Academies Update Conference

Stephen has a 20-year career history in operations and finance, working at a senior level in the public and private sectors, both in the UK and abroad.

Stephen presided over the development and implementation of nationally recognised school business leadership professional standards and led the transition from the National Association of School Business Management to the Institute of School Business Leadership.

Stephen works closely with the Department for Education in areas of policy reform, and his commitment to research to aid our self-improving system includes ongoing engagement with international jurisdictions including Australia, Europe, the Middle East and the US.

Lydia Michaelson-Yeates is a Legal Director at Browne Jacobson, specialising in governance and leads on the delivery of academy projects, mergers and restructures. She also provides general commercial advice. Lydia has developed a strong reputation as a ‘trusted advisor’ and a key member of the education team.

Lydia has worked in the education sector for over 12 years and her background as a corporate/commercial lawyer, with considerable experience of transactional work, means she is well placed to advise on collaborative working. She also leads on the delivery of the academy transfer and conversion portfolio of the academies sub sector team. 

Lydia has extensive experience with conversions and academy projects, leading particularly on academy transfers and complex re-brokered projects. Lydia has supported various academy trusts on high-profile re-brokered transfers from the early stages of undertaking due diligence to negotiating and finalising the terms of the commercial transfer agreements. She has also provided support on the nuances of re-brokered transfers from both a legal and a practical perspective.

Ciaran Henry is an Associate of the Institute and Faculty of Actuaries within the Hymans Robertson’s public sector team, advising LGPS and employers across the UK. He is one of the accounting specialists in the public sector accounting team responsible for delivering over 4,000 annual IAS19 reports for local authorities and FRS102 disclosures for academies. Within his role Ciaran is responsible for the training and development of actuarial staff at Hymans and the planning and delivering of IAS19 and FRS102 exercises for employers across the LGPS throughout the year.

Gemma jointly leads the team responsible for Mercia’s file and compliance reviews, including performing reviews at client sites or remotely. She also lectures on Mercia’s Early Careers Programme and on specialist areas such as charities and academies, ESG and Mercia methodology, as well as advising clients on technical queries.

Gemma joined Mercia from audit practice in January 2021, where she had worked for 13 years, specialising in not-for-profit and charity clients for over a decade. Gemma has a keen interest in academies and sits on several ESFA working groups.

James joined Mercia in October 2022 as VAT trainer and consultant. His role involves writing technical material as well as devising and delivering VAT training courses. James has a wide experience of VAT and indirect tax, beginning his VAT career with HM Customs & Excise (as it then was) before moving to the private sector in 1995 and gaining his CTA qualification. Latterly, he had VAT partner and head of VAT roles in Grant Thornton and Mazars. James was actively involved with the Charity Tax Group for a number of years and has presented on VAT topics for the Charity Finance Group.

Outside of work, music remains a keen interest. Aside from playing jazz on the tenor sax, James is a regular member of the trumpet section of the Leeds Project Big Band.