Lancaster-born Christine Braddock is one of the country's leading college principals.
She is credited with saving Matthew Boulton College from closure and overseeing its transfer to a national flagship state-of-the-art new building in Birmingham city centre.
The college is soon to merge with Sutton Coldfield College, creating one of the biggest further education institutions in the country with 33,000 students.
Ms Braddock started her career at Lancaster Education Authority during the 70s, where she was responsible for co-ordinating the educational rehabilitation of prisoners.
Her first job in a college was as a senior lecturer at Blackpool and the Fylde College where she became a departmental manager.
Ms Braddock's shift to the Midlands came following a Home Office appointment to the Midland regional prison service where she was responsible for the educational development of inmates at 44 prisons.
The college head, who has a degree in special educational needs, has demonstrated a commitment to boosting the life chances of those on the fringe of society.
After three years, she moved to Dudley College to become head of its faculty for community special education needs and art and design.
More senior roles followed, first as vice-principal then deputy principal, where she gained experience of developing successful links between the world of education and business.
In 1998, she was appointed to head Matthew Boulton College which, at the time, was struggling with debts of nearly £4million.
Ms Braddock was told to close down the college, but decided instead to turn it around.
A process of careful management and appointment of key personnel followed - including Birmingham's former director of education, Professor Tim Brighouse to the board.
The remarkable success story culminated in the college becoming one of only 16 colleges or universities to win the prestigious Queens Anniversary Prize for Further and Higher Education.
One of Ms Braddock's biggest achievement was to secure funding for Matthew Boulton College to move from its former dilapidated premises in Sherlock Street, Balsall Heath to a new building in Eastside.
The £40million eight-story complex in Jennens Road marks the second biggest single capital investment within the further education sector ever.
It is now viewed as a benchmark for new colleges and has been visited by 275 of the country's 440 further education leaders.
Ms Braddock's interest and experience in developing vocational skills also sees her sit on the board of business lobby groups The Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and the CBI.
She is a past deputy chair of professional service organisation Birmingham Forward and previous chair of Focus Housing, which has since become Midland Heart of which she is deputy chair.
Ms Braddock juggles professional life with raising three children, including one who is disabled, and lives in Rock, Worcestershire.
She lists her hobbies as gardening and watching her son play cricket.
