Ewart Wooldridge took up his appointment as founding Chief Executive of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education in January 2004, with the aim of developing leadership, governance and management skills in Higher Education. In 2006 the Leadership Foundation received a very positive endorsement in its first sector evaluation and has secured a new strategic funding partnership through to 2012.

As well as leading the Leadership Foundation, Ewart directly undertakes consultancy work in the sector, focusing particularly on senior team development, coaching and organisational development interventions.

Previously he was the Chief Executive and Director of the Civil Service College, now the National School of Government. He was a director within the corporate development group of the Cabinet Office, actively working on civil service reform.

His earlier career spanned HR and line director positions in private and public sectors, in engineering, printing and the media (Granada plc and TVS television).

Between 1992 and 1996 he was Director of Operations at London’s South Bank Arts Centre, and subsequently Chief Officer of Hampshire County Council, responsible for lifelong learning, cultural and community services.

He is a Companion of the Institute of Personnel and Development. He was a Vice President of the CIPD from 1993 – 1995 and chair of the National Forum on Counselling and Career Management for many years after that. He helped found the Winchester Festival and is active in his local community in Hampshire. He was awarded the CBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2004 for his contribution to leadership development.