CENTRAL Team

We are a thriving and growing Multi Academy Trust with a team of professionals who are dedicated to ensuring we provide centres of educational excellence for all.

Nicola Hyde-Boughey
Executive Headteacher 

Nicki describes her greatest responsibility as providing the best possible educational experience for all of pupils across Chrysalis Multi Academy Trust in order for them to meet their full potential.

Nicki has 24 years’ experience in the education sector and has gained prestigious qualifications including a MA in Educational Leadership, the National Professional Qualification for Headteachers and an ILM Level 7 qualification in Coaching. She was an Advanced Skills Teacher for Brent Local Authority for a number of years and has a strong reputation for driving standards in teaching and learning, working to develop staff talent within schools and leading on curriculum innovation. She is also a Senior Partner for the national network, Challenge Partners, leading the Chrysalis Hub which is currently supporting over 15,000 pupils across Brent, Harow and Hillingdon. She joined Claremont High School in 2001 and has been Headteacher for the last six years and Executive Headteacher for Chrysalis MAT for the last four years.

Nicki is proud of the relentless drive Chrysalis MAT has for school improvement, driving pupil outcomes and trying to reduce educational inequality to improve the life chances of all pupils. Alongside this focus, the Trust is committed to a mantra of ‘growing our own talent’, developing staff and supporting their career progression through a highly effective and constantly evolving CPD programme as well as a range of initiatives, qualifications, programmes and partnerships.

The staff across the Trust are fantastic and give so much to support our vision and provide the best possible opportunities for our pupils. Over the coming years, I would like to see other similar-minded schools join and enrich our Chrysalis family, benefitting from the support we can offer and working collaboratively to achieve not just our vision but their vision too.

Adam Reid
Chief FiNANCIAL & OPERATIONS Officer

Adam has a wealth of knowledge and experience in the finance industry. Having gained a Bachelor of Science Honours in Accounting & Finance from the University of Birmingham and subsequently becoming a fully qualified Certified Chartered Accountant in November 2010, he fulfilled successful careers as a Group Accountant in the corporate sector and a Finance Consultant working in academies.

The professional support he was able to offer academy leaders whilst working as a consultant attracted Adam to the role of Chief Financial Officer. The next stages of his career saw him working as CFO for an Outstanding academy that formed a Multi Academy Trust and grew from one to four schools; and for a 20-school Multi Academy Trust which gave him a greater grasp of controls, processes and due diligence on a much larger scale. After this he relocated from the Midlands to his current role at Chrysalis Multi Academy Trust and is now coming up to his eleventh year as a CFO in the academies sector.

Chrysalis MAT’s vision of improving the life chances of all pupils irrespective of their background or ability appealed to Adam. This is a fundamental drive for him in his role as CFOO:

Providing timely and accurate financial information to school leaders so that well-informed decisions can be made and obtaining value for money across all areas of expenditure so the funding goes as far as it possibly can, is of paramount importance to providing the best educational experience we can for our pupils.

Marilyn Francis
Head of Human Resources

Marilyn is a Chartered Member of the CIPD, holding a Level 7 qualification in Strategic People Management. She combines academic depth with extensive practical experience across the full spectrum of human resources, delivering high-impact, business-aligned people solutions.

Her areas of specialism include complex employee relations, organisational design, change management, policy development, and leading strategic workforce initiatives. Marilyn has a proven track record of enabling senior leaders to navigate the evolving people agenda, drive organisational effectiveness, and foster a culture of continuous improvement.

As a trained Mental Health First Aider, Marilyn is committed to promoting wellbeing and psychological safety in the workplace. She actively fosters environments where individuals feel valued, supported, and empowered to thrive.

In her role as Head of Human Resources, Marilyn works as a trusted partner to school leadership teams, building their capability and confidence to lead people effectively. She brings insight, challenge, and support to leadership decision-making, ensuring people considerations are embedded in both operational and strategic discussions. Marilyn also plays a key role in strengthening HR governance across the Trust, promoting consistency, legal compliance, and inclusive practice to help create high-performing, values-led working environments.

Marilyn is passionate about the transformative power of HR and remains committed to delivering people strategies that are inclusive, future-focused, and aligned to long-term organisational success.

It was Chrysalis MAT’s vision and values - Excellence, Responsibility, Respect, Aspiration and Perseverance – that drew me to work for the Trust and I am honoured to be a part of creating pathways that will enable staff to keep achieving. Our commitment to fairness and equality for all is something we actively uphold by collaborating with agencies and individuals to attract potential employees from across our community.

NEIL MAROO
Head of IT

Neil is an experienced IT professional who is a Microsoft certified engineer with 25 years industry experience.  Coming from corporate IT he was a technical consultant with Hewlett Packard Enterprise he has a wealth of experience in IT and Project management, In 2018 Neil started working on a project at The Harrow Academies trust to set up the schools IT at a newly created secondary school in Pinner working with the department of education and trust leaders to deliver new IT infrastructure and IT teaching spaces in a multimillion pound refurbishment program.  Neil Joined us in 2023 to unify our IT across the MAT overseeing a diverse portfolio including network security, device management, digital learning platforms his leadership has been instrumental in modernizing classrooms, expanding digital equity, and preparing students for a tech-driven future.

Being a Head of IT at Chrysalis MAT is a dynamic and impactful role because it sits at the intersection of education, innovation, and community service. You shape the digital future of education in your MAT, influencing how thousands of students learn and grow working with educators, administrators, and vendors to create meaningful change. You get to explore and implement cutting-edge technologies that improve teaching and learning. You guide teams, manage large-scale projects, and set the vision for tech integration across schools.

Kim Hayward-Nunes   
Finance/Payroll Manager

Kim has a passion for all things numbers and has worked at Claremont High School Academy and subsequently Chrysalis Multi Academy Trust for a total of 19 years. With children of her own, she is committed to aligning the Trust’s and its schools’ financial interests to the pupils’ interests, ensuring that every financial decision is a pupil centred decision. Kim enjoys being the first point of contact and support for all schools within the Trust, ensuring that they achieve the best value for money, maximise the best resources and systems available, and that payroll runs smoothly.

ALEX LIPMAN
DIRECTOR OF CHRYSALIS SCITT

Alex is the Director of Chrysalis SCITT, leading the design and delivery of teacher training across the Trust. With 14 years’ experience in education, he has held a wide range of leadership positions including Pastoral Leader, Senior Subject Leader, Head of Department and Senior Leader. He has worked extensively in initial teacher training, mentoring student teachers, coordinating placements, and supporting trainees on PGCE, SCITT and ECT pathways.

In September 2025, Alex established the Chrysalis SCITT, which continues to recruit and train teachers across both the secondary and primary sector. He has completed NPQML and NPQSL qualifications, is a Challenge Partners quality assurance reviewer, and is accredited to deliver a range of OLEVI education programmes. As a qualified Mental Health First Aider (Adults), he is also committed to supporting the wellbeing of all trainees.

Alex is passionate about developing and nurturing our own talent, ensuring every trainee develops the skills, confidence and professional support to thrive in the classroom.

Every trainee has the potential to become an exceptional teacher. The greatest reward is seeing them grow into professionals who inspire young people every day.

NISHA VAJA
FINANCE OFFICER

SOPHIE Davis
HR ADMINISTRATOR

Sophie is in the early stages of her HR career and is currently gaining valuable experience within Chrysalis Multi Academy Trust. Her role focuses on supporting key HR functions such as recruitment administration, compliance, and HR operations, including providing administrative support during employee relations processes such as note-taking and documentation.

Passionate about developing her skills, Sophie is committed to progressing through the CIPD framework. With a proactive mindset, strong work ethic, and a genuine interest in fostering a positive workplace culture, she is well-positioned to grow into a confident and capable HR professional.

Click here to visit our team of Trustees