Our Leadership Team
The FutureLearn Leadership Team is made up of the Executive Team and the Board of Directors. Their purpose is to lead FutureLearn into the next stage of growth and elevate the vital role FutureLearn can play in reskilling and upskilling people from across the world, narrowing skills gaps in the most in-demand areas.
With more than two-thirds of SMEs and nearly 90% of large companies facing skills shortages, this purpose has never been more important. The Leadership Team will collaborate to support the company’s goal of transforming access to education.
The group’s collective insights from higher education, government and industry associations put FutureLearn at the centre of some of the most impactful developments in online education, such as stackable accredited learning and the Lifelong Learning Entitlement.
With the experience and expertise of the Executive Team and Board of Directors, FutureLearn is fast becoming the go-to platform for career-based lifelong learning, making quality education accessible to all.
Jo Johnson
Executive Chairman, FutureLearn
An influential figure in education policy, he served as Minister of State for Universities, Science, Research and Innovation under three different Prime Ministers between 2015-2019 and before that as Head of the Number 10 Policy Unit.
Jo today maintains a number of roles across the education system, including as Executive Chairman of FutureLearn and a member of the board of Access Education Group, the largest independent provider of further education in the UK.
A member of the Privy Council, he was Chairman of the House of Lords Special Inquiry into 11-16 Education and is a member of the Special Select Committee on Social Mobility.
He is a Member of the Council of the Dyson Institute for Engineering and Technology, a Visiting Professor at King’s College, London, a Fellow at Birkbeck, University of London and an Honorary Governor of the Ditchley Foundation.
Ian Howell
Managing Director, FutureLearn
Before moving to FutureLearn, Ian was employed as the Chief Executive Officer for Higher Ed Partners in the EMEA region. Ian joined HEP as a founding member in 2017 and played a pivotal role in growing the business to become the UK’s largest and most successful Online Programme Management company. He also led the expansion of the business in Continental Europe and Africa.
Prior to joining HEP, Ian ran commercial operations at the Open University for six years where he had direct responsibility for international student recruitment, corporate sales, strategic partnerships, and apprenticeships.
Before moving to the Open University, Ian worked for Thomson Reuters for 11 years in several senior leadership positions within their Asset Management Division and prior to this served as an officer in the British Army.
Ian holds a BA in Geography awarded by the University of Southampton and is a graduate of the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.
Vitaly Klopot
Vitaly has been part of the Global University Systems family since 2009, including 4 highly successful years at Arden University as Chief Commercial Officer where he was instrumental in growing the company to where it is today.
Vitaly’s passion for transforming education and his more significant amount of board-level experience means he’s more than well placed to steer FutureLearn as we enter into an exciting new chapter for the company.
Julia Buckingham CBE, Chair Of The Board Of Trustees at the Institute of Cancer Research
Director (Non-Executive)
Professor Julia Buckingham CBE was Vice Chancellor and President of Brunel University London, as well as the President of Universities UK, until 31 July 2021. She became Chair of the Board of Trustees at the Institute of Cancer Research in August 2021 and an independent Member of Council at the University of Surrey in 2022.
Julia was appointed a CBE in 2018 for services to biology and education, and elected to a Fellowship of the Academy of Medical Sciences in 2019.
Elad Rachevsky, Chief Investment Officer, Global University Systems
GUS Director
Elad leads the group’s corporate finance and acquisition activities. Elad held senior positions in a boutique financial advisory firm and as an investment banker at Citigroup. Elad is a Magna Cum Laude graduate from Macalester College and recipient of the Kofi Annan scholarship.
Miguel Blazquez, Chief Technology Officer, Global University Systems
GUS Director
Miguel oversees the Group’s overarching technological infrastructure and brings extensive experience from roles at Laureate International Universities and Merck. He is dedicated to driving technological innovations that enhance student experiences and operational efficiency.
Rafael Marin, Executive Chairman of Unión Financiera Asturiana
Independent Non-Executive Director
Rafael is a senior financial services executive and board member with over 30 years’ experience in banking, asset management and financial services, with deep expertise in audit, risk, strategy, M&A and financial management. He is currently Executive Chairman of Unión Financiera Asturiana, where he has played a central role in shaping and implementing a programme of operational and risk transformation, with a strong focus on governance, data and decision-making frameworks.
Rafael previously held senior roles at Banco Santander, including Chief of Staff to the Chairman and CFO for several global business divisions. During this period, he was closely involved in strategic decision-making, major corporate transactions and the governance of a large, highly international financial group.
He has advised private equity funds on complex transactions and serves on a number of boards as a non-executive director and audit committee chair.
Rafael holds an MBA from INSEAD and a degree in Business Administration from ICADE.