CST Annual Conference

Dr Hilary Cottam OBE is a social entrepreneur, author and policy advisor. Her work includes the creation of new approaches and services for ageing, family life, work and care. Her first book Radical Help (pub. 2018) was hailed as ‘mind-shifting’ by David Brooks in the New York Times, has been translated internationally, and is widely credited with changing narratives and practice around welfare systems across Europe. Her new book The Work We Need challenges us to think differently about work and place-based economic policy. Her current research and practice centres on the future of urban and rural work and on new care economies. Hilary holds an Honorary Professorship at the Institute of Innovation and Public Purpose at UCL; she was named UK Designer of the Year in 2005 for pioneering the field of social design and has been named a Young Global Leader by the World Economic Forum.

Dr Sally Burtonshaw is a Director at Public First, where she led the research for the Inquiry into White Working Class Outcomes. She also works on a wide range of other research and policy projects, including on the future of state-funded tutoring and countering mis- and disinformation in schools. Prior to joining Public First, Sally was Head of Policy at London Higher, representing over 50 higher education institutions across London. She began her career in a sixth form college and later worked on access and participation at The Brilliant Club. Sally is a trustee of The Elephant Group and a member of the Independent Schools Inspectorate’s Education Advisory Forum.

Jake Humphrey is one of the UK’s most trusted and respected voices on performance, leadership, resilience and modern mindset. A broadcaster, author, entrepreneur and host of the popular podcast, High Performance, Jake has spent more than 20 years working at the highest levels of elite sport and business, shaping conversations around what it truly means to perform at your best.

Katie Carr is a Director in the Education Practice at Public First. She leads the research for the Inquiry into White Working Class Educational Outcomes and a range of other high-profile education research and strategy projects, including surfacing the views of parents on education in the Parent Voice Project and understanding the views of parents, pupils and school staff in improving attendance in schools. Prior to this, Katie spent 10 years at the Department for Education, including as Chief of Staff to two Schools Ministers. She helped steer major legislation through Parliament and led national work on teacher recruitment and retention, regional school improvement, and school and trust strategy. Katie is Chair of Governors at a London secondary academy and a trustee of Tutors United.

Leora Cruddas is the founding Chief Executive of the Confederation of School Trusts – the national organisation and sector body for school trusts in England. She has advised successive governments and sits on several Department for Education advisory bodies. She was recently the vice chair of the Head Teacher Standards Review Group, a member of the external advisory group for the Schools White Paper, SEND National Implementation Board and the Regulatory and Commissioning Review.

Prior to founding CST, she was Director of Policy and Public Relations for the Association of School and College Leaders. Leora has six years of experience as a director of education in two London local authorities. She is a visiting professor at UCL Institute of Education. Leora was made a CBE in the 2022 New Year’s Honours.

Luke has dedicated his career to a single belief: that a young person's background should not determine their future.

He forged his reputation as founding principal of Dixons Trinity in Bradford – a school that has inspired many and shows what is possible in complex urban settings in the North. Under his leadership, Dixons Trinity was ranked first in the country for the progress of low-income students.

Luke now leads Dixons Academies Trust, serving nearly 20,000 students across 20 schools and one college in Leeds, Bradford, Greater Manchester, and Liverpool. He has a proven record of transforming complex schools and student outcomes, alongside an institutional commitment to award-winning place-based work that embeds Dixons as a civic structure.

He sits on the boards of UCAS, Teach First, the Knight-Stokes Cup (state school cricket), and the Confederation of School Trusts (CST). His expertise on culture and strategy is shared freely through Dixons OpenSource.

Luke’s work is driven by a commitment to the North and to the power of a single chance: helping students build self-determination and lifelong belief in themselves.

Maroof Khan is Head of Cricket at Dixons Academies Trust, providing strategic leadership and using sport as a catalyst for educational opportunity, inclusion, and social mobility. A former professional cricketer and ECB Level 3 Advanced Coach, he brings over 30 years of experience spanning elite sport, education, and commercial leadership.

His cricket journey began in Mumbai and progressed through county and international pathways before developing an extensive coaching career across England, India, the United States, Hong Kong, and Singapore. He has worked across women’s and girls’ cricket, mixed disability pathways, county age groups, and national high performance environments, including roles within England men’s mixed disability and women’s county pathways.
Alongside this, Maroof has held executive commercial roles within professional sport and financial services. At Dixons, he is leading the launch of the Dixons Cricket Academy, driven by a belief that opportunity, talent, and belonging should never depend on background alone.

Daniel Susskind is the Mercers’ School Memorial Professor of Business at Gresham College. He is also a Research Professor at King’s College London, a Senior Research Associate at the Institute for Ethics in AI at Oxford University, and a Digital Fellow at the Stanford Digital Economy Lab. He is the author of Growth: A Reckoning, A World Without Work and co-author of The Future of the Professions. Previously, he worked in the British Government – in the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit, in the Policy Unit in 10 Downing Street, and in the Cabinet Office.