Board of Directors
Click on a director below to find out more about them.
Click on a director below to find out more about them.
Chair
Peter is chair of FutureDotNow, a coalition of UK businesses committed to boosting the digital skills of the UK. He is also a founder patron of OnSide Youth Zones as well as the inaugural chair of the Association of Apprentices. He was Lord Mayor of the City of London in 2018/19 and is currently an independent director of Rothschild & Co, in addition to holding various non-executive appointments including being a trustee of Morden College, Trust for London and Bridewell Royal Hospital. He spent his 35-year career in finance and banking in London, New York, Hong Kong and Singapore.
Vice Chair
Jason is an accomplished business leader, author of the Holt Review and a respected educationalist. He has been at the heart of Government reforms of the apprenticeship system for the past 10 years having chaired several Government Boards, most recently the Apprenticeship Ambassador Network which helps employers and apprentices connect. Jason was awarded a CBE in the 2015 New Year’s Honours for his services to apprenticeships.
Director
Rebecca stands out as a visionary Early Careers Leader, celebrated for her pioneering efforts in advancing STEM-based hiring, social mobility, diversity, and innovation within talent acquisition. Her accolades include recognition as one of the “Top 5 Most Innovative Women in Recruitment,” underscoring her commitment to pushing boundaries through disruptive thought leadership. With notable achievements in leading student recruitment at EY and currently serving as a strategic advisor for Tazio, a prominent early careers assessment company, Rebecca has a proven track record of spearheading transformative initiatives across complex global businesses. Her passion for youth engagement, diversity, and disruptive innovation is evident in her strategic approach, blending visionary insight with operational excellence to consistently deliver market-leading candidate experience. She has multi award winning background, removing barriers for diverse talent and digital innovation across youth recruitment.
Director
Matthew Jeffery is an internationally recognised AI workforce transformation, talent strategy and employer branding leader with more than 25 years’ experience helping global organisations build the workforce capabilities that drive growth and competitive advantage. Having held senior leadership roles at EY, SAP, Bayer, Autodesk and Electronic Arts, he has advised Boards, CEOs and CHROs on Artificial Intelligence, workforce transformation and the future of work. An inductee of the Recruiter Hall of Fame and twice named Recruitment Leader of the Year, Matthew is also the author of The Key to Talent and a sought-after keynote speaker whose work is helping organisations harness AI, transform talent and build the high-performing workforces of tomorrow.
Director
Bio coming soon!
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Director
Jessica is a Commissioner for the Social Mobility Commission, an independent, arms-length body of the Cabinet Office, which monitors and advocates for social mobility and provides advice to ministers; in this role she advocates specifically for apprenticeships and social mobility. She is a creative host for Apprentice Nation, creating and delivering webinars to young people. She is also a student at Brunel University studying Global Challenges. Jessica completed a production apprenticeship at the BBC in 2017 and since has worked for BBC Earth Kids as a presenter.
Director
Charles is Co-Founder of Blenheim Chalcot, the UK’s largest venture builder, specialising in building digital businesses that transform industries. He is a trustee of Onside Youth Zones, a charity providing state-of-the-art youth centres in deprived areas of the country, and chair of Onside in London, where they are rolling out 4 Youth Zones in the capital. Charles is also a trustee of the Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, MHI (Mental Health Innovations) and Charity Digital Trust.
Director
Tash Tustin is a Management Consultant at AtkinsRéalis and a former degree apprentice. She graduated with First Class Honours in Project Management and is a Chartered Management Consultant (ChMC). Tash specialises in business change, transformation, and programme delivery, while also mentoring and supporting early-career professionals.
For Tash, joining the AoA Board is an opportunity to give back to a community that played a significant role in her own development. Through this role, she hopes to champion apprentices, drive positive change, and create opportunities for the next generation to thrive.
Jan is the CEO of Occupational Awards Limited, a Director of the National Skills Academy for Food and Drink and an FE College Governor. She has over 35 years’ experience in the education sector in strategic and operational management of training programmes with colleges, private training providers, local authorities the voluntary sector and not for profit organisations. Jan has previously been a board member of the Learning and Skills Council, chair of the North Yorkshire Training Provider network and Vice-Chair of Yorkshire Coast College and a Governor of the Grimsby Institute for Further and Higher Education. She has extensive experience of education policy, apprenticeships, qualification, and curriculum development as well as business improvement.
Jan joined OAL in 2019, a leading non-profit industry-focused Awarding and End-Point Assessment Organisation, supporting a wide range of employers and of key stakeholders to succeed and surpass expectations. Jan is committed to continuous improvement and enthusiastic about improving the effectiveness, impact and quality of apprenticeships, education, and training in the UK and internationally. She has a wide range of experience of working in a collaborative context with employers and training providers to develop End Point Assessment, apprenticeships, and a wide range of vocational programmes.
