OLA Leadership

Freddy El Turk

Master of Science – MS, Business and Management (Business Analytics) from the University of Essex

Governor since 2018

Mr Freddy El Turk has a diverse background and wide experience in business, education and technology, with his main focus being on Blockchain, Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Deep Learning.

Freddy acquired his technical and business qualifications from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), Harvard University, the University of Oxford and Insead Business School. He is the founder of Vizidox Solutions Limited (VDX), a complete solution to issuing and tracking official records using the blockchain technology. He is also the founder of Morphotech Limited, a Brain Computer Interface (BCI) development company, as well as being the Global Head of Technology for the largest creative media college, SAE Institute. Throughout his career, Mr Elturk’s forward-thinking and relentless passion for advances in futuristic technology have earned him respect and admiration amongst industry peers and we are fortunate to have his skills at our disposal.

Chair of Governing Board, Chair of Finance and Business, Chair of Financial Awards

Guy Ayling MA

Governor since 2018

Guy was educated at Rugby School and the University of St Andrews. He is currently Head Master and Principal of the Mount Kelly Foundation in Tavistock, and prior to moving to Devon had been Warden of Llandovery College for seven years. Guy met his American wife Heather whilst working in Japan and they have three sons. A keen supporter of sport, Guy still plays fives and is a loyal Plymouth Argyle fan.

Guy is a member of HMC and sat on the main Committee of the Society of Heads for eight years.

Committees: Academic

Dr Lesley Ann Bergmeier, PhD, CBiol, MRSB, FHEA

Governor since 2017

SAFEGUARDING GOVERNOR

Lesley was born in Abingdon and was educated at both St Edmunds and Our Lady’s Abingdon. She has spent all of her career working in the field of Mucosal Immunology; first at Guy’s Dental School (now part of King’s College London) and more recently at the Institute of Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, where she holds the title of Reader in Oral Immunology. Lesley has published extensively and was awarded the Draper’s prize for excellence in teaching in 2012. She has considerable experience teaching at both Undergraduate and Postgraduate levels and in supervising of PhD and MSc research students. Lesley has been Programme Lead for the MSc in Experimental Oral Pathology since 2009. She served on the Self-assessment team for the Institute of Dentistry Athena SWAN Bronze award application (Granted 2013, renewed in 2016) and was responsible for the Institute Newsletter.

Lesley is married to Bob and has two step-daughters. She is a keen Choral singer and is a member of the Buckingham Choral Society.

Andrea Freeman, BEd

Governor since 2010

Andrea is the Principal of Oxford Media & Business School. After studying Education at university, Andrea has spent her entire career in education and training, specialising in communication and presentation skills including personal and career development. In addition to teaching, she has worked for numerous examination boards as an Examiner and Principal Moderator as well as writing various articles for business magazines. Andrea has also co-authored a students’ text book on Word Processing.

She is a qualified Myers Briggs consultant delivering the MBTI programme to all her students and an NVQ Assessor and Internal Verifier.

Andrea lives in Northmoor with her husband and has three daughters the youngest of which was a pupil at both the Lower and Senior school of OLA.

Chair of Marketing and PR

Rev James McGrath, STB, MA

Governor since 2010

Father Jamie is the Parish Priest of Our Lady and St Edmund Abingdon. He was educated at Montfort College, Romsey, Hampshire, and studied Philosophy and Theology at the Missionary Institute, London, obtaining a degree from Louvain University, Belgium.

Ordained in 1982 his early priesthood was spent in Malawi, in central Africa, before joining Portsmouth Diocese in 2000. In 2013 Fr Jamie was appointed Episcopal Vicar for Education by Bishop Egan of Portsmouth Dioces

Committees: Academic and Spiritual

Helen Ronaldson

Governor since 2010

Helen Ronaldson was educated at Our Lady’s Convent School, Abingdon and Combe Bank School, Sevenoaks, Kent.

Helen was born in Abingdon and spent time in an army environment both in the UK and Germany. She is now retired, but remains active in local duties and charities. She is a Governor and Past Master of Christ’s Hospital, Abingdon, President of the Abingdon Inner Wheel, and Chair of Abingdon Monday Club for adults with learning disabilities.

She is married to Chris with two daughters, a stepdaughter and stepson, and has three grandchildren.

Committees: Marketing and PR, Finance and Business, Financial Awards

Dr Jacky Woodman, MB, CB, DiplObst, MRCOG, DPhil(Oxon)

Governor since 2018

Jacky was born in Cape Town, South Africa. Educated at the co-ed Catholic St Augustine Primary, she spent three years at the girls’ only, non-segregated St Mary’s Catholic Junior High School, Cape Town – her happiest school years – enabling her to fulfil her academic potential. Her two years at a racially segregated state senior high school were not particularly happy but enabled her to acquire the required subjects for studying medicine at university.

Jacky completed her MBChB degree at Stellenbosch University in 1991. She worked for two years at a district general hospital in Paarl before working in North Wales. She started her DPhil in Clinical Medicine at the University of Oxford in 1996, completing her research in premature labour in 2000. She subspecialised in Urogynaecology in Sydney, Australia 2003 – 2005 and completed her membership exams at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 2006. Jacky obtained her Certificate of Completion of Training in 2009 and started her first consultant Obstetrician and Gynaecology post in Coventry in June 2009.

Committees: Academic and Spiritual & Education

Tim Savory

Governor since 2023

After obtaining a degree in Mathematics from Imperial College, London, in 1985, Tim has spent his career to date in the defence industry, and has been responsible for marketing, business development, product development, project management and systems engineering, including financial and commercial activities on multi-million-pound contracts.

Tim is currently a Vice President of Marketing & Sales in Leonardo, having returned to the UK nearly five years ago, after spending 13 years on overseas assignment with Leonardo in Singapore, India, Malaysia, and China.
Married to Sanela, Tim has three daughters, the youngest of which is a pupil at OLA. Tim is a keen golfer when time permits.

Matt Glendon-Doyle MA

Governor since 2023

Matt was educated at St John’s Beaumont and Stonyhurst College and read Classics at the University of Cambridge. He spent seven years as an investment banker before making a vocational move to teaching. Following two terms at Wanganui Collegiate School in New Zealand and two years at Canford School, he came to Radley in September 2014 where he teaches Classics and is a housemaster in his sixth year.

Matt coaches rugby and hockey, as well as participating in the CCF and Duke of Edinburgh programme. He was previously Master in Charge of Charities and oversaw Catholic chaplaincy. He lives in one of the Radley boarding houses with his wife Rosie, their three young children and their Jack Russell. He enjoys watching rugby and long walks in South Wales.

Committees: Safeguarding and Pastoral

Thierry Lauze

Governor since 2023

Thierry was educated in France and began his teaching career in 1993 at Mount Kelly in Devon as a French teacher and Assistant Housemaster. He moved to Pangbourne College in 1999 to take up the post of Head of French prior to his appointment as Head of Modern Languages and EAL at St John’s School, Leatherhead, where he also served as Master in Charge of Hockey and Tennis.

In 2010, Thierry arrived at Marlborough where he has held various positions including Head of Department, Director of Teaching and Learning, and Acting Deputy Head (Academic). He was appointed Assistant Head (Inspection) in 2020. Thierry has coached a number of sports and completed an MBA in Education at Keele University.