Gavin Dykes began working life as a civil engineer before changing his focus and moving to teach in colleges and universities, then working to develop education with governments, international agencies and commercial companies. From the early stages he focused on innovation in policy and practice and the development of the use of technology to support learning, and the parts that students and teachers can play in co-designing their work. He gained his international experience and reputation through working with education’s stakeholders from students and teachers to ministers and policy makers. Gavin now holds a range of long term roles including as the Program Director for the Education World Forum which began in 2004 and each year brings senior education leaders together to debate policy challenges, practice and to learn from each other. In the January 2016 event, 97 countries were represented.  As Program Director, Gavin negotiates and sets the agenda. He is also Program Director for the Asian Summit on Education and Skills which takes place annually in India. He is Co-founder and Chair of Education Fast Forward, a charity focused on sharing and improving understanding of key education issues.  Education Fast Forward convenes global discussions and debates using an innovative blend of new technologies and social media to bring participation within the reach of the widest possible range of stakeholders. Gavin also supports teaching, learning and innovation in education through a range of consulting roles. He has worked with the OECD, the World Bank, UNESCO, governments and commercial corporations conducting research, moderating discussion and writing reports on a range of education issues.