National #TrustLeaders CEO Conference 2024

Leading with contextual wisdom

19th September 2024, Trent Vineyard Conference Centre, Nottingham

Our seventh annual National #TrustLeaders CEO conference will take place in Nottingham on 19th September, bringing together members of our national #TrustLeaders CEO network, as CEOs set their agenda for another year. This year’s theme will be: ‘Leading with contextual wisdom’, exploring how CEOs lead their organisations and communities through changing and challenging times by staying connected to and in touch with the ever-evolving needs of children & young people, communities and their organisations – as well as keeping an eye on the wider national context around them.

We will take time throughout the day to look at the changing national and political context as well as the experiences and perspectives of young people, their communities and our workforces. We will benefit from the insights and perspectives of experts and exceptional thought leaders – including Anne Longfield, Dr. Tessy Ojo CBE, Sir Steve Lancashire and more – as they share their insights, reflections and inspire us to build our contextual wisdom as leaders in changing times.

Our national CEO conference is now well established as the place to connect and set your agenda for the year, and further, ahead.

Please book your place using our event booking form below (via Eventbrite). You must be a member of our national #TrustLeaders CEO network to register and you may bring one complimentary guest of your choice with you. To book your ticket please use the link below.

If you wish to bring a guest with you, please select ‘2’ tickets and ensure you include your guest’s details on the following page so that you are both registered under the same booking. If you do not wish to bring a guest, please just select ‘1’ ticket. Please note you must be an active member of the CEO network on the 19th September to attend (or the guest of an active member).

At this year’s conference

Alice Gregson

CEO, Forum Strategy

Alice is the CEO of Forum Strategy and has been with Forum since 2020. Alice has a long career spanning education, adult social care and health, policing and the civil service and is an ILM qualified coach and mentor with a degree and background in Psychology. As CEO of Forum Strategy, Alice leads the organisation day to day at a strategic level, working closely alongside our team, our partners and associates and our highly valued membership.

Sir Steve Lancashire

Chair of National #TrustLeaders CEO Network

Steve is Chair of our national #TrustLeaders CEO network & a Forum Strategy Associate offering mentoring to academy trust CEOs and working alongside Michael Pain on our Being the CEO programme. Sir Steve has delivered his highly anticipated annual keynote speech at this event since 2022. Previously, Sir Steve was the founder CEO of REAch2, one of the largest primary academy trusts in England and has been involved in primary education for over thirty years as an Executive Headteacher before becoming the CEO of REAch2. He is the author of the acclaimed book ‘Reflections on Being The CEO’, published as a Forum Strategy resource in 2023.

Anne Longfield CBE

Founder & Executive Chair, Centre for Young Lives

Anne has spent the last three decades working to improve the life chances of children, particularly the most vulnerable. She has recently founded and become Executive Chair of the Centre for Young Lives – a new, dynamic, innovative, independent think tank and delivery unit dedicated exclusively to improving the lives of children, young people, and families in the UK.

From 2015 to 2021, she was Children’s Commissioner for England where she spent six years championing the rights and interests of children with those in power who make decisions about children’s lives, acting as children’s ‘eyes and ears’ in the corridors of power in Whitehall and Westminster. As Children’s Commissioner, she was a vocal advocate for children during the pandemic. She previously led a national children’s charity and has also worked on the delivery of the Sure Start programme in the No 10 Strategy Unit. She spent many years campaigning for better childcare, often at a time when many saw the issue as obscure or niche.

Dr Tessy Ojo, CBE

CEO, The Diana Award

Tessy Ojo CBE is passionate Civil Society Leader who has spent over two decades driving change for children and young people in the areas of social justice, youth leadership and social equity. She is the Chief Executive of The Diana Award – a charity developing internationally recognised programmes that give young people skills to thrive and create positive change in their communities globally. Tessy has had the honour of working with Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke of Cambridge and The Duke of Sussex for over 20 years, who both support the charity.

Always passionate about making a difference, Tessy also holds various wider influential positions such a non-executive director at Comic Relief, IWILL Board (a partnership between National Lottery and DCMS), The BBC’s Appeals Advisory Committee, the UK Council for Child Internet Safety, and the Royal Cyberbullying Taskforce, where she focuses on social justice and social equity.

Luke Tryl

UK Director, More in Common

As UK Director, Luke leads More in Common’s ground-breaking UK public opinion and thought leadership work. Luke has worked to shine a light on what the public thinks about topics as diverse as immigration, climate change, gender identity and mental health. With a focus on the nuances and complexity of public opinion, he has helped policymakers, business and civil society navigate issues often regarded as tricky and divisive. Since starting work at More in Common, Luke has overseen the development of its in-house UK research agency and directs their regular programme of polling and focus groups. He is a regular commentator on UK public opinion across both print and broadcast media and has appeared on Radio 4’s Today Programme, Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg, Times Radio and Politics Hub with Sophy Ridge. He has also written for various publications including the Times, Telegraph, Guardian, New Statesman and the Spectator. Before joining More in Common, Luke’s career spanned politics, public opinion, and government. He served as a Special Advisor to Nicky Morgan during the Cameron administration and as Director of Strategy at the education inspectorate Ofsted.

Jeppe Hansgaard

CEO, Innovisor & Author 'Connectivity is Broken: Now What?'

Jeppe is the CEO and founder of Innovisor, a company focused on eliminating the all-too-common ‘change fiasco’ during organisational transformations and change, emphasising the value of people as an organisation’s greatest asset.

Jeppe is a thought leader who enjoys sharing his insights with the change community through blog posts, articles, and tweets. He’s a sought-after speaker, captivating audiences in executive groups, leadership programs, and MBA programs at renowned business schools. Jeppe is the author behind the best-selling “Now What?”-playbooks for leaders and change and OD professionals. Jeppe has an Executive MBA from Henley Business School in the UK and has further enriched his knowledge with courses from Stanford School of Professional Development in the USA.

Maggie Farrar

Conference facilitator

Maggie has worked as a teacher and in senior leadership roles in education for over 40 years. She was latterly Director for Leadership Development and Research at the National College for School Leadership and Interim Chief Executive. She is currently working with schools, partnerships and education systems on collaborative school improvement. She is a coach to a number of school leaders and Chief Executives of MATs.

Maggie trained as a mindfulness teacher at the Oxford University Mindfulness Centre in 2018 and has integrated this into her current work, supporting leaders to thrive and flourish in the complex and demanding role of school leadership.

National #TrustLeaders CEO Conference 2023

Last year’s conference took place at Trent Vineyard in Nottingham, with the theme of Thriving Together: How we thrive together as CEOs, trusts and communities through uncertain times