Governors

David Wilson, LLB (Hons.), FRSA, FRGS, Chair of Governors

David Wilson became a Governor of Forest School in December 2012 and Chair in 2016. He is also a member of the Finance and Estates Committee.

David is a solicitor and accredited mediator and works at Goldman Sachs in London as Managing Director and Senior Counsel. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, David was a partner at Simmons & Simmons, specialising in litigation and working at its offices in London, Hong Kong and Abu Dhabi.

David was educated at Forest, the University of Southampton and the College of Law. Formerly a member of the Audit Committee of The Law Society of England and Wales and the Advisory Board of the NSPCC, he is currently a trustee of the Goldman Sachs UK Retirement Fund, a Liveryman and Freeman of the City of London. He was also formerly the Chair and is now a Trustee of a large multi-Academy trust.

David and his wife, Claire, have two sons and live in London and Wiltshire.

To contact the Chair of Governors, please email him via clerktothegovernors@forest.org.uk

Or write to Chair of Governors, Forest School, London, E17 3PY

Geraldine Atlee

Geraldine Atlee became a Governor of Forest School in 2018. She is also a member of the Education Committee.

Geraldine is a solicitor who, since qualifying, has spent her career working ‘in-house’ in the film and television industry, dealing with the financing, production and distribution of feature films and TV drama. Geraldine is currently Head of Legal and Business Affairs for BBC Films and prior to that she held the same role at Channel 4. She has also worked for PolyGram and Universal Studios.  Geraldine is a member of BAFTA and is currently also on the board of Film London, the capital’s film and media agency.

Geraldine was educated at Forest School (one of the first girls to join in the 1970s), at Queen Mary College, University of London, and at the College of Law in London.

Geraldine is married to an Old Forester, and they live in Hertfordshire with their two children.

Dr Steven Berryman

Steven Berryman became a Governor of Forest School in 2022. He is also a member of the Education and Academic Committees.

Steven Berryman is Director of Creativity, Music and Culture for the Charter Schools Educational Trust. He has held the post of  President of the Chartered College of Teaching since November 2022. He studied Music at Cardiff University and Royal Holloway, London, gaining a PhD in Composition (Cardiff, 2012).

Steven is a Visiting Research Fellow at King’s College London and Guildhall School, contributing widely to arts education research, policy and practice; recent work includes the DFE/DCMS National Plan for Music Education expert panel and appointment as Vice-President of the National Society for Educators of Art and Design. As a member of the Advisory Panel of the Cultural Learning Alliance, Steven works with cultural learning professionals drawn from across the sector to champion and advocate for a high-quality and equitable arts education.

Steven is a Liveryman of both the Worshipful Company of Educators and the Worshipful Company of Musicians, a trustee of UK Music Masters and Spitalfields Music and a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, Chartered Institute of Educational Assessors and the Royal Society of Arts.

The Venerable Elwin Cockett

Elwin Cockett became a Governor of Forest School in 2011. He is also a member of the Education Committee.

Elwin is an Anglican priest and has served in a number of settings as a parish priest in East London and Essex, for some years as Chaplain to West Ham United FC, and most recently as Archdeacon of West Ham.

Born in India, where his father was a missionary doctor, Elwin grew up in East London after spells in Somerset and Ghana. Always a keen musician, he was a chorister in St Paul’s Cathedral choir before joining Forest School with the help of a Music Scholarship.

Elwin and his wife, Susan, have three grown-up children. He has continued with his interest in music and drama and enjoys sport of various kinds, as well as motorcycling (a ‘bad habit that he picked up at Forest’).

Jane Davies

Jane Davies became a Governor of Forest School in 2015. She is also Chair of the Education and Academic Committees.

Jane is a mathematician and educator whose entire career has been in maintained and independent schools. Latterly, Jane served as the Headmistress of St Dunstan’s College, London, until her retirement in 2014.

Jane was educated at Redland High School, the Old Palace School and the University of London. She is currently a governor of a school in Kent, an inspector for the Independent Schools’ Inspectorate and assists with accreditation visits to schools wishing to join HMC. She is also a Church Warden and a trustee of the Church Fields Trust. Following her retirement, Jane completed training as a Ministerial Development Reviewer for clergy in the Rochester Diocese. She is also an accredited expedition assessor for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme

She is married with one daughter.

William Fuller

William Fuller became a Governor of Forest School in 2013. He is also a member of both the Finance and Estates Committee and the Health, Safety and Risk Management Committee.

William completed a formal carpentry apprenticeship, after which he took on managerial roles before training as a quantity surveyor. In 1994 William joined his family’s long-established building company which specialises in the renovation of listed buildings in Central London.

William was the third generation of his family to attend Forest School. He is a Freeman of the City of London and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Tylers & Bricklayers

William and his wife Sarah live in London. William is an enthusiastic motorcyclist and also has a keen interest in walking and playing tennis.

Dr Saniya Hadi BSc (Hons) MBBS MRCOG

Saniya Hadi became a Governor at Forest School in 2017. 

Saniya trained in Obstetrics and Gynaecology before specialising in fertility. Having worked for four years at IVF Hammersmith (Imperial College Healthcare) she became a Fertility Specialist at CARE London (formerly CRM London).

Saniya was educated at Forest, Guy’s and Thomas’ Hospitals, London and is a member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists and the British fertility Society. She holds the BFS accreditation and is a diplomate of the Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare of Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists. She has taught A Level pupils as well as medical students, and provides additional education on current research in fertility to the nursing, medical and embryology departments at CARE London.

Yemisi Gibbons

Yemisi Gibbons became a Governor of Forest School in 2023. 

Yemisi trained as a pharmacist at Manchester University, became a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society then completed her MBA at Hull University. She has extensive non-executive director experience including at both Oxleas NHS Foundation Trust and North East London Foundation Trust (NELFT) where she has helped create and embed a patient safety culture, as well as championing and advocating diversity and compassionate leadership in both Trusts. In addition, Yemisi is currently Chair of Croydon NHS Trust and a London-based domiciliary care company.

Yemisi is a past recipient of the Best Social Enterprise Award at the Precious Awards, whose aim is to celebrate the professional achievements of women of colour in the UK. She has also hosted an employment awareness event at the House of Lords facilitating permanent employment for candidates from under-represented communities as well as work experience placements in the financial services industry.

Yemisi has previously served as a member of the Lord Chancellor’s advisory sub-committee for Central London and as a member of the Fitness to Practice and Appeals Committee for the General Pharmaceutical Council.

Simon Perry

Simon Perry became a Governor of Forest School in 2018. He also chairs the Finance and Estates Committee and the Health, Safety and Risk Management Committee.

Simon trained as a chartered accountant initially focusing on audit and then subsequently on mergers and acquisitions spending the large part of his career to date at EY (formerly Ernst & Young LLP). Whilst with EY Simon held several UK and International board and leadership roles. His most recent role with EY was as the coordinating partner for a portfolio of global businesses.

Since stepping down from EY, Simon has taken on several corporate board and committee roles as well as being a Governor and Chair of the Audit Committee at the University of Plymouth.

Simon was educated at Pilgrim School, Bedford, is an economics graduate from Coventry University and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales.

Simon is married with one son and lives in London.

Paul Sampat

Paul Sampat became a Governor of Forest School in 2022. He is also a member of the Finance and Estates Committee and the Health, Safety and Risk Management Committee.

Paul is currently a Managing Director in Equities Technology working at Barclays Investment Bank and during his 25 year career has held numerous senior positions at various financial institutions including Deutsche Bank, Nomura and JP Morgan.  Paul speaks regularly at graduate events and is currently working with a consultancy to provide mentorship for junior and mid-level technologists.

Paul was educated at Forest School and boarded for four years. Following school, he went on to the University of London to read Computing Science. Paul and his wife live locally and have two sons at university.