Our History
Founded by Family
Sheelagh Michelmore founded Quest Guardians in 1993, after 20 years running a language school. Since 2001 the company has been run by her son Christopher, and now his son Henry is General Manager. Chris is married to a doctor, and has background in business. His three children all attended a local boarding school, and studied further education at Manchester, Cambridge and Cardiff Universities.
Our People
Meet the Team
Chris Michelmore
Managing Director
Chris joined Quest in 2001 after a career in management. Although Quest has grown, Chris is passionate about the care of the individual child and the company structure ensures this. “I vividly remember my first day at Prep School, aged 8, and the subsequent challenges of life as a boarder. In more recent years I have also been both a worried and proud parent, with my own children completing their education at a top boarding school”.
Quest Office
Henry Michelmore
Head of Sales
Henry joined Quest in July 2015 and is the eldest son of director Chris Michelmore.
Mel Trudgett
Administration Manager
Mel joined Quest in 2001 and looks after students and host families in the southern counties.
Ken Gong
Sales and Marketing Manager
Ken joined Quest in May 2016. He was born in Guangzhou and he speaks fluent English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
Elaine Sun
Administration Manager
Elaine is responsible for students and host families in the East and West Midlands.
Jessica Chan
Administration Manager
Jessica looks after students in the South West of UK. She is fluent in English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
Georgina Shears
Finance Manager
Georgina joined Quest in 2010 as an Account Manager and brings 20 years of banking experience.
Ellie Furneaux
Adminstration Manager
Ellie joined Quest in 2019 and looks after students in the south-west and west of England.
Celia Hung
Adminstration Manager
Celia Joined Quest in 2021. She is managing schools and students in South East England
Helen Moore
Administration Manager & Host Accreditation Manager
Helen joined Quest in 2022 and is responsible for accrediting our host families and also makes arrangements for our students in Bath, Bristol and Somerset.
Mandy Zhang
Adminstration Manager
Mandy joined Quest in October 2022 and looks after our students in Cheltenham. Mandy is from Shanghai and recently moved to the UK with her family.
Regional Coordinators
Allison
Regional Coordinator
Allison lives in a village near Newbury and is the Regional Coordinator for Oxfordshire and Berkshire.
Liza
Regional Coordinator
Liza lives in North London, and acts as Quest Coordinator in the North London, Bedford and Suffolk.
Kate
Regional Coordinator
Kate is the Regional Coordinator covering students, schools and host families in Sussex, Surrey and South London.
Linde
Regional Coordinator
Linde is Quest Coordinator covering schools and host families in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, Worcestershire and South Wales.
Paul
Regional Coordinator
Paul visits families hosting international students and students attending schools in the West Midlands.
Dawn
Regional Coordinator
Dawn covers schools and Host Families in Bath, Bristol and the surrounding areas.
Penny
Regional Coordinator
Penny lives near Torquay in Devon and covers South West for Quest Guardians.
Anne
Regional Coordinator
Anne lives in Peterborough, and covers students and hosts in Eastern England.
Fiona
Regional Coordinator
Fiona visits students and families hosting international students for Quest Guardians in the Yorkshire area.
Catriona
Regional Coordinator
Catriona lives in the South of England and visits students and hosts in the Brighton and surrounding areas.
Amanda
Regional Coordinator
Amanda joined Quest in 2024 and looks after our students studying at schools in Kent. Amanda was previously a matron at a boarding school for 10 years.
Samantha Woolley
Regional Coordinator
Samantha joins Quest overseeing our Northern Ireland Schools. Samantha is a Mental Health Social worker and brings with her an enthusiasm and passion for students and their education.