Our Senior Leadership Team

Mike King
Chief Executive Officer – Executive Leadership Team
Mike is the Chief Executive Officer of Releasing Potential, having founded the organisation in 2001. Mike is a PE teacher by training and is qualified in a range of outdoor activities at the highest level. Mike still enjoys teaching, and when he can delivers Outdoor Education across the Releasing Potential School as well as professional training as part of the Releasing Potential Institute. Mike has strategic responsibility for the School and for the organisation as a whole.

Catherine Brennan
Senior Executive Officer – Executive Leadership Team
Catherine joined Releasing Potential in 2012 as Operations Manager for what was then a small charity. Catherine’s background is in education, having taught in secondary, tertiary and Higher Education settings. She has worked with vulnerable young people for many years in a range of day services and residential programmes. Catherine oversees all operations for the charity and for Releasing Potential School, and is responsible for Human Resources and Safeguarding across the entire organisation.

Jane Skinner
Chief Financial Officer – Executive Leadership Team
Jane has been at Releasing Potential since its beginnings as a small charity in 2001. Jane oversees all finances for the organisation and works at our Havant base of operations alongside the rest of the executive team. Jane’s background is in finance, and she has worked for a number of organisations in senior management positions.

Steve Skinner
Releasing Potential Enterprises
Steve has been at Releasing Potential since its beginnings as a small charity in 2001. Steve oversees a number of small businesses as part of the organisation’s growing portfolio of not-for-profit enterprises. Steve’s background is in engineering, and he has previously worked in business settings in senior management roles. Steve supports the work of the School, ensuring work placement opportunities are open to students by maintaining profitable small enterprises.

Lara Penfold
Head of Education – Releasing Potential School
Lara is a qualified teacher and heads up the Releasing Potential School, our registered alternative provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs. Lara also oversees the Releasing Potential Explore programme, which caters for children and young people on an outreach basis. Lara manages a team 25+ staff including the school’s own leadership team and subject leads. She is responsible for the School curriculum as well as a range of other areas within the School.

Alex Gray
Head of Professional Services
Alex joined Releasing Potential in 2016 having worked for many years as a Lecturer in Higher Education. Alex manages the operational and strategic elements of a number of services across the organisation including Releasing Potential Institute. Alex works closely with Releasing Potential School to ensure staff have access to a range of training and development opportunities, and co-ordinates and teaches on courses from Levels 2-7 with the organisation and externally. She is also responsible for data, web services and marketing.
Our trustees
Our trustees generously give up their time to guide and support Releasing Potential as it seeks to grow and move forward. They are enthusiastic about the work that we do and open to new ways that we can develop as an organisation. They embrace the ‘critical friend’ role, asking all the right questions, ensuring that our executive team have thought through their plans and vision for the future. Our trustees are an integral part of Releasing Potential’s decision-making, safeguarding, and financial processes.

Alexis Brooker
Chair of Trustees
Alexis is the newest trustee to join the team, currently the Chief Operating Officer of a local software business, Alex has a degree in Astrophysics from Cardiff University and is an experienced manager and company Director. Alex is passionate about STEM and runs the Chichester Raspberry Jam, a local community group where people of all ages learn to code.

Paul Suter
Trustee

Kate Palmer
Trustee

Elise Eminson
Trustee

Jo King
Trustee
Having been there at the birth and spent most of the last 20 years as part of the Releasing Potential family in one way or another, Jo isn’t quite ready to step away just yet. As a former teacher and a Governor of a local mainstream Primary school Jo continues to get involved with the Education Committee bringing her love of processes and data, along with insights into Ofsted, and governance in a mainstream settings. She welcomes the opportunity to stay connected and to continue to take her part in supporting and growing opportunities available to those young people who need them the most.

Katherine Hooper
Trustee
Katherine has over 15 years experience in various aspects of the Human Resources function, working at a local automotive manufacturer. She holds a BSc in sports and exercise science and a PGDip in Human Resources management. She has three daughters, and is very happy to be assisting Releasing Potential in its mission of supporting children and young people.

Jennifer Brooker
Trustee
With a background as a software engineer Jennifer started out developing code for submarines, but quickly found a love for all things data. Throughout her career in innovation and product development she has worked to use data as a force for positive change. Now serving on the Educational Governance Group, Jennifer looks forward to bringing her skills in data and analytics to ensure that our approach to education gives the best opportunity to our students both now and in the future.

Peter Stanway
Trustee
Peter runs his own HR Consultancy and has significant expertise in employment law. Having run his own successful business for a number of years, Peter brings valuable experience to his role as a trustee with particular responsibility for supporting the organisation with recruitment and HR. Peter regularly lectures on HR and employment law at UK universities and has a keen interest in property development.
Address:
Releasing Potential
Unit 7 Kingscroft Court
Ridgway
Havant
Hampshire
PO9 1LS
Charity No: 1097440
Company No: 04622100
Telephone:
023 9247 9762
Email:
info@releasingpotential.com
© Releasing Potential 2017