Mary Curnock Cook CBE

Building on a successful executive career, leading strategic transformation and growth, Mary has a portfolio of non-executive education-related roles including chairing the Dyson Institute of Engineering and Technology and Pearson’s UK qualifications business, and as a Trustee at River Learning Trust, a multi academy trust in Oxfordshire.  

In her executive career, Mary served as Chief Executive of UCAS (the Universities & Colleges Admissions Service) from 2010-2017 and prior to that was Director of Qualifications and Skills for the Qualifications and Curriculum Development Authority, an agency of the Department for Education.

Her portfolio is rooted in her interest in the student experience, in addressing disadvantage and innovation in education, and she continues to provide strategic consultancy and mentoring relating to education, progression pathways, and careers education.  She regularly contributes to policy development in higher, secondary and technical education and maintains an active network and interest in EdTech developments.  

She has vast experience spanning the whole system of education and skills and a wide network across education and business.  She has previously held non-executive roles at the Further Education Funding Council, the Open University, and the Student Loans Company.  During Covid, she chaired the UPP Foundation Student Futures Commission.

Mary left school at 16 with a clutch of O-levels and one A-level but filled the gap in her qualifications at the age of 41, undertaking the Sloan Masters Programme at London Business School, from where she graduated in 2002 with an MSc.  Having lived in London all her adult life she relocated to Oxfordshire in 2019.

Mary was awarded an OBE in 2000 and promoted to CBE for services to Further and Higher Education in 2020.