ÃÛÌÒapp

Mary Curnock Cook CBE

Mary Curnock Cook is an independent education expert serving in a non-executive capacity on a number of Boards.

From 2010-2017, Mary was Chief Executive of UCAS. Earlier in her career she held executive and non-executive positions in the education, hospitality, food and biotech sectors.

Mary chairs the governing body of the Dyson Institute, is a Council member at the Open University, and a non-exec Director at the Student Loans Company, the London Interdisciplinary School, the Student Room and Education Cubed. She is also a Trustee at the Higher Education Policy Institute (HEPI. She has the role of Network Chair for Emerge Education, the leading edtech investor in Europe.

Mary has an MSc from London Business School and was awarded an OBE in 2000, and a CBE in 2020 for services to further and higher education. She is an honorary Fellow of Birkbeck and Goldsmiths and has an honorary doctorate from the University of Gloucestershire.

Dame Sally Dicketts

Sally Dicketts has held senior posts in both secondary schools and further education. She became Principal at Milton Keynes College in 1996, and in 2003 became the first Principal of Oxford & Cherwell Valley College.

In 2010, Oxford and Cherwell Valley College took over the responsibility for running Reading College and in 2013 set up a UTC in Reading. In 2013 she became the first Chief Executive of Activate Learning, bringing together in one group, seven FE Colleges (Banbury & Bicester College, City of Oxford College and Reading College, Bracknell and Wokingham and Guildford College Group), four UTC’s (UTC Reading, UTC Oxfordshire, UTC Heathrow and UTC Swindon), two 11-18 secondary schools (Bicester and Theale Green), a studio school, a training provider delivering apprentices, training and consulting in the workplace and a specialist engineering training provider. We also work internationally and have four female colleges in Saudi Arabia, and work in China, India and Malaysia.

Sally is a tireless campaigner and advocate for the learning and skills sector. She is a board member of ETF, was a board member of AoC and AMiE. She chaired the Women’s leadership network and was the chair of the Employment committee of the AoC. Sally has chaired several other National committees, which have ranged from Communications to the National Open College Network. She is a member of the Oxfordshire Management Club, All Souls Group and was a leading thinker for the National Education Trust. She sat for many years on the Oxfordshire LEP, is now deputy chair of their skills board. Sally was appointed President of the Association of Colleges in August 2020. Sally was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Honours list in July 2013 and made a Dame in the King's New Year Honours list 2023.

Her main area of interest is in how people learn, mindfulness and how to develop more entrepreneurial innovative individuals. She enjoys travel, cycling, Zumba and spending time with her partner and daughter.

Jim Knight

Jim Knight, The Rt Hon Lord Knight of Weymouth works in education, digital technology and as a legislator. He is a director of Suklaa Ltd, providing advice services to UK and international clients working in technology for education and learning, international schooling, and teacher engagement. Jim also regularly speaks and facilitates events for a range of clients, adding to Suklaa’s expertise in increasing the engagement created by education events. Jim worked for many years as the Chief Education and External Officer at Tes Global Ltd. In over six years he co-founded Tes Institute in 2014, which is now the fifth largest qualifier of teachers in England; he has also managed Tes Resources, a global teacher community of 13.5 million users.

As a UK government minister and MP, Jim’s portfolios included rural affairs, schools, digital and employment. He was a member of Gordon Brown’s Cabinet 2009-2010, before joining the Lords after the 2010 General Election. He is also the Honorary President of COBIS, is on the Nord Anglia Education Advisory Board, sits on the Global Advisory Council for BETT, and is the Chair of CAST (Centre for Acceleration of Social Technology) that is leading on the shift of the charity sector into the use of digital tools and approaches.

Gerry McDonald

Gerry became Principal of Tower Hamlets College in April 2013 following almost four years as the college’s Vice-Principal. Following mergers with Hackney Community College and Redbridge College, he became Group Principal and CEO of the combined New City College in April 2017. He subsequently led the Group’s mergers with Epping Forest College, Havering College of Higher and Further Education and Havering Sixth Form College.

Gerry is a qualified business studies teacher who has worked in the sector since 1993. He holds business degrees from the University of West of England and Aston and a PGCE from Manchester Metropolitan University. Gerry has worked in the sixth form and further education colleges in Birmingham and London, leading on business development, mergers, curriculum improvement, inspection and culture change.

Gerry is a co-opted committee member of the Association of Colleges London following his election to the main AoC board in December 2014. He also serves on the AoC’s national Employment and Audit Committees. Gerry still teaches business A Level and Level 3 BTEC.

Julie McCulloch

Julie McCulloch has been the Director of Policy at the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) since 2018. Julie spent the first part of her career in educational publishing, initially editing and commissioning teaching and learning resources, and later as Head of Primary Publishing at ÃÛÌÒapp. More recently she has held a number of roles in education policy, including as Director of UK Policy and Thought Leadership at ÃÛÌÒapp, and Primary and Governance Specialist at ASCL. Julie is an experienced school governor, a trustee of a rapidly growing multi-academy trust and a former board member of the Cambridge Primary Review Trust.

Freya Thomas Monk

Senior Vice President, Vocational qualifications

Freya is Senior Vice President, Vocational qualifications and Training at ÃÛÌÒapp, part of the Workforce Skills division. She has worked at ÃÛÌÒapp for over 15 years and has held roles across the business spanning many countries and market sectors, most recently running the English testing business.

Freya holds degrees from Oxford University and INSEAD. She sits on the Board of UK Asean Business Council and is Chair of Governors of an inner-city London primary school.

Catherine Jadhav

Vice President and Responsible Officer, ÃÛÌÒapp UK

Cath is Vice President and Responsible Officer, ÃÛÌÒapp UK. Cath joined ÃÛÌÒapp in July 2023. She graduated from the University of Surrey and has a background in assessment and regulation. Before joining ÃÛÌÒapp, Cath spent 14 years at Ofqual, most recently as Executive Director for Standards, Research and Analysis.

Donna Ford-Clarke

Vice President of Vocational Qualifications and Portfolio, ÃÛÌÒapp UK

Donna is Vice President of Vocational Qualifications and Portfolio (UK) at ÃÛÌÒapp where she is responsible for the strategic direction and leadership of ÃÛÌÒapp’s vocational product portfolio, including teaching and learning resources.

She has deep expertise in vocational pedagogy, curriculum design and delivery, with over 20 years' experience of working with employers, educators and regulators to influence, translate and implement education policy, and develop vocational and technical qualifications, training solutions and related services that deliver meaningful outcomes for learners.

Having started her career as a vocational education teacher, Donna has a passion for raising the profile of vocational education, and for improving the availability and quality of provision to give young people and adults the best opportunity to improve their life chances. She has degrees from the University of Technology (Jamaica) and Warwick University and is a governor of a secondary school.

Andrew Freeman

Vice President, Product for UK Schools, ÃÛÌÒapp UK

Andrew is Vice President, Product for UK Schools at ÃÛÌÒapp, joining in 2020. He is responsible for the development of GCSE and A Level qualifications; and resources, assessments and digital platforms for teaching and learning in primary and secondary schools.

Andrew has over twenty-five years’ experience working for educational publishers and awarding organisations in the UK and internationally. He is a Non-Executive Director at Publishers’ Licensing Services (PLS) and Copyright Licensing Agency (CLA) and spent eight years as a governor at a primary school (including time as chair) and four years on the Academic Quality Council of a large 6th Form College.