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Ruth Farwell CBE Chair of the board
Ruth Farwell was Vice Chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University from January 2006 to January 2015, having previously been Pro Vice Chancellor at London South Bank University with a portfolio covering academic planning and quality. She now acts as an education consultant and in that capacity advises on academic governance and spent two years with the Buckinghamshire Thames Valley Local Enterprise Partnership on their strategy to bring employers together with all sectors of education to enhance the work-related skills of young people. Ruth was Chair of the representative body GuildHE for two terms of office until November 2013, and continued as a member of its Executive until she retired. During 2009 – 2015 she served as a member of the Board of the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), and also chaired HEFCE’s Teaching, Quality and Student Experience Committee. Other previous posts in public life have included service as a further education college governor and chair, and as a secondary school governor and chair. Currently she is a governor at Southampton Solent University and Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors at Pearson College London. Ruth was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2015 New Year Honours for services to higher education and appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Buckinghamshire in 2015. She was High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire in 2018-19.
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Paul Kett Group CEO and Vice-Chancellor
As LSBU Group Chief Executive and Vice-Chancellor, Paul Kett is responsible for leading the governance of three organisations that make up the LSBU Group – London South Bank University (LSBU), South Bank Colleges (SBC) and South Bank Academies (SBA). Paul is the Vice-Chancellor for LSBU and the Accounting Officers for SBC and SBA. He works with the senior leadership teams in each of these three institutions to provide pathways that enable learners to thrive and ensure London has the skilled people needed to drive growth. The LSBU Group has a shared mission: to challenge social and economic inequality and improves lives. Paul oversees the wellbeing and development of our students and staff, ensuring that our people are supported to succeed. Integral to his role is forming collaborative and trusted relationships at all levels across our organisations and across boundaries with partners and stakeholders.
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Steve Balmont Chair of Audit Committee and Lead Trustee for Remuneration
Steve Balmont is a long-serving professional pension trustee with BESTrustees Limited acting for the occupational pension schemes of well-known organisations ranging from those with assets of several billions to other much smaller schemes. Steve was born in South Wales and educated in the North West of England, graduating in Economics from Liverpool University in 1982. He qualified as a Chartered Accountant and worked predominantly in public practice and, for a couple of years, for an Austrian investment bank in London. He has been a professional pension trustee since 2000. He has also lectured and published articles on pension governance and related matters. He served for several years as an independent member of the Board of Governors of London South Bank University. His various interests include his son who works in the music business and plays in a band, his daughter who is a fashion designer in Paris and rugby union (spectating, having retired from playing many years ago). He lives in Kennington.
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Lydia Song NED/Trustee, Audit Committee
Lydia Song brings over three decades of distinguished experience in financial services, specialising in investment accounting, governance, and regulatory compliance. A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA), she has held senior leadership roles at global firms including Northern Trust and PwC, delivering IFRS-compliant solutions adopted by more than 2,000 institutions worldwide. Lydia’s career is marked by her ability to bridge technical excellence with strategic oversight, from advising C-suite leaders on multi-jurisdictional operations to negotiating pivotal agreements with UK regulators. Fluent in English and Mandarin, she is recognised as a cultural bridge-builder and diversity champion, adept at fostering inclusive decision-making across global markets. As a Non-Executive Director and member of South Bank Colleges’ Audit Committee, Lydia provides independent oversight of financial controls, risk management, and strategic compliance. Her governance expertise is underpinned by her role as Chair of the Pensions Research Accountants Group (PRAG), where she shapes national accounting standards for pension schemes managing over £3 trillion in assets. Lydia’s blend of technical mastery, commercial acumen, and inclusive leadership makes her an invaluable asset to the college’s board.
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Chris French Trustee of the Board
Chris French is a strategic leader working across education, health innovation, and community development. A long-standing Lambeth resident, he founded Lambeth Links, the borough’s LGBTQ+ forum, to strengthen community voice and collaboration with local public services. He also supports the Neighbourhood and Wellbeing Delivery Alliance (NWDA), helping connect residents and voluntary organisations to health and social care in Lambeth. As Director of Strategy at Health Foundry, a health-tech innovation hub that supports health tech innovation across South London, Chris leads work on inclusive health innovation and the emerging SC1 Life Sciences District, linking local skills and education to London’s growing life sciences sector. Having returned to learning through an Access to Higher Education course after leaving education without A-levels, he believes that everyone, regardless of age or background, should have access to the education and skills they need to thrive in London. Chris is passionate about adult education and lifelong opportunity. He is proud to serve as a Trustee of South Bank Colleges, helping shape its next strategy and champion inclusive, ambitious education for all Londoners. Outside of work, he enjoys walking and recently completed the London Loop, exploring the city’s green edges one step at a time.
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Karlene Morrison-Briscoe Staff Trustee
Karlene is an educator with over thirty years' experience in FE. She is passionate about changing lives and sees student and staff development as her vocation. "Their success is her success." She joined the organisation in 1989, the then Vauxhall College, after being spotted at her college’s end of year course presentation. She was then headhunted for a VT post which subsequently has evolved into the teaching, coach, and mentoring role that she has today. Karlene recognises that she has had good mentors in her formative years. Their advice inspired her to study for the `Certificate in Education in 1996. The experience of studying in the evening alongside working full time allowed her to appreciate the challenges of being aspirational whilst balancing everyday life. Kalene truly values professional development, "The more knowledge she has the more knowledge she can share" and she strives to instil the passion for personal and future growth in those that she teaches and supports. After completing the ILM Lv5 Management in 2023 and the Lv7 Leadership in 2024, Karlene put a proposal forward to volunteer on the 2024-25 programmes as their Leadership Development Coach (a role that was needed but did not exist) and she is proud be continuing in that position. The experience that Karlene has gained over recent years has opened her up to the change of direction that she has now taken in the organisation and has provided her with the opportunity to utilise her leadership and management skills and qualifications. Karlene now teaches and programme leads on ILM Leadership and Management to the NHS and she supports college staff on their teaching and learning journey. Karlene is honoured to have been appointed Staff Trustee for South Bank Colleges. She endeavours to take on her duties with the integrity and respect that the role requires and will call on her years of experience in further education and within the organisation to help shape and drive the college forward for excellence and future sustainability. Away from work commitments, Karlene has a passion for health and wellbeing. She enjoys cooking and experimenting with new dishes as well as looking after her fitness.
