Keynote: Dan Fitzpatrick
AI Educator, Founder of Thirdbox Ltd.
Dan Fitzpatrick is a renowned expert in artificial intelligence and education, known as The AI Educator. He is the author of the bestselling book The AI Classroom: The Ultimate Guide to Artificial Intelligence in Education, and the upcoming Infinite Education: The Four Step Method For Leading Change In The Age Of Artificial Intelligence. Dan has helped countless educators worldwide navigate the intersection of AI and education. As an international keynote speaker, Dan travels between the UK, USA, and Far East, sharing his expertise on the transformative power of AI in education.
Dan’s mission is to ensure that all learners are prepared for success in a rapidly changing world. He works with schools, universities and businesses to innovate for the future of emergent technology, empowering educators and learners to embrace AI’s potential. Additionally, Dan contributes weekly to Forbes, writing about educational transformation for educators, parents,
and entrepreneurs.
Don’t miss his session: The four-step approach to creating the future of assessment
Toni Brooks
Assessment Platforms Manager, NCFE
Toni is the Assessment Platforms Manager at NCFE, one of the largest technical and vocational awarding organisations in the UK. Having worked at NCFE for nearly 20 years, with a background in quality assurance, Toni has worked closely with Surpass for 15 years. Involved in the introduction of Functional Skills, T Levels and V Cert Technical Awards to onscreen assessment, and managing projects such remote invigilation, Toni has an invested interest in digital and e-solutions.
Victoria Coble
Senior Product Owner, Surpass Assessment
As a Senior Product Owner, Victoria is part of the wider the 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. Victoria 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.
Victoria joined Surpass in 2018 after working as a Product Owner in the healthcare information systems sector. She graduated from the University of Bradford with a BSc Hons in Information and Communication Technology. Over her six years at 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. Victoria is committed to understanding customer processes across various sectors and developing features that meet their business needs.
Paddy Craven
Public Affairs, Partnership & Engagement Director, City & Guilds UK
Patrick has over 30 years’ experience in the field of accreditation, assessment design and educational technology. From the design of educational resources with MESU/NCET and BECTa to running of post-sales technology support departments with Apple Computer, his career has always addressed the fusion of education, skills development and assessment technologies.
For the last 20 years this work has focused on the specific field of learning and assessment research and development linked to Government Policy and national accreditation programmes. This spanned work with the RSA Examinations Board, OCR Examinations, Cambridge Assessment Group and now he leads on Strategic Partnerships, Stakeholder Policy and Research work for City & Guilds.
The role considers the growing impact of policy and new technologies on the education and skills industry. It also identifies initiatives to enable City & Guilds to develop and extend the range and quality of learning and assessment products and services they offer. Helping people to get work, develop on the job and progress in their careers. Helping employers, regions and the UK economy overall to prosper.
Throughout his career he has remained committed to the notion of ‘fit for purpose’ assessment and learning solutions based on evidence-based research. Patrick currently sits on the UK eAssessment Advisory Group, Joint Council for Qualifications, West Midlands BITC Leadership Board and is an advisory member of the Federation of Awarding Bodies Board and eAssessment Association. He sits on the planning committee for the European Association of Test Publishers Conference, is a Trustee of the Mitchell City of London Education Foundation and a member of the Society of Leadership Fellows.
Jim Crawford
Chief Commercial Officer, Surpass Assessment
Jim manages Surpass Assessment’s international business development and marketing functions, and works closely with technical departments to ensure that our products and services are strategically aligned with the growing Surpass Community.
Jim’s passion for creating better assessments started alongside his career in the education sector, when in 2005 he worked on e-learning design for some of the world’s most recognisable brands such as HSBC, UNESCO and Boots. As a Product Owner at Surpass, Jim was responsible for overseeing the design and development of a new SaaS version of the Surpass Platform, which is now used by the majority of Surpass customers to deliver over 3 million tests a year.
Jim is a regular speaker at assessment events with a particular focus on innovation and emerging technologies.
Amanda Dainis
CEO and Lead Psychometrician, Dainis & Co.
Amanda is the CEO and Lead Psychometrician of Dainis & Company, Inc. She holds a PhD and an MPA, both from James Madison University. Amanda is a lead psychometric assessor for the ANSI / ISO 17024 standard, and travels the world helping organisations develop credential programmes and navigate the accreditation process. Dr Dainis is the author of To Validity and Beyond: A Handbook for Credentialing Exams (available on Amazon), and the co-host of the fun podcast It Depends: Understanding Psychometrics.
Adam Foley
Head of Onscreen Strategy, AQA
Adam Foley is Head of Onscreen Strategy at AQA, who design, create, and deliver rigorous and fair assessments to more than one million students every year. His role covers researching, developing and testing new digital exam concepts, ensuring they are inclusive, robust and reliable. Adam has led the creation of digital exams and linked innovation for over 20 years. As an early adopter of digital exams, he has directed Vocational, Professional and High Stakes GQ delivery, and has a wealth of experience creating bespoke and trusted solutions for global blue-chip clients. Adam has a keen interest in creative and innovative uses of Edtech. He believes education is the foundation that we build our society on, and it is the very best way to secure a positive future for young people.
Emma Gilmartin
Senior Customer Success Manager, Surpass Assessment
Emma is a Senior Customer Success Manager at Surpass, working with a portfolio of customers in the UK and Europe. She previously managed the Surpass 11 to Surpass 12 migration project.
Before joining Surpass in 2016, Emma worked in the healthcare industry for over a decade, managing software implementations in both primary and secondary care settings. Emma holds the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ) and is a fellow of the Chartered Management Institute. She recently completed a Masters Degree in Executive Leadership at the University of Leeds. Emma is fluent in both English and German.
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.
Emma Hall
Head of Business Development, Surpass Assessment
Emma has led the Business Development team at Surpass Assessment’s UK Head Office since 2018, working to support awarding organisations and test providers through the process of selecting and implementing new assessment solutions. With over a decade of experience in the assessment industry, Emma has collaborated closely with a diverse range of organisations from around the world, helping them to explore how they can make the best use of technology, whilst addressing the challenges that implementing assessment technologies can involve.
Emma’s work with new assessment technology adopters has given her a keen interest in supporting individuals navigating this transformative change. To this end, Emma has also served on the board of the e-Assessment Association since 2018, taking on the role of Board Secretary in 2023. Her work with the eAA allows her to further support her goal of ensuring a smooth and stress-free experience for every assessment technology user and candidate.
Ceri Harper
Chief Services Officer, Surpass Assessment
Ceri heads up Surpass’ Test Delivery Services, a role which includes the management of our Test Centre Network team and our Online Invigilation/Proctoring Services team. Ceri has a well-established history in the assessment sector, having previously worked with AAT and Pitman Training.
Whilst at AAT, Ceri developed and managed the Student Recruitment Team during her ten years with the company. At Pitman Training her role included setting up and running the day-to-day management of a professional test centre in the UK, which involved administering ICAEW, RCPCH and AAT high-stakes exams.
Ceri joined Surpass in 2018, and her knowledge from both the candidate and invigilation sides has proven invaluable in running Surpass’ established Test Delivery Services.
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.
Casey Johnson
Senior Director of Assessment and Psychometrician, PA Education Association (PAEA)
Dr Casey Johnson is the Senior Director of Assessment and Psychometrician for the PA Education Association. He functions as the head of the Assessment Department, annually administering over 120,000 exams to students in Physician Assistants programmes across the US and Canada. He has over a dozen years of experience in Psychometrics and exam development. His experience ranges from working with Fortune 500 companies, to public schools, and across the technology, education, construction, and hospitality industries. His research interests include assessment score interpretation, new technology and methods, and DE&I issues in assessment. He has a master’s and Ph.D. from the University of North Texas in Educational Psychology and Educational Research, respectively.
Georgie Jones
Assessment Specialist, Surpass Assessment
As an Assessment Specialist, Georgie works in the Business Development team to understand organisations’ assessment needs and advise on their use of Surpass. Georgie joined Surpass Assessment in 2017 as a Technical Author. She has previously managed the Documentation and Training team, overseeing the implementation of the new Surpass Help site. During her time at Surpass, she has worked closely with a range of awarding organisations and industry partners to use Surpass, gaining a wealth of experience in the design and implementation of online assessments.
Georgie’s background in the education sector feeds into her work with Surpass. In 2015, she completed her PGCE in Secondary English, then continued to study for a MA Education part–time with the University of Nottingham while working as an English teacher in secondary schools. Her research focused on the effect of the 2013 changes to the National Curriculum for English, gathering both student and teacher experiences and perspectives. Since moving to Surpass, Georgie has found her wider experience of the education industry invaluable.
Patricia Kinsman
Senior Software Engineer, National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME)
Patricia Kinsman is a Senior Software Engineer at the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME), specializing in Agile project leadership and software integration. She has extensive experience as a full stack Java developer, including REST APIs and software solution architecture, reflecting her dedication to innovation in technology-driven environments. In this role, Patricia has led the migration of NBME’s legacy item bank to Surpass and implemented and designed a suite of iPaas integrations to keep NBME test development running smoothly through the transition to Surpass, and beyond.
Jeff Luttrell
Technical Product Owner, National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME)
Jeff Luttrell (CSM, CSPO) is a Technical Product Owner at the National Board of Medical Examiners (NBME) overseeing Test Development and Exam Content application lifecycles and new feature development. Leveraging decades of experience in technical and user support, project management, and process analysis, Jeff has been leading and supporting NBME’s transition to Surpass Item Authoring and Banking since 2017.
Andy McAnulla
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Surpass Assessment
Andy has been heavily involved in the design and implementation of assessment technology for over 20 years. Andy has a strong technology background in software engineering and architecture and is highly experienced in leading software development at large scale. Earlier in his career at Surpass, Andy received the IT Practitioner of the Year Award from the UK’s Chartered Institute of IT for his leadership and implementation of the breakthrough assessment technology that later became known as the Surpass Platform. Surpass now powers many of the world’s largest and most prestigious assessment programmes.
In 2017, Andy relocated with his family from the UK to establish the US office in Pennsylvania to service the North American assessment market. As Co-CEO, Andy works in partnership with Sonya Whitworth to continue the strong growth of Surpass Assessment globally and supports the technology team in the ongoing development of the Surpass Platform and roadmap.
Andy has served as a director for various industry associations, including ATP and the e-Assessment Association, as well as on various industry committees, providing guidance on the judicious use of technology in the assessment process. Andy is passionate about sharing experiences and good practices that may help organisations to provide students with the best possible assessment experiences and outcomes.
Kara McWilliams
Chief Product Officer, National Conference of Bar Examiners
With over 15 years of experience in the assessment industry, Kara McWilliams is the Chief Product Officer at NCBE, where she spearheads the development and execution of innovative assessment solutions. Kara brings a deep understanding of educational and professional assessment frameworks, driving product strategy and enruing that NCBE’s next generation of products and services are both cutting-edge and aligned with market needs.
Prior to joining NCBE, Kara served as the Vice President of Product Innovation and Development at ETS where she led a team creating AI-enabled assessments and learning solutions. Kara’s background includes a strong focus on leveraging data-driven insights to enhance product effectiveness and user experience, having managed the lifecycle of numerous successful assessment tools and platforms.
Kara holds a Ph.D. in Educational Research, Measurement, and Evaluation, and a Master’s of Art in Teaching from Boston College. Additionally, she earned Bachelor’s degrees in both Political Science and History from the College of the Holy Cross.
Kara is passionate about improving assessment methodologies and is committed to advancing the field through strategic vision and operational excellence.
Dave Mellor
Director of Assessment, AlphaPlus
Dave Mellor is AlphaPlus’ Director of Assessment. Prior to joining AlphaPlus David was Director of Assessment and Curriculum at AQA and a director of OxfordAQA international exam board. Dave is passionate about and interested in all aspects of assessment, particularly focusing on practical solutions to design problems. His extensive expertise in general qualifications in the UK and international markets, as well as his interest in vocational qualifications and work on professional assessments since joining AlphaPlus, has given him a good grounding in all aspects of assessment.
As Director of Assessment at AlphaPlus, Dave is responsible for the delivery of assessment design and development services. Dave leads the assessment team across the lifetime of projects, including assessment design, developing assessment instruments, recruiting and managing subject and assessment specialists, reviewing assessment performance and training and supporting clients in implementing new assessment systems and approaches.
Dave leads on the creation of content for the adaptive assessments that are delivered nationally to four year groups of students in two languages across Reading, Writing and Numeracy. He is responsible for overseeing the bank of items to ensure that the assessments give accurate information about learner abilities and areas for improvement.
Shaun Robertson
Director of Education and Qualifications, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW)
Shaun is Director, Education and Qualifications in Education and Training at ICAEW. He is responsible for delivering the ACA syllabus, learning materials and exams globally. Moreover, he looks after relationships with universities and tuition providers, and is integral in ensuring that routes to the profession are as dynamic and transparent as possible. Shaun qualified as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant. He is passionate about education, and its evolution, and ensuring that students have a fair journey towards whatever qualification they are studying for.
Nombuyiselo (Selo) Tsukudu
Project Director, South African Institute of Chartered Accountants (SAICA)
Selo joined the SAICA Exams team in March 2023 following her passion for education. She has gained extensive experience as a General Manager in establishing cross-functional commercial partnerships within the private and public sectors to deliver excellent results. Her work is impeccable, with agile financial reporting, diligent research and analytical skills and a strong focus on sustainable, qualitative outcomes.
She has been accountable for leading highly skilled multi-geographic teams, with vast experience from different industries. She has developed authentic and strategic relationships that are built on trust. She is known for her ability to work with individuals from different backgrounds and for harnessing talented and skilled individuals.
Sonya Whitworth
Co-Chief Executive Officer, Surpass Assessment
Sonya is a strong and dedicated leader at Surpass Assessment, driving business growth through her extensive experience and strategic vision. After directing operations for ten years, she rose to the position of Managing Director in 2017 and was appointed Co-CEO in 2023, focusing on expanding the Surpass presence in the UK and the rest of the world.
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 when she won an international Stevie Award for Women in Business. As the only UK finalist in her category, this prestigious accolade highlights her accomplishments alongside select global business leaders.
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.
Ashleigh Whittle
Head of Supporting Services, Surpass Assessment
Ashleigh heads up the Supporting Services department. This department is customer-focused, offering additional services to clients so they can make the best use of the Surpass Platform. The department includes the Training Service, the Test Conversion Service, the Test Publishing Service and the Managed Service. The team can service training requests across our developing suite of products, plus individual processes such as Item Banking or Test Building using LOFT. This year has seen the team add advanced courses to the Surpass Certificate Programme, as well as the expansion of the Surpass Learning system.
Ashleigh graduated from York St John University with a BA in English Literature and an MA in Creative Writing. She continued to work in Higher Education administration for two years before joining Surpass Assessment, specifically in event management, coaching students in employability skills and creating graduate opportunities with employers across Yorkshire. Ashleigh has worked at Surpass Assessment for six years in a few different roles, first starting as a Technical Author. Ashleigh and the team are TAP and COLF certified, and Ashleigh has also achieved the APM Fundamentals in Project Management.
Emily Yunker
Director of Assessment and Security Officer, PA Education Association (PAEA)
Emily Yunker is the Director of Assessment and Security Officer at the PA Education Association (PAEA). In this role, she manages exam delivery operations for PAEA’s assessment products, PACKRAT®, End of RotationTM exams, and the End of CurriculumTM exam and provides technical support to user programmes. She also investigates suspected incidents of misuse in accordance with PAEA Assessment’s exam policies.
Emily is a certified Project Management Professional. She received a Masters of Public Affairs degree from the Indiana University School of Public and Environmental Affairs, and a Bachelor of the Arts degree from DePauw University.