Best Startup
At Best Startup UK we track over 130,000 UK startups and over 500,000 people who hold key positions in these companies. We use this directory of startups to highlight top employees, founders and board members we think deserve more appreciation than they are currently getting.
This list showcases the top United Kingdom based Managing Director operating in the Education space. If you think a Managing Director is missing from this list, feel free to contact our editor on editor@beststartup.co.uk.
The individuals on this list have been included because of exceptional performance in one of the following categories:
- Innovation – Operating as a key part in an extremely innovative business or startup.
- Growth – Operating as a key figure in the growth and upscale of a market leading business or startup.
- Management – Showing exceptional management skills.
- Societal impact – Putting their business on the map for their positive societal or environmental impact.
Our Data – We source our data from OSINT (open source intelligence) and public directories such as Companies House UK, Crunchbase, SemRush and many more. The data from these sources should be treated with a degree of caution and verified yourself.
Stefan Wisbauer
CEO, President, CFO, and Managing Director of Lecturio
Stefan Wisbauer is the Managing Director of U.K. Preventive Medicine and the Founder and Managing Director of iHealth, a leading UK executive prevention provider. With a decade of experience in healthcare, Stefan previously worked at the World Bank and McKinsey & Co, where he advised health insurance, medical devices and biotech companies. Stefan also worked as a consultant to the National Health Service and with private healthcare operators on Public Private Partnerships and on establishing innovative approaches to care delivery. Previous to founding iHealth, Stefan helped build CircleHealth, which build next generation private hospitals in the U.K. based on a Kaiser Permanente style model, in which clinicians are co-owners in the business. Prior to that, Stefan was Bid Manager for Nations Healthcare, which won the largest share – valued at more than £400 — of the first wave of private day surgery contracts to treat NHS patients issued by the British government under Tony Blair’s leadership. Stefan also serves on the board of the Center for NonViolent Communication, a global charity promoting innovative solutions to trauma, conflict, restorative justice and communication. Stefan holds a Master in Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School, Diploma in Mathematics from University of Bonn and a ‘Part III’ in Mathematics from Cambridge University.
Follow Stefan Wisbauer:
About iHealth, Lecturio: The Next Generation Learning Platform for Medicine
_______
Rob Lowe
Managing Director – Digital Play, LEGO Ventures of The LEGO Group
Rob Lowe is responsible for the global strategy, development and day-to-day running of LEGO® Life, the new creative, social and safe digital experience for LEGO kids. He has been at the LEGO Group for three years, prior to that he has worked in marketing and product development leadership roles at Nintendo and BBC Worldwide.
Follow Rob Lowe:
About LEGO Ventures, The LEGO Group: The LEGO Group is a family-owned company that specializes in the development of children’s creativity through playing and learning.
James Grant
Co-Founder & Managing Director of MyTutor
James is a driven, passionate and ambitious entrepreneur, with experience in sales, leadership, strategy, product, digital marketing and fundraising. He started a fledgling events business at 15, which grew to a team of 30, catering for over 1,200 weekly guests. After completing a Philosophy degree at University of Birmingham, James worked for Barclays Wealth, in the Chief of Staff Team, within the Office of the Chief Executive, helping to set the Division’s strategic agenda and taking responsibility for the implementation of sponsored projects. James is a co-founder of MyTutor, creating a new world of one-to-one tuition. The team are unwaveringly focused on their mission to give every student access to 1-1 support. The platform provides live, online one-to-one lessons, delivered by bright, inspiring undergraduates studying at the UK’s leading universities – their secondary aim is to become the leading provider of work to these students. MyTutor uses AI-driven matching algorithms to ensure perfect student-tutor matches and every lesson is taught in an interactive online learning space, which facilitates live video and audio chat, document editing, file sharing and lesson recording. The company’s proudest achievement has been helping 92% of their pupils in 2016 hit or exceed their grade targets. James enjoys public speaking and has presented at a number of education and business events. His other interests include sport (football, rugby, athletics), music (blues & hip hop), travelling, reading and all things startup. He has won a number of awards over the past few years, including Unltd’s ‘Do it’, Mercia’s ‘The Pitch’, O2 ‘Think Bigger’ and Santander’s ‘Spark’.
Follow James Grant:
About MyTutor: MyTutor offers affordable 1-to-1 tutorials online by connecting tutors from the UK’s best unis with pupils at home and in schools
Sheena Barclay
Managing Director, Collins Geo & Deputy Managing Director, Collins Learning of HarperCollins
Sheena runs the cartographic and geo information division of HarperCollins Publishers, overseeing Collins Geo and Collins Bartholomew Ltd, and is now also Deputy MD of the combined Collins Learning division. She received BSc (Hons) Geography from the University of Edinburgh, followed by an MBA from the University of Glasgow and was awarded the RSGS Digital Award in 2004 for outstanding achievement in the field of cartography. She has a wealth of experience in the cartographic field, working first as an editor, then Cartographic and Technical Director before being promoted to run the cartographic business within HarperCollins in 2008.
Follow Sheena Barclay:
About HarperCollins: HarperCollins is an English language publisher that offers a range of Bibles, atlases, dictionaries, and reissued classics.
Stuart Martin
Managing Director of QA Ltd
Stuart has been with QA since 2000, having previously worked in the training and online education space for IBM and then Ten-TV. Stuart joined QA in the role of Account Manager and went on to become Sales Director of the Learning division in 2005 – where he led the sales organisation through the successful mergers with Interquad, Xpertise and Remarc. Stuart has been at the helm of the Learning division for the last 10 years, responsible for the strategy and development of the sales, marketing and delivery functions to enhance relationships with customers and partners. 2018 saw Stuart step across to lead QA Consulting, focusing on enablement programmes that help customers become self-sufficient in the development and support of their technologies.
Follow Stuart Martin:
About QA Ltd: QA is the UK’s leading training company, providing the complete range of training, talent development and learning services.
Ben Pike
Managing Director of QA Ltd
Follow Ben Pike:
About QA Ltd: QA is the UK’s leading training company, providing the complete range of training, talent development and learning services.
Julie Noone
Managing Director – QA Higher Education of QA Ltd
Follow Julie Noone:
About QA Ltd: QA is the UK’s leading training company, providing the complete range of training, talent development and learning services.
Marcella Collins
Managing Director UK of Hotcourses Group
Marcella joined the Hotcourses Group in 2009 and now leads the Higher Education and Adult Learning divisions. She works across teams to deliver a strategy that ensures the very best experience and outcomes for our users and partners.
Follow Marcella Collins:
About Hotcourses Group, Prompt Marketing: Hotcourses Group operates a program search Website.
Richard Taylor
Managing Director of Media Taylor
Education/edtech entrepreneur and investor
Follow Richard Taylor:
About Media Taylor: We are a specialist media company focusing on the education and edtech markets.
David Philipps
Managing Director of Construct
David Philipps is the CEO of Construct, a global digital learning company, where he manages the company’s fast-growing business and leads a growing team across the U.S., U.K, Middle East and South Africa. He is responsible for leading the day to day operational delivery, the commercial engagements, investor relations and for driving the culture of high performance across the company in addition to agreeing the strategic direction of the company with the board.
David was previously CFO of Bank of America EMEA Emerging Markets (CEEMEA) which he developed in to a world class finance team. A seasoned executive with a background in both consulting and finance, David excelled at organising and driving large scale strategic programmes across Bank of Americas international finance space, creating commercial insights, efficiencies, control enhancements and improved people engagement. David was well respected by both his team and the Bank of America finance leadership for his high energy levels, natural enthusiasm and his results orientated pragmatic approach to bringing clarity and organisation to complex situations. He was promoted to CFO of the CEEMEA group after demonstrating a strong track record of performance leading the EMEA Finance Control Group through the aftermath of the 2008 financial crash.
Before joining Bank of America, David spent 5 years consulting within the Finance and Performance Management Global Service Line at Accenture, running multiple successful projects in the UK, Europe and Asia. David qualified as an accountant and corporate treasurer at telecoms company Global Marine Systems Ltd in 2003 before joining Accenture.
David is a passionate endurance athlete having completed swims across the English channel and straits of Gibraltar. He is currently working towards the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc and enjoying supporting his daughters with their own swimming and running endeavours.
Follow David Philipps:
About Construct: Construct helps organizations with learners, like schools and employers, create beautiful, cutting edge digital learning experiences.
Deshini Newman
Managing Director – EMEA of (ISC)2
As Managing Director for EMEA, Deshini Newman leads the (ISC)² team across the region. Her responsibilities include developing and implementing strategy for the EMEA region and supporting the (ISC)² global vision and mission. Before Joining (ISC)2, Deshini held several education leadership roles, at Edexcel International, Pearson Group, and most recently Cambridge Assessment English, where she held positions as Global Manager of Strategy, Assistant Director, Global Business Development and Global Head of Higher Education and Adult Sector. Cambridge Assessment English has provided English language assessments and qualifications since 1913, and is part of Cambridge Assessment Group, Cambridge University (UK).
Follow Deshini Newman:
About (ISC)2: (ISC)2 is the official organization that maintains and administers the CISSP certification exam.
Jason Gould
Managing Director of Education Company
Follow Jason Gould:
About Education Company: The Education Company is the UK’s leading provider of education data and marketing services.
Ali Moinuddin
Managing Director Europe of The Uptime Institute
Entrepreneurial and strategic CMO with SaaS experience. Strong track records of building high-performance revenue oriented marketing groups. Strong record of building new business for start-ups and supporting turnarounds and delivering growth from companies that are pre-revenue to $350M in fun, exciting and results-driven way. – COMMERCIAL ORIENTATION, HIGH-PERFORMANCE TEAMS, REVENUE GROWTH – Exceptionally skilled at finding and nurturing talent people who to deliver on revenue and strategic goals. Proven experience in recruiting and managing international teams that punch well above their weight. Amplifying brands and building corporate and marketing cultures that can deliver sustained growth. -CORPORATE & INTERNAL COMMUNICATIONS, BRANDING, POSITIONING, GLOBAL AR, PR AND PRODUCT MKT- I am a prolific producer of thought leadership content and build media and analyst programmes to amplify reach and impact. -MKT AND SALES TECHNOLOGY ARCHITECTURE, ORGANIZATIONAL & DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION & PERFORMANCE OPTIMISATION- Defining, building and iterating systems & processes in optimize conversion. Working with CIO/IT groups to support analytics-based decision-making and to apply new innovations across customer interaction points. -DEMAND GENERATION, DIGITAL MKT, GROWTH HACKING, SALES ENABLEMENT & GLOBAL MKT PROGRAMMES- Focus on the digital transformation of MKT function. Tooling and restructuring direct and channel marketing and sale organizations to maximize ROI on programme spend. Building technology and channel partner relationships to deliver revenue growth. -CUSTOMER SATISFACTION & REFERENCE PROGRAMMES, USER GROUPS STRATEGIC ADVISORY BOARDS & CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE- Leading cross-functional teams to drive CS and benchmark and improve customer journeys and experience across all interaction points. -FUND RAISING, VENTURE CAPITAL, M&A, IPO, INVESTOR RELATIONS- Building investment cases for between $36M and $250M targeting debt and equity partners. Prior to joining Workshare Ali was CMO at SkyDox: Director of Marketing Interxion (NYSE:INXN), Director of Marketing EMEA for SPL WorldGroup (now a part of Oracle (NYSE:ORCL), Marketing Manager EMEA and Asia-Pacific at Kana (NASDAQ: KANA).
Follow Ali Moinuddin:
About The Uptime Institute: Uptime Institute is focused on improving the performance, efficiency, and reliability of business critical infrastructure.
Richard Millington
Founder & Managing Director of FeverBee
Richard Millington has spent the past decade helping 250+ companies develop some of the world’s largest online communities. Richard is the founder of FeverBee, an international community consultancy, and the author of Buzzing Communities. Richard’s clients have included Google, Facebook, Oracle, Wikipedia, EMC, Greenpeace, and many more. Prior to FeverBee, Richard interned with Seth Godin in New York.
Follow Richard Millington:
About FeverBee: FeverBee provides consultancy, training, and technology to help you build your community.
Aaron Powell
Managing Director, UCAS International of UCAS
Follow Aaron Powell:
About UCAS: UCAS At the heart of connecting people to higher education.
Daniel Watts
Founder & Managing Director of Aluminati Network Group
Daniel leads the Aluminati team and has overall responsibility for defining the company’s technical and business strategies and with his deep sector knowledge he leads product innovation. Daniel founded the company in 2002 when he graduated from Oxford with an honours degree in Computation. An expert in online engagement, Daniel is regularly invited to speak at industry conferences and is in regular attendance at multiple CASE events per year. In his spare time Daniel enjoys the physical and mental challenges of basketball and has also coached the Darwin College ladies team to Cambridge championship titles for 4 consecutive years.
Follow Daniel Watts:
About Aluminati Network Group: Aluminati Network Group provide online services and platforms to unite alumni, student and member networks.
Ripul Agarwal
Managing Director – Marketing and Digital Sales of Agrawal Group of Publications
Follow Ripul Agarwal:
About Agrawal Group of Publications, Snip And Share: Agrawal Group of Publications is a publishing company that produces books for students.
Rollo Carpenter
Managing Director of Existor
Rollo Carpenter is Managing Director at Existor.
Follow Rollo Carpenter:
About Existor: Existor is a London-based company, creating conversational Artificial Intelligence software for business, education, and entertainment.
Larysa Melnychuk
Managing Director of FP&A Trends
Larysa Melnychuk is a founder and managing director of FP&A Trends Group. FP&A Trends helps companies to realise their innovative FP&A potential through training, consulting, professional networking and debating. Larysa is an experienced FP&A practitioner and held senior FP&A positions at Invensys plc, Ace Group, Key Bank and HSBC Bank before setting up the International FP&A Board in 2013 – a global and well-recognized FP&A best practices think-tank. Since then, she has been running the Board that has successfully expanded into 11 countries in Europe, the Middle East, the USA, Asia and Australia.
Follow Larysa Melnychuk:
About FP&A Trends: FP&A Trends Group is a global UK-based consultancy that helps organisations.
Daniel Britton
Co-Founder & Managing Director of Financial Fairy Tales
Daniel spent his early career in banking and financial services before 12 years as a teacher and school leader. Recently he has specialised as an education consultant, writer and speaker on money matters. In 2013 he was awarded National Enterprise Tutor of the Year by The Peter Jones Foundation. At the Financial Fairy Tales we have a passion for empowering young people to develop their self esteem, raise their aspirations and gain awareness of their unlimited potential. Key lesson which are all too often missing from many schools.
Follow Daniel Britton:
About Financial Fairy Tales: Financial Fairy Tales empowers children through financial literacy, enterprise awareness, and personal development solutions.
Jasper Kain
Managing Director of Football Beyond Borders (FBB)
Jasper Kain and Jack Reynolds founded Football Beyond Borders in 2013, since which Jasper has been serving as its managing director.
Follow Jasper Kain:
About Football Beyond Borders (FBB): Football Beyond Borders an education and social inclusion charity that uses young people’s passion for football to educate .
Jack Reynolds
Managing Director of Football Beyond Borders (FBB)
Jack Reynolds and Jasper Kain founded Football Beyond Borders in 2013, since which Jack has been serving as its managing director.
Follow Jack Reynolds:
About Football Beyond Borders (FBB): Football Beyond Borders an education and social inclusion charity that uses young people’s passion for football to educate .
Colin Gray
Managing Director and Founder of The Podcast Host ltd.
Follow Colin Gray:
About The Podcast Host ltd.: The Podcast Host aims to help any business get their word, their personality & their brand out to a larger audience, all through podcasting.
Paul McKay
Joint Owner and Managing Director of Logicearth Learning Services
Follow Paul McKay:
About Logicearth Learning Services: Logicearth Learning Services provides support services for learning and development (L&D) professionals.
Peter Carlin
Joint Managing Director of Logicearth Learning Services
Follow Peter Carlin:
About Logicearth Learning Services: Logicearth Learning Services provides support services for learning and development (L&D) professionals.
Graham Charsley
Managing Director, People and Organisation of Action for Children
Graham Charsley is Managing Director, People and Organisation at Graham Charsley.
Follow Graham Charsley:
About Action for Children: Action for Children is committed to help vulnerable and neglected children and young people as well as their families throughout the U.K.
Jan Leightley
Managing Director, Operations of Action for Children
Jan Leightley is Managing Director, Operations at Action for Children.
Follow Jan Leightley:
About Action for Children: Action for Children is committed to help vulnerable and neglected children and young people as well as their families throughout the U.K.
Dr Liz Durden-Myers
CEO / Managing Director of PE Scholar
Education Consultant, Physical Educator and International Speaker. Co-Founder & Managing Director at Scholary Ltd and PE Scholar Ltd. Senior Lecturer in Physical Education at Bath Spa University, UK and University of Gloucestershire, UK. Chair of the International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA).
Follow Dr Liz Durden-Myers:
About PE Scholar: PE Scholar is an international publisher of high quality physical education resources, curated research, and sector-wide insight.
Kim Herbert
Managing Director of Happy Days
Follow Kim Herbert:
About Happy Days: Happy Days is a UK-based nursery catering for children between three months and five years of age.
David Watts
Managing Director of CCD Design & Ergonomics
David Watts is Managing Director of CCD Design & Ergonomics. CCD is a leading human behaviour and design practice. It specialises in applying the science of human factors and ergonomics to the design process. It has been working in the ergonomic design of control centres for nearly 40 years. We also work across workspace design, wayfinding design, experience design as well as consulting on human factors problems. In 20 years of professional practice, David has run CCD’s input to a wide range of control room projects for clients including Network Rail, ITER, the emergency services, Thames Water, Abu Dhabi Distribution Company and the Government of Georgia.
Follow David Watts:
About CCD Design & Ergonomics: CCD Design & Ergonomics have delivered human factors, wayfinding and workspace design projects across the world.
Etan Ilfeld
Owner and Managing Director of Watkins Books
Etan Ilfeld works as Director at Tenderpixel. He is a owner of Watkins Media.
Follow Etan Ilfeld:
About Watkins Books: Watkins Books is one of the oldest and independent bookshops.
Phil Blewitt
Managing Director of NETA Training Centre
Phil Blewitt is the managing director at NETA Training Group. Prior to joining NETA Training, Phil served as the senior vice president of business development at Site Group International Limited. Before that, he has held various executive positions at Petrofac Training Services.
Follow Phil Blewitt:
About NETA Training Centre: NETA Training is a vocational training provider that delivers a wide range of commercially and Government funded engineering training.
Phil Blewitt
Managing Director of NETA Training Centre
Phil Blewitt is the managing director at NETA Training Group. Prior to joining NETA Training, Phil served as the senior vice president of business development at Site Group International Limited. Before that, he has held various executive positions at Petrofac Training Services.
Follow Phil Blewitt:
About NETA Training Centre: NETA Training is a vocational training provider that delivers a wide range of commercially and Government funded engineering training.
Ami Davies
Managing Director of Brand Ami
Follow Ami Davies:
About Brand Ami: A dynamic and forward thinking business, using breakthrough technology to develop a portfolio of location based Bluetooth solutions.
Jackie Lightfoot
Managing Director, Research-led Designer of Studio93Limited
Follow Jackie Lightfoot:
About Studio93Limited: Studio93Limited is transforming children’s education through research, design and ergonomics.
Ed Henderson
Founder / Managing Director of Uni2
Follow Ed Henderson:
About Uni2: Uni2 is the fastest growing student company in the UK.
Ed Henderson
Founder / Managing Director of Uni2
Follow Ed Henderson:
About Uni2: Uni2 is the fastest growing student company in the UK.
Nathan Pitman
Managing Director of iHASCO
Follow Nathan Pitman:
About iHASCO: iHASCO provides and integrated Health & Safety, HR and Business compliance training platform for SMBs.
Nathan Pitman
Managing Director of iHASCO
Follow Nathan Pitman:
About iHASCO: iHASCO provides and integrated Health & Safety, HR and Business compliance training platform for SMBs.
Darryl Mydat
Managing Director of TLTP Education
Follow Darryl Mydat:
About TLTP Education: Education and Medical Recruitment Specialists
Paul Maidement
Partner – Managing Director of TRIARC
Paul joined TRIARC in 2016 to develop TRIARC Learning and to develop the company’s international partnerships. Paul’s career at the BBC’s commercial arm BBC Worldwide spanned almost 20 years during which time he ran a number of business units in the digital media and content spaces. Most notably he ran the clip sales arm BBC Motion Gallery which licensed video material around the world. In addition Paul also oversaw BBC Worldwide Learning, the division producing content from archive to map against learning requirements. Paul helped BBC Worldwide secure a long term contract for BBC Motion Gallery with Getty Images and he then took the opportunity to realise his ambition to run his own business, Kite Media Limited which was established in January 2015. At a time when content continues to be king, Paul helps organisations curate and commercialise their material – usually video – which more often than not has been languishing on the shelf. In addition Paul’s experience has proved invaluable to a number of start-up or immature businesses in the digital media market and he helps them with their planning, investment and ‘go to market’ activity. Paul has associates around the world and Kite Media’s client base is truly global.
Follow Paul Maidement:
About TRIARC: Stock footage Licensing Platform
Emily Fackrell
Managing Director of CalmFamily CIC
Follow Emily Fackrell:
About CalmFamily CIC: We train and manage teachers who provide help to parents in understanding their children better
