Thames Valley Annual School Heads, Senior and Business Leaders 2022 Conference and Exhibition

Abi Agidee-Adekunle MBA, FCCA, FISBL

Accountant & Education Business Consultant, Àshę Business Consulting Ltd Abi has over 25 years experience in accountancy, general management and finance. Abi's skillset also includes HR, IT. premises, project management and education Management. She began her career in banking as a member of the central Financial Control department where she streamlined and improved processes before moving on to become a money market trader. She became a chartered accountant during this period before relocating and successfully rebuilding her career in different sectors. Abi successfully project managed the opening of a few academy trusts including London Academy of Excellence Stratford. Abi has been an SRMA since the pilot in 2018. She also provides Interim CFO support to Schools, local authorities MATs.

Alex Atherton

Alex is an experienced headteacher, education consultant and leadership coach. He had two headships in large and diverse inner London schools and a further interim headship in alternative provision. Born in Yorkshire, his career started in Manchester in 1995 before moving to London in 2000 to take up a senior post. He worked as a headteacher from 2006 to 2018 and since then he has worked across a range of primary and secondary schools. He also supports leaders in sectors beyond education as a one-to-one coach and mentor, and long-term coaching programmes for leadership teams. His talks focus on empowering leaders and teams, including ensuring the success of Generation Z within organisations.

Dai Durbridge - Browne Jacobson LLP

Dai is based in Browne Jacobson’s Manchester office and heads up the firm’s education team in the North West. He advises schools, academies and colleges on frontline education matters, including school admissions and exclusions, parental complaints, disqualification from childcare settings and GDPR. He is also a leading expert on safeguarding in education, chairing and speaking at numerous national conferences and writing articles and providing comment for the sector and national press. From supporting schools with allegations made against staff, peer on peer abuse and student mental health issues, to serious case reviews and Ofsted inspections Dai has been on hand to help schools with the full range of safeguarding challenges.

Kev House, Art of Brilliance

In 2006, as an out of control, obese, heavy drinking Type 1 Diabetic, doctors gave Kev the ultimatum - to change or face the consequences. After reluctantly reading some of that ‘airy fairy positivity stuff’ he was shocked at the results when he put the ideas into practice! The benefits are incredible: more energy, improved mood and flourishing professionally. Kev is inspiring children and adults through keynote speaking and workshops to take control and manage their own minds, develop self-awareness, grit and most importantly, self-love! Kev’s history is a case study in positivity, goal-setting and personal responsibility.