Our Governors

The Governors OF BURY GRAMMAR SCHOOL

Working with our school community, Governors are committed to balancing traditional values with excellent, forward-thinking educational practices in a caring and collaborative family of schools, where pupils and staff flourish and succeed. This, combined with a wealth of extra-curricular opportunities, enables our pupils to be ambitious, confident, tolerant, respectful and well-rounded young people, extremely well-prepared to meet life's future challenges.

The Governing Body consists of local men and women who possess a broad span of experience and skills. They are dedicated to setting the strategic direction of the School and maintaining the School’s high reputation.

Please see all members of the Governing Body listed below and their biographies.

Gillian Winter - Chair of Governors

Gillian is an experienced school leader and teacher with 40 years’ experience covering all age groups from nursery to adults in the UK and Japan. Her specialist teaching subjects are Religious Studies and Philosophy.

Gillian’s educational philosophy has always been to reach academic achievement through outstanding teaching and learning, with systematic monitoring alongside effective pastoral care to ensure pupil and student well-being. Gillian taught at Withington Girls’ School for 7 years and her most recent roles have been as Assistant Head, Pupil and Student Development and Assistant Head (Sixth Form) at Altrincham Grammar School for Girls before she went on to be the founding Principal of Connell Sixth Form College in Manchester.

Gillian now runs her own Educational Consultancy and she enjoys working on a variety of educational projects. She is also passionate about improving the lives of children and so she is proud to work as a trustee with Wood Street Mission and Mynshull’s Educational Foundation which help the children of Manchester and Salford.

Gillian became a governor at BGS in 2015.

Richard Smyth - Chair Elect

Richard is a BGS Old Boy. He qualified as a solicitor in 1977 and after gaining wide experience in serious financial criminal law, specialised in regulatory law, spending much of his career as a partner with global commercial law firm DLA Piper.

His work at DLA Piper covered a wide range of contentious regulatory matters, including health and safety, competition, export controls, money laundering and international sanctions, with clients ranging from professional individuals to global multi-nationals. Richard retired from legal practice in 2020.

In 2016 he joined the Board of East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust as a non-executive director and currently chairs the Audit Committee and is also a member of the Charitable Funds Committee.

Richard is married with two grown up children. In his spare time he enjoys the Pennine countryside where he lives, playing his piano and sailing.

Richard joined the Governing Body in January 2023.

Malcolm Edge - Vice Chair of Governors

Malcolm Edge is a BGS Old Boy who went on to qualify as a Chartered Accountant, eventually becoming one of two Vice Chairman of KPMG in the UK.

He was also a European and UK Board member. He spent most of his career at KPMG providing professional services to a range of clients including FTSE 100 businesses, large family companies and private individuals.

Malcolm became a BGS governor in 2014. He retired from KPMG, and is now involved in various other activities. In addition to being a Governor at BGS, he is Chairman of the North West Business Fund (a fund of funds investing £153m into small and medium businesses, both equity and loans), a consultant to a family business with large commercial property interests and is both a Feoffee and the Chair of the Governing body at Chetham's School of Music.

Malcolm enjoys sports and particularly sailing and skiing. He also attempts to play golf!

Pete Lee - Chair of the Finance & Estates Sub-Committee

Pete was educated at BGS and then graduated with an Economics degree from The University of Hull in 1992.

He went on to qualify as a Chartered Management Accountant, working in a number of businesses across a variety of sectors including manufacturing, professional services and technology. He is currently Chief Operating Officer at Purple, an early stage software business based in Manchester.

Pete is an active member of the school community having one son who is currently at the Senior School, and another who left in 2021. He joined the Governing Body in 2018. In his spare time, he enjoys running, cycling, football and travel.

Tim McDougall - Chair of the Education Sub-Committee

KUI MAN GERRY YEUNG OBE DL - Chair of the External Relations Committee

Gerry’s present public roles include President of Disabled Living, Trustee of the recently created Palace & Opera House Trust and Envoy of Manchester China Forum. He is also working closely with RHS to create the first genuine traditional classical Chinese Garden in UK.

He was born in Guangzhou in China, grew up in Hong Kong, came to Manchester as a teenager, completed his education in UK, graduated from University of York and joined what was to become a landmark family business, Yang Sing Restaurant, at its inception.

A successful restaurateur for over 40 years, he has recently retired from the hospitality industry, but maintains his business interests in property development and educational exchange between UK and China.

Describing himself as a Chinese Mancunian, Gerry has been actively involved in the commercial, educational, charitable and cultural life of Greater Manchester, as an entrepreneur and philanthropist, for many years. In terms of education, his most relevant experience is as a long-standing former governor of both Withington Girls’ School and University of Manchester.

He was awarded the OBE in 2003, elected as President of Manchester Chamber of Commerce (2003-2004), made a Deputy Lieutenant in 2007, and was High Sheriff of Greater Manchester in 2017-18.

Daniel Long - Chair of the Joint Consultative Committee

Daniel graduated in Law from Lancaster University in 2008 and went on to join local law firm Woodcocks Haworth & Nuttall where he became equity partner in 2014.

Daniel heads up WHN’s Commercial Department which covers dispute resolution, commercial property and corporate law and Daniel specialises in resolving commercial landlord and tenant disputes on a day to day basis. He joined the Governing body in 2017.

Daniel is a BGS Old Boy having finished Sixth Form in 2005 and he comes from a family with strong ties to the school. A bursary recipient, Daniel was successful in both his academic career and in sport while at BGS. Daniel is passionate about making independent education available to as many children as possible. In his spare time, he enjoys golf, football and travel.

Martin Entwistle - Member of the Governing Body

Martin was a pupil at BGSB from 1978-85 and went on to train as an accountant and later as a stockbroker, eventually becoming a Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.

He has been a Partner at James Sharp & Co Stockbrokers of Bury since 1999 and retains strong links with the Schools both as Secretary of the Old Boys' Association and a parent of twin boys who have been educated at BGSB from Infant School to Sixth Form.

He was appointed to the governing body in 2011. Martin’s hobbies include skiing, cycling and playing the saxophone.

Suzanne Gauge - Member of the Governing Body

Suzanne Gauge was educated at BGS and is a former Head Girl of the School.

She graduated from Leeds University with an Honours Degree in French with Spanish and went on to obtain a Post Graduate Diploma in Human Resource Management from Manchester Metropolitan University.

Suzanne spent her career in Sales and Marketing within the Travel, Insurance and Textile Sectors. Her last position was that of Group Sales Director for a multinational firm specialising in the production and distribution of work-wear, corporate-wear and military fabrics.

She joined the Governing Body in 2015 and has two children at the School. She is an active member of the BGS Old Girls' Association and has been its Secretary since 2009.

Dr Simon Hyde - Member of the governing body

Simon is General Secretary of The Heads’ Conference (HMC), which represents the Heads of 300 of the country’s leading independent schools.

Born and raised in Macclesfield, Simon attended the King’s School, where he later returned as Headmaster from 2011 to 2020. After reading history at Oxford, he completed a doctorate on mid-nineteenth century Prussia, before starting his teaching career. Simon was appointed to the Governing Body in 2021.

Historical fiction and crime novels combined with the occasional long walk are favoured pastimes.

Ryan Johnson - Member of the Governing Body

Ryan graduated in 2006 obtaining a BA with First Class Honours Degree in Business Management & Information Technology from the University of Liverpool and went on to join the largest custodian bank globally, where he operated as vice president for over 7 years, working in different countries throughout the world during his spell, including but not limited to, Pittsburgh, New York, Pune, Brussels and Germany.

Ryan moved into a strategic position in the Wealth Management Industry to develop the strategy, growth and crisis management amongst other things, in an industry often misunderstood but excellent to be a part of.

Ryan has been a magistrate within the main court of Central Manchester for over 15 years and currently sits on the Northwest Advisory Committee, where he is often required to chair conduct matters and carry out interviews. He is also part trained as a solicitor, obtaining his GDL at the University of Central Lancashire.

Professionally Ryan has been running his own management consultancy firm as Chief Executive Officer for the last 5 years, Lloyd Expert Consultancy Ltd, that operates within financial services and loves nothing more than working with positive and progressive individuals, whilst dealing with difficult and sometimes impossible challenges. In addition, Ryan sits on the board of an advisory firm operating as a Non-Executive Director.

Ryan used to officiate at the professional championship level of football in the EFL for over 10 years before injury halted any further progress otherwise hobbies include spending most of his free time with his 2 young children in addition to flying (qualified Pilot – PPL), non-impact fitness, theatre and a keen interest in politics.

Ryan was appointed to the Governing Body in December 2022.

Sophia McNeill - Member of the Governing Body

A fundraising professional with over 14 years’ experience in the higher education sector, Sophia relocated to Manchester in 2011 leaving her role at Queen’s University Belfast to join the Royal Northern College of Music as Development Coordinator. In 2012 Sophia joined The University of Manchester as Regular Giving Officer before moving to Manchester Metropolitan University in April 2014 as Development Officer progressing to the role of Development Manager in 2016.

Sophia has proven success in managing a portfolio of stakeholders and generating financial support mainly at five and over figures, predominantly from corporates, Trusts and Foundations. Passionate about philanthropy and creating lasting social change, in particular through education, she has a driving desire to support those who are under-represented.

Sophia was appointed to the Governing Body in November 2022.

Nicola Smith - Member of the Governing Body

Nicola is a career teacher and educationalist. She has navigated the path from a classroom-based arts specialist in Salford and Bury Schools, Assistant Headteacher and Deputy Headteacher to that now of Principal.

Her current role is that of Joint Principal at Chetham’s School of Music, the foremost Specialist Music School in the UK. She has experience in all aspects of School life and Leadership - Curriculum, Teaching and Learning, Assessment and Data, Behaviour and Welfare, Safeguarding, Community and Stakeholder Engagement. She believes in professional caring relationships with staff, students, parents and all stakeholders so that each person can thrive. Nicola joined the Governing Body in 2021.

Stephen Wild - Member of the Governing Body

Stephen Wild is a BGS old boy from 1974-1988 who went on to qualify as a Chartered Surveyor initially working for GVA Grimley where he became a Partner before moving on to become Managing Director at MediaCityUK – the new home for the BBC in the North West, together with ITV, Coronation Street and over 200 other businesses.

He has a son who has been educated at Bury Grammar School from Infant School to Sixth Form. He was appointed to the governing body in 2015.

Stephen’s hobbies include cycling, skiing and classic cars.

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