The 157 Group of colleges has announced the appointment of a new chief executive, Ian Pretty, who will take up the post in September when Lynne Sedgmore retires.
Mr Pretty, who is currently a senior vice president at management consulting corporation Capgemini, has held a number of senior positions in the commercial sector and central government, including HM Revenue and Customs and the Cabinet Office.
His LinkedIn profile describes him as having “extensive experience across government focused on strategy, transformation and organisational development”.
It says his various positions “provided wide exposure to influencing and networking across government”, including Downing Street, cabinet ministers and ministerial special advisers.
Sarah Robinson, chair of the 157 Group and principal of Stoke-on-Trent College, said: “I am delighted that Ian has decided to join the 157 Group.
“Having held a number of senior positions in both central government and the commercial sector, he brings a wide range of skills and experience to the group as we continue our influential work to raise the profile and importance of further education and skills.”
Lynne Sedgmore, one of the most prominent figures in further education, is retiring in September after 35 years in the sector.
The former principal of Guildford College was appointed CBE in the 2004 New Year’s Honours, and earlier this year was included in the Debrett’s 500 list, recognising the UK’s most influential people.
The 157 Group represents a consortium of the most influential colleges in the FE sector. It was formed in 2006 in response to paragraph 157 of Sir Andrew Foster’s report on the future of FE, in which he argued that principals of large, successful colleges should play a greater role in policymaking.
Meanwhile, Ayub Khan has been named interim chief executive of the Further Education Trust for Leadership (FETL), after the departure of Mark Ravenhall. Mr Khan is a former trustee of the Learning and Skills Improvement Service and was formerly chief executive of a multi-academy trust.
