Governors
Mr Robin Southwell OBE, FRAeS - Chairman
Robin was with the Airbus Group since January 2003, initially as CEO of Airtanker Ltd, during which time he secured the largest military PFI in history with the RAF.
Robin’s career has mainly been in the aerospace industry, initially joining BAE Systems upon leaving university in 1981.
His early career at BAE Systems included marketing and negotiating contracts for commercial and military aircraft worldwide. He established the Asset Management Organisation in the mid 1990s before moving to Australia for three years, during which time the Royal Australian Air Force selected both the BAe Hawk and missile systems from MBDA.
Robin is Chairman of a diverse range of companies including On Air Dining, Belle Vue Speedway and Linley Furniture. Furthermore, he is a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, a Trustee of the RAF Museum and a NED of Shearwater Group and Farnborough International Limited. He is also the co-owner of a hotel in Portugal, Chairman of Governors of Parkside School and was appointed by the Prime Minister as a UK Business Ambassador.
Robin is the Chair of Governors and can be contacted by using the following details:
southwellr@parkside-school.co.uk
Mrs Victoria Cheeseman
Following University, Victoria had a career in investment management in London for 13 years analysing European and Global equity funds, creating and delivering client presentations to small group investors and at large conferences.
Since mid 2012, Victoria became a full time mother to her two boys. Having spent a number of years in Cape Town, Victoria and her family settled back in Surrey in 2016 and now live in Cobham.
Victoria has been Chairman of a local cricket club for the last three and a half years. This has involved organising the smooth running of the club, managing committee meetings, interacting with a wide variety of people, players, suppliers & official bodies. When not watching her own sons play cricket, she enjoys playing golf, making cakes and walking her dog.
Both her sons attended Parkside between 2016 and 2023. cheesemanv@parkside-school.co.uk
Mrs Janet Crane
Early Years Governor
Janet has worked as a primary school teacher since she graduated in 1980. She has lived in Cobham since 1984 and has two grown up children. She came to work at Parkside in 2002 eventually taking on the role of Deputy Head of Pre Prep. She retired in 2021.
She is passionate about Early Years and believes that this is the time when children need to be encouraged to learn good communication, problem solving, positivity, creativity and self-belief so they can go on lead successful and fulfilling lives.
Ms Hannah Davies – Parent Liaison Governor
Hannah is a qualified Chartered Accountant, having spent 14 years at RSM as an external auditor, specialising in the not for profit sector, specifically advising charities and independent schools. During that time she has built up significant experience in the sector and the risks that schools and charities face. Prior to joining RSM, she studied French and Spanish at the University of Bristol, including living and working abroad for a year. More recently, Hannah has taken on the role of Bursar at Hoe Bridge School, a co-educational prep school in Woking and has been a Governor at Parkside since January 2022.
Hannah lives near Woking and in her spare time can mostly be found running around after her 4 year old twin boys.
Hannah is the Governor responsible for Parent Liaison and can be contacted at the email address below:
Mrs Celia Gregory – Staff Liaison Governor
Celia has been a Governor of Parkside since 2012. Very much a local, Celia was born in Weybridge and, apart from five years in London, has lived in the area all her life, and in Cobham since 1987.
Both her sons, Mark and Justin, attended Parkside between 1990 and 2002, during which time she was on the FOP Committee for a number of years. Celia worked as a nursery school teacher, in London and at Rowan Preparatory School, before becoming a full-time mum in 1986. In 2007, Celia completed a BSc in Psychology at Roehampton University.
Having been a member of St George’s Hill Tennis Club since childhood, Celia served on the Club Board for six years before becoming an employee in 2012 and she remains there as Racquets Co-ordinator. She is a keen tennis player and enjoys walking, theatre and travel.
Celia is the Governor responsible for Safeguarding/Staff Liaison and Health & Safety and can be contacted by using the following details:
gregoryc@parkside-school.co.uk
Ms Karen Keane
Karen grew up locally, attending both Guildford High and Godalming College. She has lived and worked in Europe for a number of years before returning to become a teacher. Now qualified as a Specialist Assessor and SENCo, Karen works at Charterhouse.
When not busy with all things teaching and learning, Karen is owned by a dog, 2 horses, 4 ducks and a football-playing daughter!!
Karen is the Governor responsible for Learning Enrichment and can be contacted by e-mail at the address below:
Mrs Sharon Pask
Sharon is a retired commercial lawyer with more than 30 years’ experience, 25 of which were spent in-house at Sky Television where, in 1991, she was appointed Deputy Head of Legal and Business Affairs. Sharon advised on a wide range of legal, commercial, compliance and corporate governance-related matters, including bidding for the Premier League TV rights and Sky’s floatation. During her career, she was appointed a Director of the Federation Against Copyright Theft and spent many years involved in the fight against intellectual property piracy.
Sharon remains Company Secretary of the family software business, Connect Auto, which provides retail website platforms and Apps to car manufacturers on a global basis. Her experience provides a legal perspective to the Parkside board.
Sharon has lived locally for 28 years with her husband Gary and both her sons attended Parkside and her daughter, Merrileas nursery.
Sharon Pask can be contacted by e-mail at the below address:
Mr Jonty Wood
After studying Law and Accountancy at Cardiff University, Jonty qualified as a Chartered Accountant and a member of the Association of Corporate Treasurers. He retired in Easter 2018, having spent 25 years, the bulk of his career in finance, at HSBC Bank plc. The majority of that time was in the role of Treasurer to the UK bank, and more recently, across the EMEA region. Primary responsibilities were the management of the bank’s liquidity portfolios and structural interest rate risk.
Jonty is married with four sons, all of whom went through the full Parkside experience, covering an unbroken period of 16 years. This ended in July 2018 when his youngest son passed Common Entrance to move to St John’s, Leatherhead. Jonty became a Parkside Governor in March 2018.
Jonty, a proud Yorkshireman, his main sporting interests are rugby, cricket, golf and the exploits of Huddersfield Town. Jonty lives locally in Oxshott.
Jonty Wood can be contacted by e-mail at the below address:
