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.
Scott Flockton
Senior Solutions Architect, Surpass Assessment
Scott Flockton is a Senior Solutions Architect in Surpass’ Solutions team. Having worked in the assessment industry for more than a decade, Scott brings experience from both the International Baccalaureate and Surpass. Joining Surpass in 2011, he has progressed through a variety of roles, starting on the Service Desk before moving into the Product Management team as a Technical Product Specialist, Product Owner, and ultimately a Solution Architect. This experience gives him a unique perspective on the challenges faced by assessment teams.
Scott works closely with customers, technology partners, and internal teams to design assessment solutions, integrations, and product enhancements that solve complex business challenges while maximising the value of the Surpass platform. His work spans assessment delivery, booking and scheduling, item banking, reporting, systems integration, and emerging technologies, helping organisations onboard to the Surpass platform and streamline their assessment operations.
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
Senior 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.
Emma Gilmartin
Senior Customer Success Manager, Surpass Assessment
Emma is a Senior Customer Success Manager at Surpass Assessment, supporting awarding organisations and assessment providers across the UK, Europe and Africa in the successful delivery of digital assessment solutions. Having spent more than a decade at Surpass, she has developed extensive expertise in helping organisations implement and maximise the value of digital assessment technologies.
Over a career spanning 25+ years, Emma has delivered complex implementation, migration and business change programmes across the assessment and healthcare sectors. Her expertise includes customer success, project management, stakeholder engagement, team leadership and business transformation.
Emma holds the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ), is a Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute (FCMI), and has a Master’s degree in Executive Leadership from the University of Leeds. She is fluent in English and German.
Ceri Harper
Chief Services Officer, Surpass Assessment
Ceri Harper leads Surpass’ Test Delivery Services, overseeing both the Test Centre Network and Online Proctoring Services. With over 20 years’ experience across candidate services, assessment delivery, and high-stakes testing, she brings a unique perspective on delivering secure, scalable, and candidate-focused assessment experiences.
Prior to joining Surpass in 2018, Ceri held roles with AAT and Pitman Training. During her ten years at AAT, she established and led the Student Recruitment Team, driving learner engagement and supporting organisational growth. At Pitman Training, she set up and managed a professional UK test centre, overseeing the delivery of high-stakes examinations for organisations including ICAEW.
Since joining Surpass, Ceri has played a key role in the growth and evolution of the organisation’s Test Delivery Services. Passionate about delivering secure, reliable, and candidate-centric assessments, her expertise spans global test centre operations, online proctoring, supplier partnerships, and the delivery of high-stakes assessments at scale.
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.
Amy McAlpine
Product Trainer, Surpass Assessment
Amy McAlpine is a Product Trainer in Surpass’ Supporting Services and Technical Communications team. She leads customer training and learning initiatives across the Surpass product suite, helping customers adopt, implement, and maximise the value of their assessment technology. Through instructor-led training, self-paced learning resources, and expert guidance, Amy helps customers build the knowledge and confidence needed to succeed with Surpass.
With a degree in Education and a background as a teacher, Amy brings first-hand experience of learning, assessment, and learner engagement to her role. As Surpass’ lead trainer, she is passionate about creating practical, engaging learning experiences and develops the training materials, documentation, and help-site content that support customers throughout their journey.
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.
Chris Morrison
Senior Product Owner, Surpass Assessment
Chris helps shape the direction of the Surpass platform and turn complex requirements into practical solutions. He works closely with development teams, customers, and subject matter experts to improve the creation, delivery, and management of assessments. With a background spanning product development, process improvement, and customer collaboration, Chris enjoys taking on difficult challenges, bringing clarity to complex systems, and helping teams build useful, thoughtful software.
Becca Murdoch
Chief Information Officer, Surpass Assessment
Becca Murdoch is Chief Information Officer at Surpass Assessment, leading information security, AI governance, operational resilience, and internal technology services. She is accountable for ensuring the organisation operates securely and responsibly, and with appropriate governance, supporting both customer assurance and business growth.
Since joining Surpass in 2015, Becca has held roles across product management, quality, and strategic delivery, giving her a broad perspective on technology, operations, and governance. As CIO and a member of the Senior Leadership Team and Compliance Group, she contributes to organisational strategy, governance, and risk management.
Becca’s work focuses on embedding practical governance frameworks that balance innovation with control, including alignment to standards such as ISO 27001 and ISO 42001. She holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and is particularly interested in responsible adoption of new technologies, balancing innovation with trust, accountability, and governance.
Rebecca.Murdoch@surpass.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccamurdoch/
Sonya Whitworth
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Surpass Assessment
Sonya is a strong, dedicated leader at Surpass Assessment. With over 20 years in the assessment industry, she brings deep expertise and strategic vision to the business – working alongside Andy to lead Surpass and drive its growth. Her focus is on expanding the Surpass presence, both in the UK and internationally.
During her time at Surpass, Sonya has championed numerous initiatives, promoting continuous improvement, business growth, and company values. In addition to her leadership roles, she is dedicated to expanding Surpass’ portfolio of services, ensuring customers receive the support and flexibility they desire.
Sonya’s passion lies in empowering team members to experience variety, autonomy, challenges, and satisfaction in their work, with a view to making Surpass a fantastic place to work.
In 2019, Sonya’s leadership at Surpass was recognised with an international Stevie Award for Women in Business – as the only UK finalist in her category, a real mark of distinction among a global field of business leaders. In 2025 she added a second Stevie Award to that record, this time for Best Female CEO of the Year.
Ultimately, Surpass’ aim is to make sure that they have customers’ and candidates’ goals at the heart of everything they do, and Sonya strives to ensure that Surpass achieves that vision.