Our People
trust Executive Team
Angela Berry, Chief Executive Officer
A dedicated education and training leader, Angela has worked in a variety of roles across the post-16 landscape for more than 25 years.
Her previous positions include Group Director for Partnerships working as part of a team to bring a Multi Academy Trust and FE College together in a strategic alliance to deliver outstanding education to all. Her other roles include Chief Executive of a business and education charity and Head of School for Apprenticeship and Adult Education.
Angela is committed to strong financial management and ensuring value for money, including the delivery of effective and efficient shared services. She also has specialist knowledge in growth and investments, marketing and communications, careers, and progression.
As CEO, Angela wants to bring outstanding post-16 education and progression to young people and the community, who are at the heart of her work. She has developed her leadership ability and style through training, including peer coaching and mentoring.
Angela is a keen theatre supporter with a passion for dance. She is married with two daughters and tries to keep fit by running a few times a week.
Andy Grant, Executive Principal for Richard Taunton Sixth Form College and St Vincent Sixth Form College
Having completed an Honours Degree in Law Andy began his career in the voluntary sector working with disadvantaged young people. This included community work alongside delivery of education activities to youths within the Portsmouth community. Andy then pursued his passion for education by moving to Fareham College where he managed the student and learning support services for four years.
He undertook a similar role at Eastleigh College before progressing to a senior management position at St Vincent College in 2012. Since then Andy has been instrumental in supporting the sustained improvements in student outcomes and destinations. He was promoted to the role of Head of St Vincent College in January 2020 before taking up his current position as Executive Principal of Richard Taunton Sixth Form College and St Vincent Sixth Form Colleges in June 2024.
Louisa Calder, Group Director (People)
Annette Born, Chief Financial Officer
Annette is a fully qualified chartered accountant with over 35 years’ experience in a variety of senior finance roles.
After graduating with a degree in management sciences, Annette worked in banking before moving to an accountancy practice to gain her qualifications. She spent eight years working in the international travel retail sector before moving into education. Annette has had a range of senior roles including Director of Finance for a large general FE college, she was also part of a two-college collaboration team that set up, developed and ran a joint venture shared services company.
She joined the Lighthouse Learning Trust in February 2018 as Chief Financial Officer with added responsibility for estates, health & safety, and IT.
Annette is a member of the Sixth Form College Association’s Finance & Funding Committee and from 2016 to 2022 was a trustee of Burgate School and Sixth Form where she chaired two committees, Finance Resources and Audit, and Pay and Performance Management.
Her hobbies include running and cycling and gardening, she is also an enthusiastic member of a community choir.
Steve McDermott, Group Director, Digital Transformation and Data Strategy
Steve has worked in the education sector for over 19 years. After leaving college, Steve began work with a private training provider, helping to deliver IT qualifications to adult learners before stepping into the role of an IAG advisor. After moving on to an FE college in 2008, Steve joined the MIS team where he would spend the next 17 years as an MIS professional, progressing through a number of roles from an MIS assistant up to Vice Principal of Information Services for a large FE college.
Originally a member of the Trust from 2019 to 2024 as Group Director of MIS and Student Administration, after a short time away Steve re-joined the Trust in 2025 as the Group Director for Digital Transformation and Data Strategy.
As someone who has spent many years working with data and systems in the education sector, Steve has a passion for data analytics, systems development and digital improvement.
He is now dedicated to providing smarter working and teaching solutions, by developing our digital systems, strategy, automation and changing the way in which we approach life and learning through a digital lens, with his motto of ‘making life easier for students and staff‘ being at the heart of his motivation.
His hobbies include heavy weight lifting, software development and combat sports.