Forging the Future: Operational Excellence and Efficiency Through Strategic Partnerships

Join us for our national COO network conference at Hotel du Vin in Birmingham. This essential event for COOs and operations leaders will be led and facilitated by Alice Gregson, CEO of Forum Strategy, and Paul Taylor, Innovation Coach at Bromford Flagship. The day will be structured around two core pillars designed to inform and empower your trust’s operational strategy during these challenging times where we know finances and resources are exceptionally tight. Firstly, we will focus on outlining and confirming the areas that matter most to you as operations leaders. This session, led by Alice Gregson, will explore the evolving landscape for trusts, providing an overview of the evolving role and responsibilities of operations leaders in trusts and how these sit within a context that requires us to be ever more innovative and creative in order to move important areas forward meaningfully. Secondly, we will dive deep into harnessing innovation and key partnerships to drive efficiency, effectiveness and growth. This interactive session, led by Paul Taylor, will provide cross-sector intelligence and examples of where this has happened successfully and provide a strong basis for rich, informative discussions and practice sharing with peers from across the network.

Our conference recognises the pivotal role of operational leaders in providing the stability and vision necessary for the development of thriving trusts. You are the bridge between the CEO’s strategic ambition and the daily reality of your organisation. Therefore, we will dedicate significant time to identifying, reflecting on, and planning for the critical areas of COO oversight. We will explore how to build impactful partnerships and expertise around key themes including technology and AI, income generation, environmental sustainability, and estates strategy, with dedicated time for networking and sharing best practice across our national network. We recognise the funding and resources constraints education (and wider public services) are experiencing and so this session is focused on exploring how, even with this challenging backdrop, progress can still be made.

Over the course of the day, attendees will benefit from the unique blend of our facilitators’ expertise. Alice Gregson is a leading voice in education strategy, renowned for her deep understanding of the policy landscape and her ability to help trust leaders navigate complexity with clarity and confidence. Her work focuses on building sustainable and effective organisations that are primed for the future. Paul Taylor is a specialist in organisational innovation, with extensive experience helping leaders embed cutting-edge thinking and technology, such as AI, into their operations. He is known for his dynamic, hands-on approach to transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and improvement.

Together, Alice and Paul will facilitate a uniquely enriching day of learning and collaboration, ensuring you leave not just with new ideas, but with actionable plans to enhance your trust’s operational excellence. This is set to be an unmissable event for COOs (or those in equivalent roles) looking to connect with peers and strengthen their strategic leadership.

Please note you will need to be an individual member of our national #TrustLeaders COO network to attend. Please book using the form below. If you would like to bring one complimentary guest to the conference, please email us at admin@forumstrategy.org.uk and include their name, role/trust and email address.

Booking Form