Chief Executive Officer

Shirley Coen joined the College in 1998 as Finance Director. She was appointed to the Boards of Directors and Trustees in 2002 by Doreen Bird and was promoted to the post of Principal/CEO in 2005. She graduated from Oxford Brooks University with a BA Honours degree in English and Education. She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of the Arts and a Trustee of the Council for Dance, Drama and Musical Theatre.

Shirley is an accountant and has gained extensive experience in both practice and the commercial sector but she is particularly interested in education management and the ‘Not for Profit’ charitable sector. She is very interested in managing change in education – ensuring that an organisation is innovative with appropriate strategies and teams in place to ensure excellent financial health and best practice. Only in doing so will an organisation be able to deliver its strategic vision, including its artistic and educational vision and its objectives for the future.

During Shirley’s time with Bird College it has grown from a small, specialist dance college with 100 students to one which has 600 full time students. Correspondingly, turnover has increased from £1 million to £6 million. The College has transitioned from a group of buildings which the organisation had outgrown, to an attractive campus with state of the art facilities, making it an outstanding place to learn and work. Bird College is an excellent college delivering outstanding education and training programmes, with an international reputation.