Academy Ambassadors is a non-profit organisation set up to bring inspirational educationalists together with talented business leaders to build better multi-academy trust boards.

They believe that high-calibre sector leaders are well positioned to support CEOs and executive principals as their academy trust develops – using their business acumen to offer advice and support as well as independent challenge and scrutiny.

Academy Ambassadors recruits non-executive directors (also known as trustees) to a wide range of board roles - from large trusts with 30+ schools such as REAch2 and TKAT to smaller, growing organisations and single academy trusts such as Bradford Diocesan Academy Trust and Kings Cross Academy Trust.

They have partnerships with leading financial organisations including HSBC, Lloyds and KPMG; market leaders such as Rolls Royce and Dairy Crest; international legal firms including Slaughter and May as well as with regional accountancy and actuarial firms around the country. They also recruit outstanding individuals from business, entrepreneurs and philanthropists.

Academy Ambassadors has had significant success in its first three years, having placed over 200 senior business leaders on trust boards. In addition, they are delighted to count Sir Michael Rake, Chair of BT, and former-President of the CBI; Paul Marshall, Chairman of ARK Schools; and Sir Rod Aldridge, trust founder, among its supporters.

By putting outstanding business leaders and educationalists together they can make a real difference to education in England.

Academy Ambassadors matches Academy Trusts looking to strengthen their boards with business leaders seeking to develop their board career. The service is completely free.

Since Academy Ambassadors was established in 2013 they have matched over 190 non-executive directors to academy trust boards and recruited a further 200+ potential non-executives.

AA recruits high-calibre business people as potential academy trust non-executive directors, by:

• -Recruiting to a ‘pool’ of potential NEDs via personal referrals; their corporate partners; running business-breakfasts and events and leading ‘cold-call campaigns.’
• -Advertising specific posts on web-based networks and headhunting via personal and business networks.

They also have a group of high-profile Academy Ambassadors who help them reach out to business and to support academy trust boards to strengthen corporate governance.

Achievements to date include:

• -recruiting non-executives to trusts facing significant challenges;
• -recruiting new academy sponsors and free school founders; and
• -recruiting non-executives to new and growing multi-academy trusts - improving efficiency and performance; raising aspirations of students through a greater business-focus; bringing in new audit arrangements; and leading the governance set-up of a new school.

Academy Ambassadors provides support for candidates and trusts throughout the recruitment process but the trust will largely retain ownership of the process, selection and interviews.

Once appointed, AA provides support to those joining trust boards - their alumni - via welcome events and signposting support materials.