Ex MoneySuperMarket Group exec joins UK’s leading online learning platform to disrupt edtech sector

FutureLearn locks sights on learner-centric future with Andy Hancock at the helm

Andy Hancock has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of leading online learning platform FutureLearn.com, in order to continue ​​driving the company forwards on its mission to transform access to education and scale its position as a global leader in edtech.

Hancock brings extensive experience of scaling purpose-led consumer brands including MoneySavingExpert, DMG Media and most recently in his role as Chief Operating Officer at MoneySuperMarket Group PLC, a FTSE 250 company with the mission to help households save money. He has a proven record of leading the digital transformation of content and marketplace businesses, helping them leverage data to grow across new sectors, markets and audiences. 

Drawing from his extensive expertise in customer success, part of Hancock’s vision for FutureLearn includes developing the company’s focus on the modern day student, working with its world class partners to ensure it remains at the forefront of online education, while continuously delivering a quality experience for learners. Post-pandemic research has revealed that students today are now lifelong learners, increasingly global, focussed on career-relevant skills and value flexible, accessible and personalised education. [1] 

Andy Hancock, CEO of FutureLearn, said: “I’m thrilled to be joining FutureLearn, especially at a time when the education sector is evolving faster than ever. We know the face of the modern day student has changed for good following the pandemic. We also know that digital will play an increasingly central role in the evolution of the education sector and how it goes about reaching an ever more diverse student population. FutureLearn’s mission is to transform access to education, and we hope to continue disrupting the status quo by working ever closer with a growing partnership of over 250 world-class higher education institutions, industry brands and public sector bodies, to do just that.”

Ron Kalifa, Chairman of FutureLearn, added: “I am confident that Andy’s experience and his vision for FutureLearn brings the company closer to its fullest potential and mission to transform access to education by harnessing the potential of online education. The sector is ripe with innovation and opportunity, and FutureLearn’s unique learner-driven platform remains at the forefront of this as it continues to improve the educational experience of almost 18 million learners across the world.”

Notes to editor

[1] Supporting data points

• University student cohorts are becoming more international: “At [The University of] Edinburgh, 43 per cent of students come from outside the UK and 35 per cent of staff come from the EU.” (source); the number of non-EU students has increased in many UK universities. (source)
• Students are expecting a more practical/career-relevant education: A survey conducted in April 2020 by the National Union of Students found that 95% of nearly 10,000 students voiced fears about the impact of the coronavirus on the economy, while 81% were specifically concerned about their job prospects. (source) Younger people are the most likely to agree that they would take an online course in the next five years for career development. Generation Z are most likely to agree with this (60% of Gen Zs and 53% of Millennials). (The Future of Learning Report 2021)
• Lifelong learning is part of the new normal: Among those who currently work, one fifth of UK adults report that they do not expect to be working in the same industry in 2030. This expectation is driven by Generation Z (32%). Furthermore, nearly two fifths (38%) of UK adults believe that, in the future, education will have the power to give people the opportunity to try different industries before committing to a career path. (The Future of Learning Report 2021)

About FutureLearn

Here at FutureLearn, our purpose is to transform access to education. We do that by partnering with over a quarter of the world’s top universities to support millions of learners across the globe to develop skills and achieve their personal and professional goals. We’re a leading social learning platform founded in December 2012 by The Open University and are now jointly owned by The Open University in the UK and The SEEK Group. We use design, technology and partnerships to create enjoyable, credible and flexible short online courses and microcredentials, as well as undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. In addition to top universities, we also partner with leading organisations such as Accenture, the British Council, CIPD, Raspberry Pi and Health Education England (HEE), as well as being involved in government-backed initiatives to address skills gaps such as The Institute of Coding and the National Centre for Computing Education.