Villiers Park Welcomes Dr Desmond Bermingham as New Chair of the Board of Trustees

Villiers Park is delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Desmond Bermingham as the new Chair of its Board of Trustees. With a deep-rooted commitment to education and a longstanding connection to Villiers Park, Desmond joins us at a pivotal moment as we celebrate 100 years since the charity was formally founded. Desmond succeeds Adrian Ball, who has stepped down after serving two terms of dedicated service and leadership on the board. 

Desmond shared: “I had the great good fortune to attend a Villiers Park residential course when I was 16 years old. It opened my mind to a whole new world of learning possibilities. I am delighted to have the chance to give something back to this wonderful charity as Chair of the Board of Trustees.” 

Desmond brings over 25 years of experience in education and international development, having held leadership roles with prestigious organisations such as the World Bank, Save the Children, the Department for International Development (DFID), and, most recently, as Chief Executive Officer for the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in the UK.  

He currently serves as a non-executive director and Chair of the Education and Learning Committee for the Chartered Insurance Institute, as well as Chair of the Independent Technical Advisory Panel for the Global Partnership for Education. 

Desmond holds a degree in English Literature from St John’s College, Oxford, along with master's degrees in education and global development management, and a doctorate in international education policy. 

A nomination committee of four Trustees, Simon Smith, Anusha Nirmalananthan, Harriet Riches and Les Ebdon, led the appointment process. Speaking on behalf of the committee, Simon Smith said “Desmond greatly impressed the trustees during the application and interview process. I speak on behalf of my fellow trustees by welcoming Desmond to the board and am looking forward to working with Desmond and the team to achieve Villiers Park’s vision to empower every young person to realise their potential.” 

Villiers Park Chief Executive Gaby Sumner said “I am delighted to welcome Desmond as the new Chair of Villiers Park. Desmond’s personal connection with Villiers Park combined with his extensive leadership and education experience will help to propel Villiers Park forwards. He joins an exceptional board of trustees, whose depth and diversity of knowledge and expertise benefits us hugely as an organisation and ensures that we achieve the greatest impact and reach possible.”