Ian Kershaw

Ian Kershaw, FRSA, was appointed to the Board of Governors in 2017. He is a member of the Finance and Development Committee, and the Academic Assurance Committee. He represents the University on the Board of Sunderland Culture.

Ian retired from full-time work in December 2022. He has been the CEO of two multi-academy trusts in the North East, and was the managing director of Northern Education Associates for 11 years. Appointed by Birmingham City Council as the Independent Chief Adviser, he led the investigation into the so-called ‘Trojan Horse’ affair in 2014. He served as a National Challenge Adviser for the Department for Education (DfE) for several years.

Ian led an Education Action Zone across East Durham between 2000 and 2005, he was previously the executive head teacher of a residential special school in County Durham, and is also an experienced secondary principal who led Sidney Stringer Community Technology College in Coventry for 11 years.