Before joining Prospects, Ray spent 11 years heading the London Borough of Havering Careers Service, the only local authority run careers service to win the Charter Mark Award. He understands the local authority perspective well, having served as a Basildon District Councillor, Essex County Councillor and a member of the Essex Police Authority. He has also twice stood as a parliamentary candidate. He started his career as a teacher, before moving into the Careers Service and educational administration.

Ray has served on a number of national careers service advisory bodies and is also a Board Director of several companies. He served as a Commissioner on the Government’s Youth Citizenship Commission in 2008-9. He is a graduate of Reading University and undertook further studies at the University of East London. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, a Fellow of the Institute of Directors and Freeman of the City of London.

Having led the Prospects Group to its current role as a major provider of educational support services, he is keen to see it diversify further and develop a wider range of services for its customers.