In this episode, Al shares his vast experience in utilising tech in education. 

With over 30 years of experience in this field, Al has much to share. He started his career with Barclays Bank then Unilever, working within finance and management accounting before focusing on the early adoption of new IT technologies in the early 90s.

For the last 25 years Al has been the Group Managing Director of NetSupport, an international software company developing market-leading software solutions used by over 18 million customers, designed to support the effective use of instructional technology in classrooms alongside eSafety technologies to safeguard students online.

Al has a broad knowledge of international business from spending time living in the US whilst establishing overseas offices. During this time Al has worked with Partners and Ministries of Education from around the world.

From his experiences at NetSupport and with his additional responsibilities outside of the company, Al has a unique mix of technical and educational knowledge which allows him to speak nationally on the effective use of technology in supporting educational outcomes and using A.I and Neurolinguistics to detect and support students who may be at risk online from Child Sexual Exploitation, Radicalisation and harm, as well as creating an edtech digital strategy guide.

Al has been a school governor for the last 15 years and is currently Chair of Hampton Academies Trust in Peterborough. In recent years the Trust has secured over £30 million from central government to support the delivery of both a new Secondary and Primary school in the city. In addition to his role of Chair of the Hampton MAT, Al is also Chair of the Richard Barnes Academy, an Alternative provision setting in Peterborough.

With a passion towards Governance and already having key roles in raising organisational performance and delivering project success, as well as his unique mix of education sector and technology insight means that he not only understands what schools want and need and, most importantly, why ­ – but is also able to work with schools to produce indispensable solutions that really add value.

Al writes for a range of international titles on all aspects of education, with a particular focus on Digital Strategy, the use of EdTech, Blended Learning, Safeguarding and broader strategic planning.  He is a member the Forbes Technology Council and a Fellow of the RSA.