Governors

Matthew P Lowe MBE MA RCDS
Chair of Governors and member of Governance and Risk Committee
Matthew joined the Governing Body in 2018. After graduating from Newcastle University with a degree in English Language and Literature he was commissioned in 1985 and has served around the world, including operational commitments in Northern Ireland, the Balkans, Sierra Leone, Iraq and Pakistan. He commanded the Third Battalion The Parachute Regiment and organised the security training for the London Olympics. He is now the Chief Operating Officer of the Forces’ Pension Society and the chair of two other charities. He is married to Catherine and their daughters, Caroline and Suzie, both attended St Catherine’s Senior School between 2007-2015.  Recreation: his hobbies include the theatre, rugby, and making beer.

Albert Alonzo BSc PhD
Member of Finance, Commercial & Estate Committee
Albert joined the Governing Body in 2016. He is married to Philippa and they have two daughters, Antonia and Camilla who were both pupils at St Catherine’s. After reading Biochemistry at Imperial College London, completing a PhD in Immunology, and being awarded a Cancer Research Campaign post-doctoral research fellowship at The London Hospital Medical College, Albert embarked on a career in Italian finance which included heading up subsidiary companies in London and Milan for global firms. In 2006 he founded a start-up company developing web applications for the financial sector then took a sabbatical in 2010 having stepped down as finance governor at Barrow Hills School to assume the role of Bursar there until 2014 following a successful ISI inspection the previous year.  Recreation: piano, opera, theatre, chess, bridge and walking.

John Blauth BA FRSA, MCMI, MRAeS 
Member of Pastoral & Wellbeing Committee and responsible for Early Years Development and SEND.
John joined the Governing Body in September 2018. He is a journalist, publisher and editor and his career spanned print, broadcast and digital. He left Fleet Street in 1998 to found a publishing and communication company and launch a business  education platform.

John joined the Army from school and completed an in-service degree at London University in Philosophy with Theology. He is Chair of a media charity, is a City of London Liveryman with the Coachmakers and a Freeman with the Stationers. He volunteers with Livery Schools Link, City & Guilds, Imperial College Maker Challenge, Kingston University Saturday Engineering Club and is involved with engineering bursaries and scholarships at Brunel, City St George’s and Cranfield Universities. John is married to Kim, their daughter was at St Cat's from PP2 to U6.  Recreation: John supports Fulham and Burnley FCs, and is a member of the British Racing Drivers Club.

Prof Finbarr Cotter MB, BS, FRCP(UK), FRCPath, FRCP(I), PhD 
Vice-Chair of Governors and Chair of Academic Committee
Finbarr Cotter joined the Governing Body in 2015. Finbarr is married to Rita and they have four children, two boys educated at Tonbridge School and two daughters , both of whom are past pupils of St Catherine’s. Finbarr graduated from the University of London and continued his medical training and practice at Royal London Hospital and St Bartholomew’s. In 1991 he obtained his PhD in molecular biology of lymphoid malignancies whilst working for CRUK and moved on to work at the Institute of Child Health at the University College London and also a consultant at Great Ormond Street Hospital. He participates in a number of national committees in the field of cancer genetics and has received fellowships and chairs including Harvard, Trinity College Dublin, Germany and University of Nebraska , Omaha.   Recreation: Music- Playing trumpet in orchestral work and jazz. Sport, particularly supporting the Wales Junior lacrosse team and St Catherine’s golf whilst daughters were at school.

Mrs Penny Crouch LLB 
Member of Finance, Commercial & Estate Committee
Penny Crouch joined the governing body in 2013. Penny is married to Chris and they have two daughters, both of whom were at St Catherine’s. Penny read Law at Exeter University and is now retired. After qualifying with Freshfields, she worked in the City, from 1997 with UBS where she was a Managing Director. She is Honorary Ward Clerk of the City’s Coleman Street Ward.  Recreation: gardening, travel, tennis, skiing and reading.

Rt Revd Paul Davies 
Member of Pastoral & Well-being Committee
Bishop Paul joined the governing body in September 2023, the same month in which  he was consecrated as Bishop of Dorking. Brought up in Pembrokeshire, he read theology (in Welsh) at the University of Wales, Lampeter, and (in English) at the University of Oxford. He has been ordained for 26 years, during which time he has served as an incumbent twice, an archdeacon twice, and as Acting Dean of a cathedral. He moved to Guildford in 2017 on his appointment as Archdeacon of Surrey. Amongst his professional interests are applied theology, community-led regeneration, and mental health and leadership development. As Bishop of Dorking, he takes a lead on diocesan work relating to children and young people, vocations and the environment. Paul is married to Louise (a Surrey girl) and they have two adult children (one a proud St Cat’s alumna). Recreation: running, woodwork and all things maritime (having served for many years on a lifeboat crew).

Bruce Dixon
Chair of Governance and Risk Committee; Member of Finance, Commercial & Estate Committee
Bruce joined the Governing Body in 2024 and is also an Independent Director of the Independent Schools Examinations Board (ISEB). He is married to Julia and they have two daughters, Olivia and Georgia, who were both pupils at St Catherine's, attending between 2016 and 2024. Bruce holds an MSc in Auditing, Management Accounting and Information Systems from France and completed the Media Strategies Executive Programme at Harvard Business School in 2013. A member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, he began his career in South Africa before moving to the UK in 1999. Since then, he has held senior finance and leadership roles across international media and creative businesses, including CME, a broadcaster across Central and Eastern Europe, where he worked in London and Prague, and BBC Studios where he was Finance Director, Global Markets and Brands. He went on to become CEO of VICE Media, a global media and entertainment company producing film, television, documentaries, digital publishing and advertising content and is now Chief Financial Officer of Independent Talent Group (ITG), a creative talent and representation business. Recreation: watching sport, playing golf, classic cars and trying to keep fit.

Caroline Good
Member of Pastoral & Wellbeing and Governance and Risk Committees, responsibility for Child Protection
Caroline joined the Governing Body in 2020.  Caroline graduated with an MA in History from St Catharine’s College, Cambridge, and also has a Bsc Psychology from the Open University. Her early career was spent in the British Army and included tours in Northern Ireland and Germany as well as a spell in Whitehall.  After leaving the Army she became a management consultant working for both PricewaterhouseCoopers and British Telecom. She has spent the last 14 years as an Interim Programme and Change Manager working on large global transformation programmes for a range of organisations, mainly in manufacturing. She is also a Trustee of a small Education Trust in Hampshire and Chair of the Military Wives Choirs Foundation. She is widowed and has two daughters, both of whom attended St Catherine’s.  Recreation: Recreational walking, gardening and the theatre.

Wendy Griffiths
Member of Academic and Governance and Risk Committees
Wendy is currently Chair of the Board of the Independent Schools Examinations’ Board (ISEB) a role she has held since February 2022. Before this she worked in Girls’ School Association (GSA) schools for over forty years.  Most recently she was Head of Tudor Hall School, a full boarding school in Oxfordshire.  Prior to this she held senior leadership roles as Director of Studies at St Catherine’s School, Bramley and Senior Mistress at Tormead School, Guildford.  During her time as Head, Wendy was the Chair of the Boarding Schools’ Association (BSA), a member of the Executive of GSA and Chair of their Boarding Committee.  She has previously served on the boards of five boarding prep schools and two senior schools, and is currently on the board of Westbourne House School, Chichester. Wendy’s experience is extensive but key themes run through her career: advocacy for single sex girls’ schools, the value of  boarding in the personal development of young people, the importance of giving back and the role of the co-curriculum, particularly outdoor education, in developing resilience and leadership.

Stuart Hawkes BSc (Hons) FRICS
Member of Finance, Commercial & Estate Committee
Stuart joined the Governing Body in 2023.  Having graduated with a degree in Building Surveying from Reading University in 1983, he qualified as Chartered Surveyor two years later and worked for various Surveying Practices providing advice on a range of commercial property types around the UK. Now retired, he spent the last 13 years of his working career as a Partner of Synergy Construction and Property Consultants LLP, 5 years of which was as Joint Managing Partner, focusing on property and construction advice to Schools.  Throughout his career Stuart was involved in the training and development of Surveyors leading up to their assessment interview for entry to the RICS.  He sat as a Chair for these assessment interview panels for over 30 years. Stuart was made a Freeman of the City of London in 2003.He is married to Jane, a retired Physics teacher, and has one daughter,  Charlotte. Recreation:   Golf, Cooking, watching rugby, DIY and travelling, both at home as well as abroad.

Harriet Hounsell
Chair of Pastoral and Wellbeing Committee 
Harriet joined the governing body in September 2021.  A graduate in Politics and Philosophy from Southampton, she has worked in several consumer businesses in buying, general management and business development roles.  More latterly she has worked in HR with a focus on organisation design, culture and change management, supporting business and employees as they prepare and develop for the future workplace.  She is an advocate of equal opportunities and believes in strengthening links between schools and the work place through career events, mentoring, speaker events and involvement with the CBI (Confederation of British Industry), where she has chaired the Employment and Skills Advisory Board.   Harriet is married to Mike and they have two daughters and a son - both daughters are former pupils.   Recreation: Cycling, travel and theatre when time allows.

Lynn Narraway
Member of Finance, Commercial & Estate Committee
Lynn Narraway joined the Governing Body of St Catherine’s in October 2022.  A graduate of Birmingham University in Social Sciences, Lynn has worked in the travel industry for 30 years, in many different sectors and roles ranging from airlines and retail travel to tour operating and more recently luxury cruising, where Lynn is Vice President UK & Europe for Seabourn, a member line of Carnival Plc & Corporation.  Lynn subscribes to the concept of “giving something back”.  She is an active Lord’s Taverner and wherever possible uses her high-profile business connections to good effect. Lynn’s work approach is one of collaborative team style and relationship management.  She is passionate about mentoring and encouraging work experience and business relationships with schools and universities. Lynn is married to Paul and has two daughters, both St Catherine’s alumnae.  Recreation:  Cycling, involvement in local theatre and travel, of course!

Veronica Povey CBE, FCMA
Chair of Finance, Commercial & Estate Committee
Veronica joined the Governing Body in October 2022.  After graduating with a Physics degree from Aston University in Birmingham she specialised in optical engineering, working in the aerospace and defence industry before making a complete career change and joining the fast stream civil service.  She trained as a tax professional in HMRC, joined the senior civil service and became a qualified accountant (FCMA).  She went on to hold many Finance Director roles across Whitehall, become Director of Public Spending at HM Treasury and more recently she was Finance Director at the Ministry of Defence.  She is passionate about supporting women and under-represented groups to succeed and become influential leaders in the workplace, leading allyship groups, supporting networks and mentoring.  She chairs the Advisory Board for the University of Brighton School of Business and Law.  Veronica is married to Simon and their daughter is a former pupil.  Recreation: Keen walker and skier, theatre, music.

Mrs Sue E. Shipway 
Member of Academic Committee
Sue joined the Governing Body in December 2004. Sue is married to Ralph and is a former parent of the School. They have five children, two sons and three daughters. All the girls are former pupils of St Catherine’s and during their time in school Sue was Secretary of the PTA. Sue and her family lived in Petworth for 35 years and were involved with a number of local charities.  Sue now assists with the Home Library Service in her local area and meets some wonderful people who are housebound for various reasons.  Recreation: Sue enjoys gardening, walking, playing Bridge and spending time with her eight grandchildren.

Jonathan Tippett BSc FCA  
Member of Academic Committee
Jonathan joined the Governing Body in 2002. He is married to Elizabeth and they have two children and two grand-daughters. After graduating from the University of Reading with a degree in Agricultural Economics he qualified as a Chartered Accountant.  Jonathan’s specialisms throughout his Chartered Accountancy career were farms and rural businesses, private clients and trusts.  He retired in 2021. Recreations: Rugby, Cricket, Jaguar Cars and Agricultural, Military and early English History.