Laura Lewis-Williams

Laura Lewis-Williams joined Challenge Partners in October 2018.

Laura believes passionately that every child has the right to receive and enjoy the benefits of an outstanding education and can go on to succeed no matter what their background. Laura’s career to date has been focused on improving outcomes, in every sense, for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds. This passion was ignited by working with teenagers in the Bronx during her summer holidays at university, and led to a ten-year career teaching and leading in inner-city London schools. 

Before joining Challenge Partners, Laura held director roles at Ambition Institute and The Future Leaders Trust, where she helped build a strong reputation for excellence across their leadership development programmes.

A former Deputy Headteacher, Chair of Governors and qualified Chartered Accountant (Deloitte), Laura currently serves as a Governor at Aylesbury Grammar School and as a Commissioner on ImpactEd’s Research Commission on Engagement and Lead Indicators (RCELI), the first-ever national study on student engagement in the UK.

In 2025, Laura was awarded the prestigious John Stopford Scholarship for the Mastered programme with Meyler Campbell, a globally respected executive coaching and leadership development organisation. She holds Masters degrees in Social and Political Sciences from the University of Cambridge, and in Education and International Development from the UCL Institute of Education.