Valerie Bayliss is an independent consultant. Her first career was in the Department of Employment and Manpower Services Commission, specialising in employment services, careers and guidance and especially policy on the transition of young people from education to work. Her final posts, at Under-Secretary level, were as Director of Resources and Personnel in the MSC (1987-90) and as Director of Youth and Education Policy in the Department of Employment/DFEE (1990-96).

Since 1996 she has worked as a consultant in organisation and management development and in education. Assignments have varied from work for the Russian Environment Ministry in Siberia to developing training services and mentoring senior civil servants in Britain. She has worked with numerous Local Education Authorities on developing their role in times of significant policy and organisational challenge.

The Royal Society of Arts invited Valerie Bayliss to lead a number of major projects and to author the associated reports, including Redefining Work (1998) and Opening Minds (from 1998, continuing). She has also published many papers and articles on education and employment subjects.

Valerie is a university governor and a trustee of several charities. She is a Joint Honorary Secretary of City & Guilds, a member of Council, and sits on the Executive, Finance and Audit and Nominations committees. She is Chairman of the Learning and Assessment Policy Committee. She was awarded Fellowship in 2005.