A past finalist with the Chartered Institute of Chartered Accountants and with a master's degree in enterprise management, Linda has worked in the education sector since 1992. After heading up the Development Services team at Durham University since 2010 and supporting the growth of cash income from £3M to almost £12M per year, Linda was appointed as Head of Development Operations and Insight at Nottingham Trent University in 2019. Linda has responsibility for database management, data and gift processing, reporting, stewardship, and prospect research.

Gemma Wicks is the Head of Fundraising and Communications at the RCN Foundation, leading their communications and fundraising programmes to enable the organisation to fulfil its purpose of supporting and strengthening nursing to improve the health and wellbeing of the public.

Prior to this, Gemma was Head of Supporter Engagement at Imperial College London, leading their strategic development events, development communications and donor relations teams and programmes. Gemma was the first Director of Development at Bancroft’s School from 2012-2016, raising more than £2M to support means-tested scholarships for the Bancroft’s Foundation. Gemma has more than fifteen years’ experience in educational fundraising; having also developed and delivered strategic stewardship, events and communications programmes and initiatives at various higher-education organisations including LBS, LSE and the University of Birmingham.