SNE Event

Jess Clarke

Former Lioness

Jessica Anne Clarke is a distinguished English footballer whose story extends far beyond the pitch. Her journey has been marked by resilience, having overcome a life-changing accident that significantly altered her appearance, as well as facing racial and gender-based adversity. These experiences have shaped her into a powerful voice for change.

Today, Jess is in a unique position to inspire others. Through her own lived experiences, she
is passionate about empowering individuals facing both internal and external barriers. She
shares these insights through a personal initiative aimed at education, growth, and social
impact.

Clarke began her football journey at Leeds United, joining at the Under-16 level and making
her senior debut at just 16. During her time at the club, she played in three consecutive FA
Women's Cup Finals scoring in the 2008 final—and helped Leeds secure their first major
silverware by winning the Premier League Cup in 2010.

In 2010, she signed with Lincoln Ladies in what was considered a major move. She
remained a key player through the club's transition to Notts County in 2014, earning a
nomination for the PFA Women's Players’ Player of the Year due to her consistent
performances.

Jess joined Liverpool in 2017, where she made 68 appearances and showcased her
versatility and leadership. After a career-threatening injury, she continued her playing career
with Durham, bringing a wealth of experience and determination to the team.

Internationally, Clarke has represented England at every level from Under-17 to the senior
squad. She made her senior debut in 2009 against South Africa, and scored in her second
appearance against Scotland. She played a vital role in England’s UEFA Women's Euro
2009 campaign most notably in the semi-final win over the Netherlands and also featured in
the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup and as part of Team GB at the 2012 London Olympics.

With over 50 caps for England, Jess contributed to many significant moments in the
Lionesses' history. She is one of only 25 Black women to have represented England at
senior level, and was awarded legacy number 168 by the FA during the 50th anniversary of
the team’s first international match.

Jessica Clarke's career stands as a testament to her talent, courage, and unwavering
commitment on and off the field. She remains a prominent and inspiring figure in women's
football and beyond.

Linda Wilson

Head of NYES

Linda has been a key part of NYES for more than a decade. She began her career as a Relationship Manager, supporting schools across North Yorkshire and building strong, trusted partnerships with a portfolio of over 100 clients. Her success in this role led to her progression to Senior Manager, where she led a dedicated sales team focused on expanding NYES services across the North of England.

For the past three years, Linda has served as Head of NYES, leading the NYES Hub across sales, marketing, customer experience, and operations. She champions a customer‑first culture, drives business development and retention strategies, oversees the delivery of more than 500 training and CPD courses, and ensures high‑quality, cost‑effective services for schools and academies. Linda works closely with partners across the sector to support innovation and continuous improvement, and she proudly represents NYES at national events, forums, and strategic collaborations.

Chris Zarraga

Director, Schools North East

Chris is the Director of School North East.  He has been part of the Schools North East team since its operational inception in 2008 and in 2019 he was appointed Director.  Chris works with senior leaders across the North East and nationally in the education and charity sectors, to represent the voice of North East schools.  A central part of his work is to lobby politicians,  policy makers, and the media to put a strong ‘regional accent’ on the education debate, so that North East schools are not left behind when it comes to education policy.

Under Chris, Schools North East launched the ‘Manifesto for North East Education’.  The manifesto sets out the perennial challenges that impact educational opportunities in the North East and the principles needed to inform any educational policy wanting to address them.

Chris works with hundreds of schools across the North East and various organisations including Ofsted, the DfE, the North East’s universities, Local Authorities and various regional/ national businesses. Prior to joining Schools North East, he led a £1.4 million culture change project in education across the North East for the Treasury and DfE and was responsible for setting up a multi-million pound Enterprise Education Network. 

Chris sits on various advisory boards including the NHS Integrated Care Boards, various Combined Authority advisory boards, and was a member of the DfE’s Opportunity North East strategic board. He has also sat on various boards for North East Universities. As well as being a Director of two North East multi academy trusts, Chris has been Chair of a 3 school Trust, Vice Chair of a large maintained secondary school and Vice Chair of a primary foundation school. 

In a variety of roles from Regional Manager to Chief Executive to Board member, Chris has led large scale change management projects in education and has over 20 years’ experience of strategic management, consultancy, and client development experience at a ‘Big Four’ firm and various financial institutions.

Chris holds an MBA with distinction from Durham University Business School.