Biography
Jon McDermott is a senior executive in global education technology with more than 25 years of experience leading digital transformation across the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Europe. He specialises in national digital strategies, AI-enabled education ecosystems, vocational technology reform, and large-scale technology implementation.
He is Chief Development Officer for Emerging Markets at NetDragon Websoft, where he leads strategic market expansion, public-private partnerships, and the design of digital education models for emerging and developed economies. His work includes curriculum-aligned digital ecosystems, intelligent classroom frameworks, content localisation, and national implementation planning.
Previously, Jon held senior leadership roles at Promethean, GL Education, Firefox, and Xerox, supporting major education technology deployments and international market growth. He is currently leading the development of AI-powered teacher and student platforms designed to reduce workload, improve instructional quality, and strengthen teacher productivity. He holds an MBA from the University of London and has completed executive programmes at Imperial College.
Sessions
- ELA-26 AIT06 Sovereign AI: Building a New Paradigm for Resilient Education in Africa 2026-06-04 11:45 Chairperson