EVENTS
National #TrustLeaders CEO Conference 2025
National #TrustLeaders CEO Conference 2025
Being the CEO in 2025 and beyond: An evolving role
Being The CEO is about anticipating, harnessing and making the most of change. Yet the role of CEO itself is changing rapidly too. What does that shift look like? What does it mean for us and for the trusts we lead? How do we continue to lead with impact and relevance – for our children and our staff – in a changing society and world?
Forum Strategy’s eighth annual National #TrustLeaders CEO conference will take place in Nottingham on 18th September, bringing together our national #TrustLeaders CEO network members, as CEOs set their agenda and priorities for another year. This year’s theme will be ‘Being the CEO in 2025 and beyond’ and will explore how the CEO role is evolving and what it means for trust leadership and for how we prepare our organisations for an emerging context.
We will hear from leading thinkers and a range of Chief Executives from within and beyond the education sector who will share their learning and experiences from the last decade and more on how the role will need to continue to evolve in the years ahead as we see shifts across our communities, political landscape, societal trends and more. We will explore some of those shifts in depth, and consider the implications for trust leaders shaping a legacy for their organisations and for children and young people. As ever with our national CEO conference, there will also be plenty of discussion and networking time built in for attendees to share their own perspectives and to build connections across our large, diverse national network.
Our national CEO conference is open exclusively to members of our National #TrustLeaders CEO Network. You must be a member (or guest of a member) to attend. A place at the conference is included for all members of our national CEO network (providing your membership is still active as of the 18th September 2025) and carries no additional cost. Members may also bring one guest free of charge and their place can be booked via the same link.
At this year’s conference
Cross-sector contributors will include:
Shirine Khoury-Haq
CEO, The Co-operative Group
Shirine is Group CEO at the Co-op and has been a Director on the Co-op Board since joining in 2019. Shirine joined the Co-op in August 2019 as Chief Financial Officer and later also became Chief Executive Officer Life Services, leading Co-op Funeralcare, Insurance and Legal Services.
Before joining the Co-op, Shirine was Chief Operating Officer for the Lloyd’s insurance market, which comprised of more than 50 leading insurance companies operating in over 200 countries. She also led the digital modernisation programme for the wider London insurance industry.
In addition to holding senior positions at IBM, McDonalds and insurer, Catlin Group, Shirine has worked in a number of regulated sectors in the UK and overseas including retail, IT, pharmaceuticals and consumer goods.
Shirine was previously a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee at Persimmon Plc and a Non-Executive Director at the Post Office.
Luke Tryl
Executive Director, More in Common UK
As UK Executive 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.
Tim Davies-Pugh
CEO, Power to Change
Tim is the Chief Executive of Power to Change, a community focused ‘think-do’ who turn bold ideas into action so communities have the power to change what matters. As CEO, Tim is accountable for the overall strategic leadership of Power to Change and its team of skilled and committed staff. Tim’s involvement with Power to Change began at its inception in 2015, where he supported it’s set–up whilst working at The National Lottery Community Fund.
Contributors from within education will include:
Nick Blackburn MBE
CEO, Lingfield Education Trust
Nick Blackburn, CEO, brought about Lingfield Education Trust after a period of successful headship and supporting other schools across Darlington.
Nick has led the growth of the Trust to 15 schools, and increasingly supports other schools and Multi-Academy Trusts across England.
Nick is also an experienced leadership coach, programme designer and quality assurer for school leadership programmes across the country.
Nick is a strong CEO – knowing and navigating the academy landscape well since the launch of the academies programme.
Sian Hampton
CEO, Archway Learning Trust
Sian has over 25 years’ experience working in schools in the East Midlands region. She has been active in school leadership for almost 15 years and is a designated National Leader of Education. Sian has overseen the development of Bluecoat Academy from one school to eight including a brand new primary school. In less than three years a sponsored school in the Multi Academy Trust moved from Special Measures to Good and there are plans for further growth.
Contributors from Forum Strategy will include:
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.
Michael Pain
Founder, Forum Strategy
Michael Pain is the founder of Forum Strategy and an entrepreneur, overseeing the development of successful businesses and a national network of well over one hundred Chief Executives. He is a long-standing strategic adviser to CEOs and Chairs, a ‘sought after’ coach to executives, and author of the acclaimed book: ‘Being The CEO‘. In 2021, Michael’s Being The CEO framework was endorsed and published as the template job description for academy trust CEOs by the National Governance Association. Michael is a barrister by training, having been Called to the Bar at Lincoln’s Inn in 2007. He is also a co-owner of Satis Education, a sector-leading executive recruitment organisation, and currently chairs the organisation’s Advisory Group.
Sir Steve Lancashire
Chair of National #TrustLeaders CEO Network
The conference will be facilitated by:
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 2024
Last year’s conference took place at Trent Vineyard in Nottingham, with the theme of Leading with contextual wisdom
Look back at resources from last year's event
You can find full details of last year’s conference as well as highlights of last year, plus exclusive member only resources including videos of the speakers by clicking the button below.
Our Partners
