Speakers

Annie Auerbach and Adam Chmielowski are the founders of cultural foresight studio Starling. During their 20+ years as strategy partners for clients such as Nike, LEGO, Google and PepsiCo, they are driven by a belief in the transformative power of culture, not only as a means to understand people better but as a force for meaningful change. Their consultancy for schools and universities brings an outside-in perspective on how to adapt to the challenges of a changing world.

Deeply immersed in the worlds of Gen Alpha and Gen Z, their pioneering pro bono research initiative The RIFT maps major social ruptures and their consequences for young people, accurately anticipating the growing divide between young men and women and the rise of “Futurelessness.” Its findings have informed media, policy, education, academia, charities and business.

Annie is an expert on the future of work and the author of FLEX. Adam is a visiting lecturer at the University of Bristol.

Lou is CEO of the Institute of Development Professionals in Education (IDPE), which supports schools to develop successful fundraising and engagement programmes, through providing training, guidance, support, benchmarking and partnership work across the schools’ sector.

Lou has over 20 years’ experience of working across fundraising disciplines, and has previously held senior fundraising roles at The Stroke Association and Shelter Cymru. Lou has also volunteered for a number of organisations, from being Chair of Trustees for Cardiff Women’s Aid to being a Board member for the Wales Council for Voluntary Action (WCVA) and more recently, supporting the PTA at her children’s primary school.

Lou is passionate about fundraising, and as such has found herself hiking across Iceland, running a marathon and cycling from Cardiff to Dublin, to raise money for good causes.

Raya Bidshahri is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, and award-winning educator. She is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of School of Humanity, an online high school that offers a personalized curriculum centered around global challenges. Raya collaborates with public and private education providers globally to develop education systems that better serve the needs of today’s world.

School of Humanity is an award-winning online high school where learners develop their knowledge and skills by having a positive impact on the world. Licensed in the United States, the school is internationally accredited by the Western Association of Schools & Colleges. School of Humanity replaces exams with real-world projects and offers an interdisciplinary curriculum. With learners and alumni from over 45 countries across 5 continents, it is designed to be the High School for the World.

Originally from Iran, Raya grew up in Dubai and completed her degree in Neuroscience at Boston University. She then decided to pursue her mission of reimagining education.

Raya has spoken at more than 60 conferences in over 15 countries, including COP28, the World Government Summit, Expo 2020, EduTech Asia, the G20/Y20 Summit, the Global Education Forum, and the GESS Summit. She has been sharing her expertise as a keynote speaker for over 14 years, bringing a much-needed forward-looking perspective to discussions about the future of education.

Raya was the main award winner for the Next Generation Foresight Practioner’s Award, organized by the School of International Futures. Raya was listed in Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2025 (North America), in the Education Category. Featured by the BBC as one of the most influential and inspiring women globally, Raya is a global thought leader on the future of education.

Social Handles

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rayabidshahri/

Twitter: @raya_bid

Instagram: @rayabid

Website: https://rayabidshahri.com/

Freya Capsey is a Creative & Digital Design Degree Apprentice at Unilever, working within the Beauty & Wellbeing Global Packaging team. Since joining the company, she has had the opportunity to work on packaging projects for some of the world’s most loved brands, gaining valuable experience across a variety of categories and markets. This has enabled her to develop a strong understanding of the FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) industry and how a global organisation like Unilever brings ideas to life at scale.

Alongside her role at Unilever, Freya has successfully completed her first year studying Creative & Digital Design at Manchester Metropolitan University. Balancing a full-time role with university projects, assignments and coursework has allowed her to develop strong organisational skills, resilience and the ability to manage multiple priorities effectively.

Beyond her day-to-day responsibilities, Freya has embraced a range of opportunities that have supported both her professional and personal development. These include being a member of the Beauty & Wellbeing Social First Team, supporting the apprentice community as the Level 4 Apprentice Lead, contributing to Unilever’s gender equity network, and assisting with onboarding activities and work experience placements.

More recently, Freya was appointed as Unilever’s Outreach Sub-Lead. She is passionate about creating opportunities for students to learn about the wide range of pathways available after leaving school. Having experienced the value of exploring alternatives to traditional routes firsthand, she is committed to helping young people discover opportunities they may not otherwise have considered and inspiring the next generation as they begin their own career journeys. 

Dr Anne Cotton has been Head at King’s College School, Wimbledon, since 2022. Anne studied Classics at Oxford, where she returned for her postgraduate study after a spell working in London. Her doctoral research focused on learning in Plato’s dialogues, and her book, Platonic Dialogue and the Education of the Reader, was published by Oxford University Press in 2014.  She also holds an MA in Education.

After discovering her love of teaching through volunteering in her local primary school, Anne began her teaching career in the maintained sector, before moving to Magdalen College School in Oxford, where she held both pastoral and academic responsibilities and became Deputy Head. She joined The Portsmouth Grammar School as Head in 2018, and took up her post at King’s College School Wimbledon in 2022 as the school’s first permanent female Head.

A strong advocate for partnership working, Anne has been involved in community engagement initiatives throughout her career, and served as a member of HMC’s newly formed Public Benefit and Partnerships Committee. She was director of Oxford Festival of the Arts for a number of years, working alongside cultural organisations and businesses as well as launching a partnerships programme with local schools, before becoming Chair of Ports Fest, Portsmouth’s annual festival celebrating young people and the arts. At Magdalen College School, she led the school’s community engagement programme, and in is a strong supporter of King’s collaborative work with around 50 local schools as part of the Wimbledon partnership, including a recent partnership with Harris Academy Wimbledon. A member of the board of the King’s group of international school, Anne has a keen interest in the educational value of international partnership work.

Married to a musician, Anne has two school-age children, and enjoys enthusiastic family music-making and cooking.

An experienced and dynamic leader, Tom is deeply committed to placing students at the heart of every decision. With a passion for fostering a positive school culture and a belief in the power of character education, he champions kindness, collaboration, and innovation.

Before joining Dubai College, Tom spent eight years in senior leadership at Aiglon College, Switzerland, where he successfully led transformative change, specifically overseeing the day-to-day running of the school and the philosophy of learning at the prestigious institution. Prior to that, he was Assistant Head at Jerudong International School, Brunei, and authored the Cambridge Resource Guide for Theory of Knowledge.

Tom believes in inspiring students and staff to pursue knowledge, question assumptions, and think independently. Holding an MBA in Educational Leadership (International) from UCL and a degree in History and Politics from the University of Nottingham, Tom is a firm advocate of holistic education and is committed to applying the ideas of Aristotle and Marcus Aurelius to the future of education to ensure that academic excellence goes hand in hand with personal growth.

Chris Dossett is Chair of PADSIS (Professional Association of Directors of Sport in Independent Schools). A former Director of Sport in four different schools, Chris has worked with many independent schools and now supports Directors of Sport nationwide in developing high-performing, inclusive sport and co-curricular programmes.

Chris is passionate about leadership, collaboration and the long-term benefits of physical activity and sport in education. Drawing on insights from his weekly visits to Independent Schools, Chris helps Directors of Sport and senior leaders understand how to deliver programmes with real impact – for pupils, staff and the wider school community.

At this year’s HMC Conference, Chris is speaking on Leading in Partnership: Empowering Your Director of Sport to Deliver Impact.

Carol Ann Duffy lives in Manchester, where she is Professor and Creative Director of the Writing School at Manchester Metropolitan University. Her poetry has received many awards, including the Signal Prize for Children’s Verse, the Whitbread, Forward and T. S. Eliot Prizes, and the Lannan and E. M. Forster Prize in America. She was Poet Laureate of the United Kingdom from 2009 to 2019. Her many collections include Mean Time, Love Poems and The Bees, which won the Costa Poetry Award. Her writing for children includes Queen Munch and Queen Nibble, The Skipping-Rope Snake and The Tear Thief. She was made a DBE in the 2015 New Year Honours list. In 2021, she was awarded the international lifetime achievement award the Golden Wreath for her achievements in poetry.

Mike leads a strategy and transformation consultancy that was established in 2017 and works in close partnership with Heads to deliver strategic clarity, first-time-right implementation and sustainable financial resilience. With extensive experience in setting up transformation programmes and operating model/organisation design, Mike has partnered with a range of public and private sector organisations to implement successful transformation.

Daniel Franklin is Executive Editor and Senior Editor, Britain at The Economist. Daniel joined The Economist in 1983 to write about the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe. His roles since then have included Europe editor, Britain editor, Washington bureau chief, editorial director of The Economist Intelligence Unit, editor-in-chief of Economist.com, business affairs editor and senior editor, US. For 17 years until 2019 he was editor of “The World in…”, The Economist’s annual publication on the year ahead. He is the editor of two books on the long-term future: “Megachange: The World in 2050” and “Megatech: Technology in 2050”.

Joe Garner is the former Chief Executive of Nationwide Building Society, a position he held from 2016 to 2022. Prior to joining Nationwide, he served as CEO of Openreach, BT’s infrastructure division, from 2014 to 2016. During his tenure at Nationwide, Joe led the organisation through significant digital transformation while maintaining its mutual ethos and focus on customer service. He introduced initiatives such as flexible working and increased support for local housing projects. Joe has been a vocal advocate for responsible business practices and purpose-driven leadership. He has served on various industry boards and committees, including UK Finance and the Financial Conduct Authority’s Practitioner Panel. Before his role at Openreach, Joe held senior positions at HSBC and Procter & Gamble. He is known for his commitment to employee wellbeing and community engagement. Joe is a frequent speaker on topics such as ethical leadership, digital innovation in financial services, and the future of work. Since leaving Nationwide, he has continued to contribute to discussions on responsible business practices and leadership in the financial sector.

Jane is a solicitor who leads the Education and Charity Teams providing commercially-minded advice to a diverse range of clients, including MATs, universities, academies and large commercial organisations. Jane was previously a director and company secretary in a change management company, working with large-scale public and private sector organisations. Prior to that, she was a senior lecturer in law, as well as an external examiner for the CIPD and other exam boards. She has written extensively for various academic and non-academic publications. Jane is a qualified mediator and was also previously an Employment Tribunal panel member. She is also a Trustee for a children’s charity.

Emma Hellyer is Head of Assessment and Innovation at HMC and project lead for the Action Research Hub. Previously, she has held various academic leadership roles in HMC schools, including as lead mentor for trainee and early career teachers. Her doctoral research in philosophy of education at the University of Birmingham is focused on the exclusion of the lives and works of women from school subjects.

Kate joined HMC as Director of Education in August 2020. 

After completing a PGCE in Modern Languages at the University of Cambridge, she taught for twelve years in both the maintained and independent sectors. Kate subsequently worked on education projects across the sector, from Early Years to Higher Education and has worked in key education institutions including QCDA, DfE, Ofqual and UCAS. She has been involved in major transformation and reform projects such as the 2010 Arms’ Length Body Reform programme, the Free Schools programme, and the reform of General Qualifications in England. Immediately prior to joining HMC, Kate worked at Coventry University where she managed the cross-institution Widening Participation programme before going on to lead a whole institution response to the Office for Students regulatory requirements in relation to Widening Participation and Opportunity.  

In her current role as HMC Director of Education, Kate leads on Education policy, stakeholder management and liaison, and supports the HMC Reform of Assessment Working Group. In 2022 she managed the publication of Time to Talk, a report published by HMC authored by Sarah Fletcher, examining the basis for, and extent of support across the sector, for reform of Assessment. The report has been followed by three national annual Next Generation Assessment conferences in collaboration with the Edge Foundation, the University of Manchester Business School, Rethinking Assessment, and this year, the Chartered College of Teaching. Kate has also played a key role in convening meetings of influential thought leaders across the education sector to discuss how best to develop and influence national policy in relation to Assessment Reform. 

Dr Simon Hyde became HMC’s General Secretary (CEO) in September 2020 following nine years as Head of the King’s School in Macclesfield. Much of Dr Hyde’s career has involved transformational change, not least his leadership of the King’s School’s 2020 vision to relocate the split-site diamond school in one of the UK’s largest school improvement projects.

At HMC, Dr Hyde’s tenure has seen root and branch reform of the association’s governance as well as significant structural changes such as the creation of an education team, of HMC networks for senior leaders, new committees, a corporate partnership programme and substantial investment in member support. The international division (founded in 1921) has almost doubled in size and new membership categories have been introduced reflecting the changing nature of HMC’s schools.
Dr Hyde read history at Oxford before completing a doctorate on mid-nineteenth-century Prussia. He serves on a number of educational boards including the Independent Schools Council.

HMC (the Heads’ Conference) was founded in 1869 as the world’s first association for Headteachers. Originally UK-based, an international division was established in 1921 and now forms part of a thriving community of Heads in a truly global association with over 400 members schools and almost 400,000 students. Our members are distinguished by their commitment to academic excellence and a holistic education, encompassing diverse school types: boarding/day, single sex/co-educational, not-for-profit/for-profit, and offering both national and international qualifications. HMC networks offer support and professional development to over 4,000 school leaders across the world.

Dr Anne-Marie Imafidon MBE is a recognised and respected thought-leader, voted the most influential woman in tech in the UK of 2020 by Computer Weekly, is featured among the top 50 women in tech, globally, by Forbes Magazine and served as President of the British Science Association from 2022-2023. She was also the temporary Arithmetician for 60 episodes on Channel 4’s Countdown, the world’s longest-running game show, and serves as the Chancellor of Glasgow Caledonian University, Co-Chair of the Institute for the Future of Work and Chair of UD Music Foundation. Her first book She’s In CTRL was published in September 2022.

In 2017, Anne-Marie was Awarded an MBE for services to young women and STEM sectors, and has been awarded Honorary Doctorates from the Open University, Glasgow Caledonian University, Kent University, Bristol University, Coventry University, Royal Holloway, University of London & Bath University as well as an Honorary Fellowship at Keble College, Oxford. She is a sought after media commentator with media appearances on Sky news, The BBC and Bloomberg to name but a few.

In 2025 she became the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology’s Women in Tech Envoy, co-chairing a Taskforce with the Secretary of State.

Kate Ingamells is Headteacher of The Grange School and the first woman to lead the school in its almost 100-year history. With more than twenty-five years’ experience in international education across the United Kingdom, France, Kenya, Mauritius, and Chile, she has held senior leadership roles spanning academic development, pastoral care, sport, and whole-school strategy.

Having joined The Grange in 2022 as Head of Upper Prep before becoming Head of Senior School, Kate took up the Headship in September 2025. She brings particular insight into bilingual education, values-driven leadership, and the opportunities and challenges of leading within a South American international school context. She previously served as Head of Prep and Vice-Principal at Northfields International School.

Her leadership philosophy centres on holistic education, strong relationships, and the development of young people with character, purpose, and integrity.

Dan is an independent education sector specialist with over 15 years’ experience in corporate finance, alongside eight years’ experience as a COO and CFO within SMEs.
He advises independent schools, charities and education groups on strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, financial strategy and turnaround situations. Dan takes a collaborative approach, working closely with clients to understand their culture, operational priorities and long-term objectives in order to develop practical and commercially effective solutions.
His client-side experience gives him a strong understanding of the challenges leadership teams face and the factors that drive successful strategic change and integration.
Dan has advised on over £300m of education sector transactions, including independent school sales, acquisitions and charity mergers, acting for both charitable and for-profit organisations. His work in the sector includes advising schools facing financial pressure, demographic change and evolving strategic challenges.
He is a regular speaker for ISBA and CISC and frequently presents to school governing bodies on financial strategy and long-term planning.

After reading Aeronautics & Astronautics at Southampton, Mike went to the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst, commissioning into the Royal Engineers. He served for 22 years in the British Army in a variety of increasingly senior roles, in the UK and abroad. Mike then brought his experience to the education sector as Director of Operations for the Haberdashers’ Elstree Schools and more recently to NHS England. For the past seven years he has been a trustee of Watford Grammar School for Girls, where he is currently Vice-Chair.

Doug is an international lawyer who advises on all aspects of intellectual property law, from protecting it, licensing it and enforcing it, to preparing and negotiating contracts (in plain English!)

Doug trained at City firm Nabarro, and qualified into their intellectual property team before moving to VWV in 2001. Doug has a broad range of skills and experience which he offers to clients.

His extensive knowledge of all things intellectual property, means he is seen as the go to person for IP. As well as working with corporate and commercial clients, Doug has advised many UK schools, working with them to establish licensee schools throughout China, the Middle East and elsewhere in Asia.

Simon Lockyer is the Principal and CEO of The British School of Milan, an international co-educational day school. Previously, he was Headmaster the Royal Hospital School, for nine years. Earlier roles included Second Master at The Portsmouth Grammar School and he spent ten years at Wellington College as a Housemaster and Head of Biology. His early career was spent in the State sector.

Simon has taught in a broad variety of schools providing experience in through schools, boarding, day, UK and latterly in Italy. As a teacher of Biology for over twenty years, he has experience of both IB and A Level. He has particular interests in curriculum development, character education, educational technology and preparing young people for future employment.

Captain David Marquet imagines a workplace where everyone engages and contributes their full intellectual capacity, a place where people are healthier and happier because they have more control over their work — a place where everyone is a leader. His compelling presentations deliver the powerful message that in highly effective organizations, leadership is not for the select few at the top.

A 1981 US Naval Academy graduate, Marquet served in the US submarine force for 28 years. After being assigned to command the nuclear-powered submarine USS Santa Fe — then ranked last in retention and operational standing — he realized the traditional leadership approach of “take control, give orders,” wouldn’t work. He “turned the ship around” by treating the crew as leaders, not followers, and giving control, not taking control. This approach took the Santa Fe from “worst to first,” achieving the highest retention and operational standings in the navy. It also created more subsequent leaders than any other submarine.

Calling himself a continuous student of leadership, Marquet is the bestselling author of three books: Turn the Ship Around, which was named Fortune magazine’s #1 must-read business book of the year and has been listed as one of the top 12 business books of all time by USA Today; Leadership is Language, which has been featured in the Wall Street Journal’s Top 10 bestselling business books list; and his forthcoming, Distancing: How Great Leaders Reframe to Make Better Decisions.
Marquet retired from the Navy in 2009, and now speaks to those who want to create empowering work environments that release the passion, initiative, and intellect of each person. His bold and highly effective framework is summarized as “give control, create leaders.” He was named one of the top 100 leadership speakers by Inc. magazine.

Marquet is a life member of the Council on Foreign Relations, and in 2015 was named to the American Management Association’s “Leaders to Watch” list.

Rachael Masterman is Director of Sport at Barnard Castle School. She is Chair of the HMC Northern Schools Sports Committee, supporting collaboration and sporting excellence across leading independent schools in the North of England and Chair of the SD&C Netball Association, where she helps develop opportunities for young athletes. An England Netball Tutor and Assessor and an experienced sports educator, Rachael is passionate about using sport to build confidence, resilience, leadership and teamwork, while creating inclusive pathways that enable students of all abilities to thrive and achieve their potential.

Dorothy McLaren is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of the Schools’ Enterprise Association, supporting schools’ commercial teams as they develop and grow their co-commercial offer. Dorothy has a strong background in senior leadership roles in organisations spanning marketing, communication, and general management across diverse industries.  For the past 10+ years, her focus has been on the schools’ sector. As an entrepreneur and business-savvy leader, Dorothy brings a fresh perspective to growing schools’ non-fee revenues. She is passionate about supporting commercial and enterprise teams in all schools across the UK as the sector actively seeks to diversify revenue streams and develop a more sustainable education model. Dorothy is a Trustee of the Leo Academy Trust in South-west London and a Governor of The Hurlingham Academy in West London.

Raphael is a HR technology entrepreneur. He is the Chairman of Rare Recruitment, and the Managing Director of award-winning people technology firm Rare Technology.

Rare Technology was started in 2005 to make the world’s best jobs open to every person, from every background, who had the right ability and work ethic. Today, Rare Technology leads the market in platinum-level information security accredited people technology.

We’re trusted by over 500 clients including 95% of the UK’s top law firms, the Bar Council and the Supreme Court, BCG, Bain, HSBC, Morgan Stanley, the universities of Oxford and Cambridge. Rare’s Candid applicant tracking system handles more graduate recruitment applications to law firms than any other system; its contextualised recruitment software has processed over three million graduate job applications; and its Hemisphere learning platform tackles outcome gaps and has received national recognition with seven awards for its impact in schools and companies.

Raphael has a first-class degree from Oxford University. He has written for the Guardian, Times and Financial Times. He has been named in the Economist’s Top 50 Global Diversity List, the FT’s Empower Top 100 Ethnic Minority Executives list, and as Legal Week’s Outstanding Innovator.

Jenny Mosley is a teacher trainer, author, drama -therapist, businesswoman all rolled into one! She is the founder of the Quality Circle Time Model (QCT) for schools. Based in the UK, with 45 years of experience of working in schools, Jenny has developed her ‘Quality Circle Time Golden Model’ for Early Years, Primary and Secondary schools. The model interweaves the key ideas of promoting staff and pupil wellbeing, listening systems, positive behaviour, respectful relationships and calmer playtimes. With the aim of creating safe learning communities where all children and adults feel valued, respected and listened to, Jenny’s ‘Five Wells for Wellbeing’ were adopted by the National College for Teaching and Leadership, UK. Joy and fun strongly feature in all her training workshops. Play is understood by Jenny to be an important way for adults and children to learn.

In 2026, Taylor and Francis will be releasing updated and newly researched versions of Jenny’s key books for Primary and Secondary Schools. Current educational issues, recent research and Jenny’s ideas for what’s needed in these current times have meant that the original titles have been changed to Early Intervention Through Circles of Support – Promoting Social Skills, Friendships and Mental Health for Children with Additional Needs, A Primary Circle Approach to Supporting Oracy, Wellbeing, and Inclusive Relationships: Making Time to Listen and A Circle Approach to Boosting Emotional Wellbeing and Relationships in the Secondary School: Making Time to Listen. The four 101 Games books – to boost Self-esteem, Positive Behaviour, Social Skills and Activities to Help Children Get On Together have also been updated and are being rereleased in 2026.

Virginia (Ginny) Parkes commenced her career in education over 20 years ago, when she initially taught ICT and business studies up to, and including, A Level. After several years in teaching, Ginny moved into a consultancy based role before joining the Department for Education, initially as Head of Digital Engagement for the Training and Development Agency (TDA) before moving on as a Senior Communications Advisor for the DfE. Following the birth of her two daughters, Ginny took up the role of Education Strategy Director for an educational trust in Greater Manchester, before eventually taking up her previous role as Director of Finance & Operations (Bursar) at an independent school in Cheshire. Ginny is an experienced governance professional, having sat as a governor and trustee for several schools throughout her career, as well as holding the position of Director of Governance for a large complex FE college group in South Yorkshire. In addition to being a qualified teacher, Ginny also holds a first degree in Business Management and a MSc. in Technology Enhanced Learning, Innovation & Change. Ginny’s role within AGBIS draws on her experience as a teacher, governance professional and independent school bursar enabling her to support member schools’ governing bodies.

Dame Alison Peacock is Chief Executive of the Chartered College of Teaching, a charitable Professional Body that seeks to empower a knowledgeable and respected teaching profession through membership and accreditation. Prior to joining the Chartered College, Dame Alison was Executive Headteacher of The Wroxham School in Hertfordshire. Her career to date has spanned primary, secondary and advisory roles. She is an Honorary Fellow of Queens’ College Cambridge, Hughes Hall Cambridge and UCL, a Visiting Professor of Glyndŵr University and a trustee for Big Change, the Helen Hamlyn Trust and an adviser to the Institute for Educational & Social Equity. She is a Director of the Edge Foundation, a Member of the Star Academies Trust and has honorary degrees from the University of Brighton, University of Bath Spa and University of Greenwich. She is a Deputy Lieutenant for Hertfordshire and a Patron of ASDAN. Her research is published in a series of books about Learning without Limits offering an alternative approach to inclusive school improvement.

Dr Tom Perry is a Reader in Education Studies at the University of Warwick, and Director of Postgraduate Research for the School of Education, Learning and Communication Sciences. His research focuses on how schools and education systems use evidence, data and professional judgement to improve practice, including extensive work with the Education Endowment Foundation. He is the author of The Critical Guide to Evidence-Informed Education and has advised governments, funders and education organisations on evidence use and research design. Tom is one of the academic mentors for teachers in the HMC Action Research Hub.

Miriam Rich is a specialist in crisis PR and reputation management, with a career that began in the press office at New Scotland Yard and later progressed to leading media relations at the Child Exploitation and Online Protection (CEOP) Centre within the National Crime Agency. Since 2011, she has worked independently, advising schools across the UK on high-stakes and sensitive issues. Many of her clients have remained with her for over a decade, reflecting the depth of trust and strong relationships she has built.

Miriam’s experience spans a wide range of complex scenarios, including cases of child sexual exploitation, food poisoning, outbreaks of listeria and whooping cough, hazardous substances in school laboratories and the tragic deaths of pupils.

Beyond education, Miriam managed communications for the Grenfell Tower Inquiry throughout its duration (2017–2024) and played a key role in delivering communications around funerals and mortality management during the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic, supporting the Corporation of London’s Resilience Forum. In addition to crisis communications support, Miriam provides media interview training and runs crisis scenario exercises for Heads and senior leadership teams.

Louise Simpson is the CEO of the British School in the Netherlands, a large muitl-site school of almost 2000 pupils in The Hague, where she has been since the start of the 2025/26 academic year. A member of HMC since 2014, Louise has led schools in London, Exeter and Sao Paulo, and hence has both UK and global experience. She is a board member in two UK HMC schools, and also a member of the ISTIP teacher induction panel.

An environmental scientist and lover of the outdoors, Louise has championed the development of character in her school settings, and has worked in both IB and A level curriculum contexts.

Judith Solberg is the Associate Director of Advancement at Cardigan Mountain School in New Hampshire, which she joined in 2017. Her decades of experience supporting non-profit institutions include program development, data and workflow strategies, donor relations, and publications. Prior to working in development at Cardigan, the New Hampshire Historical Society, and Holderness School, Judith held corporate roles in the consulting and technology sectors.

Judith holds an AB from Harvard University and a Certificate in Archival Studies from the Modern Archives Institute (National Archives and Records Administration). She is a past presenter with TABS and CASE-NAIS, and has authored two school histories.

Heather Styche-Patel is CEO of RSAcademics, a specialist consultancy working with schools in the UK and internationally on leadership appointments, strategy, research, governance and organisational development.

Heather has worked with independent schools for more than 15 years and has particular expertise in helping schools understand their market, their families and the changing expectations shaping school choice. She is a regular speaker at sector conferences, where she presents RSAcademics’ research and insight on the issues shaping independent schools.

Before joining RSAcademics, Heather held senior roles in higher education, was a Bursar in an independent school and was Business Manager at an academy. She is also a trustee of Whole Education and has over ten years’ experience as an independent school governor.

Dr Daniel Susskind is a writer and economist. He explores the impact of technology, and particularly AI, on work and society. He is the Mercers’ School Memorial Professor of Business at Gresham College. He is also a Digital Fellow at the Stanford Digital Economy Lab, a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University, an Associate Member of the Economics Department at Oxford University, and a Research Professor at King’s College London. He is a member of the UK Government’s Expert Panel on AI and the Future of Work.

His new book, Growth: A Reckoning (2024), was chosen by President Obama as one of his ‘Favourite Books of 2024’ and was a runner-up for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year 2024. He is also the author of A World Without Work (2020), described by The New York Times as “required reading for any potential presidential candidate thinking about the economy of the future” and a runner-up for the Financial Times Business Book of the Year 2020, and co-author of the best-selling book, The Future of the Professions (2015). His TED Talk, on the future of work, has been viewed more than 1.7 million times. His next book, What Should My Children Do? How to Flourish in the Age of AI, will be published in 2026.

Previously he worked in various roles in the British Government – in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, in the Policy Unit in 10 Downing Street, and in the Cabinet Office. He was a Kennedy Scholar at Harvard University.

Amber was appointed as Principal and CEO of STAEG in May 2024, following five years as Head of STAHS. Educated in Texas, after earning undergraduate and graduate degrees in Mathematics, Chemistry, Geological Sciences and Chemical Physics, she embarked on a ten-year career as a biogeochemical oceanographer. After many happy years working everywhere from the Gulf of Mexico to the South Pacific, Amber re-trained as a teacher. She taught for three years in the US before undertaking a third career as a civil servant.

Amber moved to the UK in 2008, and after two years at Defra, returned to teaching. She has taught at Headington, Abingdon and Ashford Schools, and was Deputy Head at St Dunstan’s College before taking up her role as Head of STAHS. Amber is the Treasurer of HMC, and is a governor for an independent boys’ prep school in South London.

Leigh Webb is CEO of ISC Research, the world’s leading provider of data, intelligence and research expertise on the international schools market.
Educated at Charterhouse and Durham University, Leigh was an equity analyst in the City of London for four years. Since then, his business career has encompassed retail, sport and distribution. Leigh joined ISC Research as CEO in 2016 to lead the company during a period of substantial investment and development within the international schools market.

ISC Research has tracked the world’s English-medium international schools market since 1994 providing market data and intelligence, identifying development opportunities and facilitating school/investor partnerships. It is a trusted research partner for schools, investors, education suppliers and sector specialists.

As a teacher, Alistair wanted the protection teaching unions offered without the politics attached. No such option existed, so in 2012 he co-founded Edapt as an apolitical alternative to union membership. It now supports staff in hundreds of independent schools through allegations, disciplinaries and grievances, and he speaks across the sector on employment law and disciplinary practice.