Chairman of Guild since 2016.

Sue read Classics at University College London. Elected to Council in 2021, she is Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee. Sue is also a former parent.

Tanvi is the co-founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Saranac Partners, a boutique private office focused on serving the needs of ultra high net worth individuals and families.

Tanvi has over 25 years’ experience in financial services having spent 17 years in capital markets before moving 10 years ago to the Wealth & Asset Management business, roles that have led her to live and work across Asia, Europe and the US. She is a keen supporter of increasing and developing diverse talent within the financial services industry.

Tanvi is a former pupil and has a BSc in Chemistry from the University of London and a Masters in Finance from the London Business School. She is married with two daughters. She was elected to Council in 2021 and is Chair of the Finance and Executive Committee.

Roger is a non-executive director of MSIG Insurance (Hong Kong), as well as serving as Chairman of its Board Risk Committee and a member of its Audit Committee. Until April 2016, he was a Partner and Head of M&A Asia Pacific of Clifford Chance, practising with the firm in London and Hong Kong (in the latter case for 26 years). He was recognised as one of the world’s leading lawyers and an eminent practitioner in Hong Kong. Until 2017 he was a member of several committees of the Securities and Futures Commission of Hong Kong, including the Takeovers and Mergers Panel.

Roger holds an LLB from Birmingham University. He was elected to Council in 2018. He is a member of the Finance and Executive Committee, Land and Buildings Committee and the Investment Sub-Committee. Roger is a current parent.

Shonali has spent over 25 years working back-of-house on some of the world’s largest events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, Commonwealth and Asian Games and the Political Party Conferences. She has also worked in charity fundraising, having been Head of Events for the British Heart Foundation, led the event industry charity (Meeting Needs) and was on the Board of Pride in Brighton and Hove.

She now lectures in business, events and tourism at the University of Hertfordshire and enjoys being front-of house as an emcee and founder of the Diverse Speaker Bureau. Shonali is a former pupil, who has an award-winning Masters in Tourism and Social Anthropology and has done a TEDx talk about improvisation and serendipity. She joined Council in March 2022 and is a member of the Nominations Committee.

Jemima has worked in education for 20 years. She is currently Deputy Head Pastoral at Bishop Wordsworth’s School, Salisbury.

Jemima is a former pupil of College, read Music at the University of Durham, Law at City University and gained both her PGCE and Masters in Education Leadership and Management from the University of Roehampton.

Jemima was elected to Council in 2022, is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee, the Education Committee, and is the Safeguarding Lead for Council.

Fahad is the Chief Operating Officer and Executive Director of Aviva Capital Partners, deploying shareholder risk capital as a catalyst for long term investment partnerships. He is a Trustee and the Treasurer for Health Poverty Action, an international charity developing public health interventions to tackle the social and political determinants of global health.

Fahad has 20 years’ experience in the financial services industry, across investment banking and insurance. He has taken up a wide range of risk and finance roles including a period as the Group Head of Financial Risk where his team built and deployed Aviva’s global asset data analytics capabilities, and Group Head of ALM where he developed Aviva’s capital hedging platform.

Fahad read Mathematics as an undergraduate, holds an MSc in Actuarial Finance and is a Chartered Enterprise Risk Actuary. He was elected to Council in 2023 and is a member of the Finance and Executive Committee.

Cleo is a partner at Stride.VC, an early-stage venture capital fund based in the UK and has spent the last decade building and investing in technology businesses. She serves on a number of corporate boards. Prior to Stride, Cleo was an early executive at Uber China and Director of Operations at Uber EMEA, before taking on the Chief Operating Officer role at Spotahome, a Series B proptech company backed by Kleiner Perkins Growth.

Cleo is originally from Hong Kong and started her career as a consultant at McKinsey & Company in Greater China and was a proprietary trader at Bank of America Merrill Lynch.

She is a former pupil of College and holds an MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania where she was a Joseph Wharton Scholar. She also holds a BA in Economics, Managerial Studies, and Sport Management from Rice University in Houston, TX.

Cleo was elected to Council in 2023 and is a member of the Finance and Executive Committee and the Education Committee.

Sally is a retired teacher with considerable experience of the independent school sector. She spent her professional life in girls’ schools, most recently as Head of History and Politics at College from 2000 to 2018. In addition, she has supported her husband in his roles as teacher, Bursar and Headmaster in both boys’ and co-educational schools. She is a former parent and an Honorary Member of Guild.

Sally read History at Girton College, Cambridge, where she also gained her PGCE.
She was elected to Council in 2023 and serves on the Education and Audit & Risk Committees.

Fiona is a venture capitalist and philanthropist. She is managing partner at Crista Galli Ventures, a healthtech investment fund. Fiona sits on the board of trustees at the Royal College of Physicians and is vice-chair of London Business School's fundraising and development committee. 

Previously an NHS doctor (consultant radiologist), Fiona has developed health policy in the UK government. An international healthtech expert, Fiona has experience as an investor, board member, advisor and medical director at various health technology companies. 

Fiona is a member of the Finance and Executive Committee and the Land and Buildings Committee.

Emma has 25 years’ experience in business, developing, operating and leading service organisations across diverse sectors including health and education. She has held multiple executive and non-executive leadership positions and is currently CEO of Achieve Together, a leading provider of support services for people with learning disabilities and autism.

Emma holds a BA in History of Art, an MA in Museum Studies and an MBA from Warwick Business School. Emma is also a former parent and pupil. Elected to Council in 2022, Emma is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and the Nominations Committee.

For over 25 years Sara has owned and run an agency for technicians and production personnel working in film and television. Prior to that she worked in BBC radio and as a production manager in television. Sara read history at St Hugh’s College, Oxford, and has subsequently gained a Graduate Diploma from the University of Law. Sara sits on the BAFTA TV Committee, the BAFTA Board, and chairs the BAFTA Learning and New Talent Committee. Additionally, she is Deputy Chair of Women in Film and TV.

Sara is a former pupil. Elected to Council in 2016, she is Chair of the Nominations Committee.

Gordon has had a long international career in business working for leading companies such as Diageo and The Financial Times. For the last 15 years, he has led technology businesses at eBay, Amazon and, most recently, was CEO at WeTransfer.

He was Chair of the advisory board at KPMG Lighthouse (NL) and previously a NED at FTSE International and at the charity FSU (now Family action).

Educated at Clifton College, he attended Balliol College Oxford receiving an MA in PPE and subsequently an MBA from INSEAD France.

Gordon is a former parent and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee and Chair of the Land and Buildings Committee.

Antoinette has worked in education for 40 years. In 2018 she retired from College after 24 years as a member of the Drama Department and as Housemistress of Bayshill and later St Clare. Antoinette continues her interest in drama as chair of a local amateur dramatic company, the Rococo Players.

Antoinette is a former parent. She was elected to Council in 2019, and is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee. Antoinette is also the Support Staff Nominated Member on Council and oversees the College Single Central Record.