Oldham College has appointed Brian Cronin as the new Chair of its Board of Governors, with Adrian Barrass named Vice Chair. Mr Cronin began his tenure on the 1st of September 2026.

The appointments follow the retirement of Jonathan Edwards, who served on the Board of Governors for 16 years and was its Chair for eight.

Mr Cronin has worked in the voluntary housing sector for more than 35 years. After taking a degree in Housing from the University of South West England, he started out as a Housing Officer at Merseyside Local Authority. He later moved into the finance department of a Manchester-based housing association, where he qualified as an accountant and went on to become Chief Financial Officer. He subsequently served as Chief Executive of one of the North West's largest housing providers.

He said: "It is a great privilege to be appointed Chair of Oldham College at such an exciting period of growth and transformation. Jonathan leaves the College in a strong position, and I look forward to working with governors, staff, students and our partners to build on this strong foundation and deliver our ambitious goals for the College and the Oldham community."

Mr Barrass takes over as Vice Chair following the departure of Sue Kershaw, who previously held the role. He has been on the Board since 2024, serving as Vice Chair of the Resources Committee and as Link Governor for Sustainability and IT. He was educated in Oldham and later gained a Master's Degree in Engineering from Sheffield University. He has also lived and worked in Europe and North America in the chemical, oil, steel, consumer goods and pharmaceutical sectors.

The college said it was delighted to welcome both appointments, adding that they bring experience and expertise from their respective careers. It also thanked Jonathan Edwards for his leadership over the past eight years, and thanked both Jonathan Edwards and Sue Kershaw for their dedication and contributions to Oldham College during their time on the Board.