Mark O’Brien

Mark has over 25 years' experience working across education, local government, social care and the voluntary sector. He specialises in organisational transformation, strategic leadership and SEND strategy, helping public sector organisations deliver sustainable improvement whilst achieving better outcomes for children, young people and their families.

As Managing Director of Enabling Brighter Futures Ltd, he advises and works alongside schools, academy trusts and local authorities on organisational development, financial resilience and long-term strategic planning. He has led numerous reviews of education services, governance arrangements and organisational structures, enabling leaders to make informed, evidence-based decisions that strengthen both educational provision and financial sustainability.

Recognised nationally as School Business Leader of the Year 2024, he is a Fellow of the Institute of School Business Leadership (ISBL), an accredited School Resource Management Adviser (SRMA) and a member of the Department for Education's Schools and Academies Funding Group. He contributes to national discussions on education funding, organisational performance and SEND reform.

Across his career, he has delivered complex transformation programmes spanning finance, operations, workforce planning, governance and service redesign, enabling organisations improve efficiency, strengthen decision-making and build sustainable operating models without compromising the quality of education or support for children and young people.

He has particular expertise in SEND, with extensive experience supporting both special and mainstream provision across maintained schools and academy trusts. He has also worked alongside local authorities to redesign high needs provision and funding systems. His approach combines detailed financial analysis with organisational review, leadership development and long-term organisational planning to help providers respond to increasing demand and financial pressures.

He has contributed to national research into operational excellence within education and regularly presents at conferences and leadership events on SEND, resource management, operational improvement and integrated curriculum and financial planning. Combining strategic insight with practical implementation, he is committed to developing practical solutions that enable education organisations to deliver lasting improvement rather than simple short-term efficiencies.

Sector Expertise

Education | Local Government | Social Care | Housing | Not for Profits

Example Education Sector Clients

Department for Education, Institute of School Business Leadership, School Business Services, School’s Alliance for Excellence, The Children’s Society, Early Years Alliance, local authorities, academy trusts and maintained schools across England

Publications:

A Study into the Applicability of Operational Excellence to Education Systems (ISBL)

Board Positions:

National Representative for School Funding (ISBL), Governor at a maintained mainstream school with an ARP