As Chair of the Board, Richard has overseen United Learning’s growth and development into a highly successful group of schools and academies serving communities across the country. During his term, the Group has grown from 50 schools at the start of 2015 to 104 today.  

Richard, who is also Chair of British Youth Opera, was presented with a gift at his final Board Meeting this week by the Group Trustees and Executive Team to mark and celebrate his contributions to United Learning.

Christian Brodie, who succeeds him, enjoyed a successful career in international financial services and now holds a portfolio of roles including as Chair of the Wates Foundation.

Richard Greenhalgh said:

 “It has been an honour to serve as Chair for nine years and to oversee a time in which United Learning has grown in strength, size and impact and improved year on year the outcomes it delivers for children and young people. Throughout my tenure as Chair, it has been an utter pleasure to visit our schools, meet the amazing staff and young people and see their combined dedication to their futures, and to the future of our country and our planet.

 “We are fortunate in United Learning to have an extremely dedicated group of local governors and national trustees who give their own time and expertise to drive forward our schools. As I conclude my term as Chair, I would like to thank them and all our colleagues across the Group for their support, friendship and commitment to our schools and the communities they serve.

 “This role as Chair of the Group has been a privilege and I believe that Christian is an excellent choice as my successor. He inherits a Group that is in strong financial shape, is delivering demonstrable educational and wider value in each of its schools and has the right strategy in place to continue to prosper and grow.”

Sir Jon Coles, Chief Executive of United Learning, said:

 “We have been extremely fortunate to have had Richard as our Chair over the last nine years. He has transformed governance within the charity, brilliantly guided our strategic ambition and has led us with a confident, collegiate and conscientious manner which has been incredibly helpful and positive. The relationship between the Chair and the Chief Executive in any organisation is particularly important and, on a personal note, I would like to thank him for the exceptional way he has provided me and our Executive Team with support, challenge and encouragement.

 “We will all be very sorry to see Richard step down but are very much looking forward to working with Christian. He brings with him decades of experience both in the corporate world and in the voluntary, Higher Education and not-for-profit sectors. Whilst our core focus will always be on schools’ education, the role of schools within the lives of the families they serve has necessarily grown in recent years and Christian’s experience will be vital at a strategic level to ensure we continue to develop as a Group, as an employer and as a focal point for our communities.”

Christian Brodie said:

 “I am very pleased to be taking up this role as Chair and to be succeeding Richard after his nine very successful years. United Learning is one of the largest charities in the UK as well as being a major contributor to the education sector over the past 20 years. Our responsibility to the families and communities we serve through our schools is incredibly important and I look forward to working with colleagues across the Group as we continue to transform the lives of young people across the country.

 “Across the education sector there are always significant challenges and opportunities to navigate and United Learning has built its reputation on successfully addressing the former and seizing the latter. It has been a pleasure to have been welcomed by everyone I have met so far across the schools and I look forward to meeting many more in the weeks and months to come.”