‘I do tend to say yes ... ’

Sir John Holman is the first person from a school teaching background to become president of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). He has also been a headteacher, curriculum developer, university professor and government adviser, but how did all this come about? From early on, John saw himself as having two identities: one was as a teacher, one was a professional chemist who tries to find successful ways of teaching his subject. ‘This dual identity has been very useful to me in my career. It’s been a source of strength because teaching is a hard job.’