Efekta assembles heavyweight AI and political figures to steer global education push

The company adds former heads of government and AI executives to guide how its platform scales across education systems and policy environments.

Efekta Education Group has created a new advisory board chaired by José Manuel Barroso, bringing together senior figures from politics, AI, and international institutions as it expands its role in AI-driven education.

The move points to a more deliberate push into policy, workforce skills, and system-level partnerships, as education providers and governments look for clearer frameworks around how AI is used in teaching and learning.

The advisory board includes Sir Nick Clegg, former UK Deputy Prime Minister and former President, Global Affairs at Meta; Deepak Agarwal, Chief AI Officer at LinkedIn; Mari Kiviniemi, former Prime Minister of Finland and former Deputy Secretary-General of the OECD; and Phil Waymouth, Founder of Frontier Impact and former AI Technical Advisor at Microsoft.

Rather than focusing purely on product or platform development, the composition suggests Efekta is positioning itself closer to policy conversations and public sector adoption, where AI deployment increasingly intersects with regulation, labor markets, and education reform.

Shift toward system-level AI deployment

Efekta says the board will support its engagement with governments and institutions, particularly as AI tools move from pilots into wider implementation across schools, universities, and workforce training.

The focus appears to be less on access to AI tools and more on how those tools are deployed at scale, including how outcomes are measured and how teachers remain part of the process.

Stephen Hodges, CEO of Efekta, says: "We are delighted to bring together such an accomplished group of leaders and experts from politics, government relations, and big tech to support Efekta's mission. With José Manuel Barroso as Chair and members including Sir Nick Clegg, Deepak Agarwal, Mari Kiviniemi and Phil Waymouth, the Advisory Board brings together experience from global policymaking, international institutions and the development of large-scale AI technologies. Their insight will help us continue to expand our work with governments and institutions around the world, ensuring that AI strengthens teaching and learning while widening access to high-quality education."

The company frames the advisory board as part of its response to wider challenges, including teacher shortages and uneven access to education.

Its approach centers on embedding AI into existing learning environments while maintaining teacher oversight and focusing on outcomes for students.

The move comes as education providers and policymakers place greater emphasis on how AI is deployed, governed, and evaluated in practice.