19 June 2026
We are delighted to announce that we have been named Executive Search Firm of the Year at the 2026 EducationInvestor Awards, recognising our work supporting leadership appointments across the education sector.
The EducationInvestor Awards celebrate excellence across the business of education, bringing together leading organisations from across advisory, investment, education provision and professional services.
The Executive Search Firm of the Year category recognises firms that have successfully placed exceptional leaders into critical roles across the sector and provided exemplary client and candidate support. This award reflects the strength of AQ’s specialist education practice and our commitment to helping schools, higher education institutions, education groups and investor-backed organisations identify and appoint outstanding leadership talent.
We would like to thank our clients, candidates and partners for their continued trust and support; as the education sector continues to navigate significant change and opportunity, AQ remains committed to partnering with organisations to identify leaders who can shape the future of education and deliver meaningful impact for students, staff and communities.
Akhil Yerneni, Partner, commented:
I’m incredibly proud of the Anderson Quigley team for being named Executive Search Firm of the Year. It is of course a wonderful point of recognition, but above all, it reflects the trust our clients and candidates put in us every day; we are privileged to work with investors, founders, boards, and education leaders around the world at some of the most important moments in their growth and transformation journeys.
Over the past year, we have partnered with ambitious universities, schools, and investor-backed education groups across the globe as they have scaled, expanded internationally, and navigated significant change. Helping organisations build leadership teams that can balance growth, quality and student outcomes is where we believe we add the greatest value. As private capital and international investment continue to reshape the sector, I am delighted that AQ has been recognised for the agility, rigour, judgement, and deep sector expertise that we bring to every appointment.
This award is also a testament to our people. The care and commitment that our team demonstrates every day is what makes our work both successful and rewarding. I am grateful to everyone who has trusted us along the way, and I am excited about the road ahead as we continue our ambition to become the leading global executive search partner for investor-backed education organisations.
John Laycock, Managing Partner, added:
We are absolutely delighted to have been named Executive Search Firm of the Year at the Education Investor Awards. This recognition is a testament to the exceptional work of our team and the deep commitment they bring to supporting clients across both the schools and higher education sectors. The award reflects not only the strength of our relationships within the education market, but also the expertise, dedication and collaborative approach that underpin every search we undertake.
I would particularly like to thank Akhil Yerneni and Hayley Mintern for leading with our Private Higher Education and Schools clients, and their outstanding work which has led to our success in these markets – to be recognised by the industry in this way is a tremendous achievement, and one that I was incredibly proud witness and celebrate last night.
