Inspiring Women in Education Podcast
Inspired by International Women's Day, our 'Leadership Stories: Inspiring Women in Education' podcast series features our CEO, Jan Shadick, in conversation with six accomplished female leaders in education. The podcast will highlight their journeys, the challenges they overcame, and their insights into achieving leadership roles. By sharing these stories, we aim to empower future leaders, particularly those who may feel underrepresented in education leadership.
Episode 1 - Jennese Alozie
In the first episode of Inspiring Women in Education, host Jan Shadick, CEO of Haberdashers' Academies Trust South, speaks with Jennese Alozie, CEO of University of Chichester Academy Trust. Jennese shares her journey to leadership, the barriers black female leaders face, and her drive to create a clearer path for future women in education. An inspiring conversation on resilience, representation, and leadership.
About Jennese Alozie
Jennese Alozie is the CEO of University of Chichester Academy Trust because she is passionate about what education and learning must mean for generations of children, young people, and adults. She began her career as a secondary school English teacher and has held a range of senior and executive leadership roles within schools, local authorities and school Trusts. Jennese is an experienced board member and believes that as system leaders and architects, collectively we have the expertise and innovation required to reshape our society and how we see ourselves within it.
Episode 2 - Ali Oliver
Ali Oliver MBE, CEO of the Youth Sport Trust, is our guest for the second episode of Inspiring Women in Education. She shares her journey from teaching PE to leading a national organisation dedicated to transforming young lives through sport. She discusses leadership lessons from sport, the challenges girls face in accessing physical activity, and how fostering confidence and competence can change outcomes. Ali also reflects on resilience, culture in leadership, and the power of standing out rather than fitting in.
About Ali Oliver
Ali is the Chief Executive at the Youth Sport Trust, an independent charity devoted to building a brighter future for young people through the power of sport.
Ali joined the Youth Sport Trust in 2004 as a member of the senior leadership team and became the CEO in 2016. Prior to this Ali was the Deputy Director of Sport at the University of Bath having joined as the course leader for the Physical Education Initial Teacher Training programme. Before this Ali was Head of PE at Millfield School, having started her career as teacher in Essex.
Ali is a Trustee of the ‘Youth United Foundation’ and sits on the Board of the ‘Sport for Development Coalition’ and sports committee of the HMC.
In 2019 Ali received an honorary doctorate of the University of Bath. She was recognized as the Best Leader (not for profit category) in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies in 2020, and in the same year was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List.
Look out for more episodes over March and April 2025!
