Sian Macdonald, a former principal of Josiah Mason College, Birmingham, and of Hyde Clarendon College, Tameside, Manchester, is the new principal and chief executive of Tresham Institute, Northamptonshire. She succeeds Keith Rowland, who has retired after 21 years in the post. He is taking up a visiting professorship in further education at De Montfort University, Leicester, and was awarded an OBE in the New Year Honours List.

Henry Beker, a visiting professor in information technology at Royal Holloway College, London University, since 1983 and chief executive of Zergo Holdings (information security specialists), has been appointed president of the Institute of Mathematics and its Applications for two years. His presidency theme, “Mathematics at work”, will involve raising awareness in schools of the importance of maths to industry.

Soheila Keyani, formerly temporary co-ordinator of the Royal National Institute for the Blind’s self-employment development unit, has been appointed information and campaigns liaison officer for the RNIB’s post-16 policy unit.Anne Rehahn, a chartered librarian, is now information officer for employment and further and higher education at RNIB.