Leading Stories

Send a text Philip Davis is a passionate educator and trainer who believes that everyone has the potential to be creative. He is the founder of Write Inspired an innovative methodology to get children to love writing. His Inset and classroom sessions inspire teachers and children to have a passion for writing by allowing them to find what they love to write about. find out what it's all about...

Send a text Lorraine Williams, based in Rochdale, is the founder and driving force behind Wild_WanderlustTravel , a travel company built on her deep love for adventure and authentic experiences. Known for her warm approach and eye for memorable journeys, Lorraine is dedicated to helping travellers discover the world with confidence and curiosity. Through Wild_WanderlustTravel , she curates unique...

Send a text Gabi is passionate about enabling women leaders to find both success and happiness in their careers. She uses the S.H.A.P.E.™ model to help leaders get their confidence into shape by strengthening the five muscles of leadership identity: Your Story, Your Haven, Your Ambition, Your Purpose, and Your Ethics. Through this framework, Gabi supports leaders in shaping their path and showing...

Send a text Emma de Goederen, Matthew Clark, Rhiannon Phillips-Bianco, Richard Human and David Porritt discuss their experiences of how technology is utilised in schools and colleges across Britain, Hungary, Italy and the Netherlands. From primary and secondary schools to teacher training university, they share their insights. Emma is a lecturer and researcher at NHL Stenden, Rhiannon serves as he...

Send a text David and Richard discuss the episodes that have made up Series 3 of 'Leading Stories'. In this episode they share their reflections and learning having spent time with more wonderful people. To learn more about David Porritt and Richard Human visit their LinkedIn pages.

Send a text In this week's episode of Leading Stories, we sit down with two remarkable individuals shaping international education and commerce. Hanjing (Jing) Lai is the Co-founder of Peng Ge Learning Center, an innovative institution bridging cultural and academic gaps for international students. Through her work, Jing creates supportive learning environments that honor students' cultu...

Send a text Tony Sainsbury OBE has dedicated his career to disabled sports since the mid-1970s, when he began coaching at the Manchester & District Disabled Sports Club. He served as Great Britain's Paralympic Team Chef de Mission from 1980 to 1996, managing the team through five Summer Games. He helped establish the British Paralympic Association in 1989 and went on to work with multiple...

Send a text Tony Sainsbury OBE has dedicated his career to disabled sports since the mid-1970s, when he began coaching at the Manchester & District Disabled Sports Club. He served as Great Britain's Paralympic Team Chef de Mission from 1980 to 1996, managing the team through five Summer Games. He helped establish the British Paralympic Association in 1989 and went on to work with multiple...

Send a text Linda specialises in coaching leaders who navigate complex organisational environments and manage diverse stakeholder relationships. She understands the unique challenges faced by executives who find themselves juggling with competing demands, often struggling to perform at their peak potential. Drawing on her diverse professional background spanning parenthood, family business, metall...

Send a text Dr. Nina Arnhold, an expert in international higher education, currently spearheads higher education operations and analytics in South Asia, with particular emphasis on India at the World Bank. As Global Lead for Tertiary Education, Nina also has a coordinating role for the Bank's higher education work. Since joining the organisation in 2006, she has served in several key position...

Send a text Dawn Aytoun is an accomplished education professional who has recently transitioned into a Product and Programme Manager role at Life Lessons Education. Since June 2024, she has been working in a hybrid capacity between Cornwall and London, leveraging her extensive background in education to drive innovative educational initiatives. In her current position, Dawn applies her diverse ski...

Send a text Lisa Dooijeweerd is the Assistant Head of the Early Years Campus at Bromsgrove International School Thailand. Her journey in international education began as part of the first cohort at NHL Stenden, where she studied International Teacher Education for Primary Schools. This innovative program allowed Lisa to combine her passion for education with her interest in diverse cultures and co...

Send a text Rowena Samarasinhe is the Founder of GENSport and a Consultant at LEVEL. With almost 20 years of dedicated experience in the sports industry, she has made significant contributions across football, athletics, and other Olympic sports. Her early career included a notable stint in motorsports while employed by a top ten London law firm.  Rowena is an accomplished Non-Executive Director w...

Send a text Dr. Matthew Paschall serves with United World Mission in Budapest. He has served 15 years in pastoral ministry in California and New York and 15 years in cross-cultural mission in France, Senegal and Hungary. Matt earned his Masters of Divinity from Talbot Theological Seminary and his Doctor of Ministry in Global and Contextual Leadership. His dissertation, “Diaspora, Migration and Ref...

Send a text David and Richard discuss the seven episodes that have made up Series 2 of 'Leading Stories'. In this episode they share their reflections and learning having spent time with eight wonderful people. To learn more about David Porritt and Richard Human visit their LinkedIn pages.

Send a text Andy began his educational journey at Queen Mary’s Grammar School in Walsall. Despite not excelling academically, he managed to secure a place at Staffordshire Polytechnic (now Staffordshire University), where he studied Computer Science. His final year project, a route planner for Windows, marked the beginning of his tech career in 1992. Andy's first job in the industry was at a...

Send a text Sara Lodge is director of Beehive Coaching & Leadership Development Ltd. Apart from a couple of breaks, one working in marketing and one on the Leadership Fast Track of the West Yorkshire Police, she has been in the field of learning and development since 1985, working in places as diverse as Japan, Africa, Canada, Austria and France.   Sara is passionate about organisational learn...

Send a text In this episode Rhiannon shares the time when her own mental health suffered and how this changed her view of what is important in life. As a passionate class teacher and wellbeing leader, Rhiannon works closely with staff, students and parents to support them in prioritising wellbeing and mental health. Rhiannon develops wellbeing programmes that aim to teach the entire school communi...

Send a text Andy trained as a teacher in the UK and Australia, and has worked in international education for most of his career. As a teacher and school leader he specialised in curriculum design and school start-ups. He is now CEO of Consilium Education , an educational consulting company of highly experienced education professionals offering support with school start-ups, strategic planning, pre...

Send a text A passionate and avid cyclist, Andy Ferns is driven to help others in every way possible to repair, customize, and restore their bicycles. When not tinkering in his workshop or out riding, he splits his time between his wife Tina, their children, and serving the community as a dedicated full-time firefighter. For as long as Andy can recall, the simple joy of riding a bike has been a co...

Send a text Fuelled by a vision to inspire future generations to create positive change, filmmaker Serdar Ferit and his partner, Paulina Tervo, established Lyfta in 2016. Their platform was meticulously crafted to empower educators with cutting-edge tools, enabling them to delve into intricate global themes and cultural phenomena within the classroom setting. Today, Lyfta's innovative approac...

Send a text Jill Pay is a retired official of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. She was Serjeant at Arms in the House of Commons. Jill is the first woman to have held the position. Her appointment was unusual in that the position had hitherto normally been reserved for those with a military background. Jill's position conferred responsibility for security in the House of Commons. She reti...

Send a text In this finale episode of the first series, hosts David and Richard take a look back at the incredible guests they've had the privilege of speaking with over the past 9 episodes. From Paralympic gold medalist Marc Woods, who shared his inspiring story of overcoming adversity, to Maasai leader and conservationist James Laizer, discussing his work to preserve indigenous lands and tr...

Send a text James Laizer has over 20 years of experience working in natural resources management in Africa, terrestrial and marine and public and private sectors. He was a socio-economic and ecological researcher, working with indigenous communities, local and national governments, donors, and investors in forested and savannah landscapes in Tanzania. He is currently the Managing Director of Sound...

Send a text Following  a successful career as a professional musician, Heather moved into education where she has enjoyed responsibilities such as Senior leader at St Clement's CE Infant and Bethany CE Junior Schools, Specialist Leader of Education for Spirituality and Values, Music and R.E. Her roles have included Acting Assistant Head, Tutor for Initial Teacher Training, a School Improvemen...