Saqib Bhatti
Adam Brigham
David Brown
Calvin Eden
Kathryn Gorman
Arun Kanwar
Jess Lewis-Bell
Hannah Lovegrove Campion
James Nichols
Philip Reynolds
Gemma Woodhouse
Saqib Bhatti MBE is the Member of Parliament for Meriden and Solihull East. He currently serves as Shadow Minister for Education, appointed by the Leader of The Opposition, Rt Hon. Kemi Badenoch MP.
Saqib studied Law at the London School of Economics before training as an accountant. In 2018, he made history as the youngest-ever President of the Greater Birmingham Chamber of Commerce, championing business growth and regional development.
A committed advocate for Brexit, Saqib played a vocal role in the Vote Leave campaign and later advised the Alliance of Conservatives and Reformists in Europe on policy matters. Elected for Meriden in 2019, his parliamentary career reflects a breadth of experience across government departments and party leadership. He has served as Private Parliamentary Secretary to Rt Hon. Liz Truss at the Department for International Trade and to Rt Hon. Sir Sajid Javid at the Department of Health and Social Care.
In 2022, Saqib was appointed Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party for Business, followed by a Ministerial role as Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Tech and the Digital Economy under the then Prime Minister, Rt. Hon Rishi Sunak MP. Throughout 2024, he held successive shadow ministerial posts in Health and Social Care, Science, Innovation and Technology and Culture, Media and Sport.
Known for his business acumen, policy insight and commitment to public service, Saqib Bhatti continues to be a prominent voice in shaping the future of the Conservative Party and the UK’s education landscape.
Adam Brigham is the CEO of MSP LAB, The IT Authority for Prestigious Independent Schools. With over a decade of experience in digital strategy, he is dedicated to helping schools define and achieve their vision, ensuring technology drives success and positively impacts student outcomes. Adam has served in an advisory role for more than 150 independent schools, guiding them through the complexities of IT and digital transformation. A proud father of three boys, he enjoys scuba diving in UK waters and clay pigeon shooting in his spare time.
David is a Headteacher, prep school governor, ISI Inspector and educational leadership trainer who speaks on leadership, culture, strategy and the changing landscape of education.
He has worked in education since 2000, as a teacher, Deputy Head and Headteacher, and has led schools through periods of significant growth, change and challenge. His particular interest lies in creating the conditions in which people can thrive: helping every child find their voice, ensuring every adult feels able to use theirs, and building school cultures where curiosity, ambition and kindness can coexist.
David believes that great schools are not simply places where children acquire knowledge, but places where they learn to understand themselves, contribute confidently and discover that their voice matters. His approach to leadership is rooted in the same principle: creating clarity, trust and opportunity while having the courage to challenge what is no longer serving the people within the organisation.
David holds a Master’s degree in Educational Leadership and a degree in Business Information Systems. He is an ISI Inspector, INSET trainer and prep school governor. He is currently Headteacher at Weston Green School in Surrey.
From personal tragedy at the age of 15 to becoming one of the UK's most renowned CPD and youth development speakers, Calvin's inspiring journey is a testament to resilience.
His captivating presence and ability as a speaker have not only transformed thousands of lives, but also led him to collaborate with esteemed organisations such as the Chelsea FC Foundation, Prince's Trust, and Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Foundation. He also hosts a range of prestigious events and appears regularly on national television talk programmes.
Calvin is also the host of the Bigger Than Blackpool podcast, where he shares powerful conversations and insights designed to inspire ambition, broaden perspectives, and encourage individuals to think beyond perceived limitations.
As CEO and keynote speaker, Calvin brings authenticity, energy, and lived experience to every stage—inspiring audiences not just to overcome adversity, but to redefine what’s possible.
Kathryn is the founder of Clarion Education and speaks on leadership, governance and complexity.
She spent thirty years working in schools as a teacher, a Deputy Head and Headteacher, before founding Clarion to work in the space that much leadership development overlooks: the relationship between the people who lead, the people who govern and the system, and the human and systemic cost when that relationship doesn't work.
Her argument is simple and perhaps uncomfortable. The qualities that complexity demands - relational intelligence, curiosity, the capacity to hold uncertainty well rather than resolve it prematurely - have been systematically undervalued, underpromoted and designed out of the structures built to develop so called heroic leaders. We have called them soft. We have called them feminine. And we built systems that reward something else entirely and which is arguably not fit for the times that we are leading through.
Kathryn holds an MEd from the University of Cambridge in Educational Leadership and School Improvement, is a Level 7 accredited executive coach and mentor, a Level 5 accredited workplace mediator, and a Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching. She currently serves as Chair of Governors at a primary school and Chair of the Education Committee at a leading independent performing arts school. She co-hosts Beyond the Status Quo, a podcast for senior leaders navigating complexity, whose guests have included Adam Kahane, Professor Megan Reitz and Dr Eve Poole, OBE.
Arun Kanwar is a Partner at Cairneagle, a strategy consulting firm specialising in the education sector. Cairneagle supports institutions and investors with their critical commercial decisions - bringing structure, insight and judgement to situations of uncertainty and material consequence. The firm has deep roots in the independent schools sector, operating across both the charitable and for-profit space, and has built a reputation based on a research and data-driven approach, analytical audacity and a determination to add value for its clients. It has won the EducationInvestor award for consultants eight times, most recently in June 2026.
Arun joined Cairneagle in 2015 and brings twenty-five years of experience spanning both advisory and industry roles. He has worked across multiple education sub-verticals - including early years, UK schools, SEND, skills and education services - drawing on both UK and international experience. Beyond his consulting work, Arun serves as a Director of HMC (the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference). In December 2025, he was won in the Consultant category at the inaugural EducatioInvestor Power List, and in April 2026 he won in the Consultant category at the inaugural NMT (Nursery Management Today) Power List. He holds an MChem in Chemistry from the University of Oxford.
Hannah is the Head of SEND at ISA, joining in February 2026 and is an established leader in SEND education. She has extensive expertise across a broad spectrum of needs and a proven track record working in specialist and mainstream education nationally and locally, including setting up and running an Independent Special School, as well as working for a Local Authority, overseeing SEND provision. Hannah’s work focuses on strategic improvement: by collaborating with leaders, practitioners, and wider stakeholders to enhance SEND provision, strengthen practice, and build capacity across education systems. Her leadership is driven by a commitment to ensuring high‑quality and accessible support for all learners.
James Nichols is a teacher, school leader and trained ISI inspector with over fifteen years of middle and senior leadership experience in both the maintained and independent sector. A former Head of Year, Head of Department, Head of House, Assistant Headteacher (Learning and Teaching and Head of Sixth Form), Deputy Headteacher, Designated Safeguarding Lead and Head, James has worked with both internal and external stakeholders to achieve educational, commercial and operational goals within school settings. James left Headship in April 2025 to set up two new educational organisations: JSN Education, which works with schools to enhance their curriculum provision, leadership and staff development; and Political Education For Students, which enthuses, engages and educates young people in the importance of political literacy through workshops, seminars and supra-curricular opportunities. James also has a passion for supporting Oxbridge students, something that continues through the work that Political Education For Students undertakes. In his spare time, James likes cooking, reading, politics, history, writing and travel.
Partner, Employment & Education at Penningtons Manches Cooper
Gemma specialises in both contentious and non-contentious employment law and has a keen interest in all aspects of discrimination law. Since her qualification in 2007, she has been involved with a significant Court of Appeal decision, a number of tribunal hearings and appeals to the Employment Appeal Tribunal. She has also provided corporate support in relation to business transfers and reorganisations and advised on the terms of compromise agreements, employment contracts and employee handbooks. In addition, Gemma has provided guidance to clients on the implications of TUPE and the terms of commercial outsourcing arrangements. Gemma advises independent schools and academies on a number of HR and education specific issues, including safeguarding responsibilities and compliance requirements. She regularly writes in the ISBA Bursar’s Review and provides training to schools on employment updates, safeguarding requirements and management of staff including performance management. Gemma hosts several forums for HR directors, managers and Bursars within independent schools. Listed by Chambers UK as 'up and coming', Gemma has been described as having a 'good tactical approach to dealing with HR issues', being 'very swift with her advice' and as an adviser who 'acts in the client’s best interests'. She is a member of the Employment Lawyers’ Association and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.