At CSR Scientific Training, our success is built on the people who bring our mission to life every day. This week, we’re shining a spotlight on one of our senior leaders who plays a crucial role behind the scenes ensuring the financial health, data integrity, and strategic direction of the organisation, while keeping our values front and centre.
Get to know Danny Ho, CSR’s Director of Funding and Data, and Chair of the CSR Board of Governance.
What’s your role at CSR Scientific Training?
I am CSR’s Director of Funding and Data, responsible for ensuring the financial integrity, compliance, and performance of CSR’s funded programmes. I am also the chair of the CSR Board of Governance.
What does your day-to-day work involve?
My role as the financial lead at CSR involves overseeing all financial activities, including creating budgets, developing financial forecasts, and monitoring the overall financial performance. I collaborate with the delivery and quality teams to ensure data integrity, support audits, and provide financial insights that guide strategic decisions. I chair board meetings where we discuss strategic directions and make key decisions to support continuous improvement and growth. Occasionally, the delivery team allows me to teach a few lessons to our learners!
What brought you into this line of work?
I am a scientist by training and began my career as a research chemist in a pharmaceutical company before returning to academia to pursue a PhD. During my PhD studies, I became involved in teaching and developed a strong interest in it. When an opportunity arose to join CSR, I felt I could utilise my experience in industry and education and apply it to apprenticeships. Over my time at CSR, my role has evolved significantly—from teaching to management—and through this process it has allowed me to gain a strong understanding of the different functions of the business.
Why did you choose to work in apprenticeships?
As our mission is “To bring education and industry together for a brighter, safer world.”, it just felt like my past experience is the perfect fit with apprenticeships. In saying that, I don’t think I fully appreciated the impact of apprenticeships until I had been immersed in it for the last 10 years.
What’s one achievement you’re most proud of in your career so far?
It is difficult to single out one achievement that I’m most proud of, as there are always many incremental successes that culminate in a larger accomplishment. While my world often revolves around numerical metrics like revenue and profitability, and it might seem natural to view success through those figures, the real achievement for me is seeing our learners grow in confidence, overcome challenges, and continuously push themselves to succeed. I’m glad that Ofsted recognised this and awarded us Outstanding in our recent inspection!
Favourite book, podcast, or TV show that inspires or relaxes you?
Comedy is my favourite film and TV genre because we all need a laugh from time to time, don’t we! When it comes to books, I love reading autobiographies of sportspeople, as it is always fascinating to learn about the struggles they have faced and how they have overcome them. After all, if one’s life is all plain sailing, it probably wouldn’t make for a very good autobiography!
If you weren’t working in science/apprenticeships, what would you be doing?
I would love to be a professional snooker player, though I can barely hold a cue properly these days!
What does the Ofsted ‘Outstanding’ rating mean to you personally?
Getting an Outstanding grade has been an incredible journey and it recognises the hard work and dedication of all our staff. Looking back, it is remarkable to see how far we have come as an organisation, not only in our size, but also in the quality of our provision.
How do you see CSR shaping the future of science and skills training?
CSR will continue to evolve, just as we have over the past 15 years. With the emergence of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, I see us embracing these advancements as we continue to develop high-quality, industry-relevant programmes that equip our learners with practical skills and real-world experience.
What message would you give to someone thinking about starting an apprenticeship with us?
Go for it! Doing an apprenticeship with CSR is a fantastic way to learn real industry skills while earning and gaining experience at the same time.
Favourite quote or piece of advice you live by?
“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift – that’s why it is called the present.” – not quite sure who said it originally, but apparently it had been popularised by the character Master Oogway in the movie Kung Fu Panda.
One thing people might be surprised to learn about you?
I used to be a snooker fanatic – I would get up at 5am to practise snooker for a couple of hours before school. Needless to say, that wasn’t really allowed!
From research chemistry to finance and governance, Danny’s journey shows just how diverse and rewarding a career in apprenticeships can be. Their dedication to integrity, continuous improvement, and the growth of every learner reflects the very essence of CSR’s mission bringing education and industry together for a brighter, safer world.
Learn more about the apprenticeships we deliver here.