Trust Leader
Sharon Mullins
Sharon is an experienced leader who has a breadth of strategic and leadership knowledge across all age ranges. With a proven track record of effective and rapid school improvement, Sharon has worked across different local authorities and has previously been a head teacher in both a substantive and interim capacity at schools in Oxfordshire.
Since 2015, she has worked extensively in school improvement including as a senior leader in a large multi academy trust in Oxfordshire.
Passionate about inclusivity, Sharon firmly believes that every child and young person should receive the very best education and start in life, allowing them to develop and achieve their full potential.
Director of Education
Laura McWhinnie
Laura has worked extensively in school improvement across all phases of education, within an multi academy trust and as a national consultant. She is a strong advocate of collaborative working that is strongly focused on ensuring the best outcomes for every student in relation to achievement, learner capability and well-being.
Committed to the use of research and evidence, Laura ensures that it forms the basis of all improvement efforts, at every level of the school and system. She has previously worked across the UK as a trainer, consultant and keynote speaker, where she enabled schools and systems to translate the findings from research into high-impact implementation strategies.
Laura has over 25 years educational experience, with 15 of those years in senior leadership positions. She has twice served as a head teacher, working in schools serving areas of high disadvantage and cultural diversity. She has been successful in developing effective approaches to professional learning, building leadership capacity at all levels and raising standards across the schools, in all subjects.
Chief Financial Officer
Mike Burton
Mike joined Embrace Multi Academy Trust in January 2023 as the Chief Finance Officer.
He is a Chartered Accountant and has been working in education for the last 10 years. Mike is an experienced senior leader and CFO and has demonstrated his ability, resilience, determination, and hard work in demanding careers both as a consultant for primary and secondary academies and as an employee in a hospital, SEN and AP Trust, Local Authority, and Police Force.
Mike has worked on capital build projects and has experience of cross team working for finance, compliance, HR and premises.
Estates and Compliance Manager
Tom Chambers
Tom joined Embrace in February 2022.
Prior to this, he was a site manager for a large, city secondary school and was involved in working across many sites within a multi academy trust. He has played a vital role in completing many projects over the last ten years, the largest being ‘Building Schools for the Future’, where 60% of a large secondary school was rebuilt.
Tom supports our schools with all aspects of health & safety and compliance.
Human Resouces Manager
Craig Clasper
Network Manager
Joseph Baum
Joseph is a dedicated and experienced professional who has worked in educational IT for over a decade. With his expertise in Mobile Device Management and Microsoft Azure, he serves as the Trust Network Manager for Embrace MAT. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing the management of the Trust’s network, ensuring it is secure, efficient, and effective.
Throughout his career, Joseph has been committed to using technology to support education and learning. He understands the unique challenges faced by schools and educators, and is passionate about finding innovative solutions that meet their needs. He is a strong advocate for using technology to enhance student engagement and achievement, and believes that it can play a crucial role in shaping the future of education.
Outside of work, Joseph is an avid Liverpool FC supporter. He loves following the team’s progress and attending games whenever possible. However, his greatest joy comes from spending time with his family. He is a dedicated husband and father, and enjoys nothing more than being able to relax and unwind with them.
Governance Manager & Executive Support
Louise Nixon
Louise is an experienced administrator and governance professional with a range of skills and knowledge gained from working in education for over 16 years.
Prior to joining Embrace, Louise was the principal’s PA at Brockington College, as well as clerk to the governing board.
Louise supports governance across the trust and works closely with the trust leader and executive team.