Executive Team - Leigh Academies Trust

SIMON BEAMISH

Chief Executive Officer

In 2013, Simon was appointed CEO of Leigh Academies Trust, now one of the country’s largest and most-established, highly inclusive and successful multi-academy trusts operating across Kent, Medway and South East London, containing 33 primary, secondary and special academies. Before that he was Principal of two secondary academies in the Trust. He studied at York, Durham and London universities. Simon is a trained Ofsted inspector, National Leader of Education and Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching.

RICHARD TAYLOR

Deputy CEO (Operations)

Richard joined Leigh Academies Trust in 2014 to develop the Trust’s HR strategy and drive improvements in its people practices. After a decade with the Trust, he was appointed Deputy CEO (Operations), leading central services to deliver high-quality support that enables academies to thrive.

Richard is a chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and has built a career focused on driving operational excellence. With leadership experience across HR and broader operational functions, he brings a commercial, pragmatic, and human-centred approach to service delivery. Before joining the Trust, he held senior HR roles in engineering, construction, facilities management, and oil and gas. His focus at LAT is on ensuring that central services work seamlessly to support staff and students, fostering a culture of collaboration, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

FAYE REIZOPOULOU

Chief Financial Officer

Faye is an affiliate of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and joined Leigh Academies Trust as Deputy Finance Director in September 2017. As an accomplished Chief Financial Officer (CFO) with a distinguished background in audit from KPMG and over 12 years of progressive experience in senior finance positions within the education sector, she is dedicated to driving financial success and organisational growth. Faye’s expertise lies in financial management, strategic planning, and fostering a culture of financial excellence, making her a valuable asset in navigating complex financial landscapes.

Faye has one daughter and lives in Ashford, Kent.

PHIL WHITTALL

Chief Infrastructure Officer

Having previously held senior leadership positions for the Ministry of Defence and University of Kent, Phil joined Leigh Academies Trust in 2020 and was appointed as Chief Infrastructure Officer in 2025. Phil holds a B.Eng. in Computer Systems and Software Engineering from the University of Greenwich and a M.Sc. in Building Services Engineering and Management at Brunel University.

Phil leads a team of experienced professionals who provide support to the Trust and its academies in estate management, IT systems, health and safety and data compliance. A man of Kent, Phil lives in Maidstone with his wife, Claire, a teacher by profession, and their three children.

TRACEY TRUSLER

Academies Director (South East London and North West Kent)

Tracey graduated from Leicester University with a BA (Hons) in French and German and worked for ten years in the property industry, achieving a post-graduate diploma in estate management before retraining as a language teacher in 1997. She taught in schools in inner and outer London, joining Dartford Grammar School for Boys on the senior leadership team before being seconded to Wilmington Enterprise College in 2009.

When Wilmington Academy joined Leigh Academies Trust in 2010 Tracey was promoted to Principal and, by 2013, it had become the top-performing non-selective school in Kent. Ofsted graded the academy ‘good’ with ‘outstanding leadership and management’ in 2013 and again in 2017. During this time, Tracey completed her NPQH and oversaw a £14 million rebuilding programme.

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DEBBIE BIGGENDEN

Academies Director (Central Kent)

Debbie was awarded a Bachelor of Education (Hons) from Greenwich University in 1995, having studied secondary physical and health education. She then completed her post-graduate qualification in education leadership and her NPQH in 2006. Debbie started her teaching career as a PE teacher and worked in a number of secondary leadership roles in schools in both Croydon and Kent.

In 2009, Debbie moved from the secondary to the primary phase as Headteacher of Oaks Primary Academy in Maidstone. Leigh Academies Trust appointed her as Executive Principal of four primary academies in the area before she assumed her current role as Academies Director.

Emma Elwin

Academies Director (Medway, Ebbsfleet and North Maidstone)

Emma graduated from the University of Kent with an LLB Law degree in 2001. After spending time in the legal insurance industry, she went on to complete a PGCE in English and Media at Canterbury Christ Church University. After teaching in schools across Medway, Emma joined The Hundred of Hoo Academy and progressed swiftly into middle and senior leadership positions. She held key responsibility for raising standards, with those for English and maths rising significantly. Emma became Principal of The Hundred of Hoo Academy in 2016. Her exceptional knowledge, experience and skills across the full age range has been integral to the leadership of the first all-through school in Medway. In 2019 outcomes at the Academy represented some of the strongest in its history. Emma became Academies Director for Medway and Ebbsfleet in September 2020.