IDP, Global. Naval Varghese has recently been appointed as a client director for IDP. In his new role, he will ensure its university partners can access its student communities in a meaningful way, build data-led marketing strategies, and deliver competitive advantage through its bespoke services. Straight out of university, Naval worked at UCAS Media and continued his career at TAP SFS Media, building expertise in media, advertising, SaaS, and innovation. Naval said of his new role: “This will be an exciting challenge as the higher education sector has numerous options available to universities in building their marketing and recruitment strategies. My job is to help our universities tell their story to our audience in a way that is meaningful and authentic, allowing them to stand out amidst the commotion in the sector. I look forward to bringing innovation, data-led campaigns, careful planning, and passion into the role, IDP, and our sector.”

Morehouse College, US. Morehouse College, the US’ only all-male HBCU has appointed Maraina Montgomery as director for international education in the Andrew Young Center for Global Leadership. Maraina brings a commitment to DEIJ in education abroad and experiences supporting the development of students, systems, and processes at faith-based, HBCU, and state institutions. As assistant director for study abroad at Howard University, she developed the social media movement “hashtag Study Abroad So Black” along with pre-departure and re-entry practices documented in the Forum on Education Abroad publications, A House Where All Belong: Redesigning Education Abroad for Inclusive Excellence, edited by Nick Gozik & Heather Barclay Hamir and The Half Yet to Be Told: Study Abroad and HBCUs, edited by Andre P. Stevenson & Keshia Abraham. About her new role, Maraina said: “As a proud HBCU alumna, I am passionate about making a sustainable and global impact through this new role at Morehouse College and entering this beloved and historic institution with pure gratitude – and an ambition to help meet the mission of making international education accessible to every student.”

Dfavo, Norway. Tom Pinder has joined Dfavo as their new director of partnerships, having previously been the senior partnerships manager at edtech company Edvoy and the partnerships and strategic business development manager at Manchester-based agency UKEC. His past experience at UK HEIs has been integral in helping grow agencies sustainably, enhance their partnerships, and develop their understanding of the nuances of UK HE within the global landscape. Bringing a decade of experience to Dfavo, he’s keen expand their portfolio of partners and deepen the connections made to deliver on long-lasting and meaningful relationships with universities and sector bodies. Tom said of his new role: “I’m really excited to be joining Dfavo at this great time in the company’s growth. So much has already been achieved and I’m looking forward to helping us develop further as we continue to bloom and change the landscape of global higher education and student recruitment in partnership with institutions.” 

Navitas, Global. Navitas has announced its appointment of Tanja Ward to the position of executive general manager for university partnerships Europe. Tanja joins Navitas from Schiller International University Heidelberg Campus where she served as its campus director. She will be responsible for Lancaster University Leipzig and our two colleges in the Netherlands – Twente Pathway College and The Hague Pathway College. With a wealth of global education experience, Tanja will be a “valuable addition” to Navitas’ leadership team as we continue to grow our portfolio of colleges and campuses in #Europe. Tanja said of her new role: “I look forward to joining a global organisation with international teams working together across borders, languages, and cultures.”

The PIE, Global. Ben Titmus has joined The PIE team as its newest marketing executive, to support both the marketing team and the wider sales team. He will predominantly oversee the webinar and PIE Chat Live marketing efforts, as well as assist with the promotion of all PIE Live events throughout the year. Ben comes from a freelance background and has extensive experience in customer relations and communication. He is an English Literature and Creative Writing graduate looking forward to channelling his creative energy into all things PIE. Ben said of his new role: “I’m looking forward to starting a new journey that will see me engage with all aspects of marketing. There are several upcoming events and I’m excited to be part of a team that will be responsible for them.”

Regent Group, Global. James Slocombe has been appointed as chief academic officer of the newly created division ‘Regent Learning’. James was at CEG/CATS Global Schools for eight years and became the inaugural head of Guildhouse School following its rebranding/repositioning from CATS London in 2022. His leadership experience in proprietorial and private equity owned school groups in commercial outward-facing and profile-building roles will be used to project Regent Learning’s product portfolio globally. According to FEBE, Regent’s CAGR in 2022 was 70.76% with notable expansion in further, higher and online/on-demand education. Regent is now forging ahead with international growth plans with James leading developments in India, the EU and the USA. James said of his new role: “I’m delighted to be joining Regent as such a time of growth, with immense positive energy and enthusiasm for being a leader of quality on-demand education. As Regent’s motto goes: the end result of education is character”.

Griffith College, Australia. Luca Cella has been appointed director, admissions and marketing at Griffith College. After holding senior international and domestic student recruitment roles at the University of Queensland, RMIT and Deakin, Luca shifted to the wondrous world of EdTech in March 2021. Joining The Ambassador Platform as director of Asia-Pacific, he sought to help universities find their best-fit students and prospects make informed decisions about their studying options through technology. At Griffith, he will be driving the student acquisition strategy for one of Navitas’ largest colleges. Excited at the opportunity to reconnect with agents, future students and parents on a daily basis, Luca looks forward to contributing to the College’s growth and believes Australian international education is on a strong upward trajectory after the pandemic years and border closures. Luca has acquired and perfected several hard skills over the years but believes soft skills are indispensable to succeed in any kind of business, including and especially international education.

Keele University, UK. Professor Antonius Raghubansie has joined Keele University as the institution’s first ever pro-vice chancellor international. He has a specialist interest in education for sustainability, having led the University of Worcester’s participation as one of the eight founding UK universities, along with Keele, in the Higher Education Academy’s pioneering Green Academy in 2011. He has recently worked in international education in South and East Asia with the British Council. Prior to entering HE, he held commercial leadership roles in the Caribbean and South America in marketing in the Pepsi network. Antonius said: “Keele University is an incredible force, changing the world for the better, and I am so pleased to be joining the leadership team. Working together with staff and students across the University, with partners and our community, we will further grow the global influence of Keele’s teaching and research.”

University of Warwick, UK. Nina-Anne Lawrence recently moved from the University of Leeds to take up a new role at the University of Warwick, as head of department and director of Warwick Foundation Studies which includes IFP programmes, summer schools, pre-sessional and in-sessional provision. Nina-Anne is a strategic thinker with global experience gained from the UK, China, Germany and Ireland. She has expertise in balancing the strategic goals and objectives of an organisation with academic quality and superior student experience gained through roles including director of academic affairs, academic director, director of international affairs, head of international business development, and CEO. Nina-Anne is also the chair of the University Pathway Alliance and on the editorial board for the InForm Journal.

Twin Group, UK. Twin Group is delighted to announce that Roy O’Shaughnessy is to be the group’s new chair. Roy is the Chair of Bellanno Ltd (www.bellanno.com) and recently retired from his role as the group chief executive of Capital City College Group, London’s largest further education college group. Roy’s appointment will support Twin Group’s strategic aim of growing as a national and international provider of services in education, skills training and employability sectors. Roy O’Shaughnessy said of his new role, “I am delighted to have been invited to chair the Twin Group. I have known Caroline Fox and Jacqui Fox, the Group’s founders, since 2009 and have partnered on several contracts. My respect for them and the Twin team is immense. Twin can strategically double in size, has the leadership to meet any challenge and has the innovation required to enter new markets. I am excited about the potential to increase market share, expand into new sectors, and improve the communities in which Twin operates.”

guard.me, Global. guard.me International Insurance has appointed Michelle Brown as senior account manager UK & Ireland as part of the EU team to lead the growth strategy for the UK and Ireland markets. Bringing over 15 years of experience from the international education domain of both the public and private sectors. Michelle will play a key role in the expansion of guard.me International Insurance. Michelle said of her new role: “As the market leader in student medical & travel insurance product services, we have an opportunity, and responsibility, to provide the very best service to institutions worldwide. There has never been a more important time to collaborate and deliver outstanding student services who are the beneficiaries of insurance products, and I’m delighted to work with our partners to seek exceptional outcomes for everyone!” 

AMOpportunities, US. AMOpportunities has announced the addition of Jon David Willingham to AMO’s board of directors, joining representatives of investor OCA Ventures as well as AMO senior management. Jon David joins the board through PACE Healthcare Capital’s latest investment in AMOpportunities. Among other roles, Jon David is a partner of PACE Healthcare Capital and has spent the better part of two decades developing and financing innovative, values-aligned businesses. He has helped build or advised a diversity of investment firms and has been deeply involved in the growth and governance of myriad companies. “While so many communities face a shortage of medical professionals, AMO’s technology is addressing a critical training bottleneck: transforming an antiquated and decentralised analog clinical rotation system into a transparent online marketplace that seamlessly supports both the student and the host institution,” says Jon David. “I’m delighted to join AMO’s board as they continue their impressive growth.”

University of Birmingham, UK. Callum Cowell has recently moved to the UK’s West Midlands to take up a newly established role as dean of the Birmingham International Academy (BIA). As dean of the BIA, Callum leads the University’s in-house Academy for International students, providing a suite of discipline-specific academic foundation pathway programs and a range of high quality English language programs in a friendly and supportive environment at the University of Birmingham, Edgbaston and Dubai campuses. The BIA is growing strongly again since the height of the COVID period and Callum will be working to not only continue the growth of existing programs but identify and seek new program and pathway opportunities with a range of partners in various markets around the world. Callum has moved to Birmingham from Perth, Western Australia where he was director of The University of Western Australia’s Centre for English Language Teaching. Callum brings to the role a long background and history of success in the international education sector, across marketing, student recruitment, transnational dselivery and international partner development.

Greenwich International Education, UK. Vítor Berardo has recently joined the Greenwich International Education team. With the responsibility for LATAM markets, Vítor has a long experience in the international education sector and joins GIE as Business Development Manager. With more than seven years’ experience, he worked with some of the biggest and most prestigious Brazilian exchange agencies. With various responsibilities in several departments, he has experience and extensive knowledge in sales, product development and understanding of operational processes, including B2B and B2C business development. During this period, he worked with several products in the international education market, such as language courses, higher education, high school, and summer programs. One of the differentials Vítor brings to the GIE team is his international experience as an exchange student. He completed part of his high school in Canada, and also has completed multiple language courses across three different continents. Vítor said, “I am excited to support, expand and strengthen the GIE brand in Brazil and all across Latin America”.

Shorelight, Global. Michelle Doyle was appointed as Shorelight’s China general manager in January. With over 16 years of experience as Country Manager at Cambridge Education Group, Asia General Manager at Student.com, and VP of PTE at Pearson, she brings to her new role of a wealth of knowledge in student recruitment, omni-channel marketing, sales operations, product development, and strategy development. Michelle’s management approach is rooted in a commitment to lifelong learning, a focus on data-driven solutions, and a passion for a collaborative engagement at all levels of the business. Her dedication to supporting the professional advancement of women is particularly noteworthy, having initiated in-house learning clubs and volunteered as a career mentor at Lean In Circles in Shanghai and Chengdu. With her extensive background and drive for inclusivity, Michelle is poised to make significant contributions to Shorelight and the international education community. Of her new role, she said: “I am thrilled for the opportunity to join such a dynamic and forward thinking organisation and work towards creating impactful change in the industry.”

UniQuest, UK. Andrew Cook recently joined UniQuest as a Partner Relationship Manager, bringing with him over seven years of experience in the higher education sector. In this new role, Andrew is responsible for building and maintaining strong partnerships with universities, ensuring their needs are met and expectations exceeded. As an expert in partner relationship management, sales, and marketing, Andrew is adept at developing and executing innovative strategies that drive growth and foster long-lasting connections. At UniQuest, Andrew looks forward to leveraging his diverse skillset to contribute to the success of partner universities and their students, while continually embracing new challenges and opportunities in the higher education sector. Andrew’s commitment to embracing new challenges and staying abreast of emerging trends in the higher education sector will ensure that UniQuest remains at the forefront of innovative solutions and services. His dedication to continuous growth and adaptation will help create lasting value for partner universities and the students they serve. Andrew’s background in Higher Education has included working for SchoolApply, University of Stirling, and Goodwall.

Greenwich International Education, UK. Sandra Herrero has joined Greenwich International Education as Business Development Manager, with focus on the Western Europe markets. Sandra started in the industry placing international students in language schools across Europe, USA, Canada and Oceania before developing into Ministay programs, Summer Camps and Group programs. Sandra brings her experience working in marketing and sales within key markets in the international education industry and will play an important role in GIE’s global growth trajectory, to help young learners take part in UK summer camps and High School programs. About her new role, Sandra says “I am delighted to start my job at GIE, with the opportunity to develop new markets and I am looking forward to applying all my knowledge to support and enhance our growth”.

Oxford International Education Group, US. Sanam Raza has joined OIEG at Senior Vice President for the US. In her new role, Sanam will spearhead growth and development of partnerships. Previously collaborating with North American universities on strategies that enhance online higher education programs, Sanam has worked with both public and private institutions. At edtech startup Springboard, she worked as VP & GM for University Partnerships and before that was VP of Enterprise Partnerships at Pearson Online Learning Services.  She has led cross-functional business units through various stages of growth and spearheaded strategic partnerships. Sanam’s higher education and early career began in finance, and she worked in capital markets before pivoting to education. She has an international background, having lived in Pakistan, the US and Canada. Sanam brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise across strategic planning & partnerships, growth strategy, leadership, and operations management, will be key in OIEG’s US acceleration and expansion.

Nexford University, Global. Nexford has appointed Dr. Laila Macharia as its new senior advisor for strategic partnerships for East Africa. Raised in Kenya, Namibia and Somalia, Laila is managing director of the Africa Digital Media Institute. A serial entrepreneur and investor, Laila serves on the boards of Absa Bank of Kenya and Centum, both listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange. She also has expertise managing US$ portfolios and transactions in the United States and Africa. M from Cornell University and a doctorate in law from Stanford University, all in the United States. Laila was honoured in 2021 as one of the Top 100 Kenyans. Describing how she feels to be Nexford’s senior advisor for East Africa, Laila said: “I am passionate about education and the social and economic opportunities it opens up for young people – so I’m delighted to be joining Nexford. I look forward to working with Nexford’s global team to deliver new opportunities for Kenyan learners and prepare them for the exciting future of work”.

Oxford International Education Group, UK. Oxford International Education Group has announced the addition of Shagufta Bibi in the new role of brand and communications director. Shagufta is an experienced marketing and communications leader with a track record in delivering brand propositions, change and growth in the education sector. She has previously held senior roles at the University of Bradford, University of Leeds, the Growth Company and Nord Anglia Education. Shagufta comes at a key moment of growth for Oxford International and the marketing team, committed to leading and developing cross-functional teams to develop meaningful brand experiences and propositions, supporting positive student outcomes. Shagufta said of her new role: “It is exciting to be joining OIEG at such a key time in the company’s development, and I am looking forward to working with such an innovative and dynamic team that embodies our vision – learning without limits.”