Kate joins BOA Group from WMG Academy Trust where she held the role of Chief Executive Officer, opening, developing and leading two specialist academies during her nine-year tenure. Kate’s appointment follows the retirement of previous BOA Group CEO, Gaynor Cheshire.

Kate is passionate about preparing young people for their future careers. She was appointed Principal Designate of WMG Academy for Young Engineers in September 2013 and became the founding principal of the Coventry-based University Technical College. The Trust later opened the WMG Academy for Young Engineers Solihull in September 2016, where Kate led the team as Executive Principal and, more recently, as Chief Executive Officer.

In her new role, Kate joins the Executive team at the BOA Group, a Multi Academy Trust of specialist academies in Birmingham city centre.

The past decade has seen impressive expansion to the BOA Group under the leadership of Gaynor Cheshire, which began with the opening of Birmingham Ormiston Academy, a 14-19 academy specialising in Creative, Digital and Performing Arts, in 2011. The Group’s family of academies now includes BOA Stage & Screen Production, which opened in 2021, and BOA Digital Technologies which opened this September. The BOA Group also manages and runs the Old Rep Theatre in Birmingham.

Since the launch of Birmingham Ormiston Academy over ten years ago, over 3,000 students have graduated from the academy and forged successful careers across the creative industries. The Group’s new academies will continue its ambition to support and nurture the talent of young people, and empower them with the skills and training required to thrive in their chosen specialism.

Kate Tague said: “I’m delighted to be appointed Chief Executive Officer of the BOA Group. It’s been fantastic to witness the success of the Group over the past ten years and with the addition of two new academies, it’s a privilege to lead the team during this exciting period of growth.

“The BOA Group is committed to unlocking the potential of each and every student, embedding a culture of high standards, dedication and a drive to succeed. I am passionate about supporting the ambitions of young people and this is a wonderful opportunity to inspire the next generation who are making their mark in the city’s thriving creative sector.”

Gaynor Cheshire commented: “From opening the doors to BOA in 2011 and, more recently, growing our family of academies with BOA Stage & Screen Production and BOA Digital Technologies, it has been a huge privilege to hold the position of BOA Group’s CEO. It has been a real pleasure to be surrounded by such talented and ambitious young people alongside our fantastic teaching staff, and to see our alumni forge their own careers in the creative industries. I wish Kate every success with the future growth of the BOA Group.”

Prof. Philip Thickett, Chair of the Board of Trustees at BOA Group, said:

“We are so pleased to welcome Kate Tague to the BOA Group. With her wealth of experience and expertise she is perfectly placed to continue to drive forward our aspirations for the BOA Group, our academies, our people and our students.

“This year will mark an exciting period in the Group’s history as we open our third specialist academy, BOA Digital Technologies, which will offer a truly pioneering curriculum in collaboration with leading industry partners. We are incredibly proud of the Group’s successes to date under Gaynor’s leadership and we thank her for her commitment and dedication over the past decade.”

For more information about the BOA Group, visit www.boa-group.co.uk/