Laura Lane joins Kada as Associate Director

Sheffield-based consultancy Kada Research has bolstered its company with a new appointment to Associate Director. Laura Lane arrives with the company amid a time of significant growth, with Kada having recently secured a number of national projects.

Headquartered in South Yorkshire, Kada Research is an international economic consultancy that provides social and economic research, analysis and advice to the public, private and non-profit sectors. Since its founding in 2011, this has seen the company work on a diverse range of projects on behalf of clients operating in multiple sectors – from universities, through to the emergency services and health, business support and enterprise, and central government and government agencies.

As Kada looks to grow its capacity for another busy year, it has brought on board Laura Lane. The new Associate Director brings almost 19 years of experience in learning and skills, social mobility and strategy to the firm, having held a number of leadership roles across private, public and academic settings.  

Karl Dalgleish, Director at Kada Research, commented, “We are delighted to onboard Laura to the board. Her exceptional talent in the education sector will be a significant asset within the team and for clients. Laura’s dedication to the field demonstrates her passion for education and skills development. Her skillset aligns well with the company ethos and promises our clients to deliver the highest standard of work. We have worked together in the past, so it is great to collaborate again.” 

Prior to joining Kada, Lane worked for the Department of Education, where she led national post-16 and professional and technical education policy developments. She also has a decade of higher education experience, with a Doctorate of Education in social mobility and access to higher education.  

Lane added, “The company boasts brilliant ethos and performance, and I look forward to working on projects helping to improve socio-economic and environmental change through research. This is a particularly exciting opportunity against a national skills agenda and strategic, regional priorities for closing skills gaps in priority sectors with the potential for growth.” 

The appointment is the latest in a number of senior arrivals with the Sheffield-based research consultancy. Lane’s appointment also follows a significant period of growth for Kada, which has recently secured a number of high-profile regional and national projects, including the development of a Skills, Training and Business Support Plan for the Advanced Manufacturing Innovation District in South Yorkshire.