We are delighted to announce our first COO network conference to be held on October 10th in Southwell, Nottingham. The day will be led and facilitated by author of the top-selling book ‘How to be a COO: 16 disciplines for success’, Jennifer Geary. All COO network members attending the event, will have received (or will receive) a copy of the book ahead of the day. The book explores the COO role in-depth and breaks it down into 16 core elements; the three fundamental pillars of Culture, Strategy and Change, plus 13 technical areas.

The day will be focussed around these core areas, putting them into a trust context (with education specific examples shared by our guest COO, Ed Thomas) and providing vital time for network members to connect with one another, discussing the key opportunities and challenges faced as a COO in today’s changing educational context. Attendees will be able to draw on Jennifer’s vast experience of over 20 years’ experience in finance, technology, risk and legal, across diverse industries from financial services to not-for-profit. She has been serving as Chief Operating Officer of Save the Children UK, a £400m NGO which serves in 68 countries and helps 22 million children every year. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland, PRINCE 2 foundation and practitioner certified, and has attained the CISA and CISSP accreditations. Prior to this, she has held many different roles across accounting, risk management and technology development and has led on key business-wide priorities, including corporate social responsibility and sustainability, in particular, during her time working for Barclays plc. Attendees will also benefit from hearing from and connecting with Ed Thomas as the former Operations Director at Academy Transformation Trust (ATT) and now Chief Operating Officer at Inspire Education Group.

This is set to be an exceptional day of learning, networking and collaboration for COOs (or those in equivalent roles), facilitated by an experienced chief operating officer (and published author) from beyond education. All attendees who have not yet received complimentary copies of Jennifer’s book ‘How to be a COO’, will be sent copies of the book ahead of the day (on request). Please note you will need to be an active member of Forum Strategy’s national COO network to attend. Please book using the form below.

Booking Form