Dawn Carman-Jones

Dawn Carman-Jones is an experienced education governance and strategic development professional with a strong track record of supporting schools, trusts, and education organisations to strengthen governance, leadership, accountability, and organisational effectiveness. She combines extensive practical experience of education governance with a commercial and strategic perspective, enabling her to provide informed challenge, constructive support, and pragmatic solutions in complex and changing environments. As founding director and owner of Mercatus Marketing Ltd, Dawn has worked with small businesses and public sector organisations for more than 25 years, with her consultancy increasingly specialising in education governance since 2011. Her work encompasses complex investigations, external reviews of governance, governance improvement, strategic and structural development, change management, governance training, executive and CEO performance management, and mentoring. Dawn has considerable experience working alongside boards, chairs, trustees, governors, and senior leaders, including in schools and trusts facing significant challenge. She has undertaken complex and sensitive investigations, presented to, and participated in, formal panels, provided independent mediation, supported governance improvement following reviews and inspections, and represented schools during Ofsted inspections and HMI monitoring visits. Her consultancy work with the Confederation of School Trusts has extended her contribution to a national level. Dawn is currently a governor and trustee within the education sector and brings a broad understanding of the opportunities and challenges facing education organisations. Her approach is analytical, collaborative, and outcomes-focused, underpinned by a strong commitment to effective governance, strategic stewardship, and improving opportunities for children and young people. She is particularly valued for her ability to understand complex situations quickly, build trusted relationships with diverse stakeholders and provide balanced, evidence-informed challenge that supports sustainable improvement.