Keynote: Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith
Independent Consultant Researcher / Co-Founder of The National PedTech Partnership
Named in 2024 as one of the Top 5 Visionary Women in Education, and in 2025 as one of the Top 50 Influential People in Education, Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith is an award winning teacher, leader and academic with a passion for supporting those who work with children and young people. As Founder of PedTech and Director of One Life Learning, Fiona works closely with schools and trusts, professional learning providers and EdTech companies. She is also an Associate Lecturer, PhD supervisor and Consultant Researcher at a number of universities. Fiona is Co-founder of the National PedTech Partnership and Open School UK, and sits on a number of advisory and charitable boards; championing learner agency, practice based research and forensic thinking about the structural support for learning.
Co-author of the best selling book From EdTech to PedTech: Changing the way we think about digital technology, Fiona is a regular contributor to events and publications about Education, Pedagogy and Education Technology. She is a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, and has been awarded Fellowships by RSA, NAACE and the HEA.
In 2023, Fiona was made a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Educators (becoming a Liveryman in 2026), and in 2024, Fiona was granted Freedom of the City of London.
In 2025, Fiona was named EduFuturist of the Year 2025.
https://www.onelifelearning.co.uk/about
Don’t miss her session: Beliefs about knowledge in a landscape of AI
Keynote: Clare Morley
Vocational qualifications Consultant & Former Professional Body Director and Think Tank CEO
Clare is a senior leader and consultant with over three decades of experience in the global professional body and vocational qualification sector. She has a deep commitment to “real-world” assessment—ensuring that qualifications test the skills employers demand in a shifting world.
Clare worked at AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) for 20 years and held a number of Director roles spanning Membership, Education, and Global Development, gaining an understanding of how professional bodies must evolve to serve a global workforce. Here she introduced AAT’s first computer based assessments.
Whilst at AAT, she gained her Masters in Lifelong Learning from the Institute of Education in London.
She then transitioned into the world of national policy as the Chief Executive of Policy Connect. Leading this influential cross-party Think Tank, she worked at the intersection of government and industry, overseeing portfolios in Skills, Health, Design, and Sustainability. This experience provided a unique vantage point on how legislative change and societal shifts impact the qualifications landscape.
For the past decade, Clare has operated as a specialist consultant, providing consultancy to professional bodies on the modernisation of vocational qualifications. She is interested in finding pragmatic, human-centred solutions to the exciting and challenging changes currently facing the assessment community.
Bringing a unique perspective, Clare also works as a non-religious funeral and wedding celebrant. This role reinforces her belief in the power of clear communication, pragmatism, and the importance of life’s “high-stakes” milestones.
Don’t miss her session: AI and digitisation: The great skills reset – navigating change and opportunities for the future of workplace skills and assessment.
Keynote: Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith
Independent Consultant Researcher / Co-Founder of The National PedTech Partnership
Named in 2024 as one of the Top 5 Visionary Women in Education, and in 2025 as one of the Top 50 Influential People in Education, Dr Fiona Aubrey-Smith is an award winning teacher, leader and academic with a passion for supporting those who work with children and young people. As Founder of PedTech and Director of One Life Learning, Fiona works closely with schools and trusts, professional learning providers and EdTech companies. She is also an Associate Lecturer, PhD supervisor and Consultant Researcher at a number of universities. Fiona is Co-founder of the National PedTech Partnership and Open School UK, and sits on a number of advisory and charitable boards; championing learner agency, practice based research and forensic thinking about the structural support for learning.
Co-author of the best selling book From EdTech to PedTech: Changing the way we think about digital technology, Fiona is a regular contributor to events and publications about Education, Pedagogy and Education Technology. She is a Founding Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching, and has been awarded Fellowships by RSA, NAACE and the HEA.
In 2023, Fiona was made a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Educators (becoming a Liveryman in 2026), and in 2024, Fiona was granted Freedom of the City of London.
In 2025, Fiona was named EduFuturist of the Year 2025.
https://www.onelifelearning.co.uk/about
Don’t miss her session: Beliefs about knowledge in a landscape of AI
Adam Foley
Head of Digital Innovation, Surpass Assessment
Adam Foley is Head of Digital Innovation at Surpass Assessment, a Chartered Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, and a Director of the e-Assessment Association (eAA), where he helps shape the future direction of digital assessment globally.
With over 25 years’ experience, Adam has been at the forefront of transforming assessment, from early adoption of onscreen delivery to pioneering the responsible integration of AI. He has worked across vocational, professional and high-stakes qualifications, addressing systemic challenges in capacity, consistency, accessibility and learner support.
His current focus is on redefining how assessment operates at scale through AI-assisted tutoring and marking, combining advanced automation with rigorous human oversight to deliver more consistent, inclusive and trusted outcomes.
Adam is a recognised advocate for ethical, evidence-led innovation. He believes that assessment is a cornerstone of opportunity, and that thoughtfully applied technology can unlock a fairer, more adaptive and future-ready education systems.
Bob Gomersall
Founder and Chair, Surpass Assessment
Bob founded Surpass in 1985 after recognising the difference a judicious use of technology could make to the way we learn and assess knowledge. Prior to this, he was educated at the universities of Durham and Bristol, and he worked as a theoretical physicist at the Max Planck Institute, Stuttgart. He taught physics at Manchester Grammar School and Bradford Grammar School, where he was Head of Physics.
He is the former Chair and Founder of the Virtual College Group plc (now part of Netex Learning) and the Advanced Digital Innovations (now MyPathway Solutions). Bob has a particular interest in innovation and formerly chaired the Leeds City Region Business Innovation and Growth Panel. He is the author of Worthwhile Wealth – an entrepreneur’s guide to success that satisfies.
In March 2017, Dr Gomersall’s contributions to the field of educational assessment were recognised by the assessment community when he was awarded the Lifetime Contribution Award at the first International e-Assessment Awards.
Sophie Grogan
Product owner, Surpass Assessment
As a Product Owner, Sophie is part of the wider Product Management team. Her primary responsibility is the successful delivery of new features for the Surpass Platform. She collaborates with Solutions, UX Design, and Technical Architects to ensure new changes and features align with internal business strategies, investments, and the overall product vision. Sophie translates requirements into a prioritised backlog for development Scrum teams, providing clear context through refinement, review, and acceptance, whilst also maintaining open communication between technical product development, stakeholders, and customers.
Sophie joined Surpass in 2024 after working as a Product Owner in the legal sector. Since joining Surpass, she has successfully delivered numerous feature-rich functionalities which have added value to the product. She has also obtained and maintained her A-CSPO certification with the Scrum Alliance. Sophie is committed to understanding customer processes across various sectors and developing features that meet their business needs.
Gareth Hopkins
Solutions Manager, Surpass Assessment
Gareth leads Surpass’ Solutions team, whose primary role is to act as the bridge between customers and technical teams when developing new features, as well as working on other aspects such as onboarding, integrations and implementation.
Gareth has been at Surpass since 2021, joining as an Assessment Solutions Specialist before becoming the Solutions Manager in 2023. Prior to joining Surpass, Gareth spent 16 years at City & Guilds, where he worked in a variety of roles, with projects including the manual creation of onscreen tests, helping design Functional Skills tests for screen, and contributing to the migration of item banks between systems.
He is active in the wider e-assessment community, having spent 6 years on the e-Assessment Association Board, including hosting and editing the eAA’s podcast and working on the organising team for the e-Assessment Association Annual Conference. He’s also been a judge for the eAssessment Awards every year since their inception.
Ibi Layi-Ojo
Chief Assessment Officer, Surpass Assessment
Ibi is responsible for shaping and communicating the strategic direction of Surpass products and services, ensuring alignment with client needs and assessment strategy. She leads initiatives exploring AI and other technologies to enhance assessment integrity, efficiency, and user and candidate experience. She develops relationships with key industry organisations to encourage adoption of Surpass services and capabilities.
Ibi draws from more than 15 years’ experience across psychometrics, educational measurement, comprehensive assessment design and delivery, assessment policy, and global testing strategy. She is well known for her enthusiasm and her ability to translate complex assessment concepts into clear, accessible language that resonates with boards and senior leadership teams. Her work blends best-practice guidance with deep industry experience to define business strategies and develop service offerings that support programme success.
Ibi joined Surpass in January 2026. Prior to Surpass, she held executive-level roles in both global assessment organisations and certification bodies, most recently at CFP Board and Prometric. Beyond her professional roles, Ibi is highly active in advancing the credentialing profession. She served on the Board of the Certification Network Group (CNG) and previously held the role of Vice Chair of the Accreditation Services Council (ASC) at the Institute for Credentialing Excellence (ICE). She has authored and presented more than 30 papers and presentations at industry conferences. Ibi holds a master’s degree in industrial and organisational psychology from the University of Baltimore, as well as a master’s degree in Educational Measurement and Statistics (Psychometrics) from the University of Maryland, College Park. Ibi holds the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), Senior HR Certified Professional (SHRM-SCP), Certified Association Professional (CAE) and the ICE-CCP (Certified Credentialing Professional), demonstrating competence across all professional credentialing activities.
Keynote: Clare Morley
Vocational qualifications Consultant & Former Professional Body Director and Think Tank CEO
Clare is a senior leader and consultant with over three decades of experience in the global professional body and vocational qualification sector. She has a deep commitment to “real-world” assessment—ensuring that qualifications test the skills employers demand in a shifting world.
Clare worked at AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians) for 20 years and held a number of Director roles spanning Membership, Education, and Global Development, gaining an understanding of how professional bodies must evolve to serve a global workforce. Here she introduced AAT’s first computer based assessments.
Whilst at AAT, she gained her Masters in Lifelong Learning from the Institute of Education in London.
She then transitioned into the world of national policy as the Chief Executive of Policy Connect. Leading this influential cross-party Think Tank, she worked at the intersection of government and industry, overseeing portfolios in Skills, Health, Design, and Sustainability. This experience provided a unique vantage point on how legislative change and societal shifts impact the qualifications landscape.
For the past decade, Clare has operated as a specialist consultant, providing consultancy to professional bodies on the modernisation of vocational qualifications. She is interested in finding pragmatic, human-centred solutions to the exciting and challenging changes currently facing the assessment community.
Bringing a unique perspective, Clare also works as a non-religious funeral and wedding celebrant. This role reinforces her belief in the power of clear communication, pragmatism, and the importance of life’s “high-stakes” milestones.