James Aston, MBE

I lead our Education Group and have worked in the sector for over 30 years. I oversee services ranging from external and internal audit to forensic investigations, mergers, acquisitions and divestments, business restructuring and tax. My team has exceptional experience across regulatory compliance with the OfS and DfE and we are often engaged on difficult matters. We work with organisations ranging from nursery groups to higher education institutions, and charities to corporates.

I'm widely recognised as a sector expert across HE, FE, private providers, independent schools and academies, with particular depth in governance, funding and data. I frequently act as an adviser to government departments and agencies. I headed the investigation team for the Scottish Funding Council into the University of Dundee's financial position, producing the Gillies Report.

I served on Ofsted's Audit and Risk Committee from 2018 to 2022 and have been a member of both HEFCE's Audit Committee and the Training and Development Agency's Audit Committee. I was honoured with an MBE for services to education and charity management.

Ask me about education audit, HE and FE governance, regulatory compliance, business restructuring in education, mergers and acquisitions.