The OCR exam board has appointed a new chief executive.
Jill Duffy, who worked at the education company Pearson for seven years until December 2017, will take over at OCR, which offers A levels and GCSEs to UK schools.
Ms Duffy led Pearson’s UK school business for five years and was responsible for more than 450 staff.
Prior to joining Pearson, she spent 22 years in educational publishing.
Saul Nassé, group chief executive of Cambridge Assessment - which runs OCR - said: “I am delighted that Jill will be joining us. She is utterly immersed in the UK’s education landscape and has a deep understanding of what students, teachers and schools need now and in the future.
“Under Jill’s leadership, I am confident that OCR will increase its reach and impact and that she will nurture our fantastic teams in Coventry and Cambridge.”
Ms Duffy said: “I am delighted to be joining OCR. I appreciate fully the vital part that qualifications play in enabling learners to progress in their learning and lives and am looking forward to working with the team at OCR and Cambridge Assessment as well as Cambridge University Press and the wider University.
“I am excited by the prospect of a role at the heart of the UK educational system and by the opportunity to provide the very best assessment experience for teachers and learners, built on unique research capabilities, a commitment to teachers and learners, and a preeminent education brand.”
She will join OCR on 5 November, taking over from interim CEO Janet Morris, who will return to her role as international network director at Cambridge Assessment International Education.
The appointment follows a period of leadership upheaval at Cambridge Assessment this year.
The former permanent chief executive of OCR, Leo Shapiro, stood down in April after less than two years in the role.
Earlier in the year, the organisation’s long-running chief executive, Simon Lebus, stood down after 15 years at the helm.
His intended replacement, Bill Anderson, withdrew from the role before he was able to take up the post citing “personal reasons”.
In March, the chief executive of Cambridge Assessment English, Saul Nassé, was announced as the new CEO of the group.
Christine Nuttall took over from Mr Nassé as interim chief executive at Cambridge English.
Meanwhile, another exam board in the group, Cambridge International, will see its chief executive, Michael O’Sullivan, leave later this year.
