A Fond Farewell to our Deputy CEO

After a decade with us, our Deputy CEO, Oliver Smith, is moving on to pastures new. Join us as we wish him all the best in his new role and look back over the last ten years of growth at the eoa and across the employee owned sector at large.

Image: Oliver Smith, Deputy CEO of the eoa - and soon to be CEO of AMCIS

Since the eoa was first founded back in 1979, we’ve seen a whole host of amazing people come and go. It’s bittersweet every time. On one hand, we’re glad to see them progress onto new adventures, but sad to say goodbye.

And so it is with our Deputy CEO. After ten years, Oli will be leaving the eoa next month. 

In June, he takes over from Tory Gillingham as the CEO of AMCIS, the membership association for admissions, marketing, and communications in independent schools.

“I am thrilled to be joining AMCIS with the challenge to build on the legacy that Tory has so passionately created,” Oli said.

“I look forward to learning a host of new acronyms in my next role but will always keep a close eye on employee ownership.”

Here’s to Oli!

Oli originally joined us all the way back in 2015 Business Development Manager. 

Here, he led income-generating activities, developed a successful membership and business strategy, empowered teams to achieve key goals, and helped drive a data-driven membership strategy to boost income and growth.

Then, in November 2023, he was named Deputy CEO where he had an even greater impact.

No doubt you’ve seen and heard Oli talking passionately about EO during our webinars and in-person events – from our EO Exchanges to the eoa Annual Conference.

If you’ve ever met or spoken to Oli, you don’t need us to tell you about his vast EO knowledge, his excellent hosting skills, or his dedication. You already know.

We think our Chief Executive, James de le Vigne, puts it best:

“It’s been a real privilege to work alongside Oli over the past decade. His leadership, insight, and unwavering commitment to the eoa and the growth of EO have made a lasting mark on across our brilliant community. 

“Oli has been a driving force behind so much of our progress, helping to shape not just our strategy, but our community too. 

“While we’ll miss his presence and depth of knowledge, we couldn’t be prouder to see him take this exciting next step. 

“AMCIS are incredibly lucky to have him, and we can’t wait to see the impact he’ll make as CEO.”

A Decade of EO Excellence

What a decade it’s been! Propelled by the introduction of the EOT the previous year, both the eoa and the employee owned sector have taken great leaps forward.

In fact, since Oli first joined us there’s a been a massive climb in:

• eoa members – from 250 to over 800
• UK EO businesses – from 300 to over 2,250
• eoa Annual Conference – from 550 delegates to over 860
• eoa team – from four to almost twenty

As Oli says, despite all the above, “a constant has always been an eoa community striving for EO excellence.”

He added: “We all know people are the heart of all the great things about EO, so showcasing this holds the greatest opportunity for EO to be mainstream in the UK.”

Join us in wishing Oli all the best in his new role. We know he’ll have an immediate impact at AMCIS, and he leaves a lasting impact here at the eoa.