David Gallagher | NCFE

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David Gallagher

David Gallagher

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Tell us a bit about you

I’m married with two young boys, and since we’ve had children, working in education feels even more personal and important. I come from a huge family as I’m the youngest of six, have over 40 cousins and nearly as many nephews and nieces – Christmas is expensive! Outside of work I coach a junior football team, listen to loads of different books (mostly history, geopolitics and biographies) and love to cook, whenever I get the chance.

Tell us a bit about your career

When I left college, I worked for BT in a contact centre and the great training made it feel very much like an apprenticeship. From there, I moved into commercial recruitment before falling into ‘Welfare to Work’, which I quickly came to love. Subsequently, my career has always been in and around education and training. I’ve worked for big and small businesses, in the public and private sectors, and have also established several start-up businesses. This experience has helped me to see the sector from a variety of vantage points and hopefully, has given me the insight and experience to make a positive contribution to the sector long into the future.

Why NCFE?

When I decided to join NCFE as Managing Director for End-Point Assessment (EPA), I was excited by the opportunity to scale a relatively new business and to help to deliver outstanding apprenticeships for learners and employers, drawing on my previous experience of supporting apprenticeship providers and employers. After joining NCFE, I learnt about the rich history and heritage of the organisation and was blown away by the commitment, expertise and ideas from so many of my colleagues. I was delighted – and continue to feel extremely privileged – to be entrusted with leading NCFE through the next phases of scaling our reach and impact.

I was delighted – and continue to feel extremely privileged – to be entrusted with leading NCFE through the next phases of scaling our reach and impact.

David Gallagher
Senior leaders in David's team

I joined NCFE in 2007 as Personal Assistant to the CEO when there were only three senior leaders and myself. Over the years, I have had the privilege of being part of the organisation’s evolution and growth. We now have a larger Executive team, with over 20 members of the Senior Leadership Team supporting NCFE and its subsidiary, ActiveIQ Limited.

The Governance team has also grown to reflect the organisation's priorities and reports directly to the CEO.

Our Governance function provides comprehensive support to the Board of Trustees and Executives. We also handle company secretary duties and provide governance support for various meetings, including those with senior colleagues. As a small team, we work closely with the Executives to set up and implement corporate governance frameworks. Our goal is to maintain statutory and charity compliance while upholding the highest standards of governance.

Born on the Northeast Coast of England, I’ve lived here my whole life, except for a brief period in Surrey. I’m fortunate to enjoy the coastline and have easy access to the Northumberland countryside – I love to embrace the practice of ‘Shinrin-yoku’ and recharge through the great outdoors.

I take great pride in supporting my son at his Saturday football and Sunday rugby games. For ‘me time,’ I practice yoga, keep fit, and spend quality time with family and friends.