Our Consultants – Brighton & Hove Education Consultancy

Amir Bahrami

MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BRIGHTON AND HOVE EDUCATION ACADEMY & CONSULTANCY

Amir Bahrami brings over 15 years of distinguished experience in senior roles within Further Education, making him a trusted authority in education and leadership consultancy. His diverse background spans key positions, including Assistant Principal of a prominent Further Education College, Commercial Director, and Head of Business. Amir's expertise extends to Adult Community Learning, International delivery, and the successful establishment of an Adult Education Hub for Brighton and Hove City Council.

Carl Southwell

BHEA Consultant

Carl Southwell has been creating social impact through education for over 20 years across private, public and non-for-profit industries. His background in business, sport, charities, finance and education enables him to deliver programmes that focus on real world experiences/challenges for young people and adults. Carl's experience in education programmes covers full end to end management, content creation, marketing, delivery and impact reporting including theory of change and social return on investment.

Martyn Howe

BHEA Consultant

Martyn is an experienced senior leader and education / learning and development specialist. He has an in-depth knowledge of how high quality teaching, training and learning are designed, delivered and quality assured. His particular areas of interest and expertise include: coaching, evidence based approaches to teaching and learning, Teacher Education, and the potential of digital technologies. He has worked extensively in education in the UK and internationally, including in Saudi Arabia, Australia, Ghana and Iraq.

Katrina Cotton

BHEA Consultant

Katrina Cotton has over 2 decades experience in Further Education and training in a range of leadership, teaching and teacher training roles. With a Master’s Degree in Education and a proven track record of effective leadership, she brings a dynamic blend of innovation and strategic vision to her work. Her areas of expertise include ESOL, international English programmes, adult learning, curriculum management, teacher education, coaching and talent development. She also has experience of account management, nurturing strong partnerships with stakeholders in post-16 education, driving strategic support for current initiatives.

Vicki Lader

BHEA Consultant

Vicki is a seasoned educator with over two decades of experience spanning primary and secondary education. Her journey in education has been diverse, encompassing roles such as Inclusion Manager and Advisory Teacher, where she has passionately supported students' needs in a holistic way, including all areas of cognition and learning as well as emotional well-being. With a background in primary school teaching and a wealth of expertise in managing diverse learning needs, Vicki has become a trusted figure in her field. She holds qualifications as a dyslexia and dyscalculia assessor, currently holding an Assessor Practising Certificate with the British Dyslexia Association, equipping her with the skills to assess and support individuals across all levels of education, including university.

Cathy McDonnell

BHEA Consultant

Cathy has held several senior leader roles in further and higher education, local authority and the third sector for over 2 decades. She has extensive experience as a leader, has a Master’s degree in Business Administration and is a qualified coach, teacher and accredited profiler in CMe Colour profiling and Strengthscope. Her specialist areas include leadership and strategy development, cultural change programmes, learning and organisational development consultancy and wellbeing initiatives. She has also worked in project and programme management, business development and process transformation. Cathy believes that people are at the centre of every organisation’s success and is interested in supporting them to aspire high and design sustainable solutions in an environment of psychological safety that welcomes constructive debate, emotional intelligence, and respectful challenge.