Strategic Advisory Board

We have set up a Strategic Advisory Board to provide independent advice, support and challenge to The Skills Imperative 2035 programme team on strategic issues or risks.

The Strategic Advisory Board’s purpose is to act as a sounding board for Jude Hillary, the Principal Investigator, and other programme co-investigators, to advise and provide constructive challenge on approaches to the research, such as overall design, methods, analysis, interpretation, policy application, reporting and dissemination.

This Board is chaired by Mary Curnock Cook, CBE and comprises a mixture of policymakers and policy influencers, employers and industry representatives, education and skills leaders, research and technical experts.

Our Strategic Advisory Board members are:

  • Mary Curnock Cook CBE (Chair) - Independent Education Expert
  • Emily Tanner - Programme Head, Education, Nuffield Foundation
  • Dr Fiona Aldridge - Head of Skills Insight, West Midlands Combined Authority
  • Tera Allas - Director of Research and Economics, McKinsey & Company
  • Julia Belgutay - Head of Communications, Media, Marketing and Research, Association of Colleges
  • Mark Blythe - CEO, Group GTI
  • Frank Bowley - Head of the Unit for Future Skills, Department for Education
  • Tammy Fevrier - Deputy Director, Skills, Department for Work and Pensions
  • Karen Handley - Head of Future Careers, Virgin Media O2
  • Dr Emily Tanner - Programme Head, Post 14 Education and Skills
  • Cheryl Lloyd - Evaluation Lead, Maths Excellence Fund, Purposeful Ventures
  • Julie McCulloch - Director of Policy, Association of School and College Leaders
  • Marisol Milsom - Independent Resourcing, Social Value and Workforce Consultant, HR Biscuit Ltd.
  • Becci Newton - Director, Public Policy Research, Institute for Employment Studies
  • Olly Newton - Executive Director, The Edge Foundation
  • Tom Ravenscroft - CEO, Skills Builder Partnership
  • Robert West - Head of Education & Skills, CBI (Confederation of British Industry)
  • Emily Jones - Deputy Director at the Learning and Work Institute 

Carole Willis, CEO of The National Foundation for Educational Research is an Independent observer at the board.