Education Transformation

Matt has worked with governments globally on designing and implementing large-scale education transformation projects to develop teaching and leadership capacity. Through his experiences in this work, he is passionate that Etio addresses the challenge of turning policy into practical action and making change stick by implementing in a way which is respectful of the context.

Matt has worked in education for his entire career. After more than 10 years youth work, teaching and training teachers, Matt spent a decade at Education Development Trust in a range of senior roles. He joined Tribal Group in 2022 to run its Education Services division: as we become Etio, he maintains responsibility for our global portfolio of programmes, ensuring we keep our promises to customers so that they in turn can deliver on their strategic ambitions.

Gordon has worked in the education sector, both internationally and in the UK, for over 16 years, and his experience ranges from front-line school-level leadership to policy formulation and system-wide reform alongside government Ministers.

Previously, Gordon has been CEO of the United Westminster & Grey Coat Foundation (a UK charity operating both independent schools and Academies), as well as the Co-Founder and CEO of Silverleaf Academy, an affordable pre-primary and primary school chain in Tanzania.  Prior to joining Tribal, Gordon started his career as a Strategy Consultant at PwC UK, worked for GEMS Education and the Varkey Foundation internationally, and worked as Consulting Partner for Capita’s Education & Learning division, with a key focus on the Department for Education (DfE).

Gordon is a Trustee of the early childhood development charity Lively Minds, and a Trustee of the 53 school multi-academy trust Oasis Community Learning.   Gordon has technical interests in education system financing, girls’ education, STEM support, teacher training, and system-leadership reform.

Dan started his career as a research analyst at political polling agency MORI in London, before moving into the international education sector at leading digital skills qualifications provider ICDL Foundation, working with governments and education institutions in over 100 countries worldwide to design and deliver large-scale education and skills development projects.

After over a decade in senior market development roles leading ICDL’s businesses in Europe (Dublin), Asia (Singapore), and Middle East (Dubai), he returned home to the UK but continued to work internationally, spending five years in senior roles at Education Development Trust. In 2023 he joined Etio to lead its global Business Development function.

As a neurodivergent leader, Dan has a particular interest in championing equitable education access and outcomes for autistic children, as well as those with other special educational needs.

Jo holds a British Honors Degree in Education with a focus on culture and linguistics. From a position with the Office of Standards in Education for the UK DOE, Jo came to the US over 12 years ago and has developed her knowledge of what makes a great school as teacher, principal, chief academic officer and school improvement project lead. She is a passionate and knowledgeable educator with experience in over 20 states across the US. She specializes in school and district transformation, with a drive to ensuring equitable access for all students. Jo’s vision, strategy creation and divergent thinking motivate and drive change.

Ahmed has more than 24 years of experience contributing to different nationwide Education Transformation initiatives and projects across the Middle East region to transform teaching and learning. This includes rolling out learning platforms for general and higher education, teacher professional development, and training management, contributing to the advancement of the quality of education in countries including Qatar, UAE, KSA and Egypt.

Ahmed has worked with international education leaders like D2L, as well as regional leaders like ITWorx Education, Almentor.net and YAS Holding education division, leading on all aspects of delivery in the education and training domain. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering in Systems & Biomedical Engineering from Cairo University and an MBA from Hult International Business School.

Masooma has 15 years’ experience inspecting public and private schools, Universities and TVET institutions, where she has acquired in-depth, practical knowledge of the education and vocational training.

Since January 2022, Masooma joined Etio, and currently managing the operations of a number of projects in the UAE, Oman, Saudia Arabia and Bahrain relevant to inspections, schools’ improvements, and research. In 2022, Masooma worked closely with the Ministry of Education in Bahrain to design, and project manage a major programme to establish a systematic and sustainable school improvement strategy; and in 2023, she completed a project of 110 private schools’ inspections for Sharjah Private Education Authority.

Masooma is fluent in Arabic and English, a confident speaker and has hosted, and participated in, numerous short courses, workshops, and conferences.

Sue has over 30 years experience working in education. Sue combines a problem solving approach with innovative and creative strategies, keeping improved outcomes for children, young people and communities at the heart of everything she does. Sue uses her in depth understanding of mathematics education and skills developed as a maths teacher, adviser and inspector in her current role as Deputy National Director at the National Centre for Excellence in the Teaching of Mathematics: a contract held by Etio.

Jonathan leads the Advanced Mathematics Support Programme (AMSP) contract for Etio which aims to engage teacher and students from state-funded schools or colleges with level 3 Mathematics. The regional AMSP team, provide student enrichment and teacher professional development within a region focusing on equity of provision across the country.

Previously, Jonathan has been a successful Headteacher, university lecturer and leader of a regional mathematics teams. Jonathan has also worked with the Welsh government, supporting the development of mathematics materials written in Welsh.

Roger has worked in Education for over 40 years, starting as a teacher of PE, in teaching and leading schools as an Headteacher/Academy Principal. Included in the four schools he led is one of the country’s first All-Through Academies (3-19, including nursery provision). As well as teaching Roger has spent time as an Educational Consultant working for Local Authorities and multi-academy trusts as a School Improvement Partner and the DfE as an Education Adviser for the South West.

His work on the Quality Assurance of the profession’s National Professional Qualifications has provided continuity and progression of these ‘gold standard’ programmes of professional development for teachers and leaders in schools and academies.

He continues to strive for excellence in the current education system in the belief that every child deserves the very best start in life through the very best education system, and that high quality professional development of teachers is integral to that.

Nicola has significant education and commercial leadership experience in the UK and international education market. Having led a number of schools herself and supported improvement of both educational organisations in challenging circumstances and those going through organisational change, Nicola understands the demands of education.

Nicola coordinated the development of global talent across Asia, North America and Europe for Nord Anglia Education, including creating a hybrid suite of leadership programmes for middle, senior and executive leaders and developing professional development pathways across the organisation.

Nicola has significant experience assessing the quality of education across the globe and targeting rapid improvement in both the academic offer and the operational delivery. Significant roles include Principal Inspector, Quality Assurance Lead and Project Director for External Validation.

Lee has an in-depth knowledge of education in the UAE, including school and curriculum organisation, in both the private and government sectors.

Previously, Lee has been Director of Education Strategy for E-ACT multi-academy Trust, and was responsible for curriculum and assessment across 28 schools, as well as designing the Trust’s National Framework for academy improvement and quality assurance.

Prior to E-ACT, Lee was one of Her Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) for Ofsted for nearly nine years, leading over 150 inspections in England and overseas, and was also a member of the Schools Policy Directorate for Ofsted in London, playing a pivotal role in designing and writing the 2015 and 2019 Ofsted inspection frameworks.

Liz possesses a comprehensive understanding of the U.S. educational landscape, with specific expertise in transforming K-12 public and charter schools nationwide. She plays an instrumental role in state and district-wide educational initiatives, delivering a diverse set of critical services that range from strategic planning and data analytics to technology implementation and comprehensive reporting. As an integral part of the team, Liz collaborates with educators from across the country, working towards the development of teachers and leaders, bridging achievement gaps, ensuring equitable access, and fostering the growth of all schools.

Cherie has delivered and managed educational projects in the UK, Canada, US and Japan throughout her career; driven by her passion to bring access to quality education to everyone. Here, she manages UK Department for Education (DfE) projects.

Prior to this, Cherie managed a wide range of projects from delivering the DfE’s Initial Teacher Training programme and Early Career Framework, managing fundraising campaigns for Higher Education Institutions and working with US Schools on their social impact projects.

Venessa is an experienced project director on education programmes, as a teacher, senior leader, curriculum design specialist and programme director.  She is a qualified Maths and Spanish teacher and when working in schools was a senior leader specialising in curriculum development and teacher training.

Since leaving the classroom in 2017, she has worked as a programme manager and curriculum lead on a national teacher training programme and the first iteration of the National Tutoring Programme, Academic Mentoring for Teach First.  She also led the design and implementation of the School-Led Tutor training programme as part of the National Tutoring Programme at Education Development Trust.

She also has experience leading a teacher development through a successful OFSTED inspection as well as leading Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualifications, as Programme Director.

Holly has extensive experience of managing projects of various scale, size and complexity across both the public and private sectors including children’s social care, higher education and housing.

In addition to project management, Holly has experience in contract and relationship management, service design and improvement, commissioning, and participation and engagement work with disadvantaged and underrepresented groups.

Prior to joining Etio, Holly was a Senior Project Manager within a large local authority fire and rescue service leading on public prevention with a focus on vulnerable residents, multi-agency partnerships and domestic abuse.

Dr. Rita Stephan is a strategic leader with over 20 years of experience in the education sector. She has held various leadership roles, including Chairman and CEO of several investment companies across the GCC and the Middle East, where she implemented tailored strategies and transformation management systems for both governmental and public sectors. she has successfully guided institutions through significant changes, enhancing their operational effectiveness and educational outcomes.

Her expertise also includes creating innovative concepts, initiating startups, and advising on the latest educational systems and school models for the private sector. As an education consultant at Etio, Dr. Rita leverages her extensive background to drive initiatives that align with the organization’s mission to elevate education globally.

As a Full Professor of Applied Linguistics and Leadership Consultant with expertise in K-12 and Higher Education, I specialize in assessment, accreditation, strategic planning, policy review, and designing educational frameworks. My work extends to education review, transformation, and workforce development, with a focus on performance benchmarking to elevate institutional standards. I lead initiatives that drive educational innovation and actively contribute to the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). My work has played a pivotal role in enhancing leadership, promoting global citizenship, fostering cultural translation, and raising educational standards across K-12 and higher education in both public and private universities in Saudi Arabia. As a Board Member and advocate for professional Learning and Development (L&D), I focus on designing and implementing strategies that foster growth and success among young generations, professionals, and academic institutions.

Shady Edris is a Senior Account Manager with over 19 years of experience specializing in managing key education accounts. With a strong background in building and nurturing relationships within the education sector, Shady has a proven track record of driving growth, increasing customer satisfaction, and delivering tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of educational institutions.

Skilled in client relationship management, strategic planning, and consultative sales, Shady excels in collaborating with schools, and other educational organizations to support Education Transformation, Quality Assurance and Capacity Building. A results-oriented professional, Shady is dedicated to delivering value, ensuring clients optimize their operational processes and achieve their goals.