Education reform under the modernisation agenda both in England and internationally has signified the restoration of the 'private' and the decline of 'public' education. Deploying Arendtian thinking on assimilation and identity, we argue that these ongoing reforms are indeed dark times for education professionals. We examine what 'new dark times' mean for those in leader roles in schools and organisations that are contracted to deliver, such as a multi-academy trust (MAT). Based on a year-long research project which focussed on a multi-academy trust in England, the article reports on the position and practice of the CEO, KT Edwards in these new dark times. We conclude that the emerging CEO position is being defined through individual positioning, a repudiation of the past and the assimilation into the private realm of non-education dark times.