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Alex Crossman
Principal and CEO
St George's British International Schools
Italy
Amit Patel
Co-Founder and Managing Partner
Owl Ventures
United States of America
Asheesh Advani
CEO
Junior Achivement Worldwide
United States of America
Cigdem Ertem
General Manager
Intel
United States of America
Craig Shotland
CEO
Matific
Australia
Dame Alison Peacock
CEO
The Chartered College of Teaching
United Kingdom
David Edwards
General Secretary
Education International
Belgium
Devesh Raj
CEO, AI, Data & Sky Business
Sky Group
United Kingdom
Eunice Ogolo
Director - Girl Capital
Children's Investment Fund Foundation
Kenya
Fernando Reimers
Ford Foundation Professor of International Education
Harvard Graduate School of Education
United States of America
Mamokgethi Phakeng
CEO
Perspicuity Advisory & Consulting
South Africa
Ng Yi-Xian
Group CEO
EtonHouse International Education Group
Singapore
Olanrewaju Oniyitan
Founder & Executive Director
SEED Care & Support Foundation
Nigeria
Olli-Pekka Heinonen
Director General
International Baccalaureate Organization
Switzerland
Professor Becky Francis
CEO
Education Endowment Foundation
United Kingdom
Professor Li Wei
Director
UCL Institute for Education
United Kingdom
Sarah-Jane Mintey
CEO
Developing Experts
United Kingdom
Simon O’Connor
Founding Head Master
Harrow International School
United Arab Emirates
Sir Dan Moynihan
CEO
Harris Federation
United Kingdom
Tim Fish
CEO
Dukes Education
United Kingdom
Torerayi Moyo
Minister
Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education of Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe
Vijita Patel
Executive Director Pre-University Education
Qatar Foundation
Qatar
Vikas Pota
Founder & Chief Executive Officer
T4 Education
United Kingdom
Sarah-Jane Mintey
CEO, Developing Experts
Sarah Mintey MBE is the founder and CEO of Developing Experts, an award-winning education technology company based in Norwich that connects classroom learning with real-world careers. A former teacher, Sarah founded the company in October 2015, driven by a simple ambition: to help every young person understand how what they learn in school relates to the world beyond the classroom.
Before founding Developing Experts, Sarah spent 20 years working across education and the third sector. She was CEO of OPEN Youth Trust and a curriculum designer for Inspiration Trust. She holds a B.Ed. (Hons) in Design and Technology from Manchester Metropolitan University and an MA in Education from the University of East Anglia.
Under Sarah’s leadership, Developing Experts has grown to support more than 7,700 UK schools with AI-powered science, geography and history lessons, alongside careers education tools that help teachers bring the world of work into everyday learning. The company also delivers free, employer-created Virtual Work Experience programmes with organisations including Morgan Sindall Construction and Rolls-Royce SMR, helping young people access authentic workplace experiences and explore future career pathways.
Developing Experts works with major employers, including Rolls-Royce Submarines, AWE and the NHS, to help build diverse future talent pipelines. Sarah is also leading the company’s expansion into AI-enabled learning and workforce development. Developing Experts is one of eight organisations selected for the Department for Education’s AI Tutoring Tools Pioneer Programme, working in partnership with PA Consulting to develop and test safe AI tutoring for disadvantaged pupils.
Sarah was awarded an MBE in the 2020 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to technology and education. Her other accolades include being named one of Startups Magazine’s Top 20 Most Influential Female Founders in 2020 and an LDC Top 50 Most Ambitious Business Leader in both 2022 and 2026. Under her leadership, Developing Experts has received Tech Nation’s Rising Star award, BETT Awards in 2022 and 2024, and National AI Awards in 2024 and 2025.
Alongside her work in education technology, Sarah is a trustee of Money Ready, a financial education charity. Her work is driven by a commitment to widening opportunity, equipping people with the skills to succeed and ensuring that technology helps learners think, grow and fulfil their potential.
Torerayi Moyo
Minister, Ministry of Primary and Secondary Education of Zimbabwe
Honourable Professor Torerayi Moyo is an esteemed educator and politician who currently serves as the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education. With a background in teaching and lecturing, he possesses a deep understanding of the education system and a passion for promoting quality education for all.
Honourable Prof. Moyo began his career as a teacher, where he gained valuable classroom experience and developed a keen interest in educational policies and reforms. His dedication and expertise led him to become a lecturer at some renowned educational institutions in Zimbabwe, where he taught national strategic studies and economic History and conducted research in the field of education.
Driven by a desire to make a broader impact on the education sector, Honourable Prof. Torerayi Moyo made the transition from academia to politics, and his political career started with his election as a Member of Parliament for Gokwe Chireya Constituency. He served as chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Primary and Secondary Education in the 9th Parliament. He was again voted MP for Gokwe Chireya in the 2023 elections. He is a member of the ZANU PF Central Committee. His dedication and expertise in the field of education gained recognition, leading to his appointment by His Excellency The President of Zimbabwe, Dr. Emmerson Mnangagwa, as the Minister of Primary and Secondary Education.
As Minister of Primary and Secondary Education, Honourable Prof. Moyo has been instrumental in spearheading several key initiatives aimed at improving the quality of education with a focus on enhancing curriculum standards, promoting inclusive education practices, and ensuring equitable access to educational resources, with a particular emphasis on modernizing teaching methodologies and integrating technology into classrooms.
Furthermore, Hon Prof. Moyo has actively engaged with stakeholders, including parents, students, educators, and community leaders, to gather feedback and address their concerns. He believes in fostering a collaborative approach to education, where all stakeholders work together to create a nurturing and stimulating learning environment.
He is a strong advocate for equal opportunities and believes that education is the key to unlocking the potential of individuals and driving societal progress. His vision for education is characterized by inclusivity, innovation, and a focus on holistic and sustainable development. He strongly believes in nurturing not only academic excellence but also the social, emotional, and physical well-being of learners.
Simon O’Connor
Founding Head Master, Harrow International School
Simon O’Connor is the Head Master of Harrow International School, Dubai, which opens in August 2026. The school brings the heritage and values of Harrow School in the UK to the UAE, blending its distinguished traditions with Dubai’s innovation and diversity under the ethos “Tradition Meets Tomorrow.”
Prior to joining Harrow International School Dubai, Simon served as Director of Deira International School (DIS) – an Outstanding-rated, all-through UK/IB curriculum school based in Festival City, Dubai. He also served as Chief Education Officer for the Al-Futtaim Education Foundation (AFEF), working across its portfolio of schools.
In 2023, Simon founded the AFEF Centre for Education Action Research (CEAR), which supports practitioner research in schools. This year, the Centre has over 210 researchers from 17 schools, investigating a wide range of educational themes.
Simon is passionate about learning and ensuring that all students are challenged in lessons to achieve their full potential. He has a particular interest in school leadership and organisational culture, and in how these influence the quality of teaching and learning.
Before moving to the UAE, Simon taught History and Politics for over 20 years in a variety of school contexts. In his last role in the UK, he was a senior leader at a highly successful grammar school in Kent, where he served as curriculum lead and managed a teaching school, working across an academy chain that he helped to establish.
Simon holds a BA in History and Philosophy from the University of Wales, College of Cardiff, where he was a choral scholar at Llandaff Cathedral. He went on to complete a PGCE at Trinity College, Cambridge, also as a choral scholar. He additionally holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Leadership and the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH).
Ng Yi-Xian
Group CEO, EtonHouse International Education Group
Mr. Ng took over the reins as Group Chief Executive Officer of EtonHouse International Education Group in 2020, leading a team of over 5,000 staff and providing education to more than 25,000 students across over 100 schools in nine countries. Catering to both local and expatriate families, EtonHouse offers programmes from infant care to high school in both premium and affordable spaces. As a second-generation entrepreneur and son of founder Ng Gim Choo, he is dedicated to taking the group to greater heights. Under his leadership, the brand has expanded, with the creation of Middleton International School, providing affordable international education, and The Eton Academy, which offers high-quality academic enrichment for students from preschool to primary. He is also the driving force behind EtonHouse’s digital transformation, positioning it as a digital-first organisation with innovation at its core. Mr. Ng’s achievements have earned him recognition as one of the winners of The Next ICON Awards 2024 by ICON Singapore, celebrating his outstanding impact on the education landscape.
In his personal life, he enjoys outdoor activities, adventure sports, and is a strong advocate for mindfulness, a value he actively promotes within the organisation. As a father of twin boys and a daughter, Yi-Xian navigates the joys and challenges of parenthood while overseeing the education and well-being of over 25,000 students in EtonHouse schools worldwide.
Mamokgethi Phakeng
CEO, Perspicuity Advisory & Consulting
Dr Mamokgethi Phakeng is a renowned academic-turned-businesswoman with over two decades of executive experience in higher education in South Africa. She has progressed through every stage of the academic ladder, from tutor to lecturer, senior lecturer, associate professor, and full professor. On the administrative front, she has held key executive positions, including Executive Dean, Deputy ViceChancellor twice, and ultimately, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Town (UCT), the top university on the African continent, before taking early retirement at the end of March 2023. On the governance front,
she has served on the Councils of the University of the Witwatersrand (Wits), the University of South Africa (Unisa), UCT and University of the People in the United States, and currently sits on the Advisory Boards of two international institutions: Woxsen University in India and the German University of Digital Science.
Dr Phakeng holds a doctoral degree (PhD) in Mathematics Education from Wits University and has been granted two honorary doctorates: a Doctor of Science from the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom in 2019 and a Doctor of Education from the University of Ottawa in Canada in 2022. Her contributions to research and community engagement have garnered numerous accolades, including the Order of the Baobab (Silver) bestowed upon her by the President of South Africa in April 2016.
In addition, CEO magazine recognised her as the most influential female academic in Africa, and in 2020, Forbes featured her in its inaugural list of the 50 Most Powerful and Influential Women in Africa. In September 2022, she became the inaugural recipient of the Africa Education Medal, an award presented by T4 Education and HP Global to recognise the work of changemakers transforming education in Africa. In 2023, she was presented the Regional Lifetime Achievement in STEM Award by Women In Tech Africa, and in later that year, Women In Tech Global honoured her with the Global Lifetime Achievement in STEM Award Winner at a Summit held in Dubai, UAE. In 2024, she was presented the Transformational Leadership Award at the Pan African Leadership Summit held in Egypt.
Kgethi, as she is commonly known, has been a member of the FirstRand Foundation, an honorary member of the Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa, and a Fellow of the Academy of Science of South Africa, The African Academy of Sciences, and The World Academy of Sciences. She has served on numerous boards, including the Geneva Science and Diplomacy Anticipator, the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls, the South African Student Solidarity Foundation for Education (SASSFE), and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR). She made history by becoming the first female President of Convocation at Wits University, and the first woman President of the Association for Mathematics Education of South Africa. She was the founding Chairperson of the Board of the South African Mathematics Foundation, and served as a member of the executive committee of the International Group for the Psychology of Mathematics Education.
Deputy Mother, as she is affectionately referred to by youth across the African continent, is also a philanthropist with a strong passion for young people and education. In 2004, she founded the Adopt-Alearner Foundation, dedicated to providing financial and educational support to students from underprivileged areas. Notably, when assuming her role as Vice-Chancellor, she declined an inauguration ceremony held in her honor and instead directed the allocated funds toward alleviating the outstanding debts of over 100 students who had completed their studies but were unable to graduate due to financial constraints. Since then, she donated 20% of her monthly salary and 100% of proceeds from her public speaking engagements to scholarship funds administered by UCT. She established this Fund in her personal capacity to support financially disadvantaged students, particularly women, registered for postgraduate studies at UCT.
Following her early retirement, she was appointed by President Cyril Ramaphosa to serve on the Presidential Advisory Council on National Orders. She has become an accomplished businesswoman, with interests in media, agriculture (farming and retail), and consulting. As a renowned speaker, she has given over 120 keynotes since her retirement. Outside her professional life, she is a mother, sister and daughter with an extremely adventurous spirit. In 2023, she summitted Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, the highest mountain in Africa and the highest single free-standing mountain above sea level in the world.
Olanrewaju Oniyitan
Founder & Executive Director at SEED Care & Support Foundation
Olanrewaju Oniyitan is a consultant, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and advocate with over 20 years of experience driving wealth creation, job growth, income generation, and economic development. She is passionate about education as a catalyst for achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Lanre is the Founder/Executive Director of SEED Care and Support Foundation and Founder/CEO of W-Holistic Business Solutions. She began her career at KPMG Porfessional Services and now serves on the boards of McNichols Consolidated PLC and EDUGIST (as Advisory Board Chair).
She served on the Federal Ministry of Education’s committee that drafted Nigeria’s landmark National Policy on Non-State Schools and the committee that developed the Lagos State Policy on Non-State Schools. She serves on the Lagos State Safe Schools Steering Committee and the Technical Working Group of the Accelerated Teacher Professionalisation Pathway (ATPP). She is the Thematic Lead for Out-of-School Children under the Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG) Education Policy Commission, where she is driving national conversations and reforms to reduce Nigeria’s out-of-school children crisis.
An education thought-leader and international development expert, Lanre is a 2019 Obama African Leader, 2024 Salzburg Global Fellow, and the recipient of several awards, including the 2025 Changemaker in Education Award, 2024 Africa Women In Development (AWID), and the Award of Excellence in Entrepreneurship Development (from the Lagos State Ministry of Wealth Creation & Employment).
Lanre has worked with international and local private sector actors, federal and state governments, development agencies, academia, membership-based organizations, and nonprofits across a wide range of sectors. Her international development expertise includes work with organisations and/or projects funded by Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), World Bank, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), OXFAM, Stanford University, African Development Bank (AfDB), Heifer International, Islamic Development Bank (IsDB), Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF), and Bank of Industry (BOI), among others.
Lanre holds a First-Class Honours degree in Business, a Masters degree with Distinction and currently working on her PhD. She has various certifications including the Leadership, Organizing & Action: Leading Change from the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Education. She is a Life Member of the Chartered Institute of Directors, Nigeria, and the Enterprise Development Centre, Pan Atlantic University. Lanre has been featured on various media, panels, seminars, and conferences for her contributions to Africa’s development. She is the author of "MINIPRENEUR: Children with Bright Ideas," a globally recognised entrepreneurship resource for children. Lanre is passionate about learning, thinking, and creating innovative and sustainable solutions to complex global issues. With all her accomplishments, she is still in touch with her traditional roots as she was conferred the traditional title of “Yeye Bobakeye of Agura Land” alongside her husband, the “Otunba Bobakeye of Agura Land”, Ikorodu, Lagos, Nigeria.
David Edwards
General Secretary, Education International
David Edwards, PhD, is General Secretary of Education International (EI), the voice of teachers and education employees around the world. Through its 375 member organisations, Education International represents over 33 million teachers and education support personnel in 180 countries and territories. Dr Edwards also serves as Chair of the Council of Global Unions (CGU), which brings together the world's major global union federations to advance workers' rights and social justice worldwide.
Dr Edwards has led Education International since 2018, following seven years as Deputy General Secretary, where he directed education policy, advocacy, research, and communications.
Prior to joining Education International, Dr Edwards was an Associate Director at the National Education Association of the United States. He also worked as an Education Specialist at the Organization of American States and began his career as a public high school teacher. Follow Dr Edwards on LinkedIn.
Fernando Reimers
Ford Foundation Professor of International Education, Harvard Graduate School of Education
Fernando Reimers is the Ford Foundation Professor of the Practice of International Education and Director of the Global Education Innovation Initiative at Harvard University. He is an elected member of the US National Academy of Education, of the International Academy of Education and of the Council of Foreign Relations.
An expert in the field of Global Education, his research and teaching focus on understanding how to educate children and youth so they can thrive in the 21st century. He was a member of UNESCOs Commission on the Futures of Education which wrote the report ‘Reimagining Our Futures Together. A New Social Contract for Education’. He has developed curriculum aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals which is in use in many schools throughout the world. During the COVID-19 pandemic he led numerous comparative studies examining the educational consequences of the pandemic and identifying options to sustain educational opportunity and to build back better.
He directs the Global Education Innovation Initiative, a cross-country research and practice collaborative focusing on education for the 21st century. He has written or edited 56 books and over 100 articles and chapters, including Educating Students to Improve the World, Schools and Society During the COVID-19 Pandemic, Education to Build Back Better, Primary and Secondary Education during COVID-19, and University and School collaborations during a pandemic. He recently edited a special issue focused on Education and the New Challenges of Democracy. He has also authored several children’s books focused on inclusive values.
As part of his commitment to advancing educational opportunity and international education, he serves on multiple advisory boards and committees at Harvard, particularly focused in advancing the global mission of the University and enhancing the effectiveness of the university’s programs to address climate change and to advance the internationalization of Harvard. He serves on Harvard’s University Committee of International Projects and Sites, on the executive board of the David Rockefeller Center for Latin American Studies, is a faculty Associate of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs and of the Center for International Development. He also serves on the boards of a range of education organizations focused on the improvement of education and the promotion of peace, inclusion and sustainability, including the Fulbright Scholar Advisory Board. He has served on the Harvard faculty since 1998. Previous to that he worked at the Universidad Central de Venezuela, the Harvard Institute for International Development and the World Bank.
Devesh Raj
Chief Executive Officer for AI, Data & Sky Business, Sky Group
As CEO for AI, Data & Sky Business, I lead AI and data capabilities to transform Sky’s future.
I’m focused on unlocking value and enhancing experiences across the entire business - including marketing, customer service, entertainment and sports content, software development and corporate functions. This role reflects Sky’s future direction - and my own belief - that AI and data will transform the company.
Alongside steering our AI and data agenda, I also lead Sky Business, our B2B organisation supporting small, medium and large enterprises across the UK. We help thousands of organisations stay connected, secure and future-fit in an increasingly digital world.
I’ve always loved working at the intersection of technology, business and consumer behaviour, and I’m passionate about building strong, high performing teams.
I joined Sky in July 2019, becoming CEO of Sky Germany, Austria and Switzerland in January 2020, before moving to Sky UK as Chief Operating Officer in 2023. Before joining Sky, I led Corporate Strategy and Financial Planning for Comcast-NBCUniversal, and earlier in my career I led BCG’s Tech, Media and Telecom practice in North America, advising leading companies across the industry on a range of topics.
Olli-Pekka Heinonen
Director General, International Baccalaureate Organization (IB)
Olli-Pekka Heinonen has served as Director General of the International Baccalaureate (IB) since 2021, advancing its mission to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring students.
Before joining the IB, Mr. Heinonen served as Director General of the Finnish National Agency for Education (2016–2021). Prior to that he was State Secretary to the Finnish Prime Minister (2012–2016). From 2002 to 2012, Mr. Heinonen was Director of Yle, Finland’s national public broadcaster.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Heinonen was a prominent figure in Finnish politics, serving as Minister of Education and Science (1994–1999), Minister of Transport and Communication (1999–2002), and as a Member of Parliament (1995–2002).
A graduate of the University of Helsinki with a Master of Laws, Mr. Heinonen holds honorary doctorates from the University of Jyväskylä and the University of Turku.
Vikas Pota
Founder and CEO, T4 Education
Vikas is the Founder and CEO of T4 Education, a digital media platform he established as a response to the challenges posed by the pandemic to education globally. T4 Education is building the world’s largest community of teachers and schools and is providing opportunities for educators to network, collaborate, share best practices, and support each other’s efforts to improve learning and school culture. T4 Education works to amplify teachers’ voices because the world in which every child receives a good education will only be built by listening to those at the heart of education. Vikas was previously CEO of a philanthropic foundation, has been recognised as a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum and as one of London’s 1,000 most influential persons. Vikas was named European regional honouree for the 2022 YPO Global Impact Award.
Vijita Patel
Executive Director, Pre-University Education, Qatar Foundation, Qatar
Vijita Patel is Executive Director for Pre-University Education at Qatar Foundation. Vijita is passionate about the role of education in developing an equal society. Her 25-year career reflects system leadership for Inclusion, SEN, and Neurodiversity through roles with policymakers, school systems, EdTech innovators, governance and research entities. Vijita was deployed as a designated National Leader of Education (UK). She is an advocate of empowering educators as leaders of learning design, and the role of school leaders in creating cultures that cultivate teacher agency. She worked with universities on program design for SEN teacher training, research studies, and EdTech incubations at school level. Vijita is a Fellow of the UK Chartered College of Teaching, Expert Advisory Group for SEN, and Trustee for Special Olympics Great Britain, Challenge Partners, Varkey Foundation. Vijita now serves the Board of the Qatar Foundation Education Development Institute.
Tim Fish
Chief Executive Officer, Dukes Education, United Kingdom
Tim founded Earlscliffe, now a Dukes College, in 2012, with his wife Julie. Tim has over 36 years’ experience in teaching and leading in well-known international schools in England. Tim is, by trade and by heart, a teacher of History and Politics.
Tim started his career in international boarding schools in 1990 at St Clare’s, Oxford, gaining invaluable experience in the International Baccalaureate and in running wide-ranging summer courses. At 32, Tim became Headteacher at Buckswood, where he remained for over 12 years.
Tim established Sussex Summer Schools in 2001, which became a UK multi-centre provider of residential, junior summer programmes for international students from over forty countries. Product development has always been a strong interest, as has how best to prepare students for entry into top global universities.
In 2019, Tim became Managing Director at Dukes, responsible for its boarding schools, and in 2024, became UK CEO.
Sir Dan Moynihan
Chief Executive Officer, Harris Federation, United Kingdom
Sir Dan Moynihan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Harris Federation, a group of academies educating over 50,000 young people in London and Essex. He has led the Harris Federation since 2006, starting with one school where he was head teacher to 59 Academies today, two thirds of which joined in a category of failure. The group is regularly amongst the highest performing large multi-academy Trusts in England. He has co-authored various Economics and Business Studies textbooks for Oxford University Press. From 2015 to 2022 Sir Dan chaired the Cabinet Office Education Honours Committee and now Chairs the National Institute of Teaching and sits on the committee of the Youth Endowment Trust, he is also a member of the Reference Group for the Police Leadership Commission and a member of the Economist Current Affiairs Education Commission.
Li Wei
Director, UCL Institute for Education, United Kingdom
Li Wei is Director and Dean of the UCL Institute of Education (IOE) where he also holds the Chair of Applied Linguistics. His research covers many different aspects of bilingualism and multilingualism. He is editor of the International Journal of Bilingual Education and Bilingualism and the Applied Linguistics Review. He has won the British Association of Applied Linguistics Book Prize twice, for the Blackwell Guide to Research Methods in Bilingualism and Multilingualism (with Melissa Moyer) and Translanguaging: Language, Bilingualism and Education (with Ofelia Garcia). He is a fellow of the British Academy, Academia Europaea, Academy of Social Sciences, UK, and the Royal Society of Arts, UK.
Becky Francis
Chief Executive Officer, Education Endowment Foundation, United Kingdom
Professor Becky Francis CBE is CEO of the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF). She was recently seconded to lead the UK Government’s independent Curriculum and Assessment Review, which published its Final Report in November 2025. Prior to her EEF role, Becky was Director of the UCL Institute of Education (IOE), which is ranked #1 in the world for education in the international QS rankings. Her prior roles include Professor of Education and Social Justice at King’s College London and Standing Advisor to the Parliamentary Education Select Committee.
Throughout her career, Becky has sought to maximise the impact of research by working closely with teachers and policymakers. She has spearheaded high-profile national policy and research programmes in the English school system, focused on system improvement and addressing educational inequalities. And she is sought out internationally as an advisor to Governments on education policy.
Becky was the inaugural Charles Yidan Global Fellow at Harvard University. Her academic expertise and extensive publications centre on social identities and inequalities in educational contexts.
Eunice Ogolo
Director - Girl Capital, Children's Investment Fund Foundation, Kenya
Eunice Ogolo is a highly experienced development professional based in Nairobi County, Kenya, who currently serves as Director, Girl Capital – Africa at the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF).
In this role, Eunice leads CIFF’s strategic efforts on the continent to transform the lives of adolescent girls and young women: focusing on equitable education access, delaying early pregnancy and child marriage, improving labour‑force participation, and driving norm‑change in communities.
Prior to joining CIFF, she held senior economic development roles at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) in Kenya (previously part of the UK’s DFID) including as Economic Development Lead.
Eunice holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Nairobi (2001‑2005) and completed an MBA at the Strathmore Business School / IESE Business School between 2016‑2018.
Her professional strengths include strategic planning, change management and business development across development sectors, with deep expertise in the East African context and in delivering international‑funded programmes that drive social or economic impact.
Eunice is passionate about unlocking the potential of girls and women as drivers of economic growth and social transformation — aligning strongly with CIFF’s mission for Girl Capital to invest in the whole girl: skills, life opportunities, confidence, and agency
Dame Alison Peacock
Chief Executive Officer, The Chartered College of Teaching, United Kingdom
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.
Craig Shotland
Chief Executive Officer, Matific, Australia
Craig Shotland is the Chief Executive Officer of Matific and a data-driven technologist dedicated to building education systems that are inherently capable of change. Reaching millions of students across the globe, his work focuses on modernizing learning ecosystems through the deliberate alignment of people, technology, and pedagogy. Craig champions the critical need to effect systemic change at the right pace, ensuring technological progress strengthens educator capacity and school culture rather than outrunning them. In an era increasingly defined by artificial intelligence, he offers an evidence-based voice on the opportunities and ethical complexities of AI, advocating for resilient, human-centered systems that equip learners with the critical reasoning, adaptability, and foundational competencies demanded by the realities of tomorrow.
Cigdem Ertem
Commercial and Education GTM, Intel Corporation, United States of America
Cigdem Ertem is a global technology executive with extensive experience in go-to-market strategy, sales leadership, partner ecosystem development, and digital transformation. She currently leads Intel’s worldwide Commercial and Education GTM strategy, overseeing 4P planning and field execution for commercial and education client computing solutions. Throughout her Intel career, she has held leadership roles spanning category management, partner programs, and regional business leadership, including serving as General Manager for the Middle East, Turkey, and Africa region. Ertem holds degrees in Computer Engineering and Business Administration and is a former member of the Turkish National Basketball Team, bringing a competitive spirit and commitment to excellence to every aspect of her leadership.
Asheesh Advani
President and CEO, Junior Achievement Worldwide
Asheesh is the President and CEO of JA (Junior Achievement) Worldwide, one of the largest youth-serving NGOs in the world focused on entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and work readiness. During his tenure leading JA Worldwide since 2015, the organization has been recognized as one of the ten most impactful NGOs in the world in annual rankings. Asheesh is the co-author of Modern Achievement with celebrated leadership expert Marshall Goldsmith, a book that reconsiders the definition of achievement for aspiring leaders. He is a sought-after keynote speaker with experience speaking at Fortune 500 corporate gatherings, the Great Hall of the People in China, the United Nations, and at major universities. Prior to joining JA, Asheesh was a technology entrepreneur and led two businesses successfully from start-up to acquisition. He holds degrees from the Wharton School and Oxford University, where he was a Commonwealth Scholar.
Amit Patel
Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Owl Ventures, United States of America
Amit co-founded Owl Ventures and serves on the boards of many of the world’s leading education technology companies. He works closely with Amira Learning, Apna, BorderPlus, Genially, Honorlock, Leap, Mighty Networks, Panorama Education, Starbridge, and Tetr. His previous investments include Codecademy (acquired by Skillsoft), Kuali (acquired by Banneker Partners), RaiseMe (acquired by CampusLogic), Securly (acquired by Golden Gate Capital), Thinkful (acquired by Chegg), Lingo Live (acquired), Tinkergarten (acquired by Highlights for Children), and WhiteHat Jr (acquired).
Before joining Owl Ventures, Amit founded Personal Academic Trainers, an afterschool tutoring company, and created the quality assurance program and institutionalized sales training for Mathnasium Learning Centers, an after-school math learning center franchise with 1,000+ locations in North America, South America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia. Amit also served as the Director of Technology for Success Academy Charter Schools, a premier charter school network in New York City with 45+ schools.
Amit sits on the National Board for uAspire, a nonprofit organization ensuring that all young people have the financial information and resources necessary to find an affordable path to and through college.
He earned a B.A. in Mathematical Economic Analysis from Rice University and studied theatre/film at The New York Conservatory for Dramatic Arts and NYU. He was an Education Pioneers Graduate School Fellow and a Pahara-NextGen Fellow, and he holds an M.B.A./M.A. in Education from Stanford Graduate School of Business and Stanford Graduate School of Education.
Alex Crossman
Chief Executive Officer, St George’s School, Italy
Alex Crossman is Principal and Chief Executive of St. George’s British International School in Rome, Italy.
Alex was previously Executive Headteacher of The London Academy of Excellence, one of the highest performing schools in the United Kingdom. During his tenure, the LAE set new records for student applications, fundraising, examination results, student wellbeing and university progression, including record numbers of students winning offers from Oxford, Cambridge and British medical schools.
Alex’s career in education has also included being the founding Head of one of London’s most successful new secondary schools and the Chief Executive of an education consulting firm based in the Middle East but operating worldwide. He is the author of the Powerful Knowledge Substack and, most recently, with Ian Warwick, of Greater Expectations (Sage, 2024). He has also written for publications including The Guardian, The Independent, and Prospect Magazine.
Teaching is Alex’s first calling but his second career. Previously, he was a managing director with global responsibility for strategy at one of the world’s leading investment banks..
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