Bright Horizons has announced that Iain Colledge has joined as executive director of operations and a member of the UK leadership team

He will be leading the operations team in delivering excellence within the company’s 300+ nurseries.

Iain has extensive experience in education, most recently as the director of education for a group of International early years, primary and secondary schools in the United Arab Emirates. He has been a school leader and principal in Jordan, Bahrain, Libya, Thailand, and Abu Dhabi. Iain led a project for the British Council to establish bi-lingual, bi-cultural nurseries in multiple cities across Europe.

He is also founder, Trustee, and now a board member of an academy trust in Cheshire in the UK, having established the first free school in Chester. Iain is also a trained Ofsted inspector and has inspected schools across Dubai.

Ros Marshall, managing director UK at Bright Horizons, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Iain to the Bright Horizons family. He has a deep understanding of excellence in education and puts the interest of the child at the heart of all he does, which aligns perfectly with the Bright Horizons ethos. The early years of a child’s life are the most fundamental and shape their future, and the work of the Early Years educator is one of the most important careers there is. I’m looking forward to Iain’s leadership making a positive difference in the lives of our children, families, clients and staff.”

Iain Colledge, executive director of operations at Bright Horizons, said: “I’m passionate about equipping children with the skills they need to succeed in life and setting them on the path to a lifelong love of learning, so I’m excited to join Bright Horizons, a company that I’ve been aware of for many years. It feels like a new chapter as we emerge from the pandemic and I’m looking forward to travelling around the UK and meeting with everyone in the organisation. I believe that many of the best ideas come from within, so am looking forward to supporting our nurseries and colleagues to become the best organisation possible for each child and family and everyone who comes into contact with us.”

Iain formally joined Bright Horizons on 1^st April.