Stephen has a 20-year career history in operations and finance, working at a senior level in the public and private sectors, both in the UK and abroad. 

Stephen presided over the development and implementation of nationally recognised school business leadership professional standards and led the transition from the National Association of School Business Management to the Institute of School Business Leadership. 

Stephen works closely with the Department for Education in areas of policy reform, and his commitment to research to aid our self-improving system includes ongoing engagement with international jurisdictions including Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the US. 

He is also an architect of OpEx for Education, a sector-wide framework that embeds operational excellence in schools and trusts. This initiative helps education providers optimise resources, improve efficiency, and create conditions for better teaching and learning.