Kingham Hill School Development Board

Malcolm left Kingham Hill School in 1983 to join the Royal Air Force (RAF) through a University Cadetship.  Over a 34‑year RAF career he flew 5,000 hours on 4 aircraft types, including operational air transport, air‑to‑air refuelling, and duties supporting the Royal Family and government ministers.

He helped bring the C‑17 aircraft into RAF service and went on to command 99 Squadron and 3 major airfields: RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, Basrah in Iraq, and Kandahar Airfield for NATO in Afghanistan.  He later served in Defence strategy and planning roles in the Ministry of Defence and was seconded to the Cabinet Office during a Strategic Defence and Security Review.

Malcolm’s final full‑time RAF role was as Chief of Staff for Capability, overseeing all RAF capability programmes and the development of a 10‑year defence air equipment plan.  After moving to the Reserve, he became Officer Commanding 601 Squadron.  He also spent 8 years with Boeing as Director of C‑17 International Field and Program Integration, leading teams in 9 countries.

Bea Carpenter was part of the first cohort of girls at Kingham Hill School, attending from 1992 to 1994. Following her time at Kingham, she travelled extensively in New Zealand and Australia before returning to the UK to work in office management.

She later moved to the South West, where she raised her family and now works as a Finance Officer within the Degree Apprenticeship team at the University of Exeter.

Sam Chipper attended Kingham Hill School from 2013 to 2020 before going on to study at Loughborough University. He now works as a Communications and Marketing Consultant, specialising in the automotive, motorsport and technology sectors.

His work spans a range of projects, from establishing new motorsport championships to supporting vehicle launches and developments in autonomous and AI-driven mobility. Alongside his role on the Development Board, Sam is also Vice Chair of Kingham 10, an initiative focused on engaging younger alumni and strengthening long-term connections with the school.

Tim Cuthbertson attended Kingham Hill School from 1966 to 1970 and has spent his entire career in the media and entertainment industries, working across creative, technical, business development and strategic consultancy roles.

He began as a music recording engineer at Sir George Martin’s AIR Studios in London before relocating to the United States in 1990, where he worked with leading technology companies in the film and television sector. He received a Scientific and Technical Academy Award for a product that helped transition the audio post-production industry from analogue tape to digital workflows.

He continues to work in the technical and commercial side of media creation, with a current focus on enterprise-level ERP solutions supporting cloud and AI-driven production environments.

Brian Leckey was in Clyde House from 1980 to 1984, and remains hugely grateful for the start in life Kingham gave him - both for the support he received in navigating dyslexia and for the leadership opportunities that shaped his future career. After leaving school, he secured a training apprenticeship at the BBC as a recording engineer before moving into television production. He went on to build a freelance career as a director, making documentaries around the world for Discovery, History Channel and National Geographic. After 17 years in the US, he recently returned to the UK and now works as the Video Producer at Eton College.

David Nock attended Kingham Hill School from 1971 to 1977, where he served as Head Boy. He began his career in the police, serving in Hong Kong and London and rising to the rank of Inspector, with responsibilities including royal protection and major public incidents.

He went on to spend a decade in international finance with organisations including Citigroup and Chase Manhattan Bank, where he established Chase’s UK financial services business and worked across London, New York, Los Angeles and Hong Kong. He later moved into the commercial property sector, helping to grow and lead several businesses.

In 2021, he founded Dunford Penrose Surveyors, which has since grown into a national practice operating across England and Wales. He remains closely connected to Kingham Hill as Vice Chair of The Hillians and a Trustee of The Centenary Fund.

David's coonection to the Hill continues through his son Bertie who attended KHS from  2015 - 2019. During his time at the school, Bertie served as Head of Norwich House and as a School Prefect.

Charles Vernon attended Kingham Hill School from 1963 to 1971 and comes from a family with a long-standing connection to the School across multiple generations. A proud “Founder’s Pupil” and former Clyde House student, he has remained closely involved with Kingham Hill throughout his life.

After an early career in computing, Charles moved into the furniture industry, where he spent more than 40 years in senior leadership roles. He worked for Parker Knoll PLC for 15 years, becoming a Main Board Director and serving as CEO of Nathan Furniture for eight years. He later spent 25 years as CEO of Gloster Furniture, helping establish the company as a leading international luxury outdoor furniture brand.

Charles is a Past Master of the Worshipful Company of Furniture Makers and remains actively involved with charitable and church organisations in Suffolk. He previously served as a Governor of Kingham Hill School and currently sits on both the Hillians Committee and the Head’s Advisory Committee.