Meet Jakob Gray, our Global Head of GRC. His career journey is a story of embracing opportunities, stepping outside his comfort zone and making the most of working within a truly global organisation.
One of the most defining opportunities in Jakob’s career came with just 72 hours’ notice. Working in a strategic business role at the time, he received an unexpected call from his manager: would he relocate to the US for a six-month secondment, with a flight leaving in just three days.
He said yes.
“If I hadn’t made that move, I probably would have had a completely different career trajectory. I may never have entered the GRC space at all,” he reflects.
What began as a short-term overseas opportunity opened doors to insolvency, credit risk, enterprise risk and financial risk roles, while also providing invaluable exposure to corporate governance. Looking back, he sees it as the moment that launched a career in Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC).
Today, Jakob leads OSG’s GRC function, helping to ensure the organisation operates responsibly, consistently and in line with its regulatory obligations.
While GRC can seem complex to outsiders, he describes its purpose in simple terms.
“Our role is to set the parameters for how the organisation operates. We help to ensure OSG meets our obligations to regulators and provides confidence that we’re doing the right things in the right way.”
The work spans policy development, regulatory engagement, assurance activities and corporate governance.
One of the GRC team’s key priorities is to make governance and risk processes easier for staff to understand and use.
While policies and compliance frameworks are essential, Jakob believes they are only effective if people can easily engage with them. Rather than expecting educators to become experts in law or risk management, the focus is on simplifying the tools and guidance they rely on every day.
“Our educators should be focused on educating. The easier we can make policies and risk tools to understand, the less time people spend second-guessing decisions and the more time they can spend doing what they do best. This approach aligns closely with our ‘One OneSchool’ strategic focus on simplicity and global collaboration. By creating clearer frameworks, the GRC function ensures decisions are made consistently across regions while reducing administrative burden.”
When asked about the leadership principles that guide him, Jakob believes trust and an appetite to take on new challenges are key.
“I’ve been fortunate to have leaders throughout my career who encouraged me to try new things and weren’t afraid to let me fail gently. They used those moments as opportunities to coach rather than criticise, which shapes the way I lead today. If people are afraid of getting things wrong, they won’t take on progressively harder challenges. Growth comes from being willing to try, learn and improve.”
It’s a philosophy that mirrors his own career journey, where saying yes to unfamiliar opportunities often led to the greatest professional development.
Away from work, Jakob has a passion for boxing. More than a casual fan, he is a qualified boxing judge who studies the sport closely. His fascination lies not only in the athleticism, but also in the strategy.
“I’m particularly drawn to the defensive, high-guard styles you see in Eastern European boxing,” he says.
It’s a sport that closely mirrors his work, with lessons in discipline, patience and continuous improvement – where success often comes from maintaining focus, being adaptable and executing a plan over time.
Jakob’s advice to aspiring leaders is clear and simple.
“Embrace the detours. Throughout my career, I’ve had opportunities to work in different locations alongside diverse teams which shaped my professional and personal growth. Looking back, I wish I spent more time recognising the value of those experiences and the relationships formed along the way.”
He also encourages OSG staff to take advantage of working at a truly global organisation.
“We have the chance to work with people all over the world and learn from so many amazing peers. You don’t always realise in the moment how much those experiences and connections will influence your future, so make the most of them when you can.”
About OneSchool Global
OneSchool Global is an independent school network that has more than 8,000 primary and secondary students and 2,000 staff across the globe, in regions including United Kingdom, North America, Europe, Australia, Argentina, New Zealand and the Caribbean. Our students come from the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church community; however, OneSchool Global is not a religious school and only teaches religion as required in the curriculum.
