Gold Coast private school A.B. Paterson CEO and former principal Brian Grimes departs the college

A well-known leader of one of the Gold Coast’s most prestigious schools has made a sudden departure. ALL THE DETAILS >>>

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THE chief executive officer and highly-respected former principal of A.B. Paterson College, Brian Grimes, has made a shock departure from the prestigious Gold Coast school.

Mr Grimes was the principal from January 2012 to December 2019 before he was made the school’s chief executive officer at the start of 2020. He was in charge of strategic growth and the A.B. Paterson College Foundation. Joanne Sheehy, who took over from Mr Grimes last year, remains the principal.

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It’s understood the Arundel private school planned to open new campuses last year, including one in Asia, but that the global pandemic stopped the expansion.

In a letter to parents, chairman of the board David Tanner blamed the COVID-19 pandemic for Mr Grimes sudden departure. His last day was on Friday just gone.

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A.B. Paterson’s former principal and CEO Brian Grimes.

“In January of 2020, after nine years of outstanding service, Mr Grimes was tasked by the College Board with overseeing and developing further educational entities of A.B. Paterson College Limited as the chief executive officer,” Mr Tanner said.

With COVID-19 preoccupying the world across 2020, and with much of the global economy still in a pandemic recovery phase this year, the College Board have elected to hold these pursuits to ensure we remain focused on the Arundel Campus and community in such uncertain times.

Gold Coast school AB Paterson College.

“Accordingly, Mr Grimes has agreed to take a redundancy from the college and take the opportunity to move on to the next phase of his career. This decision has been amicable and has been made in full consultation with Mr Grimes.”

Mr Tanner said the board and school community were grateful to have had the service of Mr Grimes at both principal and CEO.

“Under this direction our college developed superb facilities with a continued focus on traditional values, a leading teaching and learning framework and the integration of numerous technologies to greater assist and help students learn and connect responsibility with their world,” he said.

“Through his leadership we are one of the most respected and high-performing independent schools in Queensland and the Board and I thank him for that contribution and service to us all.”

The Winton Centre at A.B. Paterson College had its official opening in 2019 – pictured is Brian Grimes, principal at the time. Picture Glenn Hampson

On LinkedIn, Mr Grimes is described as “an amazing leader committed to making a positive impact for his students” and “an excellent leader, strategic thinker and executive manager” and “a shaper of leaders”.

Another person said: “As a person responsible to a board of directors for a multimillion-dollar annual operation, Brian consistently demonstrates the highest degree of business acumen, rarely seen in the education sector.”

According to the school’s website, as chief executive officer, Mr Grimes was responsible to the board on all matters pertaining to compliance and legislation, “prescribing the educational direction of the college, ensuring a positive, warm and engaging culture within the organisation, and has strategic oversight of all aspects of the college”.

Mr Grimes also had the responsibility of opening up the school to “an international world of opportunities for our students”.

A.B. Paterson College is a co-educational, non-denominational independent private school, with an enrolment of about 1600 students from prep to Year 12.

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