How as a COO do you look ahead to the challenges and opportunities on the horizon for 2023? As you grow and develop as a trust, how will you continue to deliver on key strategic areas at greater scale? Join our next national COO network meeting to consider and discuss these questions and more.

We are delighted that the next COO network will be led by our Guest National COO Network Chair, Charlie Tebbutt. As a founding Trustee, COO and CFO, Charlie of the highly regarded Beckfoot Trust, Charlie oversaw all academy conversions and the transformation of all aspects of the Trust’s commercial development and so brings vast and relevant experience to our national COO network. At the next network meeting,

Joe Kessler, the Co-op’s Director of Transformation, joins us to share more about his role & how he helps to influence and enable the Co-op’s key priorities (such as sustainability, financial efficiency, diversity & inclusion, business change and transformation and much more). This will be a unique and engaging cross sector perspective for COOs. Alongside, we will explore the trust landscape for 2023, focusing in on key trends that are likely to be at the top of trust agendas for the year ahead. We will hear from our partners at Wrigleys Solicitors who will explore how trusts can support communities through increased cost of living pressures, considering legal considerations to this as well as sharing learning from their work with other organisations. We will also hear from Jenn Plews, the CEO of Northern Star Academies Trust and Rachael Gacs, Communication Manager at Forum Strategy, around environmental sustainability. NSAT will share the work they’ve been leading across the trust over recent years and looking ahead to future plans for 2023, and Rachael will provide some key areas to look out for at a national level for 2023 in the sustainability space. And finally, we will finish on wellbeing. John Brady, Managing Director of Schools Advisory Service (SAS) will consider where key wellbeing priorities will likely be for 2023 and beyond, helping you to think through how you might build these into your own trust’s wellbeing strategy and offer.

Please note Wrigleys and SAS are part of a paid for partnership with Forum Strategy. When selecting our partners we do so with careful reference to their expertise and their ethos and values.

The session will provide up to the minute strategic insight; reflection; discussion and the opportunity to connect with peer COOs – all guided by leading thinkers. In this session we want to give you the space and support to reflect on how you approach these ever-testing times.

Agenda
9.30am – Welcome from our national #TrustLeaders COO network Guest Chair – Charlie Tebbutt, Forum Strategy Associate
9.40am – Strategic update – key themes for trusts in 2023 – Alice Gregson, Executive Director, Forum Strategy
10.00am – Supporting communities through the cost of living crisis; legal considerations and sharing learning from other organisation – Wrigleys Solicitors
10.20am – Being the COO in 2023 – priorities, challenges and opportunities – Joe Kessler, Director of Transformation, Co-op 1
10.50am – Leading environmental sustainability in 2023 – Jenn Plews, CEO, Northern Star Academies Trust and Rachael Gacs, Communications Manager, Forum Strategy
11.20am – Leading on wellbeing strategy – key areas for 2023 – John Brady, Managing Director, Schools Advisory Service
11.50am – Final comments and reflections – network group
12.00pm – Close

To book onto the COO network session, please book using the following form. Please note that you must be a current individual member of the Forum Strategy national COO network to attend:

Booking Form