Stephen has a 20-year career in operations and finance, working at senior level across the public and private sectors in the UK and internationally. He led the development and implementation of nationally recognised school business leadership professional standards and oversaw 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 on policy reform and is committed to research that supports a self-improving education system, with ongoing engagement across Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the United States. He is also an architect of OpEx for Education, a sector-wide framework that embeds operational excellence in schools and trusts, helping providers optimise resources, improve efficiency and create better conditions for teaching and learning.