Governing Body

Christian is the Chair of the Board of Governors. He joined the Board in 2017 and chaired the Finance Committee until 2022. He has worked in middle-market private equity and private debt for over 25 years and is currently a Senior Advisor to international alternative asset managers. He has served on numerous boards of private companies in the UK and Germany. Christian serves on the Launch Group Panel of The Prince’s Trust. He has twin daughters; both were pupils at the Old Vicarage School.

To contact the Chair of Governors, please write to:

Mr C Heidl, c/o Old Vicarage School, 48 Richmond Hill, Richmond, Surrey TW10 6QX, email c/o bursar@oldvicarageschool.com

Lucy became a Governor in 2021. She trained as a lawyer at a magic circle firm in the City, moved into legal learning and development whilst raising her young children, and now heads a corporate team in another law firm. She also sits on the Board of a charity Step by Step, which supports young people going through hard times. Both her daughters were pupils at the Old Vicarage School

Sarah joined the Board in 2017. She is a qualified solicitor with over 18 years’ experience in Employment Law. She worked in a law firm for many years before joining BP as an in-house employment lawyer in their HR department. Sarah’s daughter was a pupil at the Old Vicarage School.

Clare became a Governor in 2022. She is a Clinical Psychologist at Great Ormond Street Hospital, with over 25 years of experience in child health. She is currently the lead psychologist for a number of surgical services, with a focus on enhancing the well-being of children, parents and staff and their ability to cope with illness difference and disability. Clare is also a Committee Member of the Paediatric Psychology Network of the British Psychological Society. Clare is a current parent. Clare is the OVS’ Medical Governor.

Suzie is the currently the Principal of the new London Park Schools. Prior to that she was the Headmistress of Putney High School. She joined the Board in 2017 as one of the Education Governors. Suzie read Economics at Durham, gained her PGCE specialising in Maths at Cambridge and has an MA in Education from Bath. She was an Olympic cox for Team GB’s Women’s VIII at Atlanta 1996.

Steve became a Governor in 2021. He read Chemistry at Magdalen College, Oxford before qualifying as a chartered accountant in 1991. He has been an audit partner at KPMG since 2001 and has significant experience in the Media, Leisure and Property sectors. Steve’s daughter was a pupil at the Old Vicarage School.

Kavita joined the Board of Governors in 2021.  She read Genetics at Liverpool University before going on to the Institute of Education to study for her PGCE. Kavita was in senior roles for 12 years at The Tiffin Girls’ School before joining Surbiton High School in 2012, where she is currently the Vice Principal – Staff Development.

Alison joined the Board of Governors in 2023. Alison is a member of the senior leadership team of IBM UK with 20+ years of experience in technology strategy and sales. During her IBM career, Alison has held a series of senior leadership roles including Chief Digital Officer, and Director, Customer Success. Alison also serves as an UK & Ireland Board Director of IBM Financial Services Ltd. Alison is a current parent.

Julian became a Governor in 2021. He is a chartered accountant and a partner at EY.  He has over 25 years’ experience of providing tax advice to the financial services industry and is a member of EY’s Global Tax Executive Committee.  His daughter was a pupil at the Old Vicarage School.

Simon Waldman became a Governor in 2016. He graduated from Oxford University and is a journalist by profession. He worked for BBC News for more than thirty years, editing most of the main TV news programmes and witnessing at first hand some of the defining events of recent decades. He now runs his own media consultancy business and teaches journalism at a number of universities.