Directors
Anne Heal, Independent Director and Chair of the Board of Directors
Anne Heal is an experienced non-executive director and chair. She chairs MOSL, the market operator for the non household water market, is a non executive director of the Office of Rail and Road, a board member of Elexon, the electricity settlement body, a lay member of the General Dental Council, and an independent member of the Bank of England Enforcement Decision Making Committee and the Regulatory Decision Making Committee of the FCA. She has also been a board member of Ofqual, the qualifications regulator. She was previously Director of Regulatory Affairs for BT Group, leading the regulatory negotiations that led to the creation of Openreach, where she then became MD, Strategy. Anne chairs a charity, Volunteering Matters, and is a trustee of NCVO and BalletBoyz. She chairs the Governance and Nominations Committee of Diabetes UK.
The Chair of Directors can be contacted via email at: [email protected], or you can write to her at the following address:
Chair of Directors, London Design & Engineering UTC, 15 University Way, Royal Docks, London, E16 2RD
Geoffrey Fowler, CEO and Principal, LDE UTC
Geoffrey Fowler is a visionary education leader with over 25 years of experience in education and leadership. As the Founding Principal and CEO of the London Design & Engineering UTC (LDE UTC), Geoffrey has been the driving force behind its success for over a decade.
The LDE UTC has become one of the most successful University Technical Colleges in the country, achieving national and international recognition. The College has received five Exceptional judgements under Ofsted’s new inspection framework and is transforming outcomes for young people across East London, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Inclusion sits at the heart of Geoffrey’s leadership, with a clear focus on ensuring that learners, regardless of starting point, are supported to achieve, grow, and progress into high-quality STEM education, training, and careers. Underpinned by a clear educational philosophy that every learner should leave education with two golden tickets. The first is academic achievement, reflecting their hard work and determination. The second is real-world experience, developing resilience, self-belief, and practical skills that employers genuinely value. Together, these two assets open doors to opportunity and long-term success.
Geoffrey is now focused on sharing the LDE UTC’s success and best practices across the wider education sector, enabling more schools and colleges to adopt employer-engaged approaches that improve outcomes and expand opportunities for young people.
Professor Hassan Abdalla, Provost, University of East London
Professor Hassan Abdalla is currently the Provost at the University of East London (UEL). He joined UEL in 2011 as the Dean of the School of Architecture, Computing and Engineering.
Professor Abdalla has more than 20 years of experience in both academia and industry. He is an international authority in the fields of sustainability, smart/future cities, engineering design, Artificial Intelligence in design and factories of the future. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce; Fellow of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers; and Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. He is the author and co-author of over 100 papers published in high-impact journals and conferences worldwide.
The UTC Board of Directors is well served by the international, academic and industry experience that Professor Abdulla brings to bear on the governance of the LDE as well as the links with UEL.
Caroline Kennett, Director of Talent Development, Costain Group plc
Caroline Kennett is Director of Talent and Development at Costain, where she is responsible for the Early Careers agenda, learning & development and the performance and talent management processes. She is passionate about enabling everyone to achieve their full potential in the workplace and sees education as playing a key role in achieving this.
She has held senior roles within HR at Thames Water and British Gas and, as a psychologist at heart, is naturally interested in how the environment shapes motivation and behaviour. She brings experience across leadership development, change management, learning and development and diversity and inclusion, as well as more generalist HR areas.
Stuart Moss, Senior Graphic Design Manager, Skanska UK plc
Stuart is a design and creative professional, specialising in visual communications and information design. His academic and industry experience spans some 30+ years, working inside and outside London as part of a design and/or marketing communications team for several design, architectural, and construction companies. Stuart currently works at Skanska UK, one of the world’s largest development and construction companies. He works alongside his colleagues across the UK business to deliver design strategy and visual content for some of its major infrastructure tenders.
Stuart enjoys supporting schools and their students of all ages by bringing his experience right into the classroom, helping them learn about design and the creative industry, how design can be used not just to sell or inform but also as a force for positive change in the world and how they can contribute through a successful future career as a design and creative professional.
Stuart is a Fellow of The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, where “we champion curiosity, creativity and courage to inspire better ways of thinking and doing…”
Sharon Duffy, Strategic Operations Director (Cross Functional), Equinix
Sharon Duffy studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Auckland in New Zealand and, since graduation, has worked for 30 years within several major organisations in the water, transport, manufacturing and building services sectors. She is a Chartered Engineer, Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers and a Member of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. She has been involved in major infrastructure programme delivery, working in various roles from Client Engineer, Consultant and Contractor.
In October 2024, Sharon joined Equinix as their Strategic Operations Director. Equinix is a global digital infrastructure company that operates over 250 data centres across five continents. It provides co-location, interconnection, and cloud connectivity services, enabling businesses to securely host their IT infrastructure and connect with partners, networks, and cloud providers at scale. Previous to that, Sharon was the Director of Engineering at Thames Water, accountable for setting the strategic direction, driving best practice, innovation and value for the engineering directorate.
Harry Wain, Future Skills Programme Lead, Bentley Motors Ltd
Harry recently joined Bentley Motors Ltd as their Future Skills Programme Lead to support the business in its strategy and approach to recruiting talented individuals so that the organisation continues to be known for its ideas, its technological innovations, and exceptional products.
Before that, Harry worked for Keir Group plc as their Head of Learning and Engagement Programmes. Before that, he was the Learning and Development Manager at Skanska UK with responsibility for developing and delivering the company's training and apprenticeship provisions to meet the organisation's current and future business needs.
An experienced coach and corporate social responsibility professional, Harry has previously worked for Skanska to manage the delivery of employment, skills and community engagement for the Phase 2 Redevelopment of Battersea Power Station.
Catherine Ritman-Smith, Head of Learning and Engagement, Young V&A
Catherine is the Head of Learning and Engagement at the Young V&A, an award-winning museum of creativity for children, and at V&A East, two new sites in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which create unprecedented access to V&A collections and explore global creativity and making.
Spanning two decades, Catherine’s career focuses on collaboration with audiences, inclusive creative education, and supporting career insights for young people. Past roles include leading learning at Somerset House and the Design Museum.
A lifelong resident of East London, Catherine is a local charity trustee, a school governor and an enthusiastic chorister in her community.
Nick Rathbone, Finance Director, Fujitsu UK
Nick Rathbone is a Finance Director for Fujitsu, looking after their Defence and HMRC businesses. Fujitsu is one of the top five information and communication technology providers in the world, and in the UK offers IT consulting services, technology products, managed services, cloud-based solutions and systems integration.
Nick is a University of Cambridge graduate and a Chartered Accountant by background, and has worked extensively in the IT industry, including for Misys and for the last 12 years for Fujitsu. He has worked in the UK and Germany across diverse areas, including finance transformation management, finance bid support, finance sales support, finance business partnering, and financial control activities. Over that time, he has seen the difference that strong financial management can make to a wider business, and he aims to use this experience to benefit the LDE UTC.
Ruzanna Sargsyan, Regional Director, Amazon UK
Ruzanna is a Regional Director at Amazon UK, where she leads large-scale operations across the UK. She began her career in logistics in Armenia before completing an MBA at the University of Cambridge and joining Amazon in 2012.
Over the past decade, she has held senior leadership roles, driving operational excellence and talent development. Passionate about education and future skills, Ruzanna is dedicated to connecting young people with opportunities in technology, logistics, and innovation, making her an excellent director and advocate for LDE UTC’s mission.
Daniel Jebanesan, Senior Vice President, Barclays Investment Bank
Daniel Jebanesan is a highly experienced accounting and finance professional with many years in banking and financial services, currently working for Barclays Investment Bank for over 26 years. Alongside his professional career, Daniel is committed to serving the Church and wider community, and he represents the Church of England Diocese of Chelmsford on the Board of LDE UTC.
He brings strong expertise in strategic planning, business management, operational governance, financial and risk management, and leadership across large-scale, fast-paced organisations.
Daniel serves in several key Church and community roles, including Honorary Lay Canon of Chelmsford Cathedral, Trustee of the Chelmsford Diocesan Board of Finance, Redbridge Deanery Treasurer, Diocesan Synod Member, Finance Committee Member at Chelmsford Cathedral, and Deputy Church Warden at St Laurence Church, Ilford. He also supports humanitarian advocacy through the UK for the UNHCR Storyteller Programme.
He is a fully qualified Chartered Certified Accountant and holds a BA (Hons) in Accounting & Finance from South Bank University, London.
Uzma Salman, Parent Director
Uzma was elected as Parent Director in March 2023. She currently works as a company secretary for a mid-sized private firm in the motor vehicle repair sector.
Uzma holds two Master's degrees: an MSc in Economics & Finance and an MCS in Innovative Technology from the University of East London. Her professional career is highly diverse, reflecting expertise across multiple disciplines. Uzma plays a key role in bringing a parent's perspective to the work of the Board.
Parvez Sheikh, Parent Director
Parvez was elected as Parent Director in March 2023 and currently serves as a Human Resources Manager for a local company. With a diverse professional background spanning multiple sectors, Parvez brings valuable experience to his role.
He has previously served as a Parent Governor at a local secondary school, where he provided leadership and ensured robust accountability, oversight, and assurance in both the educational and financial performance of the institution. In his current role, Parvez plays a crucial part in bringing the parental perspective to the college board, helping bridge the gap between families and the college’s leadership.
Ghulam Abbas, LDE UTC Project Director, Advisor and Governance Professional
Ghulam Abbas is a seasoned consultant and project director/manager with extensive experience in the education sector, having successfully supported the establishment of over 30 Free Schools across the UK. His background as a former Assistant Director at the Department for Education, combined with his consultancy work, has enabled him to develop deep expertise in project and performance management, governance development, strategic advisory, stakeholder consultation, admissions, procurement for academies, and the growth of Multi-Academy Trusts.
His leadership was instrumental in the successful opening of the London Design & Engineering UTC in September 2016. Since then, Ghulam has played a key role in shaping the UTC’s governance structure and continues to provide strategic guidance to support its long-term vision. He currently works closely with the UTC’s Board of Directors, helping to ensure effective governance and driving continuous improvement in its capacity and capability.
