Managing Director of CogniSoft, Emma Cook, Joins the OAL Board

OAL is delighted to announce the appointment of Emma Cook FIEP, Managing Director of Cognisoft Ltd, to our Board of Directors.

Emma brings over 35 years of unparalleled experience in the Employability, Skills, and Learning and Development sectors. Having joined CogniSoft in 1988 as an office junior, Emma has built her career from the ground up, progressing through roles in support, training, consultancy, and implementation before becoming Managing Director of one of the Uk’s most established providers of Employability, Skills CRM and Learner Management Systems.

Throughout her four decades at CogniSoft, Emma has personally supported and implemented many of the organisation’s largest customers. This hands-on involvement has given her deep, practical insight into the Learning & Skills, and Employability landscapes. Today, she continues to oversee all major projects, ensuring quality, compliance, and sector-leading innovation.

Under Emma’s leadership, CogniSoft now supports every government-funded programme across the UK, including Adult Skills, Skills Bootcamps, Apprenticeships, th National Careers Service, Welsh LLWR, and Scottish Government contracts, alongside DWP and UKSPF-funded initiatives.

Her appointment to the OAL Board brings invaluable expertise, strategic insight, and a deep understanding of how data, systems, and technology underpin high-quality learning and employability outcomes.

Emma Cook said:

“I am privileged to join the OAL Board and contribute to the important work being done to uphold quality across apprenticeships, skills, and training. Having worked across this sector for many years, I look forward to supporting OAL’s mission and helping shape the future of skills development across the UK.”

Jan Richardson-Wilde, CEO of OAL, said:

“We are thrilled to welcome Emma to the OAL Board. Her Depth of experience and long-standing commitment to improving systems, quality, and learner outcomes across the sector is exceptional. Emma’s insight into how technology and data can strengthen delivery will be instrumental as OAL continues to evolve, innovate, and support providers nationwide. I am confident that her strategic perspective will help us drive forward our mission to champion excellence in apprenticeships, skills, and workforce development.”

Emma joins current OAL board members, John Whitehead, Sue McGlynn, Julian Wild and Colin Dennis, who collectively have brought decades of invaluable experience and expertise, helping to oversee OALs growth alongside CEO, Jan, towards becoming one of the UKs leading awarding and apprenticeship assessment organisations, committed to elevating workforce skills and standards across diverse industries, valued by employers, training providers, and apprentices. Highlighted in 2024 when OAL won two award categories at The Federation of Awarding Bodies Awards, in Individual of the Year and AO/Provider Relationship of the Year.