Leadership Fellow, Society of Leadership Fellows

Mark has been CEO of The 5% Club since April 2021, having advised the organisation from August 2020. A former Royal Navy Commodore, he brings extensive Board-level HR expertise and leadership experience from across his military and third sector perspectives.

Mark began his 38-year military career as a Weapon Engineer, completing a 5-year Artificer Technical Apprenticeship before reading for an Engineering Degree. His global deployments spanned the Arctic Circle to the South Atlantic and included military operations in the Former Yugoslavia and Indian Ocean.

Focusing on Human Resources for the last 25 years, Mark has led initiatives in talent management, training, and recruitment, earning an OBE in 2017 for transforming Royal Navy Recruiting Operations. A Chartered Engineer, Chartered Manager, and Fellow of CIPD, Mark also holds an executive MBA and is a strong advocate of lifelong learning.

Fiona is CEO at Skills Federation, the voice of employer-led sector skills bodies and Non-Executive Director at Youth Futures Foundation, the What Works Centre for youth employment. She has more than 25 years’ experience of developing and implementing evidence-based policies and programmes across skills and employment.

Prior to her current role, Fiona was Head of Insights and Intelligence at West Midlands Combined Authority, where she led the development of its Employment and Skills Strategy and on negotiations for the employment, skills and careers elements of the WMCA trailblazer devolution deal. She was previously Director of Policy and Research at Learning and Work Institute.

Andrew Pakes is the Labour and Co-operative Member of Parliament for Peterborough, serving since the 2024 General Election. He is the Co-Chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group on Apprenticeships. Before entering Parliament, Andrew was the Deputy General Secretary of Prospect union representing a diverse membership across science, technology and engineering jobs. He is a former member of the OECD’s Expert Panel on AI and interested in digital technology, skills and the future of work.

Stephen has been chief executive since 2016, having spent two years previously as deputy chief executive. He joined from Working Links, where he led on policy, strategy and business development. Prior to this, he worked for the London Development Agency as director of employment and skills, commissioning programmes and leading the work of the London Skills and Employment Board; was chief economist at the Social Market Foundation; and spent six years as senior policy advisor in HM Treasury working on policy for skills, productivity and child poverty.

Emily has over 25 years’ experience as a Talent specialist, with over 12 years in Early Careers and Apprenticeships.  She was previously Head of Apprenticeships for Lloyds Banking Group and a Client Director at Capita Learning.  Emily joined the Association in 2020, taking on the role of CEO in 2022 and is dedicated to supporting apprentices to achieve the best outcomes. Emily also works as a Director for the St Martin’s Group, a membership organisation set up to provide support to policymakers as they seek to create a world-class apprenticeship and skills system for the UK.

Ben is passionate about skills and learning. Starting early in his career, Ben knows first-hand about the power of independent training providers in delivering vital outcomes for learners and employers alike. Ben was the founder of Arch Apprentices in 2012. Arch pioneered new apprenticeships and new delivery approaches as he helped Arch to grow to be one of the country’s biggest training providers. Arch was judged Outstanding by Ofsted in 2016.

Ben lived through the challenges that Independent Training Providers experience day to day, as well as the excitement and rewards that come from delivering real impacts. Ben also sat on the Department for Education’s Apprenticeship Stakeholder Board for five years and has insight and experience working with government at both the official and political levels.

Tyron is the Business Development Manager for NOCN in the London/South region working with colleges and providers to develop skills solutions for qualifications, End-Point Assessment and short courses across the construction, healthcare, engineering, education and green skills sectors. Tyron has worked in FE for 15 years, working at colleges and providers in teaching, assessing, compliance, management and leadership roles.

Olamalu were nationally highly commended in the SME Apprenticeship Employer of the Year Award at the National Apprenticeship and Skills Awards 2024. Kate has been the driving force behind Olamalu’s apprenticeship programme, which has seen over 50% of the team coming through the apprenticeship route.

Kate started her career with GE, working internationally as a finance manager, a quality leader and an IT implementation manager. After gaining a wealth of experience in using technology to solve business challenges, she and her business partner set up Olamalu to bring this expertise to local organisations. At the heart of the business approach is creating opportunities for young people to embark on IT careers.

Jane McCormick is an experienced Senior Leader within the Apprenticeship, Further Education and Work Based Learning sectors. After a full teaching career in FE, for the last five and half years she has been overseeing the quality and regulatory capability of BAE Systems’ multi-site apprenticeship provision. As a large, outstanding provider, BAE Systems delivers more than 60 Apprentice Standards. With c.4,000 apprentices studying a range of areas including Engineering , Manufacturing and Project Management to name a few, her specialisms include implementing quality and compliance standards, the quality of and mechanisms to improve learning, teaching and assessment, digital interventions, curriculum reviews, self-assessment, quality improvement plans and performance metrics, as part of a wider quality cycle.

Jagdeep Soor Executive Director Pathway Group leads the Multicultural Apprenticeship & Skills Alliance,  Multicultural Apprentice Network and the Apprenticeship Branding Conference. His primary focus is increasing Accessibility of Opportunity and Advancing Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Mobility for marginalised groups in Apprenticeships & Skills. He has over 25 years’ experience in the employment support sector leading mainstream contracts across the United Kingdom.

Scott is a filmmaker at Eight Engines, where he works with the team to produce cinematic, impactful films for clients such as Sony, IHG, and BBC. After beginning his career as an actor and then as singer-songwriter, Scott transitioned into marketing and video production through an apprenticeship with The Juice Academy. A strong advocate for apprenticeships, Scott is passionate about helping others find their calling and has delivered his “Finding Your Purpose” keynote at universities and colleges across Manchester. In 2023, Scott was awarded National Apprentice of the Year.

Bilal Arshad is a mechanical engineer at Cundall and works in the built environment. Bilal is also a multi-award winning degree Apprentice and in his fourth year at Coventry university. Some of Bilal’s awards include ‘Education Winner’ at Chartered Institute of Building Services Engineers, highly commended for ‘Student of the Year’ at G4C and winner of ‘Apprentice of the Year’ at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards. In his spare time, Bilal plays cricket, previously playing for Worcestershire and Herefordshire, whilst having a scholarship at university. Recently Bilal has been a panellist at UK construction week and guest speaker at Aston university graduation.

Ammara is currently in the third year of a degree apprenticeship in Data Science with Northeastern University London, working at the Bank of England in Data Analytics Transformation. In 2024, she was honoured with the Apprentice of the Year Award in Charity and Public Services at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards, recognizing her contributions to voluntary charity work and public services.

Having lived in and migrated across three different countries, Ammara has developed a highly adaptable and global perspective, which she brings to her studies and professional work. Outside of her academic and professional pursuits, she enjoys spending time with family, writing, and learning new languages. She currently speaks four languages, with her fifth language being in progress, all of which have been influenced by her international experiences.

In her spare time, Ammara also teaches Arabic and Islamic Studies to students and has recently completed a diploma in the subject.

Josephine Ijegbai is a Solicitor Apprentice at Leigh Day, a leading international human rights law firm. As a British-Nigerian and neurodivergent young woman, her journey to law has been shaped by resilience in overcoming significant challenges, including mental health struggles during her initial university experience.

Discovering the solicitor apprenticeship route in 2019 reignited her ambition, offering skills development, collaboration and financial stability. At Leigh Day, Josephine has excelled in various legal disciplines, contributing to impactful cases such as equal pay claims and international human rights abuses.

Recognised for her dedication, she won the Apprentice of the Year Award in Management, Legal and Professional Services at the Multicultural Apprenticeship Awards 2024. Beyond her legal work, Josephine mentors aspiring legal professionals, co- founded the University of Law’s first Legal Apprentice Society, and delivers a weekly video podcast for degree apprentices on YouTube and Spotify called Apprenticeish The Podcast.

Lindsay has been a passionate advocate of apprenticeships throughout her 20 year career in the sector. Her journey, which began as an apprentice, led to Lindsay conducting a broad range of roles within independent learning providers, with her expertise in quality, curriculum, and employer solutions.

Throughout her time in the sector Lindsay has worked closely on the apprenticeship reforms and has led on the development of Higher Apprenticeships and the creation of apprenticeship standards and end point assessments. Prior to joining UCAS, Lindsay was at the head of an Ofsted outstanding training provider.

In her current role, as a member of the UCAS leadership team, Lindsay is on a mission to bridge the gap between traditional undergraduate pathways and apprenticeships, as well as technical education. She is dedicated to establishing parity of choice and unlocking the full potential of apprenticeships as a valuable educational route.

Lindsay’s commitment to education extends beyond her professional commitments and outside of work she is a lead safeguarding governor at a school for young people aged 4 – 19 with special educational needs. She also volunteers her time to provide specialist career advice to students at local secondary schools.

Leadership Fellow, Society of Leadership Fellows

Mark has been CEO of The 5% Club since April 2021, having advised the organisation from August 2020. A former Royal Navy Commodore, he brings extensive Board-level HR expertise and leadership experience from across his military and third sector perspectives.

Mark began his 38-year military career as a Weapon Engineer, completing a 5-year Artificer Technical Apprenticeship before reading for an Engineering Degree. His global deployments spanned the Arctic Circle to the South Atlantic and included military operations in the Former Yugoslavia and Indian Ocean.

Focusing on Human Resources for the last 25 years, Mark has led initiatives in talent management, training, and recruitment, earning an OBE in 2017 for transforming Royal Navy Recruiting Operations. A Chartered Engineer, Chartered Manager, and Fellow of CIPD, Mark also holds an executive MBA and is a strong advocate of lifelong learning.