Steve has over 30 years’ experience in leadership and board roles within education. He is the Chair of the Board at Regent College London, and Chair / Vice-Chair of British schools overseas in Turkiye and Algeria. His extensive background includes leadership positions at Mander Portman Woodward (MPW), Twin Group, and Regent’s University London. Additionally, he has served as Chair of the English UK Board, and on the advisory board at The British Council. Steve is also a senior lay official / Church Warden at Annunciation, Marble Arch, a Fellow (FCIM) at the Chartered Institute of Marketing, and a qualified English Language Teacher (Cambridge PG Diploma).
David has spent most of his working life in international education and for the last 12 years has been leading schools in Thailand and Mongolia. He is currently the Executive Headmaster at Wycombe Abbey School, Changzhou in China.
David is passionate about improving opportunities for young people to flourish in and out of school settings. He is studying for an Educational Doctorate in International Leadership which has inspired him to understand more about the importance of how a sense of belonging positively impacts academic success at school.
Dave has spent his entire career in financial services working for global banks in risk, sales, product management and senior management positions. Since 2022 he has been focussed on non-executive director/trustee roles, consulting and lecturing.
He has an MBA from Cardiff Metropolitan University, a PGCert from Edinburgh Business School and is a Fellow of both the Chartered Management Institute and The Association of Corporate Treasurers.
John has over 35 years' experience in teaching and school leadership, and was headteacher of a secondary school in Berkshire for fifteen years until retirement in 2024. He continues to work part time as an educational consultant focusing on school improvement and leadership development, combining this with voluntary roles in and outside education including as a trustee and in school governance. Throughout his career John has worked to raise students’ aspirations and support their wider personal development. He has a longstanding interest in oracy and taught a public speaking course in his own school throughout his headship. He holds the National Professional Qualifications for Headship and Executive Leadership, and is currently working towards qualification as a Level 7 Executive Coach.
Kay is an experienced governance professional with over a decade of leadership in Further Education, specialising in governance, risk, and statutory compliance. She has held senior roles across multiple colleges, providing strategic guidance to boards, strengthening assurance frameworks, and championing effective, ethical decision-making in complex educational environments.
Kay has previously served as a trustee within a multi-academy trust, where she supported school improvement, safeguarding oversight, and long-term organisational strategy. She is deeply committed to widening opportunities for young people and is particularly passionate about the importance of oracy as a foundation for confidence, communication, and lifelong success. Across all her roles, Kay brings a calm, analytical perspective, a strong moral purpose, and a belief that high-quality governance can transform educational outcomes.
With 30 years of international experience in education, Maura's expertise in literacy, ICT, curriculum and teacher education has led to incredible leadership opportunities in Asia, Africa, Ireland and Canada. Maura is a strong proponent of experiential and problem-based learning to motivate students of all ages, and create successful learning outcomes that extend beyond schools to communities and wider society as an essential part of 21st learning and sustainable development. In her spare time she loves spending time with family and all things outdoors: swimming, hillwalking, kayaking and growing fresh food in her polytunnel in West Cork.
Maura holds MEd, MBA and PRINCE2 qualifications. She has led early years to third-level programme development, delivery and accreditation across a range of schools, community education, non-profit and state organisations as a teacher, assistant professor, education/director and CEO, including with the Ontario College of Teachers, GEMS Africa, UNESCO, and the Irish Green Party/Comhaontas Glas in government from 2020 to 2025.
Daniel is an experienced education and corporate finance professional with a career spanning investment banking, school leadership, and international advisory. Educated at Clare College, Cambridge, he spent ten years in investment banking before becoming proprietor of several UK independent schools, including Greens College in Oxford.
He is the founder of Sanderson Charles, a Hong Kong–based consultancy that supports cross-border education investment, acquisitions, and strategic partnerships, and co-founder and chair of the Divergent School Group, a UK not-for-profit pioneering innovative SEN provision.
Daniel also serves on the Advisory Council of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a new role that he is enjoying greatly is supporting the British Council on global strategic initiatives to support the organisation’s long-term sustainability and value creation.
A committed musician and performer, he values oracy as a vital skill for confidence, communication, and opportunity, and brings this perspective into his education and charitable work.
