New Governors Seminar

Jenny Brown

Head, City of London School for Girls

Jenny was appointed Head of City of London School for Girls in 2019. This is her second headship; she spent five years as head of St Alban’s High School for Girls, an independent day school with 1040 pupils. Before this, Jenny worked in several leading schools, including South Hampstead High School and St Paul’s Girls’ School, where she was director of sixth form. Jenny read English at Oxford university and continues to teach English at A Level. She cites reading John Donne and Jane Austen, going to the theatre with her playwright husband and children and wild swimming amongst her passions.

Jenny sits on the Board of IntoUniversity, and the HMC and GSA committees.  She is also a Governor at Highgate School.   

Alex Mitchell

Head of AGBIS International and Consultancy

Alex Mitchell's career spans 38 years in the maintained and, predominantly, independent sectors including day, boarding, single sex, co-ed, tied and standalone schools. After many years as a Director of Music in several schools, including Haberdashers' Girls' School in Elstree and the Loughborough Foundation Schools in the East Midlands, he became Headmaster of Holmwood House School in Colchester, Essex in 2009 for 12 years. During that time, Alex was Chairman of the IAPS East Anglia district. Since 2002, Alex built up 24 years' experience as an ISI inspector and, since 2019, has been a Reporting Inspector for UK and international inspections. Until recently, Alex was a governor of an independent school in Hertfordshire and is currently a governor of a British international boarding school in Africa. Having undertaken reviews of governance, he now leads the AGBIS International programme as well as coordinating consultancy services for both UK and international member schools.

Catherine Spencer

Chief Executive, ISBA

Catherine Spencer OBE is Chief Executive of the Independent Schools' Bursars Association (ISBA). She has more than 20 years' experience leading membership organisations and charities across the education, healthcare, maritime and defence sectors.

Catherine brings a distinguished track record of executive leadership across the charitable and membership sectors. Most recently, she served as Chief Executive Officer of The Cochrane Collaboration, the global membership organisation renowned for advancing evidence-based healthcare. During her tenure there, she led strategic modernisation initiatives, supported operational stabilisation, and helped position the organisation for long-term growth and accessibility.

Catherine is recognised for her expertise in leadership, governance, organisational development and stakeholder engagement and was awarded an OBE for services to seafarers during the COVID-19 pandemic.