Russell Hobby, Baron Hobby
British education executive, trade union official and life peer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Russell Keith Hobby, Baron Hobby CBE (born 22 January 1972)[1] is the CEO of The Kemnal Academies Trust (TKAT). Russell was previously the CEO of Teach First from 2017–2025.
Non-affiliated (2026–present)
The Lord Hobby | |
|---|---|
| Member of the House of Lords | |
| Life peerage 30 January 2026 | |
| Personal details | |
| Party | Labour (until 2026) Non-affiliated (2026–present) |
| Website | https://russellhobby.com/ |
Early life
He was born in Abingdon-on-Thames in Oxfordshire. His father was a plasma physicist for the United Kingdom Atomic Energy Authority. His mother was a qualified primary school teacher. He attended a comprehensive school, the John Mason School.[citation needed] He went to Corpus Christi College, Oxford to study PPE, leaving in 1993.[citation needed]
Career
He became General Secretary of NAHT in September 2010.[2] He was re-elected General Secretary in January 2015.[3] In May 2017, he was appointed CEO of Teach First.[4]
Russell replaced Dr Karen Roberts, as CEO of TKAT in September 2025.[citation needed]
Hobby was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2022 New Year Honours for services to education.[5] Hobby was nominated for a life peerage as part of the 2025 Political Peerages to sit in the House of Lords; he was created as Baron Hobby, of Belmont in the London Borough of Sutton on 30 January 2026.[6][7] Although announced as a Labour peer, he was officially listed as a non-affiliated peer after the creation of his peerage.[8]