Minister of State for Schools and 14-19 Learners
Jim was elected MP for Dorset South in June 2001. He served as Parliamentary Private Secretary to Rosie Winterton at the Department of Health between 2003 and 2004, before going on to serve as PPS to the Department of Health's ministerial team.
Jim, 40, was educated at Cambridge. Before entering Parliament, he managed a publishing company, based in the West Country, for 10 years. Prior to that, Jim Knight managed arts venues and worked for a small-scale travelling theatre company. Jim Knight is married with two children.
Chief Executive, NCSL
As NCSL's Chief Executive, Steve's role is to set the College's strategic direction. He was formerly Director of Education and Lifelong Learning at Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council, where his work was widely commended. Steve began his career as a secondary school teacher in Birmingham, later moving to the north east of England, where he worked as a teacher and then as a lecturer. In 1987, he became a consultant on assessment and records of achievement working for the nine north east local authorities, before taking up a post at Oldham Borough Council in 1989 as an inspector within the education department. In Oldham, he went on to manage the Advisory Service before moving to Blackburn with Darwen as Assistant Director in 1997. From 2000 to March 2005, he was Director of Education and Lifelong Learning in Knowsley.
Director, Olivier Mythodrama Associates
Richard has been a leading theatre director for over ten years, and directed Henry V for the opening of Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London in 1997. He has worked extensively in the fields of organisational and personal development. His work today is at the leading edge of bringing the world of theatre and the arts into the development of authentic leaders.
Using power and influence effectively is a key attribute of the wise leader. Some people avoid politics on principle, others use it to further selfish ambition – the wise leader learns how to balance politics with integrity in order to get things done.
We examine how to build and mobilise a successful coalition, how to identify the sources of power for us and against us and how to best influence others.
Drawing lessons from four diverse leaders - Caesar, Brutus, Cassius and Mark Anthony - in Shakespeare's political masterpiece, Julius Caesar, we explore the nature of politics, and help delegates to operate effectively within organisational power structures.
Secretary of State for Education and Skills
Alan has had a long career as a government minister. He was previously the Secretary of State at the Department of Trade and Industry and, before that, Secretary of State at the Department of Work and Pensions. Earlier, he held the posts of Minister of State for Lifelong Learning, Further and Higher Education and, at the Department of Trade and Industry, Minister of State for Employment Relations and Regions and Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Competitiveness.
Alan Johnson was born in 1950 and was educated at Sloane Grammar School, Chelsea. He became a postman in 1968, and joined the Union of Communication Workers at the same time.
Since 1976 he has held a number of posts representing employees and was elected to the National Executive Council in 1981. He became General Secretary in 1992 and was Joint General Secretary of the CWU from 1995 to 1997.
Estelle Morris started her career as a teacher in 1974 at Sidney Stringer School and Community College, Coventry. She was elected as a member of Warwick District Council in 1979 and led the Labour Group for seven years. In 1992 she was elected as MP for Birmingham Yardley and in 1994 was appointed as Opposition Spokesperson for Education and Employment. After Labour's 1997 election victory, Estelle Morris became Parliamentary Under-Secretary in the Department for Education and Employment and in 1998 she became the Minister for School Standards.
In 2001 she was appointed to the post of Secretary of State for the newly created Department for Education and Skills. Ms Morris resigned from this post in 2002 but returned to the front bench eight months later as Minister in the Department of Culture, Media and Sport.
Estelle Morris became the Pro Vice-Chancellor of Sunderland University in 2005 and chairs the Childrens Workforce Development Council. She serves on a number of charitable bodies connected to both education and the arts.
Former Director General of the BBC
Greg Dyke was Director General of the BBC from January 2000 to January 2004. At the beginning of his tenure he famously promised to "cut the crap" at the corporation. The "crap" he referred to was the complex internal market at the BBC that, it is claimed, took employees away from making programmes and made them into managers. He reversed this trend and in doing so he reduced administration costs dramatically – from 24 per cent of total income to 15 per cent.
In 2004 he was formally appointed by the University of York as its new Chancellor. In this role, he is the honorific and ceremonial head of the University, as well as heading the University Development Board. In July 2004 Dyke was awarded honorary doctorates from the University of Sunderland and Middlesex University.
He speaks in detail about his leadership methods and how at the BBC he successfully improved programming, reduced costs and increased the cultural diversity of the BBC's work force.
Director, Centre for Strategic Thinking
As well as being a member of the governing council of the National College for School Leadership, Tony is Executive Director of the Incorporated Association of Registered Teachers of Victoria (IARTV) and Director of the Centre for Strategic Educational Thinking (CSET), Melbourne.
Tony's consultancy work at school, state, national and international levels focuses on strategic thinking and facilitation for government bodies, education agencies, think tanks, and school boards and leadership teams. It encompasses the areas of school leadership, school improvement, teacher professionalism, and curriculum and assessment policy.
Tony is also:
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