Linda Wyatt has been the CEO of AIM since it was formed in 2012. She stepped down from the position in September this year when the organisation merged with Open College Network West Midlands.
Linda was nominated by AIM colleagues in recognition of her (almost) 40 years of service to the FE / Training/Awarding sector and her leadership of AIM. Initially Linda worked for Open College Network then, after a series of organisational changes, set up the independent Awarding Organisation (AO) AIM Awards in 2012.
At the time, Linda was one of very few female CEOs to create and head-up an AO. Linda then steered AIM Awards to gain registration as an EndPoint Assessment Organisation and in 2019 AIM Awards was re-launched as AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group.
Linda has always been a ‘people person’ and has developed a successful, professional organisation with family friendly policies. Flexible/termtime working patterns, homeworking, office dogs, were all an established part of the organisation’s culture long before such things were thought about in the corporate world.
Liza-Jo Gee, Chair of the AIM Board of Directors said: “Linda transitioned from a leader in further Education into a leader of an awarding body with the view of making a difference to people’s lives, which is what she has done, developing staff to be innovative, inspiring, and industrious.
“This has led to a comprehensive suite of niche contemporary qualifications both academic and vocational, that support specialist sectors, whilst enabling inclusion for learners from pre-entry through to access to HE. AIM stood out as an awarding body to work with and learn from during the recent pandemic and, was celebrated as an organisation that despite times of adversity still puts all learners at the heart of all that it does. This is down to Linda’s proactive leadership style”.
In September 2022, AIM Qualifications and Assessment Group merged with Open College Network West Midlands enabling Linda to step down from her role as CEO and to retire from working life in February 2023. Until then, Linda is continuing to play an active role as a consultant working within the AIM Group.
The FAB Awards recognises the contributions made by Awarding Organisations and their employees to education and skills in the UK over the past year. It's the pinnacle awarding industry awards ceremony, celebrating a world-class sector that issued more than 10 million learner certifications last year.
Now in its 7th year, the FAB 2022 Awards, is being held at the end of the first day of the FAB Conference, on 20th October, at the Marriott Hotel, in Leicester.
