Dr Sam Parrett CBE
Group CEO
Dr Sam Parrett CBE is an experienced CEO and Principal, whose drive and determination to improve education across London and South East England has resulted in the expansion of high-quality pathways and outcomes for learners across mainstream, special, further, higher, adult and apprenticeship education. She was appointed as a National Leader of Further Education in 2020 and coaches new and aspiring CEOs in the sector.
Since being appointed as Principal of Bromley College in 2010, she led a merger with Orpington College, Bexley College and Greenwich Community College to form London South East Colleges in 2016. Sam also established London South East Academies Trust in 2013 – a 20-school growing MAT across primary, secondary, Alternative Provision and Special in South London, Kent, Sussex and Surrey.
The unique Group structure she established operates as an award winning social enterprise. Her work exemplifies civic leadership and the transformative power of education in building resilient, thriving communities. She is especially passionate about supporting SEND and disadvantaged learners to thrive, and has worked closely with the Princes Trust for 25 years. She also established the FE Foodbank and Good For Me Good for FE National Awards.
Ofsted rated the College as Good in October 2024, and it was named Overall FE Provider of the Year at the TES FE Awards 2021, as well as receiving a Social Value Award for Public Sector Leadership in 2021. Sam was named TES FE Leader of the Year, and the College was also awarded the prestigious Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2020. In 2024 London South East Academies Trust was named as Trust of the Year in the national TES Schools Awards.
In recognition of Sam’s contribution to education and her work in SEND and mainstream schools, she was awarded a CBE in 2021, following the OBE she received in 2016 for her services to further education. These honours reflect the work Sam is doing across the sector, positively impacting many people’s lives throughout the region and beyond.
Sam holds a PhD in Education Policy Analysis and is a Chartered Fellow of the CIPD, a Fellow of the Chartered Institution of Further Education and a Leadership Fellow at St George’s House, Windsor Castle. Sam is also the Senior Independent Governor at the University of Kent and a Board Member of the Education and Training Foundation.
Group Principal and CEO of London South East Education Group expenses can be seen here.
Jennifer Pharo
Group Chief of Staff and Governance Director
Jenny is the Group Executive Director of Governance, Company Secretary, and Clerk to the Boards of London South East Colleges and London South East Academies Trust, a role she commenced in April 2019. Prior to this, she was the Group Executive Director of Corporate Services, with strategic and operational management of key Group Corporate Services areas of IT, HR, MIS, Funding, Planning and Performance, Exams, and administration services.
She has strong and proven governance, legal, project strategic planning, and change management skills. She has led and delivered on governance, educational, curriculum, customer, and information systems projects, including college mergers, business acquisitions, and business process re-engineering.
She has significant management experience in both the public and private sectors with a career portfolio providing insight and knowledge of operational and strategic business and resource planning in most business services areas. Her career began in legal and company secretarial, transferring to the investment banking and financial services sectors where she worked for c20 years.
Jenny retrained as a Business and IT Teacher in 2001 and started her career in the FE Sector, progressing into a senior management role in Further Education. She has developed significant experience in charity, company and education governance and regulatory matters, including more recently working on charities and funding raising initiatives.
Since her move into the Governance Professional role for the Group, Jenny has achieved qualification status in the ICSA Diploma in Academies Governance, the NGA Clerking Certificate and the IoD Governance Professional Leadership Programme. She is a member of the Governance Institute, IoD and NGA. She is currently undertaking an ILM Coaching qualification.
She is the Group Data Protection Officer for London South East Education Group.
John Hunt
Deputy Group CEO and Group Chief Financial Officer
John joined the College in 2013 as Vice Principal of Finance and Resources before progressing to the role of Group Chief Financial Officer and, subsequently, Deputy Group CEO.
John is a fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accounts and started his accountancy career in manufacturing before spending ten years working in forensics. He moved into senior finance roles within the education sector in 2007 and has also spent five years working as a part-time lecturer in a Further Education College. Having helped set up London & South East Academies Trust in 2013, he has worked tirelessly to enable and support its growth and success since then, with the Trust now consisting of 9 Schools Bromley, Bexley, Surrey, and Lambeth. Through this work, John has developed considerable knowledge and experience as a senior leader in the Further Education and Academies sector.
John has an excellent track record and wealth of experience, which includes leading through periods of change, implementing significant business and financial improvements, strong financial stewardship, and governance.
In 2022, john was appointed by the FE Commissioner as one of two National Leaders of Further Education – Finance Specialist. Through this appointment, John works with the FE Commissioner Team to support a range of further education providers nationally.
In addition to being responsible for all matters relating to financial strategy, financial performance and risk management, John is also responsible for the deputy CEO directorate, which includes overseeing a range of business support services together with capital projects and the Estates, IT and Sustainability Strategies for the College and Academy Trust.
Janet Curtis Broni
Group Chief People Officer
Janet joined in the Group in January 2020 as the Group Director for HR and Organisational Development. In July 2020, she became the Group Chief People Officer. Janet has 18 years’ experience in the Further Education Sector, including 13 years’ experience in Senior Leadership roles. Her role in the Group, includes implementing the People Strategy to ensure the Group develops the capability and culture to deliver its ambition to have a positive impact on lives and communities across the region.
Her role also entails providing high quality, expert services across the Group, ensuring a positive and constructive people focused environment, where staff are engaged and people are at the heart of decision making. She also leads on Equality Diversity and Inclusion across the Group to ensure that EDI is embedded within the Group’s culture and working practices.
Janet is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), a trained mediator and Coach.
Neil Miller
Deputy CEO of London South East Academies Trust
Neil Miller is the Deputy CEO Academies with operational accountability for all the schools within the Trust.
He was a senior leader in secondary mainstream education for many years including Headship before joining the Trust as Executive Headteacher six years ago.
Neil has a real passion for working with our learners with his expectations for each and every one being extremely high. This is achieved with a forensic focus on quality first learning experience so the students are able to grow both academically and emotionally, becoming purposeful young adults.
Neil has a real expertise in leadership and has gained his NPQEL. Relationships with the staff teams is key for Neil and ensuring the Trust is able to get the very best from everyone is important.
Asfa Sohail
Executive Principal and Chief Learning Officer
Having worked in the sector for almost 24 years, Asfa is an experienced College Principal and strategic curriculum leader with significant knowledge and experience of inspection and quality measures applied to Further and Higher Education.
With a background in IT, mathematics, physics and business, Asfa started her career in FE as a lecturer, developing leadership and management skills and progressing to College Principal at Lewisham College (part of NCG).
Asfa has experience of leading inspections and FE Commissioner visits and has experience of inspecting. Asfa is passionate about quality, learner experience, and developing community links and partnerships. Asfa is leading the National Mentoring programme for the Black FE Leadership Group and a board member for the Capital City Colleges Group.