Executive Leadership Team

Cheryl Giovannoni
Chief Executive

Cheryl Giovannoni joined the Girls’ Day School Trust as CEO in 2016. Born and brought up in South Africa, Cheryl’s first career saw her leading some of the world’s largest companies in the advertising and creative industries in the WPP Group. She was CEO of boutique design agency Coley Porter Bell, European President of global brand consulting firm Landor Associates, and UK CEO of advertising agency Ogilvy & Mather London.

Cheryl has spent much of her career supporting women in the workplace, helping them thrive and push the boundaries, often in male dominated industries. Over many years, she has dedicated time to mentoring people from all walks of life, in the GDST family and through the WACL mentoring  programme.

She is passionate about the power of education to solve the world’s most intractable problems, and the role women play in creating an equal and better world for all.

Joining GDST – an organisation dedicated to educating girls – was a dream role for Cheryl. As Chief Executive of one of the UK’s largest charities, Cheryl is responsible for 25 schools and nearly 20,000 students across the UK, leading a talented workforce of 4,000 teachers and support staff, all committed to the mission of helping girls learn without limits.

With the GDST having surpassed its 150th anniversary in 2022, Cheryl’s ambition is to continue to build on the organisation’s powerful legacy as the global leader in girls’ education, pioneers in and shapers of the future for the next 150 years and beyond.

A yoga devotee and eternal optimist, Cheryl lives in London and has two daughters; one who has recently entered the teaching profession, and the other who has just graduated and is beginning her own journey into the world of work.

Kevin Stannard
Director of Innovation and Learning

Dr Kevin Stannard joined the GDST from University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) where he was Director of Education.

He was responsible for initiatives and international education reform projects including the introduction of the Cambridge Pre-U in both state and independent schools, the promotion of bilingual education in Spain and the Netherlands and the development of a new curriculum for model schools in Egypt. He has also been an advisor on curriculum reform to the Singapore Ministry of Education.

Before joining CIE, Kevin taught at a number of independent schools including Eton College, where he was Head of Geography. While there he wrote a number of geography textbooks, conducted research on a range of geographical themes and was responsible for UCAS applications.

Marianne Clarke
Director of Marketing & Engagement

Marianne is a former broadcast journalist who has worked at the BBC in on-air and leadership roles. She was the editorial lead on numerous radio, TV and online outlets and has served on the senior leadership teams of BBC News and BBC England.

Marianne led the ‘Women in Leadership’ programme for BBC News and delivered groundbreaking work to accelerate the career progression of women across the whole organisation. The results were presented at the World Economic Forum. She has worked extensively with partner organisations to realise the opportunities of collaborative working.

Marianne is a passionate advocate for all-girls’ education rooted in her own experiences. This led her to the position of Director of Engagement & Development at one of the country’s leading girls’ schools before joining the GDST in June 2024.

Simon Haywood
Chief Financial Officer

Simon is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales with over 25 years of hands on financial, accounting and management experience with most of his time spent in Private Equity backed businesses.

Simon joined the GDST in June 2024, having gained extensive experience in K-12 school positions, which included several roles in the Cognita Schools group and Affinitas Education. His commercial and management experience will support the ongoing development of the GDST strategy, as we continue to extend our reach and increase the number of students within our schools ‘where girls learn without limits’.

Simon has a keen interest in technology, automation and stakeholder engagement, which will ensure the GDST continues to realise efficiencies as the tech and AI landscape evolves.

Rosalind Simpson
People Director

Ros joined the GDST as Director of People in August 2023, although her involvement with the GDST began some time earlier when she was a pupil (and Deputy Head Girl) at Nottingham Girls’ High School.

Ros worked within the Higher Education Sector for several years, most recently as Director of Human Resources and a member of the Senior Leadership Team at the University of Lincoln. Prior to this, Ros’s career in HR and Organisational Development was in financial services, with Capital One Bank in Nottingham, and prior to that at the John Lewis Partnership.

She is a Chartered Fellow of the Institute of Personnel and Development, a Mental Health First Aider and holds an MSc in Personal, Executive and Corporate Coaching.

Ros lives in the East Midlands, is very proud of her GDST roots and wants to help empower our girls to have fulfilling careers and lives.

Cathryn Buckle
Chief Transformation Officer

Cathryn is a qualified architect who has experience in a number of programme management and educational estates leadership roles across both the private and public sector.

David Boyd
Director of Legal and Risk Assurance

David is a solicitor who specialised in charity law at Berwin Leighton Paisner, and was a senior lawyer at the Charity Commission, before becoming the GDST’s Head of Legal in March 2011, and then Director of Legal in March 2018.

He is a member of the Independent Schools Council’s Child Welfare Expert Group, and is an experienced charity trustee.