Nicholas Dear is a Trustee for the Inspire Partnership, a trust of nine primaries across London. Nicholas has over 20 years experience in scaling and building technology and financial services businesses and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer of CAPSIL, a group of companies delivering technology for the driving industry. Prior to this, Nicholas was Chief Operating Officer of CustomsClear, a Deloitte technology start-up. Between 2017 and 2020, Nicholas was the COO of a joint venture between BCG Digital and Tata Steel Europe, leading on commercialising a new online marketplace for the buying and selling of steel across Europe. And between 2012 and 2017, as COO of The Start-Up Loans Company, he grew a public funded lender from a small start-up to supporting more than 50,000 entrepreneurs to get their businesses off the ground. He is also a company founder, having started and sold his own technology business in 2008. In this interview, Nicholas shares his advice and strategies for scaling up operations through periods of growth and some of the key aspects COOs and operations leaders in particular may need to keep in mind as they lead the growth of operations processes, procedures and teams in a trust.
Can you share a bit about your background and experiences in operations leadership?
I’ve been running and growing businesses for the last 27 years and that’s been both small and large businesses; most businesses have had a technology slant to them, but it’s been cross industry, including financial services, manufacturing, online marketplaces and internet service providers, so a range of different industries in different contexts. More recently, I’ve shifted to a business centered around learning to drive, which adds another unique dimension to my background. This varied experience has given me a broad understanding of operational challenges and opportunities in different contexts and industries.
As Trustee for the Inspire Partnership Academy Trust, what attracted you to governance in education? How do you see cross-sector experience adding value to the education sector, particularly academy trusts?
I was drawn to governance in education because I wanted to apply my private sector experience in a way that allowed me to give back and contribute to a vital sector. Having worked in both government-funded and public sector businesses, I recognised the potential to bring some of the efficiencies and innovative approaches from the private sector into education. I saw that the lessons and strategies used in the private sector could be transformative in a not-for-profit, public sector environment, particularly in terms of thinking differently about operations and governance. For me, it was about offering a fresh perspective and helping to add value to the way academy trusts are managed and operated. The motivation has always been about giving back in a meaningful way.
“Having worked in both government-funded and public sector businesses, I recognised the potential to bring some of the efficiencies and innovative approaches from the private sector into education.”
