After a decade in practice, I decided to move to industry to be at the heart of a business and see the impact being made on a day-to-day basis. This led to seven years in the edtech sector, initially as finance manager and subsequently as finance director.
Taking a voluntary role as a governor in a local primary school opened a new world to me. I didn’t really know what to expect, and I faced a steep learning curve to discover what is involved in schools beyond the classroom. It was an experience that ultimately led to me to want to work within the education sector, and I joined Kingfisher Learning Trust in 2025.
The public sector has a very different outlook from the corporate world. Businesses aim to increase income while managing costs, but in the public sector there is very little you can do to significantly increase income – opportunities to generate income tend to involve relatively small amounts of money in the wider scheme of things. The focus is therefore on doing the best with the resources available.
The big challenge is constant change, driven partly by political instability
The main challenge within our trust – and the wider public sector – is constant change. This is in part driven by political instability, as each successive government looks to make its mark on the education system. This constant change, coupled with poor funding within the sector, means finance functions must look closely at how funds are spent to ensure the best value is achieved. I think all funding and legislative changes for schools should require at least six weeks’ notice from being announced to being enacted.
My favourite quote is from Benjamin Franklin. He said: ‘An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.’ I’m proud to have found a role that gives me a high level of job satisfaction while still allowing me a great work/life balance.
Outside of work, I enjoy spending time with my family. It is great to make memories with my wife and children while the children are still young.
