Derek Richardson

Before joining AQA, Derek was Vice President and Senior Responsible Officer at Pearson, accountable for the delivery of their full range of qualifications. During his 23 years at Pearson, he worked in a variety of roles, supporting the transformation of the company with responsibilities relating to the development and delivery of GCSEs, A-levels, BTEC, apprenticeships and international qualifications.

Derek has significant international experience, having worked with various foreign ministries. He has also been a board member and Chair of the Joint Council for Qualifications (JCQ).

Derek heads up AQA Assessment Services Ltd, the business area which leads on AQA's commercial assessment services activities in the UK and internationally, offering technology, assessment development, consultancy and research, among other things.

Derek works closely with key parts of the AQA group, including Training Qualificiations UK (TQUK), AlphaPlus and GradeMaker, as well as the AQA Milton Keynes team and Doublestruck. He and his team oversee the development of a comprehensive portfolio, identifying and pursuing sales opportunities to drive revenue growth and enhance our commercial operations.