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About us

Our team

Meet the team

Zoe Robinson

Zoe Robinson

Director of Kaplan Assessments

With a background in professional services, Zoe moved into the professional education and assessment sector over 20 years ago. She has extensive experience of assessment, content and course design, as well as operational delivery. As Managing Director of Kaplan Assessments, Zoe feels passionately that expertly designed assessments that focus on practical skills as well as knowledge is the best way to drive quality within a profession.

Meet Zoe


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Dr. Eileen Fry

Director of Assessment

A qualified solicitor of England and Wales, with over 10 years experience in high stakes licensing exams. At Kaplan Assessments Eileen has overall responsibility, on behalf of the Solicitors Regulation authority (SRA), for the design, development and delivery of the Qualified Lawyers Transfer Scheme (QLTS) and for the design, piloting and initial development of the Solicitor Qualifying Exam (SQE). Since September 2021, Eileen has been working with the Bar Council of the Maldives and the American Bar Association to design and develop the first bar exam for the Maldives.

Meet Eileeen


Dr. Lisa Coombes

Dr. Lisa Coombes

Director of Psychometrics and Assessment Development

For the last 20 years Lisa has been at the cutting edge of modern assessment design and development, implementing a range of ground breaking and innovative assessments to provide a defensible statement of competence about those who take part in them.

In her role as Director of Psychometrics and Assessment Development at Kaplan, she is a specialist in creating, deploying and interpreting a wide range of evidence-based best practice psychometric and analytical assessment techniques for high and low stake, single and distributed assessment models built on the experience of overseeing and delivering large scale educational assessment programmes in healthcare, law, and beyond.

Meet Lisa


Jo Cockerill

Jo Cockerill

Psychometrician

Jo joined Kaplan in 2022 after working in the Higher Education sector since 2004. She has considerable knowledge, understanding and experience of assessment processes, data analysis and presentation, especially linked to the regulated professions.

As a psychometrician, Jo contributes to providing rigorous and evidence-informed psychometrics/statistical analysis and support for the evaluation and quality assurance of the assessments, along with applying standard setting methods. Jo provides our clients with comprehensive assessment data analyses and produces reports and presentations for audiences with variable levels of statistical knowledge.

Meet Jo


Jackie Panter

Jackie Panter

Head of Equality & Quality

Jackie is a solicitor and qualified tutor in higher education, with 20 years of experience in legal education. She has worked on national projects, developing new pathways for training and qualification in the legal sector including legal apprenticeships. She has led quality assurance reviews with QAA, Ofsted and the Advanced He. Jackie is the Head of the Equality and Quality team at Kaplan SQE - the new assessment for all aspiring solicitors in England and Wales.

The team is responsible for supporting candidates requiring adjustments or accommodations in order to attempt the SQE assessments as well as those with mitigating or extenuating circumstances. Jackie is pivotal in maintaining equality of opportunity, supporting individuals to reduce barriers in their professional and personal development.

Meet Jackie


Nikki Bardsley

Nikki Bardsley

Head of Client Solutions & Quality

Nikki has worked in the education sector for over 23 years and has an array of experiences in developing, delivering and assuring high quality training and assessments in large Training Providers. Nikki is passionate about giving everyone the opportunity to access quality educational teaching and assessment to support long term, sustainable career goals.

At Kaplan, Nikki is Head of Client Solutions and Quality, developing, designing and delivering tailored assessments and qualification service solutions.

Meet Nikki


Matthew Quelch

Matthew Quelch

Head of Quality Assurance

With a passion for ensuring all learners have access to developing their education, Matthew plays a vital role in ensuring the inclusivity and integrity of Kaplan’s nationally-recognised assessments.

Having started his career as an Assessor of Apprenticeships, Matthew now has 15 years of experience working alongside awarding organisations, the government, employers, and regulators to develop and deliver a range of assessments and assurance policies. He uses this knowledge to create tailored assessments that reflect what industries actually require so learners are equipped for the future.

Meet Matthew


Neil Rice

Neil Rice

Senior Psychometrician

Neil joined Kaplan with a primary background in medical education assessments, statistical programming and research, and was the Head of Psychometrics and Informatics within the higher education field. This background has made Neil one of the leading experts in the field - so much so that he has presented at a range of educational conferences as well as conferences tailored towards specialist psychometrics.

At Kaplan, Neil focuses on the advancement of computer adaptive testing, programmatic assessments and the psychometrics of progress testing.

Meet Neil


Alannah Young

Alannah Young

Kaplan Professional Awards Qualifications Manager and Responsible Officer

Alannah, after initially training in Law, underwent a career transition into the field of Educational Leadership working as a teacher and Curriculum Lead in Mathematics. In 2021, Alannah redirected her expertise towards awarding organisations, focusing on assessment management in vocational qualifications spanning diverse sectors and educational levels.

With a keen passion for ensuring that every individual has access to opportunities for learning and a focus on upholding rigorous educational standards, Alannah's multifaceted background reflects a dedication to creating inclusive and impactful qualifications for all.

Join the team

At the core of Kaplan Assessments is a dedicated and friendly team.

As a member of our diverse community, you’ll have the opportunity to work alongside experts from a variety of disciplines, contributing to the development of industry-leading qualifications.

Keen to make an impact?

Reach out to our team today

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