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Busy BeesUK's largest and longest established childcare provider, founded in 1983, serves over 11,000 children up to five years, and provides after school care for those up to twelve. Read more » |
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Our Executive Team
John Woodward
Group Chief Executive Officer
John Woodward is one of the founding members of Busy Bees, the UK’s largest childcare company. Unable to find childcare for their own children, John left his career as a schoolteacher, specialising in helping with children with behavioural difficulties, to start a new career in the private nursery sector, John and Lynn, along with two other families, opened their first nursery,’ The Rockland’s’, in Lichfield, Staffordshire, in March 1983.
John has since spearheaded the development of the nursery business and successfully entered Busy Bees into the childcare voucher industry, helping to make childcare more affordable for working parents.
Busy Bees are now backed by Knowledge Universe, operating over 120 childcare centres in the UK and employing nearly 5000 staff.
Simon Irons
Chief Financial Officer
Simon joined Busy Bees on a full time basis in 2000, having previously been involved in the business as an advisor since 1989. Before joining Busy Bees, Simon was a partner at Deloitte and a CFO for a GE business involved in speciality insurance.
Simon, along with the founders of Busy Bees transformed the group from a low margin business managing 25 or so nurseries on behalf of other organisations, to its current scale and focus on owned centres. He has led the capital raising and structuring of the group throughout this period of exceptional growth.
Lynn Woodward
Lynn is one of the original founders of Busy Bees. Previously a qualified and experienced teacher, Lynn with Margaret Randles started and developed the first Busy Bees Nursery in Lichfield, Staffordshire, primarily designed to cater for the needs of their own children.
She is now Developments Director of the nursery business. Lynn has strong links with government departments, local authorities and national associations. Lynn was formerly the development director instrumental in nursery acquisitions and new build nurseries and the integration of those nurseries into the Busy Bees group.
Marg Randles
Marg is one of the original founders of Busy Bees. Previously a qualified and experienced teacher of special needs, Marg with Lynn Woodward started and developed the first Busy Bees Nursery in Lichfield, Staffs, primarily designed to cater for the needs of their own children.
She is now the Managing Director of the nursery business with responsibility for over 140 centres throughout the U.K. and nearly 5000 staff. Margs passion to provide the best of early years care and education for all children who have experienced Busy Bees has touched all operational aspects of the business.
Sarah Beene
Sarah joined Busy Bees in 1988 having previously been involved in the development of some small government funded childcare settings, working with children and parents from areas of deprivation. Prior roles related to delivering exceptional customer service in the leisure industry before moving into the childcare sector.
Sarah, along with others supported the growth and development of Busy Bees from the original Rockland’s Nursery through to the larger group it is today. Her current responsibilities are to oversee the site management and compliance of the Nursery settings.
Clare Phizacklea
Busy Bees HR & Training Director
Clare joined Busy Bees in 1989 when the group consisted of two nurseries. Before joining Busy Bees, Clare was Office Manager for Gould Group, a bespoke computer hardware and software company which supplied IT solutions and training to SME’s.
Clare, along with the founders of Busy Bees, has helped design and implement the people systems and procedures to enable the expansion from 50 employees to nearly 5,000. Clare is responsible for delivering effective staffing levels, training, recruitment and retention solutions to meet the company’s strategic objectives.
