The high-profile boss of a large national training provider has suddenly stood down.
Brenda McLeish will leave her post as chief executive of Learning Curve Group (LCG) today.
In a statement this morning, McLeish said: “The time has come for me to step aside and allow the next chapter of LCG’s story to unfold.
“After leading the organisation through significant growth and transformation, I feel this is the right moment to hand over to new leadership who will continue building on the strong foundations I helped create and thrive for years to come.”
As well as stepping down as CEO, ending 17 years at the group, McLeish has also resigned from the board of the Association of Employment and Learning Providers.
“While I will no longer be in the CEO role, I will remain a passionate advocate for Learning Curve Group and the life-changing work it does. Thank you for your support, collaboration, and trust throughout this journey—it has meant the world to me,” McLeish said.
McLeish has been a high-profile advocate of the independent training provider sector, frequently speaking at sector and regional events. She joined Learning Curve in 2008, first as group managing director, before becoming chief executive in 2015.
A spokesperson for LCG said: “Brenda has been instrumental in building this organisation into what it is today. We are grateful for her leadership and the strong foundations she leaves behind. We are pleased she will remain supportive of the ‘Purple People’ for a period in an advisory capacity under a consultancy arrangement.
“The LCG strategic board will act as a leadership committee and lead the organisation on an interim basis. The board is already engaged in a succession process to identify a permanent CEO.”
LCG had a turnover of £32 million in the financial year 2024-25 and an after-tax profit of £5 million. However, the group’s latest financial statements also flag a “material uncertainty” over the future of the business due to around £80m in bank loans held by Boyd Topco Limited (a parent entity of Learning Curve) becoming repayable in March 2026.
FE Week has approached Learning Curve Group’s owners, Agilitas Private Equity, for comment.
The news bookends the year which began with a settlement between LCG and the Department for Education, ending an 18-month-long legal battle that alleged DfE “unlawfully” rejected LCG’s 2023 adult education budget bid.
Ho ho ho. Santa here. I checked the list, checked it twice, then fed it straight into the shredder and poured something strong. What a year. Promises were made. Strategy went out for milk and never came back. The elves have formed a support group.
So here’s to Brenda and her inner circle: thank you for the memories, the lessons in endurance, and the annual reminder that not all leadership journeys end in gold, frankincense, and myrrh — some quietly vanish behind phrases like “next chapter” and “strong foundations” while the sleigh is still actively on fire.
Naturally, this festive transition will be marked with champagne — not popped in celebration, but opened slowly, with eye contact, by people who have survived and are just glad it’s over.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, a drastically quieter January, and leadership decisions that don’t require alcohol, dissociation, or an emergency consultancy arrangement to process.
— Santa Claus
(Currently reviewing the naughty list under “Strategic Oversight”)
Ah yes, the traditional Christmas departure.
After 17 years, the CEO “steps aside” just as the accounts flag material uncertainty and £80m of loans are due in 2026. Impeccable timing. Almost artistic.
Out come all the greatest hits: strong foundations, next chapter, interim leadership committee, consultancy arrangement. That’s the full sector script, delivered just before everyone switches their out-of-office on.
Meanwhile, the £80m Brussels sprout is rolling round the plate. No one ordered it, no one wants to talk about it, and for now everyone’s pretending it isn’t there. Come January, it’s still rolling. By March, someone’s forced to taste it — and it turns out it’s very bitter.
Still, reassuring to hear the foundations are strong. They usually say that right before the chewing starts.
Ah, the classic Christmas exit.
After 17 years, the CEO “steps aside” at the exact moment the accounts flag material uncertainty and £80m of loans are due in 2026. Impeccable timing. Almost festive.
Nice to see all the familiar lines rolled out too: strong foundations, next chapter, interim leadership committee, and a consultancy arrangement “for continuity”. That’s basically the sector’s equivalent of saying “everything’s fine” while quietly unplugging the phone.
December, of course, is for statements and champagne. January is for asking what the plan actually is. March is for remembering why the CEO stepped aside in the first place.
Still, reassuring to hear the foundations are strong. You’d expect nothing less — it’s what everyone says just before they hand the keys back.
That is what you get when you dance with the devil that is private equity. A bad leaver