CHAIRMAN: Mr David P A Gravells JP, MSc

David is a company director. Both he and his son are alumni of Leeds Grammar School.

David Gravells holds an MSc in Management Sciences from the University of Durham.  He is currently Chairman of three companies.

David is a visiting Professor at Durham University, Chairman of the International Accreditation Board of the Association of MBAs, Church Warden of All Saints' Church, Ripley and Chairman of the Bench (Designate), Harrogate Magistrates Court.

Mr Gravells serves on the following GSAL committees:
Finance
Remuneration.

Mr Naveen Ahmed

Mrs Elizabeth ('Liz') E Bailey BChD, LDS, RCS, DOrthRCS

Liz recently retired from orthodontic practice in Leeds. Her children were educated at LGS & LGHS. She is the Governor with special responsibility for Rose Court, Junior School and Child Protection Issues. Liz is committed to work on FAFG and is especially keen to improve Bursary provision at GSAL.

Mrs Bailey serves on the following GSAL committees:
Appointments (chair)

She also chairs the LGs & LGHS Foundation Board.

Mr Alan Barker OBE, FCA

Alan is a chartered accountant. He and his two sons are all alumni of Leeds Grammar School.

Mr Barker serves on the following GSAL committees:
Finance
Audit

He is also a director of the school's trading company, GSAL Enterprises Ltd.

Mr Colin Greenhalgh CBE DL MA

After studying history at St John’s College, Cambridge, Colin Greenhalgh served for 38 years in the teaching profession. He began his career in the History Department at Bradford Grammar School and ultimately became Principal of Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge. Recently Colin has worked as an educational consultant for a number of high profile organisations, including the Government, the University of Cambridge and the Ogden Trust. He has inspected leadership and management for Ofsted.  Colin is currently Vice-Chairman and Senior Independent Director of Cambridge University Hospitals. He is an Honorary Senior Member of Wolfson College, Cambridge, an Honorary Fellow of Anglia Ruskin University and a Deputy Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire.

Colin is married with three adult children and five grandchildren. In addition to enjoying family life, he is passionate about cricket and is a member of MCC. Colin also enjoys collecting books, cinema and travel.

GSAL committees:
Audit
Appointments

Mr Ian Jones

Ian Jones is a partner with the international private equity firm, Apax Partners. He was previously a corporate finance partner with Coopers & Lybrand and holds an MBA from Warwick Business School and an MA from Cambridge. Ian has three sons and one daughter, each of whom are either current or former pupils of Leeds Grammar School or Leeds Girls' High School.

Mr Jones serves on the following GSAL committees:
Audit

Mr Paul D Lawrence

Paul Lawrence, aged 47, was educated at LGS is married to Catherine and has four children who have all attended both LGS and LGHS.

He is currently a consultant with  an Independent Insurance Group in Leeds, a partner in a Corporate Recovery Business operating out of York and London and has other business interests.

On the voluntary side, he is a Governor of Leeds College of Music and, from 2010, Head of Variety Club Children's Charity.

Mr Lawrence serves on the following GSAL committees:
Finance
Appointments

Professor Christine M Leigh PhD

Christine Leigh is an Emeritus Professor of the University of Leeds. Before retirement she was, for 30 years, an economic geographer followed by a period as an academic entrepreneur establishing a University spin-out company. 

She educated both her son and daughter at the GSAL parent schools. She was a governor at LGHS and involved in the early planning for the merger. She is strongly interested in the development of the bursary funds to allow as many gifted children as possible to benefit from a GSAL education.

Professor Leigh currently serves on the following GSAL committees:
Audit (chair)
Finance

Dr Hilary Luscombe MBS, DA, DRCOG, MRCGP

Mr Kenneth Morton MRICS

Mr Richard Obank

Richard became a Governor in September 2009.

He is a solicitor and partner in the Restructuring team of DLA Piper UK LLP. DLA Piper is one of the largest legal service providers in the world with over 3,500 lawyers located in 29 countries and 67 offices throughout Asia, Europe, the Middle East and the US.

Richard qualified in 1989, having graduated from the University of Manchester and attending at the College of Law, Guildford.

Before joining DLA Piper he was a partner in the firm of Herbert Smith LLP in the City of London. Richard specialises in advising debt and equity investors involved in distressed businesses; management involved in underperforming businesses; accountants engaged in restructuring and recovery assignments; and financial institutions involved in the reorganisation and restructuring of businesses in the UK and abroad.

Richard is 45 and married to Jeanette. He has four children at GSAL. He lives in Leeds.

Mr John Parkinson BA

John is a recently retired businessman who, since becoming a governor in 1984, has helped the school with its financial strategy.

Mr Parkinson currently serves on the following GSAL committees:
Finance

Mr Peter N Sparling LL.B (Deputy Chairman)

Peter is Deputy Chairman of the school's Governing Body. He was Chairman of Leeds Grammar School Governing Body for 18 years, a former Leader of Leeds City Council, and an Honorary Alderman of the City of Leeds. Peter is currently Deputy Chairman of Opera North.

Mr Sparling serves on the following GSAL committees:
Finance
Appointments

He is also Chairman of:
GSAL Enterprises Ltd 

Prof David Sugden PhD

David Sugden is Professor of Special Needs in Education at the University of Leeds and currently heads the Childhood and Inclusion Group in the School of Education. He has worked in special and mainstream schools as well as clinical settings in hospitals.

After a total of five years of academic and clinical work in California, he moved to London and then to the University of Leeds, where he has held the posts of Head of Department, Dean of the Faculty, Pro Vice Chancellor and Acting Vice Chancellor. His academic field involves children with developmental disorders, particularly those with movement difficulties. The work has examined atypical groups such as children with cerebral palsy, learning difficulties and those with developmental coordination disorder.  His publications range from pure research, which is published in educational, psychological and paediatric journals, to professional outlets in both the educational and allied health professional literature with his multidisciplinary work bringing him into contact with a variety of academic and clinical fields.

Outside of his academic work he keeps active by cycling, running, skiing and playing tennis and is an art and music lover.

Professor Sugden currently serves on the following GSAL committees:
Finance
Remuneration

Mr John Woodward

John is a director of several companies which export agricultural commodities. He is married to Rachael and has 3 children, 2 of which attend GSAL. He studied History at Oxford University and his interests include golf and running.

Mr Edward Ziff

Edward is Chairman and Chief Executive of Town Centre Securities PLC.  He is President of the Leeds Jewish Welfare Board and of the Leeds Jewish Blind Society. He is a member of the Advisory Board of Leeds University Business School and a Non Executive Director of Shoe Retailer Barratts Priceless.  

One of Edward's sons is a current pupil at The Grammar School at Leeds and the other two both attended Leeds Grammar School.

Mr Ziff currently serves on the following GSAL committees:
Finance
Remuneration