Andy Matheson
Employment
Woodstock School in India (1979-1981, 1983-1990)
Originally employed as a teacher but from 1984 - 1990 was Head of the Physical Education Department overseeing 2 other staff members and a Grade 1 - 12 curriculum. From 1984 - 1990 I was also the High School Coordinator overseeing the running of a high school of 250 students and 25 staff members. During 1988 I was interim Headmaster overseeing the academic programme of the school from grade 1 - 12 and then in 1992 was Vice-Principal with responsibility for all the non-academic aspects of this residential school located in the Himalaya mountains.
Oasis
From 1990 - 92 I was the Director of Training with responsibility for one existing training programme and to develop new programmes that trained young people in youth work and mission.
From 1993-2000 I was the General Director of Oasis India. This was Oasis first overseas base and I was responsible to develop the work from scratch. Over the seven years Oasis grew from a small initial team of three people to have a staff team of seventy operating in two cities in twelve different project areas serving the needs of disadvantaged people.
From 2001 until today I have been the International Director with responsibility to oversee the development of our work around the world and to ensure that as a global entity we are integrated and effective. I have overseen our growth from an operation in 3 countries in 2001 to now working in 10 countries.
Education
Attended Skinners School, Tunbridge Wells 1972 - 76. Achieved 6 'O' Levels and 2 'A' levels. Was voted best all round sportsman for two years in a row. Represented the county at hockey and was a part of the England U21 hockey training squad.
Attended St Paul's college, Cheltenham 1976-77 and then Avery Hill College (now part of Greenwich University) studying education with a focus on history. Obtained a Bachelors degree in Education graduating in 1979.
Attended All Nations Christian College 1981-1983 and obtained a Diploma in Mission and Theology.
Attended Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, USA, 2000 - 2000 and studied for, and obtained a Masters Degree in Inter-cultural studies with a concentration in Leadership. Also gained the 'Urban Mission' award.
Interests
Sport - Member of the College soccer, tennis, basketball and cricket teams.
Represented club, county and the South of England and was a member of the National training squad for Field Hockey.
Ran the London marathon in 2002
Watch sport both live and on TV as a key way of relaxing.
Reading- Have a particular interest in urban study, leadership and development as well as the Church in a postmodern society.
Music - Enjoy listening to a variety of music.
Main Achievements
Oversaw Woodstock school through its ten-yearly evaluation process under the Middle States Association of schools and colleges. 1988-1989
Setting up of Short-term missions team project 1990-1992
Setting up the Oasis Youth Ministry Course in London 1990-1992
Pioneering Oasis work in India 1993-2000 (This included the setting up of a variety of projects focused on the needs or the urban poor)
Worked to grow Oasis work from 3 to 10 countries over a 7-year period
Key Skills
Training and mentoring: Keen involvement in shaping other leaders and providing a framework within which they can grow and succeed. Have developed a variety of programmes within Oasis in order to raise the quality of leadership and ensure the longevity of the organization.
Strategic thinking and planning: Proven ability to lead in a strategic way working with leaders and leadership teams in the development of clearly articulated outcomes that can be monitored and evaluated. Have articulated vision, built agreement to it and then executed it in a number of locations.
Governance: Turned around several existing boards and worked with many new ones to create a clearly articulated policy governance framework. Developed resources including a global handbook for Oasis. Have trained boards in the development of the Carver model and assisted in the implementation of policy governance.