Nick Gaskell, ACA became Chair of Governors in September 2023, having served for a number of years as Vice-Chair and Chair of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee. He worked with the leading UK chartered accountants, Saffery Champness, for many years, having served a four-year term as chairman of the firm. He became a partner in its London office in 1981.
Mr Gaskell was a member of Saffery Champness’s Business Advisory Group and advised a wide range of private and commercial clients, including owner-managed businesses, families, companies listed on the UK stock markets and non UK-domiciled individuals and their corporate entities.
His early training involved working on many stock market flotations, which was the foundation for his considerable experience in corporate finance. In more recent years, he worked extensively on flotations on the Alternative Investment Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange and on corporate valuations. He is also Johannesburg Stock Exchange-accredited.
In the natural resources sector, Mr Gaskell acted for companies with turnover of billions of US dollars, while in other sectors (such as manufacturing, investment and property, IT, media, pubs and restaurants, healthcare and travel) clients ranged in size from start-ups to companies with turnover of over £150 million.
Married with two sons, he lives in South Hertfordshire and gives his main interests as “all sports”. Mr Gaskell, who trained in Leicestershire, says that his “true love” is Leicester City FC, with the Tigers (rugby) and Leicestershire County Cricket Club not too far behind. His other main interest is in theatre; he is a ‘theatre angel’ (investor) in many West End and Broadway productions.
He has been a QE Governor since 1998 and also serves as a Member of the Academy Trust.