Atholl Stott is Chair of the Corporation and was previously Chair of North Notts College. He is a senior executive and non-executive director with a depth of experience in organisations ranging from financial services and the voluntary sector to traditional unionised heavy industry. He is Chairman of Action Housing Support, and Homes for You Ltd. He is also Managing Director of a property investment and development company, an Association of Colleges Board member, Vice Chair of the AoC Governors Council and a National Leader in Governance for the AoC. He was previously Chief Executive of a regional third sector organisation, an LSC board member, an EMDA business champion for eight years and a Fellow of the Charted Institute of Personnel Development.

His career started with the National Coal Board in 1979, progressing from the coal face to Divisional Human Resources Director. He then held a number of Senior HR positions in national and international companies including global insurance company AON. Atholl lives in Yorkshire and is married with 3 daughters and two granddaughters.

Stephen Smith is Chief Executive and founder of EMB Group, a leading economic development, business improvement and quality management company which since 2006 has provided a variety of high value services worth over £200m for both the public and private sectors. These include skills programmes for the LSC and SFA, Investors in People, ISO accreditation and a wide range of business support provision across DIT international trade, Business Link advisory services, Investor Development and many EU funded activities, in addition to numerous commercial services for business.

His earlier career was in brand marketing with multinational corporations followed by general management positions in the greeting card and logistics sector, the latter as Managing Director of a high growth £134m pharmaceutical distribution company. Stephen is also an experienced non-executive director, having held current and past roles with The University of Derby, the NEST pension Employers Panel, British Chambers of Commerce, North Northants Development Company, and the Princes Trust. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Directors (IOD), a recent IOD Director of the Year and EMB Group, a finalist in the Amazon Growing Business Awards.

Tony De’Ath is the Clerk to the Governors and Director of Estates and IT at the RNN Group. Prior to this he was the Clerk to the Governors at Dearne Valley College for 25 years alongside his role at the College having responsibility for Estates, Health and Safety, IT and Human Resources Leadership and Management. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.