Walhampton
Governors
Walhampton's Board of Governors is responsible for the overall governance of the school, setting the strategic direction and ensuring that the school is run efficiently and effectively by the Headmaster and Operations Director.
The Chair of Governors can be contacted via the school address - Walhampton School, Walhampton, Lymington, Hampshire, SO41 5ZG. Tel: 01590 613 300.
The governors, who are also trustees of the charity, are as follows:
Jeremy Bennett (appointed June 2008)
Chairman of the Board (June 2015).
Career encompassing investment banking, HM Treasury, Financial Services Authority and the charitable sector.
Currently Vice Chairman of the Disasters Emergency Committee and Board member of Oxford University Investment Committee.
Previously worked as senior adviser to HM Treasury, Senior Advisor to the Financial Services Authority, CEO of Nomura International, and Global Head of Emerging Markets for Credit Suisse.
Parent of one current and two former pupils (to Marlborough and Radley).
Neil McGrigor (appointed March 2006)
Vice Chairman of the Board (June 2015).
30 years’ experience in corporate finance and private equity. Currently a non-executive director of a number of private limited companies.
Parent of two former pupils (both scholarships to Radley).
Charles Nicholson (November 2013)
Chairman of the General Purposes Committee (June 2015).
Special responsibility for Health & Safety.
Member of Development Plan Working Group.
Co-founder and MD, The Contract Chair Company Ltd.
Former Walhampton pupil. Career background in fund management, property development, and the furniture industry.
Interests include sailing, skiing, and naval history.
Parent of two current pupils.
Kristine Host-Verbraak (June 2014)
Education Committee – Interim Chair.
Special responsibility for Pre-Prep.
Special interest in marketing.Early career in product / project management, then Chief Marketing Officer in software companies.
A keen sailor, skier, and runner.
Parent of a current pupil.
Samantha Keen (June 2014)
Finance Committee.
Chartered Accountant and licensed insolvency practitioner. Early career in PwC and Grant Thornton, now a Restructuring Partner at Ernst & Young.
Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England and Wales and a Fellow of R3, Association of Recovery Practitioners and of the Insolvency Practitioners Association (IPA).
Formerly a board member of a local Church Aided primary school and currently on the Finance Committee of the IPA.
Enjoys spending time on the Solent with family and friends, fine food and wines and reading.
Parent of one current pupil.
Heidi Leavesley (September 2016)
General Purposes Committee.
Barrister at Law (Middle Temple).
Justice of the Peace since 2003. Currently sitting on the West Hampshire Bench as an Adult Chair and Youth Court magistrate. Previously appointed to West Dorset.
Member of The Parole Board for England and Wales since 2009, including as an accredited Chair since 2014. Presiding over mandatory life sentence and Indeterminate sentence cases.
Member of HMCT Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal since 2012.
Parent of one current pupil.
Other interests include travel, music, foreign languages and spend time with my family.
Derek Shakespeare (June 2014)
Finance Committee - Chairman.
Over 20-year career in investment banking, including with Credit Suisse, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch. Now co-head UK & Ireland M&A at Barclays.
Interests include sailing, hockey, making music, travel and country pursuits.
Currently Hon.
Treasurer of the Royal Ocean Racing Club.
Parent of 3 former pupils (scholarships to Winchester and Marlborough).
Mark Sopher (September 2016)
General Purposes Committee.
Consultant Cardiologist and Clinical Director at the Royal Bournemouth Hospital.
Medical undergraduate and postgraduate training and research in London teaching and postgraduate hospitals leaving to set up a new unit in Bournemouth in 2005. Parent of 3 current pupils and 1 former pupil (now at Eton College).
Currently studying part-time for an MSc in Healthcare Management and Economics at the London School of Economics
Sarah Thomas (November 2005)
Education Committee.
Additional responsibility for Safeguarding.
Head of Bryanston School since 2005; formerly Deputy Head of Uppingham School.
Governor at two other preparatory schools.
Interests include family, friends and food; the Classical world; and watching school sport.
Matthew Winter (November 2013)
Education Committee.
Housemaster and Head of Theology & Philosophy, Winchester College.
Keen hockey player and musician (piano, drums & guitar).
The governors may be contacted through the Operations Director, who is also the Clerk and Company Secretary.
David Whately-Smith (September 2016)
David Whately-Smith has 29 years teaching experience, (including periods as Deputy Head, Senior Master) at Hordle House, Hordle Walhampton and Walhampton.
David is the grandson of the founder of Hordle House and is a former Governor of Hordle House.
David’s interests are: Military history, rugby and cricket. He is also a keen golfer and tennis player and is a part-time volunteer at Naomi House and an educational guide at Beaulieu.
Iain Rawlinson (January 2017)
A background in law, and 30 years experience in the financial, investment and industrial sectors. He also has significant experience of working in the charitable sector.
Now, holding Board appointments at a number of public and private companies and charities, and Fellow of the Centre for Social Innovation at the Cambridge Judge Business School.
Interests are writing, music, the sea, Scotland and Africa.
Parent of a former pupil.