Ian Nash - Conference Chair
Education journalist and media consultant
Ian Nash is an education journalist and media consultant for Nash&Jones Partnership and formerly FE Editor of the Times Education Supplement, where he created FE Focus and a series of magazines, including College Manager. Other publications Include Overcoming Social Exclusion through Adult Learning, which he was commissioned to write for the OECD. Before entering journalism, he was an advertising copywriter and science writer for the Wellcome Foundation.
John Hayes MP - Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education
John was born in 1958 and married Susan Hopwell, who he has two sons with, in July 1997. He was educated at Colfe’s Grammar School and University of Nottingham, where he graduated with a BA Hons Politics and a PGCE in History/English.
John was elected as Member of Parliament for South Holland and The Deepings in 1997, following 12 years as a Conservative Councillor in Nottinghamshire.
Following his election he was appointed Secretary of the Agriculture Select Committee and Vice-Chairman of the Conservative Backbench Education Committee before becoming a Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party until July 2000. Since then John has been appointed an Opposition Whip, Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Shadow Minister for Local & Devolved Government, with particular responsibility for Housing and Planning and Shadow Minister for Transport. Since December 2007, he has served as the Shadow Minister for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education, and has developed a reputation for assiduously progressing the skills and widening participation agenda.
John is also the chairman of the all party group on disability and secretary of the all party group on brain injury and enjoys travel, reading, history, tennis and jam-making in his spare time.
Sarah Jones, Chief Executive, learndirect
Sarah Jones became Chief Executive of learndirect in January 2005 from BAE Systems. She joined BAE in 1990 as a graduate trainee with a degree in economics from Leeds University. She ws responsible for the project management of major military programmes and for contract management and negotiation with governments in the UK and the US. In 2002 she was appointed business unit director of a division of RO Defence with a turnover of £34 million.
Sarah graduated with an MBA from Leeds University in 1995. She has served as a volunteer counsellor for the prison service and as a school governor and is also a non-executive director of Sheffield Children's Hospital Foundation Trust. Sarah is married with a son and a daughter.
John McNamara - Chief Executive, Alliance of Sector Skills Councils
John McNamara joined the Alliance of Sector Skills Councils in January 2009. John was the Chairman of the Federation of Awarding Bodies (FAB), the trade association for vocational awarding bodies, and also sits on the UK Vocational Qualifications Reform Board formed by the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills.
John has over 20 years of strategic management expertise gained within the financial services sector and holds graduate and post graduate qualifications from the University of Wales, the University of Aston in Birmingham and Ashridge Management College.
Kim Davies - Deputy Principal, Gateshead College
Kim has been Deputy Principal; Curriculum and Corporate Development with Gateshead College since 2000, where he is responsible for developing sustained partnerships with employers and organisations in the private and public sector. In 2008 Ofsted graded the College outstanding across all six categories, with exemplary partnerships and employer responsiveness. The College was the overall winner of the North East Culture for Success Award in 2009, and is the Lead College in the Region for National Skills Academies in Manufacturing and in Creative and Cultural Skills
Gillian Miller, Regional Skills Director, Learning and Skills Council
After graduating in 1989, Gillian worked as an economic in the private sector in Cambridge. She returned to the North East in 1991 to work initially for Durham County Council and teh DTI in Newcastle, working on Objective 2 European funding.
From 1994, Gillian worked for Sunderland University for two years in international student recruitment and securing European and other external funding. She then moved to North Tyneside Council in 1996, first as European funding manager and then as head of economic development, with responsibility for a range of functions, including tourism, business development, SRB funding, regeneration, inward investment and tackling worklessness.
Gillian joined the LSC in 2001 as director of workforce development at LSC Tyne and Wear, and was appointed as regional director of skills in spring 2006. Gillian now leads a regional team, which has responsibility for a range of skills policy areas including, for example: offender learning and skills, train to gain; information, advice and guidance; integrated employment and skills sectors; and skills for life.
Hedda Bird - Founder, ROI Academy
Hedda is an experienced business woman and entrepreneur who drives innovation through a combination of mathematical skill and business acumen. As founder of The ROI Academy she has created a leading organisation devoted to helping organisations turn their Learning and Development teams into a source of competitive advantage.
Outside work she has been a mentor for the Princes Trust, helping young people start their own business, and is a Director for Wokingham Youth Theatre.
Hedda holds a first degree in Mathematics & Philosophy from London University and an MBA (with distinction) from the University of Warwick.