NFER welcomes new Head of Business Development

Society has successfully assisted the National Foundation for Educational Research to appoint Alastair Ware as their new Head of Business Development.

Alastair will work closely with colleagues at NFER to drive organisational growth in accordance with their business strategy, cultivating a pipeline of research projects that align with NFER’s vision around how they can have the most beneficial impact on the education sector. The Head of Business Development will ultimately play a crucial role in reinforcing NFER’s potential to engage with current and cutting edge educational policy both at home and abroad.

During the search, Society focused on individuals with a high level of expertise in strategically acquiring new business and partnering with clients within the sphere of education. To find this specific skill set and area of experience we looked within universities – particularly in Business Schools and in Education Departments – and we also investigated commercial and not-for-profit organisations that deliver educational products, research or services to the market.

Alastair joins NFER from Pearson and brings with him a deep understanding of the market within the education sector. Having started his career as an English Teacher in France, Alastair subsequently joined the Educational Development Trust (then CfBT) where he worked his way up to Development Advisor to the Ministry of Education. He then took on projects and strategic roles at the National Commercial Bank of Saudi Arabia and City & Guilds’ Scotland Office. From there he built up a diverse portfolio of independent consultancy work before joining Pearson in 2014.

Following on from a very international career, spanning the UK, France, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia and Vietnam, Alastair will support NFER to continue their work in the UK and to expand their impact and reach in the international space, becoming a major player in global educational debates.