Cannon Alex Tear, Director of Education Diocese of Guildford

Alex is an experienced Diocesan Director of Education and leads the Education team based at Church House, Guildford.

He is a member of the Bishop’s Leadership Team and provides the strategic leadership for education within the diocese. Before taking up his post in Guildford, Alex was the Director of Education for Rochester Diocese for 6 years and Acting Chief Executive officer at a Diocesan Multi-Academy Trust.  Alex is an experienced system leader and former Local Leader of Education (LLE) in Surrey. He has 20 years’ experience in education as a teacher, governor, local authority adviser and primary headteacher of a Church of England school in Guildford Diocese.  Alex is a Trustee of The Laurel Trust and a former Chair of the Association of Anglican Directors of Education (AADE).

 

Freddie Lawson

Freddie is a solicitor and one of the Directors of W Davies & Son Ltd. He has particular experience in employment law, specialising in commercial litigation in both High Court and County Court including contractual, partnership and employer /employee disputes. Freddie also has experience at local governor and trustee level for the past three years. In his spare time, he enjoys squash, tennis, cycling and sailing.

 

Pauline Alexander

Pauline Alexander is the retired Executive Headteacher of Goldsworth Multi Academy Trust which includes Goldsworth Primary School and St John’s Primary and Nursery School. She has been a headteacher for 26 years in 4 successful schools taking one from an infant school to a primary, another from Ofsted category of Special Measures to Good and one from a 2-form to 3-form primary school. Pauline has worked as a Local Leader of Education supporting the leadership and management in several local schools. She is also a trained Leadership Coach.

 

Robin Willison

Robin is currently an independent Non-Executive Board Director for two financial mutual organisations, following a career in banking and insurance.  His passion for seeing people flourish and grow is reflected in his accreditation as an Executive Coach and as a facilitator for the Windsor Leadership Trust.  He's lived in Woking most of his life and spent 8 years as a parent Governor at Goldsworth School; his 4 children are now grown-up but still live in the town with his 9 grandchildren attending a range of local schools. Robin is part of the leadership team in a local church.

 

Simon Owens

Simon is an accountant and the CEO of the British Friendly Society who are a not-for-profit Mutual insurance company.  Simon has over 20 years’ experience of working in the Financial Services sector where he has held financial, commercial and operational leadership positions.  Originally from Cheshire, Simon now lives in Surrey and is married with four children, two dogs and a cat that would do anything for a quiet life. Simon is a qualified youth football, rugby and cricket coach and spends most of his weekends encouraging and developing children’s passion for sport.