Katholieke Universiteit, Nijmegen, The Netherlands

Mollerinstituut, Tilburg, The Netherlands

Bisschoppelijk College, Echt, The Netherlands

Global Director of Education at KidZania

London, England, United Kingdom

- Children can only aspire to what they know exists.” KidZania, where children aged 4 to 14 can experience the world of work through role-modelling and role-play, is designed to empower: “from inspiration to aspiration”. Since its inception in 1999 in Mexico City, KidZania now has a presence in 30 cities in 21 countries on 5 continents, with further developments in some 20 locations including Europe, USA, South Africa, Israel, China. Since 1999, KidZania globally has engaged with 90 million-plus children.

As part of the ever-evolving story that is KidZania and building on KidZania UK's successes, I am proud to have taken on the role of the first Global Director of Education and trail blazer for a new private sector way of collaborating across the worlds of education and entertainment and of thinking and working with children, families, schools, private, public and third sector partners. My global engagement focusses on fronting ‘Education KidZania’ by developing the global education strategy; innovation; shaping a global education advisory group or ‘Think-Tank’; education industry partnerships; conferences; publications, media; and on impact analysis, research and evaluation.

Strategic partnership development is an important aspect of my role and includes the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Council of Europe, WISE as part of the Qatar Foundation, Ashoka, Tecnológico de Monterrey, the National Research University and Skolkovo Business School Moscow, Oxford University, JA Worldwide, Dubai Futures Council, Government Equalities Office England, Teach for All, TutuDesk Campaign, as well as, in the commercial world, Hello Genius, LEGO, Go Bubble, Twin Science, Verofax, The Insights Family, BETT, EdCrunch, INCmty, Tarsus, BESA, TES Global, The Week Junior.

It is envisaged that over time my global deployment will increasingly involve working directly with individual KidZanias locally and regionally, including those under development.

KidZania

Global Director of Education

KidZania London is the United Kingdom’s first educational entertainment centre. Through its commercial partners, there are more than 60 real life professions children can learn about in a 75,000sq. ft. child-sized city, as part of KidZania’s experience-based approach to learning. Since opening in June 2015 KidZania London has engaged with some 1.2 million young visitors from across the United Kingdom.

As KidZania's first ever Director of Education, I have been responsible for developing and implementing the education and learning partnership strategies of KidZania UK, including partnerships with schools, Higher Education, government, commercial and third sectors; inclusion, the learning offer and project development such as ‘Careers Fairs’, ‘KidZania London Online’, ‘KidZtalk’, publications and media; the establishment of the KidZania UK education ‘Think-Tank’, 'Ambassador Schools'; quality assurance; accreditation; and independent evaluations by, amongst others, the University of Cambridge, Cass Business School and the University of Nottingham.

I was also charged to lead on the planning of the Longshot Kids Foundation (LSKF), a Charitable Incorporated Organisation aiming to widen horizons and raise aspirations of children, young people and their communities. The thinking behind the foundation was for “… today’s learner to become tomorrow’s leader …” by facilitating experiences and opportunities to children and young people in order for them to become agents of (their own) change.

KidZania London

Director of Education & Partnerships KidZania UK

The Children's University (CU) Trust was established in 2007 and CU Trading – its commercial counterpart - in 2013. I was both the Children’s University (CU) Trust’s and CU Trading’s founding Chief Executive.

The Children's University under my leadership became a multiple-award winning international charity providing 5 to 14 year olds with exciting, innovative learning opportunities - through its 'Passport To Learning' - outside the normal school day, including weekends and holidays. During my time as Chief Executive, the Children's University's internationalisation reached as far as Australia, China, Malaysia and Singapore with further developments planned. Achievement is celebrated and participation rewarded through partnerships with Higher and Further Education Institutions globally. In addition to provision for 5 to 14 year olds, a Children's University post-14 volunteering scheme was introduced by me in collaboration with the Duke of Edinburgh Award.

Successive independent evaluations by the University of Cambridge demonstrate that through Children's University participation significant differences to children's lives are achieved. The evaluations clearly identify and highlight my contribution in this.

Children's University (CU Trust & CU Trading)

Group Chief Executive

The Wythenshawe Education Action Zones were the only two statutory education action zones (EAZs) in the UK led by one Director in partnership with the private sector (Manchester Airport Group Plc), raising standards of attainment across all their 30 schools. I was both Wythenshawe EAZs' founding Director.

Wythenshawe Education Action Zones (WyEAZs)

Director

Salford Education Department was nationally instrumental in the successful development and implementation of the government's Excellence in Cities (EiC) programme and through this the raising of standards of attainment for children across 110-plus primary, special and secondary schools. As Senior Inspector I was responsible for school improvement - including as Ofsted Inspector - and for the development and implementation of Salford's EiC programme.

Salford City Council Education Department

Senior Inspector/Ofsted Inspector

Adviser for Modern Languages for Manchester City Council - introducing Modern Languages into primary schools. I was a Member of the government’s National Curriculum Working Group for Modern Foreign Languages and GCSE Chief Examiner with the Southern Examining Group.

Prof Dr Ger Graus OBE