Governance

AIE is guided by an experienced Advisory Board that helps shape our strategic direction, ensures our work stays grounded in classroom reality and strengthens our links with research, industry and policy.

Chair of the Advisory Board

Chair of the Advisory Board

Al Kingsley, MBE

Chair of the Advisory Board

Al Kingsley MBE is a bestselling author & speaker on all things Education and technology. He is Chair of a Multi-Academy Trust and has previously chaired Alternative provision, Specialist provision, and all-through Academies. In addition to being a 30-year EdTech CEO and sector veteran, Al also chairs his region’s SEND Board, sits on the Regional Schools Directors Advisory Board for the East of England and is Chair of the British Educational Suppliers Association EdTech Group. He’s a well-known face in EdTech around the world; author of bestselling "My Secret #EdTech Diary", "My School Governance Handbook", “My School & Multi Academy Trust Growth Guide”, plus his most recent book "The Awkward Questions in Education". Al writes and speaks internationally on the education landscape, including as a Forbes Technology Council Member. Al was awarded the honour of "Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE)" by His Majesty the King in his 2025 New Year's Honours list for services to education. He was also named a 2025 ISC Research "Edruptor" (International Education Influencer), 2025 Education Today "Outstanding Contribution" award and as Edufuturist of the Year for 2023. He continues to support schools, conferences and vendors with consulting and mentoring – as well as writing and speaking for the wider education community and advocating for broader system reform.

Al's LinkedIn

Advisory Board

Advisor

Angela O'Brien, OBE

Managing Director - Macdonald Associates Consultancy

Angela O'Brien OBE is the Managing Director - Macdonald Associates Consultancy (‘MAC’) and Systems Leadership Community Interest Company (‘SLCIC’), a global consultancy group helping leaders in the public sector and private organisations create the conditions where people willingly give of their best through the application of Systems Leadership Theory. Prior to this, Angela was the Director of Primary Education at the Spencer Academies Trust for 8 years where she transformed failing schools, built new schools and improved established ones. She developed a collaborative approach across the schools which resulted in significant improvements for pupils, a culture of innovation and development of new effective leaders. Many of the 18 primary schools in the Trust serve disadvantaged communities including Wyndham Primary Academy, an outstanding school which has been awarded EEF Research School status and is one of the 25 schools nationally across the UK that now works to support other schools. Angela took Wyndham from a bottom 200 school in the country to Outstanding in three years and through transforming the culture to one that places a shared vision and Systems Leadership at the heart of everything. Angela is an Associate Senior Leader at the UCL supporting educational leadership work and was awarded Mentor/Coach of the Year at the Women in Change awards 2024. She was a panel member of the new Implementation Guidance report developed by the EEF.

Angela's LinkedIn

Advisor

Bianca Farthing

Founder - AI Edify

Bianca Farthing is an educator, researcher and director working at the intersection of ethics, pedagogy and emerging technologies. She completed her MSc in Learning and Teaching at the University of Oxford, where she specialised in the responsible integration of generative AI in school environments. Bianca is now undertaking her PhD on the purpose of education in an algorithmic age. Bianca is the Founder of AI Edify, a consultancy focused on supporting schools and organisations to approach AI with clarity, responsibility and long-term sustainability. She is also the Director of ICAI (the Initiative for Conscious AI), a youth-centred non-profit that equips young people to design AI solutions for social good, and Director of Agenix Intelligence, which supports organisations in developing governance-first approaches to AI adoption. In addition, she serves as an expert reviewer for She Shapes AI, contributing to national and global conversations on equity, safety and ethical AI standards. Before her work in research, advisory roles and innovation, Bianca was a history teacher. This grounding in classroom practice continues to shape her approach: attentive to context, aware of constraints and committed to ensuring that technology strengthens rather than displaces the human relationships at the heart of education.

Bianca's LinkedIn

Advisor

Dan Fitzpatrick

The AI Educator

Dan Fitzpatrick is a leading voice in how education systems respond to Artificial Intelligence. Long before it became a global priority, he recognised its scale and urgency for schools and national systems and helped leaders move from uncertainty to confident, ethical action. He has advised governments, parliamentary bodies, regulators, awarding organisations, and education charities, shaping national guidance in the UK, Dubai, and Kazakhstan while consistently prioritising public interest, learner safety, and long term capability. Alongside this policy work, Dan supports education leaders worldwide to embed sustainable Artificial Intelligence strategies across governance, curriculum, assessment, and workforce development. Through bestselling books, weekly writing for Forbes, international keynote speaking, major media contributions including CNN, Sky News, BBC, and ITV, and initiatives such as the Edufuturists Awards and the Century Changemakers Student Awards, Dan ensures innovation reaches classrooms and communities as well as policy rooms.

Dan's LinkedIn

Advisor

Dr Keither Parker

Associate Head of School (Education) at York St John University

Dr Keither Parker is Associate Head of School (Education) in the School of Education, Language and Psychology at York St John University, where she holds strategic responsibility for the department of Initial Teacher Education. In this capacity, she collaborates with colleagues and school partners across the sector to design undergraduate and postgraduate programmes that equip student teachers for the ever-evolving landscape of education. This work has led to her engagement with AI in education and her commitment to working with the Institute of AI Education. Partnership development and public engagement are central to Keither's leadership role. She maintains active involvement in teacher education networks spanning local, regional, national and international spheres, and serves on several national bodies, including the Executive Committee of the Universities' Council for the Education of Teachers (UCET) and the Teacher Education Advisory Group (TEAG). She is a member of several Multi-Academy Trust Boards and a school governor. Keither's expertise in education has developed from her experience as both a teacher and school leader in state secondary schools across England, complemented by her work as a teacher educator in Australian higher education and through her roles at YSJ. This diverse professional background informs her commitment to social justice and equity in education, with research interests centred on teacher education and education policy. She is a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Keither's LinkedIn

Advisor

Dr Miri Firth

Senior Lecturer in Education, University of Manchester

Dr Miri Firth is a Senior Lecturer in Education at the University of Manchester with national expertise in employability education, flexible assessment, and curriculum design. While not a technical AI specialist, she has led and contributed to national research on the use of AI in universities, advised on institutional approaches to AI in assessment and learning, and supports education-focused technology start-ups in the practical application of AI tools. Miri’s work focuses on how emerging technologies intersect with employability, assessment design and student experience. As Academic Lead for Assessment within the University’s Flexible Learning Programme, she led a UK-wide, QAA-funded project on assessment optionality with York, UCL and Imperial, resulting in a national framework for flexible assessment. Through advisory roles with organisations including QAA, Kortext, Jisc, Advance HE and AGCAS, Miri brings a pragmatic, sector-informed perspective to AI in education, helping bridge policy, pedagogy and real-world graduate outcomes.

Miri's LinkedIn

Advisor

Laura Knight

Founder & CEO, Sapio Ltd

Laura Knight, Founder and CEO of Sapio Ltd, is a TechWomen100 Award Winner 2025 and an internationally recognised strategist in digital innovation and AI for education. She brings over two decades of teaching and leadership experience across both maintained and independent sectors. Laura helps schools, universities, and education organisations to design ambitious, responsible, and human-centred approaches to technology. She serves on advisory boards for The EdTech Evidence Board, Teachmate, the Good Future Foundation, and the Independent Schools Council. Her book, The Little Guide for Teachers on Generative AI (Sage), supports educators to explore purposeful, creative uses of AI in teaching and learning.

Laura's LinkedIn

Advisor

Professor Dan Franks

Professor of Data Science, University of York & Founder, Causa

Dan is a Professor of Data Science at the University of York and founder of Causa, a York-based company using causal AI and probabilistic models to allow organisations to make decisions with data. After 20 years in academia and a stint leading research at a unicorn startup, he now works at the intersection of science, technology, and business.

Dan's LinkedIn

Advisor

Professor Ross Renton

University Principal and Chief Executive, ARU Peterborough

Coming soon.

Ross' LinkedIn

Advisor

Sarah Cottinghatt

Research Lead at Steplab!

Sarah Cottinghatt is the Research Lead at Steplab. She is a former English teacher and experienced teacher educator. Sarah has an MA in Educational Neuroscience and is involved in research on effective professional development and cognitive science in schools. Sarah is the author of Ausubel's Meaningful Learning in Action and Coaching for Adaptive Expertise.

Sarah's LinkedIn

Advisor

Sean Connell

Co-Founder & CEO, halobase

Sean Connell is a founder, and investor working at the intersection of technology, education, and responsible AI. He is Group CEO of Super Assembly and founder of founder of halobase®, a governed AI platform designed to give organisations visibility, control, and accountability over AI use. He has extensive experience building and scaling teams, designing AI systems with clear oversight, and supporting educators, public bodies, and commercial organisations to adopt AI in a way that remains compliant, transparent, and human-centred.

Sean's LinkedIn

Advisor

Victoria Hedlund

The AI 'Bias Girl'

Victoria is known as 'The AI Bias Girl' for her research into AI bias and pedagogy. She focuses on raising bias awareness in education and creating practical mitigation strategies. Her aim is to ensure GenAI use leads to equitable pathways for all children. Her history spans teacher education, teaching, SEND, governance and climate physics. She's often found muttering about light bulbs.

Victoria's LinkedIn