Chris Kirk

Director, CJK Associates

Chris Kirk has enjoyed 25 years in leadership, management and strategy in the education sector, with senior roles in the UK civil service, a partnership within one of the largest accounting and consulting companies, and an international CEO role for a large school group. Six years ago, Chris founded CJK Associates. CJK works extensively with the education supplier and investor market, and frequently carries out market studies to compare the services, quality and price of education service providers (school improvement, finance, HR, IT support) and software (MIS, assessment, curriculum).

Chris teaches the National Professional Qualification for Executive Leaders for Teach First and previously for Ambition. Chris is a Trustee of Weydon Multi Academy Trust, an adviser to OPERA (a charity supporting unemployed youth into work) and to The Education Partnership, Nigeria (a pro-poor education charity). He has previously held roles as Adviser to Ofsted’s Strategy Group, The Careers and Enterprise Company, Getting Ahead London, World Economic Forum and Business in the Community.

Hall 11b

1 Series one

Shared services 4.0: Mapping your trust’s maturity journey to leading practice

This workshop will explore three phases of trust maturity at a system level, and how signs are emerging of a fourth model involving AI, automation, and purposeful partnership, leading to strategic, scalable, high-performing ways of working (from striving to thriving). Join this session to assess your trust’s operational maturity, identify barriers, explore leading practices, and take practical steps to building a flourishing, future-proofed operational model.

1 Workshop series two

From core to strategic: maximising the impact of the trust finance function

The finance function is evolving fast - no longer just about balancing the books, but about driving strategic decisions, shaping growth, and enabling value and growth. In this interactive session will present new research exploring the evolving role of the finance function within Trusts - from core transactional delivery to strategic enabler of value and growth. Drawing on IMP Software’s benchmarking data from trusts of varying sizes, the session will examine how financial service delivery is distributed across Trusts, the relationship between cost and value, and what defines a truly strategic finance function. Through discussion and peer reflection, leaders will consider how their function can maximise strategic impact and strengthen the overall value they bring to their Trusts.