Keiran Humphreys, a Finance Manager at Maritime Academy Trust, has been named runner up MAT Finance Rising Star of the Year, as part of the MAT Finance Awards 2022.
At just 28-years-old, Keiran, from Gillingham, is the youngest Finance Manager at Maritime Academy Trust, a charitable education trust with 13 schools across Greenwich, Bexley, Kent and Medway – including Featherby Primary School, in Gillingham, which Keiran once attended as a pupil.
The MAT Finance Rising Star of the Year category was one of five announced as part of The MAT Finance Awards, a national awards scheme supported by IMP Software, which celebrates the outstanding achievements of individuals and teams working in multi-academy trust finance.
An expert judging panel – comprising Confederation of School Trusts CEO Leora Cruddas, ISBL CEO Stephen Morales, Dartmoor MAT CEO Dan Morrow, Epworth Education Trust CFO Adeel Sahi, Bishop Fleming Audit Partner and Head of Education Pam Tuckett, and IMP Software Co-Founder Will Jordan – reviewed high-quality nominations from a wide range of trusts.
The Rising Star category recognises younger MAT finance team members, aged 30 or under, who have demonstrated excellence in their role. Keiran was nominated for the award by Susan Matheson, Chief Operating Officer for Maritime Academy Trust.
Susan commented, “We are thrilled that Keiran has been recognised as a Rising Star in the MAT Finance awards. This is a well-deserved recognition of his achievements since joining Maritime. Keiran grows every day in his knowledge and skills, progressing from Admin Assistant to Finance Manager in just six years. What’s more he is always looking to drive improvements. We are so proud to have him on our team.”
Keiran Humphreys, Finance Manager at Maritime Academy Trust and MAT Finance Rising Star of the Year runner up, said: “I’m honoured to have won a MAT Finance award, and I would like to thank the panel of judges for recognising my achievements. This award is a testament to the hard work and dedication of the entire finance team at Maritime and I am proud to be part of such a committed group of professionals.”
The awards are sponsored by specialists in MAT budgeting and financial management software IMP Software.
IMP Software Co-Founder Will Jordan, said, “Congratulations to Keiran, and indeed all our winners and runners-up. We were blown away by the quality of entries this year and, whilst it is a cliché, choosing a winner for each category was a really difficult task.
“In our work we see the impact of trust finance teams every day and are pleased to shine a spotlight on their contributions through the MATFAs. As our new insight report, The 2030 MAT Growth Challenge: Effective Strategies and Systems, demonstrates MAT finance teams are critical for supporting expansion and sustainability in the sector going forward.”