ESB International’s Board of Trustees and Governance
English Speaking Board (International) Ltd. is a registered charity and a company limited by guarantee, not having a share capital. We are committed to promoting oracy and communication skills for all learners, especially those facing disadvantage.
- Charity Registration Number: 272565
- Company Number: 01269980
- Legal Status: Company limited by guarantee and not having a share capital
You can download our Memorandum & Articles of Association here.
Our Board of Trustees
The Board of Trustees is responsible for the strategic direction, oversight, and governance of ESB International. Trustees ensure that the organisation remains true to its charitable objectives and operates with transparency, integrity, and impact.
Trustees typically serve a three-year term, with the option to be reappointed for a further term. The Board meets regularly throughout the year and includes individuals with expertise in education, finance, governance, and charitable work.
Key responsibilities include:
- Upholding ESB’s mission and values
- Overseeing financial and operational performance
- Ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory obligations
- Supporting the Christabel Burniston Fund and other charitable initiatives
Interested in becoming a Trustee?
If you share our commitment to empowering learners through communication and would like to help shape the future of ESB International, we’d love to hear from you. Register your interest today and you will be notified when there are vacancies and be informed on how to make a formal application.
James McAtear
Chair of Trustees
Jim is a Designated National Leader in Education. He has served as a Lead Inspector with Ofsted throughout England over a number of years. He is currently Chief Executive of the Hartismere Family of Schools and has served as Headmaster in several schools leading Hartismere School in becoming England’s first Academy and to successive Outstanding Ofsted judgements in every category. Jim was appointed a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching in 2018.
Jason Vit
Vice-Chair of Trustees
Jason has worked in the charity sector for most of his professional life, focusing initially on oracy and communication skills for children and since 2012 on literacy. Currently he manages a nation-wide network of place-based programmes tackling intergenerational low literacy with the National Literacy Trust. He attributes many of the opportunities he has had, both personally and professionally, to the communication skills he was supported to develop while young and is proud to support ESB so others can achieve their goals.
Damian Low
Honorary Treasurer
Damian is an experienced strategy consultant with 10 years of experience in advising global clients like Meta, Netflix, Shell, and Google. He specialises in developing brand positioning and reputation. Damian currently holds the position of Senior Director at FTI Consulting, leading market positioning for a financial institution, transforming communication strategies for an automotive brand, and developing new narratives for a legal brand. He received both a Masters of Science and Bachelors in Politics and International Relations from Royal Holloway University of London.
Frances Richardson
Trustee
Frances joined The Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) 20 years ago, rising to Deputy Chief Executive. Her wide-ranging expertise in strategic development and planning of training resulted in the successful creation of the Ofqual recognised Awarding Organisation, RoSPA Qualifications. She has been the Artistic Director of the Lichfield Folk Festival since 2000 and became a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing in January 2018.
Daniel Brown
Trustee
Daniel has over 17 years’ experience gained within various organisations across the broad spectrum of Financial Services. He has an excellent track record of delivering significant complex change and improvements for large national and international businesses, using clear, innovative and ambitious solutions. Truly passionate about education, he is focused on inclusion, driving diversity, community cohesion and accessibility to learning.
Joanna Jarjue
Trustee
Joanna’s background and experience is in marketing and media; having worked as an agency development manager on behalf of Google, as an independent digital marketing consultant and currently as co-founder of digital marketing agency, ‘So 93’. She remains a weekly current affairs commentator for national television and radio broadcasters and was a Final 5 candidate of the BBC business programme, The Apprentice in 2017. Born in The Gambia and raised in the UK, Joanna understands the value of ESB’s vision and mission for quality education and social mobility.
Edward May
Trustee
Edward May is former Executive Director and co-founder of the Community Academies Trust, with significant experience as a National Leader of Education and school leader, holding numerous senior posts across both the primary and secondary sectors, leading a number of schools to ‘Outstanding’ as Headteacher and Executive Headteacher. Edward has been a regular contributor to educational journals and publications over a number of years, achieving The Times Educational Supplement – School Book of the Year award as a contributing author. He has served as a member of the Teacher Advisory Group for HRH ‘Prince’s Foundation for Children and the Arts’ and was jointly responsible for the nationally acclaimed Face Britain initiative which was created in the run up to The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the London Olympics and Paralympic Games as a way of celebrating the creativity of Britain’s children. Edward currently runs an education consultancy and serves as a Non-Executive Director, Trustee and Chair of Trustees for a number of education based charitable organisations.
Our Members
Our members play a vital role in sustaining Christabel Burniston’s legacy. Their responsibilities include:
- Supporting the Christabel Burniston Fund through fundraising or donations
- Contributing to ESB’s archival materials, including oral histories and historical items
- Nominating suitable candidates for the role of Trustee
If you have enjoyed an affiliation with ESB International at any point in time and would like to stay up to date with our work, become a member either by subscribing to our mailing list or contacting us directly and tell us all about your personal history with ESB International. We’d love to hear from you!