Garry is Chair of Edge and set up the organisation with fellow Edexcel trustees. Garry was the former Chair and Chief Executive of Gardner Merchant and Director-General of Sodexho group. Formerly Chair of the Basic Skills Agency Foundation, Garry is currently Chair of Protocol Skills, and also acts as consultant to Aramark.

John worked for a number of years for PPIAB (Pensions Protection Investment Accreditation Board) and was also a Westminster Councillor. John was one of the original Edexcel trustees who worked with Garry Hawkes to set up Edge. Now retired, John retains an interest in environmental businesses.

Gary is currently CEO of MFI Retail Ltd. He has a track record of success within the retail sector, beginning in a sales role at the age of 17 and working his way up. Gary has an impressive network in the retail sector and is a consistent advocate and supporter of practical learning. He is married with three children.

David had a long career with Wimpey, working his way up through the ranks to become Marketing Director of Wimpey Merchants. David sat on the board of the Technical Education Council (TEC), which merged with the Business Education Council in 1983 to form the Business and Technical Education Council (BTEC). When BTEC and the University of London's Examinations and Assessment Council merged to form Edexcel, David became Vice Chairman. Now retired, David helped set up Edge with Garry Hawkes.

Gillian is currently CEO of propertyfinder.com. Gillian spent 15 years in MSN/Microsoft and is a respected voice in the media/online sector. She is also a keen advocate of practical learning and has had personal experience of the pressure of exam-driven education system. Gillian is married with two children.

Mike is currently CEO of Vero Communications Ltd, a campaigning PR firm. Before this, Mike was Director of Communications on the London 2012 Olympics bid and special adviser to Lord Coe. Mike is a highly respected PR professional and has excellent contacts within the PR, sports and government sectors. He is a qualified teacher and is a strong advocate of practical learning. Mike is married with two children.

Lars comes from a City finance background and is currently Joint MD of TGE Group, a highly geared MBI of a diversified engineering group based in UK, US and Northern Europe. Previous to that Lars spent many years in various financial roles, particularly involved in acquisitions and disposals. Lars is Treasurer of Edge’s Financial Committee.

Ruth is currently Principal of Lewisham College, a large FE college in South-east London. Ruth has also written and broadcast extensively on educational matters and is committed to inclusiveness, particularly in the inner city. An adviser to the Select Committee in the House of Commons and a member of the Skills Commission, Ruth is also a director of Horse’s Mouth.

We are delighted to announce that Lady Leitch has joined the Edge Board. Noelle was born in the US but has lived much of her life in Switzerland. Her main work background has been in finance, including Zurich Financial Services Group, and in executive search. Noelle is married to Lord Sandy Leitch.