17 January, 2023
Dr Paul Hann OBE, our former chair, and Nick Hudson, our chief executive officer, have announced that they are to leave Ormiston Academies Trust at the end of the academic year, to retire.
Paul has been a trustee at OAT for 11 years. He stood down as chair just before Christmas, and will continue as a trustee until March. His successor as chair is Julius Weinberg, who has previously been the vice-chancellor of Kingston University, the deputy chair of Ofqual and the chair of Ofsted.
Dr Paul Hann OBE said: “Serving Ormiston Academies Trust for the last 11 years has been a pleasure and a privilege. When Peter Murray established the trust, he promised it would always stay true to a clear principle – that we would be rooted in the communities in which we work. I am proud that we have honoured that.
“There was an extremely strong field of candidates to take over as chair, but Julius was the trustees’ unanimous choice. He has a distinguished background, he knows education and he knows Whitehall. He will do an outstanding job.
“I would also like to put on record my thanks to Nick Hudson for the exceptional job he has done as chief executive of the trust. Nick has been committed to the ideals of OAT throughout, and his work has led to real improvements for our students.”
Nick joined OAT in 2016 as its national director of education and became chief executive officer almost six years ago. He will retire at the end of the academic year. OAT has started a national recruitment process for Nick’s successor.
Nick Hudson said: “While I look forward to what retirement will bring, there is no doubt that I am also very sad to be leaving such a wonderful organisation. It has been an honour both to lead an academy trust which so values its pupils and students, their families and communities, and to work with such an outstanding group of colleagues.
“I believe we have together achieved a great deal during my time here and throughout Paul’s time as chair and as a trustee, and I am certain that Ormiston Academies Trust will continue to thrive because of the firm foundations that are in place. OAT has started the process of recruiting a new chief executive and I am committed to ensuring the best possible transition.”
Julius Weinberg, OAT’s new chair, said: “It is a mark of good leaders that the improvements they make are sustainable and that is the case for us. OAT is very strongly positioned to move forward thanks to the hugely positive contributions that Nick and Paul have made. I would like to put on record my sincere thanks to them both for all they have done for OAT, a trust whose vision and values are so aligned with theirs, and with mine. I feel very fortunate to have been selected as chair of Ormiston Academies Trust and hope I can do as good a job as Paul has.”
Category: News
Tags: Chair, Chief Executive Officer, Dr Paul Hann, Nick Hudson, Retirement
