GEMS Education has appointed Lisa Crausby as its new chief education officer.

She will be responsible for the day-to-day running of all GEMS schools and the group’s education strategy. GEMS educates 175,000 students in schools in the Middle East, North Africa, Asia, Europe and North America.

Ms Crausby joins GEMS Education from Star Academies, a multi-academy trust in England, where she was executive director of education. Her work at Star Academies led to her being awarded an OBE for services to education, in 2023.

She said that, in her new role, she would seek to help “foster innovation and create enriching educational experiences that empower every student to reach their fullest potential”.

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Sunny Varkey, chairman and founder of GEMS Education, said that Ms Crausby’s “exceptional experience in driving education strategies for leading trusts in the UK makes her a highly valued addition”.

He added that “our focus is on recruiting the very best talent and retaining them all the way to retirement after a successful, rewarding career with us”.

Before her time at Star Academies, Ms Crausby was chief education officer at the Academy Transformation Trust, where she led the strategic and operational direction of academy improvement. She has also been a lead inspector with Ofsted.

Her move to the GEMS Education leadership team follows another recent high-profile appointment, after former Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman became chair of GEMS’ new academic council.