The Board of Trustees at QMAT is the governing body responsible for the overall strategic direction and performance of the trust and its constituent schools.

They act as directors under company and charity law, holding ultimate responsibility for the trust's compliance with legal and charitable objectives. 

Co-Chairs of Trust Board

Dan Mayman Beng (Hons) DipPFS: Co-Chair of Trustees

Dan has been a Parent Governor and Community Governor at Great Baddow High School and became Chair of Governors in January 2025.

He is a locally based fully qualified Independent Financial Adviser with over 25 years industry experience, serving both individual and corporate clients alike. He is considered a senior adviser within his firm and has sat on their internal Investment Committee for many years.

Dan is a member of the Personal Finance Society (PFS), the Chartered Insurance Institute (CII) and the Society for Late Life Advisers (SOLLA).

Although his career has predominately been in financial services Dan holds a Bachelor’s Honours degree in Engineering from Leeds University. He retains a keen interest in STEM subjects and critical thinking.

Sara Kightley, Cert Ed, BA (Hons) Education: Co-Chair of Trustees

Educationalist and former Deputy Head. Over thirty years’ experience as a primary practitioner in both state and independent sectors, latterly as Deputy Head of New Hall Preparatory School, Boreham. Early career experience includes teacher training, payroll, accountancy and consumer credit.

She commenced school governance in 2008 at Meadgate Primary, Great Baddow. Executive Chair and Trustee of The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust from 2014-2025. She worked closely with the CEO, LGB Chairs and was visible across the Trust’s seven primary schools. Sara is also a Director of New Hall Multi Academy Trust. 

Sara is a strong advocate of governance training and in 2014 completed the Chairs of Governors’ Leadership Development Programme under the auspices of the National College for Teaching and Leadership and remains up to date with current guidelines for governance. 

Anything remotely ‘Equestrian’ fills her spare time and she is a member of a successful racing syndicate. Sara’s default hobby is home gardening including water features.

Trustees

Ann Bell 

Bret Hawkins 

Bret is a finance professional with extensive knowledge of financial planning and analysis and has a background of working with established small and medium enterprises in the private sector, particularly those funded by private equity. Residing on the executive board of a group of companies servicing the automotive industry, Bret plays a pivotal role in leading and effecting change at a strategic level. 

Bret likes to be challenged. He is a keen runner and produces music in his spare time. 

Tony Klinker

Tony has always lived in Chelmsford, but now live in Great Baddow. He has one child at Great Baddow High School and another child joining the school next year. He has been a Community Governor at GBHS since January 2024 and in that time chaired the Finance People & Premises and Audit committees and attended school events such as the annual Open Evening and the Awards Evenings. 

Tony has been asked to join the trustee board of the new academy trust and will apply all of his experience from his time as a governor to aid the improvement and advancement of all the schools within the trust.

Sharon Roots 

Sharon is a retired Insurance and Risk professional with experience in both the private and local government sectors. After 21 years she left the private sector, as an Assistant Director of a Lloyds Insurance Broker, having decided that experiencing 2 IRA Bombings that involved her offices, the city was too dangerous!

In 1998 Sharon then moved into Local Government, heading up Insurance, Risk and Business Continuity Planning, first in the London Borough of Newham and then from 2005 in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham. Sharon finally retired in 2018 after 20 years in local government.

Sharon has been the Chair of her professional body, ALARM (Association of Local Authority Risk Managers), as well as the Director of Finance for said body. Sharon was also actively involved in the Institute of Risk Management, winning Risk Manager of the year in 2001 and lecturing both in the UK and abroad. Sharon was also involved in the writing of the ISO 31000 Standard for Risk Management.

Sharon has also been a Parent Governor and then the Chair of Governors at the Brittons Academy in Rainham, Essex (Senior School) and then a Trustee of the Empower Learning Academy Trust until she resigned in 2018 when she retired and moved to Maldon. In 2019 Sharon became a Trustee of The Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust (TELAT) and currently holds the positions of Vice Chair of the Trust and Chair of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee.

Sharon has a busy retirement, when not involved in TELAT or looking after her two grandchildren, she can be found either gardening, playing bowls or taking photographs.

Tim Woods 

Tim has significant corporate experience working across marketing, sales, customer service, new product development and HR within medium sized businesses and has served on several executive boards. Tim has been involved in school governance for approximately twenty years, using his experience of the corporate world to support and challenge school leaders. 

Tim is married to a primary school Headteacher and has two daughters, one who runs her own business, and the other is training to be a vet. At the weekend you will normally find him on a golf course.