A COLLEGE head has today (Monday) announced he is to step down from his position.

Fintan Donohue, the chief executive officer of North Hertfordshire College (NHC), will be stepping down at the end of August.

Mr Donohue, who has led the college for the past eight years, stepped down from his role as principal last summer to take on the role of chief executive officer of the Gazelle Group. Gazelle represents 20 colleges and is recognised as the foremost network for entrepreneurial learning and leadership in the UK.

Mr Donohue also continued to oversee NHC in his capacity as its chief executive officer.

He said: “After eight years, I have decided it is the right time to retire as CEO of North Hertfordshire College.

“It has been a great privilege to serve the North Hertfordshire community and I will never underestimate how much leadership can contribute to the lives of thousands of students. We have seen success rates rise by 25 per cent since I joined the college and I take great pleasure from the fact that Ofsted recognised the college’s leadership and governance as outstanding in our last inspection.

“The creation of the Stevenage Skills Centre, Da Vinci Studio Schools, and the positioning of the college as a national leader for entrepreneurial education are developments that will positively influence student experience into the foreseeable future.”

NHC principal Signe Sutherland said: “North Hertfordshire College and more than 200,000 students have benefitted over the last eight years from the innovative and inspirational leadership of Fintan.

“We have seen the college grow in reputation and we have seen it expand opportunity for students, both in employment and in enterprise, on an unprecedented scale.”

Mr Donohue will take up the appointment of executive chairman of the Gazelle Group on September 1. In this role he is expected to spend more time on the strategic and international development of the organisation.

Gazelle was formed two years ago with five colleges and invests in research, student opportunity and teacher development.

John Simmonds, chairman of NHC’s Board of Corporation, said: “The college owes much to the foresight, energy and drive for excellence that Fintan has brought to it over a long period.

“He has coached and developed an outstanding group of staff and managers who are confident they can build on the exceptional legacy that he will leave behind.

“We are delighted Fintan has agreed to take on the executive chairman role of Gazelle. The group has achieved extraordinary success within a relatively short period of time.”