Matt Collins brings over 15 years of senior leadership experience in education and nine years in executive search to his role as Head of Practice at Spencer Group. A former Executive Headteacher, he led nine Good and Outstanding schools and now specialises in placing high-impact leaders across international and UK-based school groups.

Matt focuses on recruiting Principals, Directors and C-level leaders for independent, international and group-owned schools. He also advises on building senior leadership teams that can support growth, drive improvement and adapt to evolving priorities. This includes team structure, role design and long-term planning to ensure leadership capacity aligns with strategic goals.

With a pupil-first mentality embedded into his DNA, Matt brings care, rigour and deep sector insight to every search. Diversity, equity and inclusion are central to his approach, ensuring leadership reflects the communities schools serve. He holds a Master’s degree in Education, has published research on social mobility, and serves as a Trustee for a multi-academy trust and as a coach for the NPQEL programme. His work is guided by a strong belief in the power of leadership to improve the lives of children and young people.

Outside of work, Matt enjoys walking his dog, football, and home renovation projects with his family.