Meet our speakers

Take a sneak peek at some of our headline speakers! As the programme continues to unfold, you will have the opportunity to see the complete list of speakers who will be presenting at ISBL National Conference 2025.

Keynote Speakers

  • Emma Gray is an experienced School Business Leader, Consultant and SRMA, specialising in operational excellence and risk management in schools. With a strong background in education, Emma helps school leaders enhance internal communication, manage teams effectively, and drive innovation. She is passionate about empowering leaders to navigate challenges, mitigate risks, and streamline operations to improve school performance. In her session on Effective Internal Communication and Managing Teams, Emma will share practical strategies to enhance communication, foster collaboration, and create high-performing teams that support continuous improvement and student success. 

  • Phil brings over 20 years of dedicated experience in supporting the education sector.  He currently leads our national education proposition, overseeing a team of 14 specialist Education Relationship Managers who work with 8 out of 10 academy trusts across the UK.  Phil is committed to delivering value to our clients through cutting-edge digital innovations—driving efficiency, reducing risk, enhancing oversight, and strengthening financial control 

  • A trailblazer in both the fire service and academia, Sabrina’s journey is nothing short of extraordinary. From experiencing homelessness at fifteen to becoming one of the UK’s most senior female firefighters and a leading expert in behavioural neuroscience, her story is a powerful testament to resilience, leadership, and the power of determination. 

    As a Research Fellow at Cardiff University and the National Fire Chiefs Council International Lead, Sabrina brings a unique perspective on high-pressure decision-making, leadership under adversity, and breaking systemic barriers—insights that resonate far beyond the fireground. 

    She is also the bestselling author of The Heat of the Moment and The Gender Bias, where she shares gripping frontline experiences and challenges the status quo on gender equality. 

    Join us to hear Sabrina’s inspiring story and gain transformative insights that will empower you to lead with courage, challenge limitations, and ignite change. 

  • 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.  

  • Rachel Younger has worked in schools for more than 20 years and is currently the Business Manager at St Nicholas C of E Primary School in Blackpool. She is a fellow of the Institute of School Business Leadership and a governor at a local all-through special school for pupils with autism. 

     

    Rachel has been an active member of NAHT since 2012, becoming branch secretary for Blackpool in 2015. She was NAHT regional president for the North West in 2018, the first School Business Leader to be elected to that office in any region. Rachel has been a member of NAHT’s national executive committee since 2017. She is the first school business leader to be elected to the role of president in the union’s 125-year history. 

  • Matt Isherwood is an Associate Partner at Barker following 14 years at Brooke Weston Trust as Director of Estates. He has been a long-standing and strong advocate for best practice on Good Estates Management, Energy, Sustainability, and use of data-driven decision making. Matt has enormous knowledge and experience of estates management from the client side and is now working with Barker to promote this knowledge to the wider education sector.  

  • With over nine years in banking, Jack specializes in cash management, including liquidity, treasury, and payment solutions. He partners closely with schools and trusts, delivering tailored strategies to optimize cash flow and streamline payments. 

  • I’ve worked in the built environment, asset management, and FM for over 25 years, across local authorities, private estates, and internationally. In recent years, I’ve focused on the education sector, and after working as an Estate Manager for a MAT of 30 schools, I now run my own consultancy, helping schools and trusts adopt a more strategic, practical approach to managing their estates. I’m also publishing a book on leading and managing an education estate, a practical guide for anyone involved in the process, from site staff to CEOs and the kind of resource I was looking for when I first took on that responsibility. 

  • TBC

  • Paul is a Legal Director in the Education Team at HCR Law. Paul handles a full range of complex and challenging issues that clients face, from parental complaints to exclusions, and from safeguarding to compliance. Data protection is also a key issue on which Paul advises schools, charities and other businesses. He advises both strategically and practically when clients face regulatory scrutiny on matters such as subject access requests, personal data breaches and freedom of information requests, owing to his considerable experience dealing with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO). governance. Her expertise also lies in  supporting NGA’s broader membership base and scoping potential projects with new and existing partners.

  • Harry leads a team of experienced specialists and engineers dedicated to helping schools reduce energy consumption and carbon emissions through innovative mechanical and electrical engineering design, compliance strategies and energy efficiency solutions. 

    With seven years of experience as an energy consultant, a degree in renewable energy engineering, and an Executive MBA in progress, he combines technical expertise with a passion for sustainability 

  • Nick is a sustainability leader with 20+ years’ international experience across construction, retail, and government. His interest in sustainability began during a Geography degree followed by a Climate Change MSc. This background led to senior roles shaping strategy and delivery at Carillion, SGN, HS2, and Selfridges. Most recently, he was Sustainability Lead at Crown Commercial Service. 

  • Myles is founder and CEO of Bremner & Co, which was established in 2016. He and the team work closely with national and local governments, NGOs and civil society organisations, academia, and the corporate sector to make the food system better and fairer.   

    Myles is the former Director of the government’s School Food Plan, spearheading the transformation of food culture in schools. Myles has been an advisor to the Jamie Oliver Group, and was Chief Executive of Garden Organic, a leading UK educational horticultural charity, for six years. He is a former member of the London Food Board and has held Trustee positions at Sustain, the Alliance for Better Food and Farming, and at the Royal Academy of Culinary Art’s Adopt a School Programme.  

    Myles cares deeply about children’s nutrition and health and his works spans the full 0-8,000 days of a child’s development.  Myles is currently helping to co-ordinate the work of England’s School Food Review, campaigning for national free school meals auto-enrolment, and working with the international school meals coalition.  

  • Alex has over 12 years of banking experience, including 4 focused on corporate card solutions. He works closely with schools and trusts to improve payment processes, offering practical solutions that save time and deliver real value .

Workshop Speakers

Description

  • Justine is an experienced business manager and chartered accountant committed to demonstrating the significant impact the strategic management of business functions can have on organisational improvement. Justine has experience in both the public and private sector previously working for Suffolk and Essex Local Authorities managing their financial management traded services and had 7 years’ experience working as a school business director. Justine owns and manages SBM Services Ltd, provider of finance and business services and the SBM Toolkit. Justine is a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leaders and has won two awards from ISBL for her outstanding contributions to the professionalisation of school business management.

  • Luke is an Associate in the Commercial Property team, based in our Bristol office.

    Luke can help with a broad range of commercial real estate work including disposals, acquisitions and mergers, estate management, secured lending, property development, and landlord and tenant matters.

    Luke specialises in the education and charity sectors, having worked with a wide range of establishments including Local Authorities, independent schools, academies, foundation schools, church schools and dioceses. For nearly a decade Luke has been involved with the property aspects of academy conversions, transfers and mergers, and the free school programme more recently.

    Luke also has experience dealing with construction matters, in particular assisting academy trusts with their procurement and construction contracts for capital projects, either funded by themselves, the Department for Education or Local Authority.

    Meeting Your Needs

    Luke qualified as a solicitor in September 2014 and spent nearly a decade at another national firm also specialising in the education and charity sectors, meaning Luke has a particular interest in and an impressive understanding of these areas in the context of property, construction and estate management.

    What You Might Like to Know

    Outside of work, when he is not enjoying spending time with his two young boys, Luke likes running, open water swimming and cycling.

  • PCH Associates Limited, founded by Mark Hatley in 2012, is a proactive, solution focused building consultancy that specialises in the Education Sector. Mark Hatley is Director and a Chartered Building Surveyor with over 25 years’ experience.

    Since 2012, PCH has established itself as a trusted partner for Schools and Trusts by taking a holistic approach to asset planning and sufficiency, suitability, condition, compliance and decarbonisation issues.

    As a result, PCH have supported numerous Schools, Diocese and Academy Trusts to develop their estates and address their highest priority issues through a range of funding streams including the SRP, CIF, PSDS, MATSCA, VASCA etc.

    In some challenging times, our team of experienced property professionals, with a client focused approach, strive to de-mystify asset planning and help support prioritisation of projects and good decision making. Our experience also means we can successfully design, procure and deliver projects on time and on budget.’

  • Charlene Pink is an Innovation and Development Lead within the Schools Commercial Team.  The team are running a series of test and learn initiatives which form part of the Enhancing Schools’ Commercial Capability (ESCC) project. 

  • Jonathan is COO to Astrea Academy Trust, serving 26 schools across South Yorkshire and Cambridgeshire.  Prior to joining Astrea, he was in the British Army, enjoying a diverse career of service to a broad range of people across various backgrounds, cultures and nationalities, including multiple operational tours to Afghanistan, Iraq and the Balkans.  He has devoted his efforts to nurturing talent through training and education to help realise potential and aspirations.   Dedicated to Astrea’s vision and strategy towards a brilliant education for all, Jonathan is a passionate advocate of inclusive leadership, building teams to excel in support of the Trust.

  • Laura is a Partner with over fifteen years of experience in employment law. Having acted almost exclusively for clients in the Education sector for a number of those years, Laura is a trusted advisor to many Schools, Academy Trusts and Colleges (both FE and Sixth-Form). Laura also regularly acts for Local Authorities and Housing Associations, providing pragmatic and proactive advice together with a clear commercial strategy to clients with regards to all aspects of employment law.

    Laura deals with both contentious and non-contentious matters and has particular expertise in handling complex discrimination and whistle-blowing employment tribunal claims. Laura is highly experienced in advising clients on multifaceted disciplinary and grievance issues, particularly those which involve safeguarding concerns. As well as having experience of the full spectrum of employment law issues, including restructures and re-organisations, TUPE and industrial relations, Laura also regularly advises clients on student matters in addition to governance and public sector specific issues. Laura also has experience in undertaking complex and sensitive workplace investigations, having been appointed by education providers as an Independent Investigator.

  • Helen is a founder and co-chair of UKSSN Ops Group. She has worked in operational leadership in education for over 18 years within private and state schools. She is a Fellow and Trustee of the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL). She has achieved her L7 CIPFA School Financial and Operational Leadership qualification and has recently submitted her dissertation for her MA in Educational Leadership. Dissertation subject was “Achieving operational excellence in the sustainable procurement of non-staffing resources in a MAT”. 

  • Isabella works across many of PLMR’s specialisms, including public affairs, reputation management and media relations. Isabella supports clients to achieve their strategic goals and raise their profile among key stakeholders. She predominantly works with education, health and social care clients. In education, she is a specialist in early years, schools and family policy.

     

    Isabella has delivered impressive outcomes for her clients, including securing one client more than £20 million of Government contracts through profile raising, stakeholder engagement, positive PR and thought leadership.

     

    Passionate about social mobility and equality, Isabella works with a London based charity, Inner Voices, a youth chamber choir. The choir brings together great singers from state schools across London and offers the best choral direction from the private sector, to create a choir that tackles challenging music to a first-class standard.

  • Amy Bignell is an Academy Operations Manager within the Priory Learning Trust based in the South West of England. Her focus is on strategic educational leadership, delivering effective resource management, staffing solutions and staff development. Amy began her career in education in 2020, and graduated from Stirling University with a degree in Education and Politics. Amy has a passion for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, sustainable school resource management and practise, and professional development. She is currently studying for the CIPFA Level 7 qualification.

  • Adrienne Laing is Operations Director at The Challenge Academy Trust, a multiacademy trust based in the north-west of England centring on Warrington. She
    started her career in logistics management as a graduate trainee rising to the
    position of General Manager managing multi-million pound contracts for retailers
    such as M&S before switching into education business management after 10 years.
    Since then she has worked in secondary maintained schools, academies, primaries
    and a Sixth Form college.
    She converted a secondary school into a SAT as its Director of Finance and
    Resources, and worked on the establishment of The Challenge Academy Trust as a
    MAT in 2017. She became Operations Director of the trust in 2018 and now leads
    the Trust’s operational functions including estates, IT, health and safety,
    procurement, administrative services and governance and compliance.
    She is an accredited SRMA and believes passionately in the power of CPD to improve
    performance having taken the full suite of SBM programmes including CSBM, DSBM,
    ADSBM, SBD (School Business director programme) and the CIPFA Level 7
    Certificate in Financial and Operational Leadership. She also supports the work of
    the ISBL as a member of the Advisory Panel.
    Outside of work she loves singing and a member of the Warrington Rock Choir,
    practices yoga when she can and is involved in the Warrington Ukrainian Family hub
    which supports families who have fled from the war in Ukraine seeking safety under
    the Homes for Ukraine Scheme

  • Robin Harrison has served Rushcliffe Spencer Academy for 28 years, laterly specialising in strategic estate management. He has led the development and acquisition of three new school buildings. Current interests include developing a Strategic Estate Management Plan to support the growth of the school, the introduction of a new core value “we care for our school”, and supporting the school to improve environmental sustainability, also contributing at Trust and National levels. He has published articles, and has led conference workshops on developing environmental policy and action plans in educational settings. Robin is a Fellow and Accredited Lead Practitioner of the Institute for School Business Leadership, and was honoured to be awarded Estates Management of the Year at the 2023 National Schools Awards. 

  • Dr Sandi Mann is a highly experienced Chartered (Academic) Psychologist with over 15 years of clinical experience. She has a Doctorate in Psychology, Masters in Organisational Psychology and a PGDip in Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapies. She is an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, an accredited Member of EMDR Association UK and Ireland as well as being an Accredited Member of the BABCP (British Association of Behavioural Cognitive Psychotherapies).

  • Robin is a Partner in the Commercial Property team, based in Bristol, with significant experience of advising a broad range of clients on all types of commercial property transactions including acquisitions and disposals, commercial property development, commercial property investments and leasing commercial property.

    One of Robin's main focuses is in our education and charities sector and working with our independent schools and academies clients. Robin is also advising on the implementation of the free school programme and has advised on a number of complex property transactions to deliver school sites in often very challenging timescales.

    Coronavirus and Brexit pose many financial challenges to universities. Robin can confidently support you through these challenges and guide you through any strategic decisions you make.

    Meeting Your Needs

    Robin has a particular interest and specialism in assisting clients in our education sector (particularly multi academy trusts) with their real estate issues including a wealth of experience in advising on the real estate aspects of academy conversion, and also assisting with other strategic and operational real estate matters for other education sector clients including independent schools.

    Praised for his pragmatic and prompt commercial advice, Robin also advises on retail, development, insolvency, and investment transactions and is therefore ideally placed to assist you.

    What You Might Like to Know

    Robin contributes to our education sector publications on real estate issues.

    Outside of work, Robin enjoys listening to music, attending music concerts and cooking.

    Born in the area, Robin is also a keen Stoke City supporter (probably the only one in Bristol).

  • Benedicte is CFO at the River Learning Trust, a 28 school MAT, operating largely in Oxfordshire. She has over 30 years’ experience in audit and finance. Benedicte spent the first part of her career in audit practice with KPMG in Paris and London before working as Director of International Affairs for the French Asset Management Association. In 2010, she became actively involved in setting up a multi-lingual free school near Oxford and joined the River Learning Trust in 2019. Benedicte was awarded CFO of the year at the 2023 MAT excellence awards for her contribution to system leadership and innovation. She also received the ISBL CEO award for exceptional contribution to school business leadership. She holds the CIPFA level 7 in Schools Financial and Operational leadership and is accredited at strategic practitioner level.

  • Paul Edmond, Chief Finance and Sustainability Officer, HEART Academies Trust

    I am the CFSO at HEART Academies Trust, Bedford and a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leaders (ISBL). In 2021 I joined the UK Schools Sustainability Network (UKSSN) as co-chair of the UKSSN Operations group ('the Ops Group'). The Ops Group is a growing national network of schools and Trusts working to help schools navigate a way to a more sustainable future. I represent UKSSN on the Department for Education Sustainability and Climate Change group and represent HEART Academies Trust as part of the Climate Adapted Pathways for Education (CAPE) Alliance.

  • As PLMR’s Head of Education, Tiffany provides expert strategic advice and support in reputation management and crisis communications, PR and media relations, public affairs and wider communications disciplines to academy trusts, further and higher education organisations, charities and organisations across the education sphere. She is also Chair of Trustees of Maritime Academy Trust, where she has obtained in-depth understanding of issues and challenges facing schools and trusts around the country. She was awarded the OBE for services to education in the King’s New Year Honours List 2024.

  • Ciara is a partner in our corporate commercial team, heading up the procurement and commercial work for our education sector clients. She is recommended  by the key legal directories – Legal 500 and Chambers for her work in the education sector.  She has a particular interest and specialism in advising on the development of joint ventures and multi-partner collaborations comprising local authorities, education and business and enjoys advising clients on their procurement strategies, using a practical and purpose-driven approach.

  • Peter Gray has worked for over 20 years as a consultant to local and national government on a range of SEND policy and provision issues. He has a particular interest and expertise in SEND funding approaches and has carried out a number of reviews for Local Authorities which have led to positive progress and outcomes. He has supported the DFE through advisory groups and other discussions in reviewing their approach to this area and their response to increasing pressures and demands. He has also had significant involvement in developing effective approaches to behaviour support and intervention and local area systems for the management of alternative provision.

    Peter is co-coordinator of the national SEN Policy Research Forum and was previously Chair of NASEN’s Policy Subcommittee.

  • Steve Howell has worked in the education sector since 2003, following roles as a Management Accountant for various blue-chip companies, including Unilever and Coca-Cola. Steve helped establish and develop Red Kite Learning Trust and was the CFO for ten years, leading on financial, risk and compliance matters and steering the Trust and the Teaching School on strategic and commercial aspects. Steve is now a commercial director working across all strands of the Trust, developing and nurturing brands and strategic partnerships, and cultivating commercial opportunities. 

  • Head of Professional Development for School Business Professionals nationally. Previously a Teacher for 14 years, 9 of which as a Head of Department. Duke of Edinburgh Co-ordinator, Assessor and trainer.

  • Head of Academies and Partner at HCR Law (ISBL approved solicitors), Emma Swann has a long-standing specialism in education law and provides expert advice to schools on pastoral, governance and commercial matters. Emma has worked with a wide range of maintained schools and academies for over twenty years, supporting them through academy conversions, mergers and expansions. She has excellent contacts within the sector, keeping clients up to date with prospective changes and working with them to find strategic and practical solutions to complex problems. Emma frequently advises schools on sensitive issues such as parental complaints, exclusions, SEND challenges, safeguarding and Ofsted complaints.

    Emma advises on the full scope of commercial contracts, whether schools need advice on the drafting and operation of day-to-day commercial contracts or support with terminating a commercial contract as there are pitfalls which can put a school at risk of a claim for damages. Emma has also been advising schools on putting in place robust Hire Facilities Agreements that comply with the latest safeguarding obligations in KCSIE.

    Emma is a Trustee of the Board of ISBL and is regularly invited to speak at various education sector events, including for national audiences and to contribute thought leadership articles.


  • Siân Lewis is Head of Parent Participation at Parentkind, the network of PTA fundraisers across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Parentkind represent parent voice and champion the role of parents in education to support every child to thrive and reach their potential. Siân’s focus, through a suite of training, tools, information and resources, is to support schools to embed effective parental participation and parents to be engaged in education and school life. Siân’s previous roles include leading on the delivery of a skills and careers focused mentoring programme for young people across London and working as a freelance television Producer.

  • Jimmy is a highly talented People and Talent consultant/facilitator who is passionate about helping his clients focus and execute on their highest priorities to obtain greatly sustainable organisational, team and individual, business results.

    Over the past 25 years, Jimmy has been working with a wide variety of organisations, whether in Europe, Africa or Asia, to improve their organisational capability to deliver their greatest goals. Working with individuals, Jimmy challenges and enables people to achieve their potential, both personally and professionally, and as a result, contributing their best efforts to the organisations they work in. He also works with teams – at all levels – to help them recognise synergies by working together as interdependent individuals, to then deliver their bottom-line results.