My new role at the Sutton Trust

The Sutton Trust has issued this press release this morning. I very much look forward to starting in my new role in September.

Sir Peter Lampl, chairman of the Sutton Trust, has today announced new senior appointments to the Trust, which improves social mobility through education and provides educational opportunities for non-privileged children.

Conor Ryan will be the Trust’s new Director of Research and Communications, starting in early September. 

Conor was senior education adviser to Prime Minister Tony Blair from 2005-2007 and was David Blunkett’s special adviser from 1993-2001, covering both policy and media relations in government and opposition for the Education and Employment Secretary. He has also worked as a senior local government press officer in London in the 1980s and early 1990s.

Conor has been an independent writer and consultant since 2007, working with many national education organisations, including the Sutton Trust. He has written or edited reports for the Social Market Foundation, Centreforum and other think tanks. He has also written extensively for the national media in the UK and Ireland.

Dr Lee Elliot Major will be the Trust’s new Director, Development and Policy. Lee has led the Sutton Trust’s research work for the last 6 years, overseeing highly influential reports on social mobility and education policy. He is a trustee of the Education Endowment Foundation, and chairs its evaluation advisory group. Lee has served on a number of Government advisory bodies on social mobility and education. He was previously an education journalist, working for the Guardian and Times Higher Education Supplement.

James Turner will be Director, Projects and Partnerships, continuing with his current role and taking on responsibility for partnerships with Trusts and Foundations.  James has been at the Trust for 8 years, starting as a research analyst.  He managed the establishment of the Education Endowment Foundation by the Sutton Trust and served as its interim CEO.  James is now one of the EEF’s trustees and also sits on the board of a number of Trust-funded projects. 

Sir Peter Lampl said today: “These new appointments will strengthen the work of the Sutton Trust at a time when social mobility is the number one social issue in this country. I am delighted that Conor is joining us and that Lee and James are taking on major new responsibilities in the year that sees the Trust celebrate its 15^th anniversary.”

The Sutton Trust was founded in 1997 by Sir Peter Lampl with the aim of providing educational opportunities for young people from non-privileged backgrounds and improving social mobility through education. The Trust and its partners have committed over £40 million to educational projects helping hundreds of thousands of students, as well as commissioning over 100 research studies. Last year, the Government awarded £125 million to the Trust as the lead charity in partnership with Impetus Trust, to establish the Education Endowment Foundation to boost the attainment of the country's most disadvantaged children.