Dr Gary Gates

Dr Gary Gates is an experienced global education, assessment and technology executive with deep expertise in digital assessment, professional certification, higher education and technology-enabled services.

Gary was formerly Managing Director of Pearson VUE, a global digital assessment and technology-enabled services business, where he led the senior executive team and supported the delivery of high-stakes assessments for governments, regulators, professional bodies, academic institutions and major corporates worldwide. He left Pearson at the end of 2025 after more than a decade with the group, having played a key role in international growth, strategic partnerships, client development and operational performance across complex regulated markets.

Gary also led Pearson’s UK Higher Education business from 2019 to 2021 and has held board and governance roles, including with Prepona S.A., a Brazil-based computer-based testing company. Earlier in his career, he was a company director of ITIS Holdings plc, a digital content and technology company, and held management roles in the UK nuclear industry with British Nuclear Fuels plc and British Energy.

He holds a PhD in Computational Physics from the University of Liverpool and a BSc Honours degree in Theoretical Physics from the University of York.