Kaplan International, Global. Pritika Bansal has joined Kaplan International as director of digital enhancement for North America, spearheading initiatives to enhance the student journey using innovative technologies and comprehensive process enhancements. Pritika has more than 18 years of experience in international education including various roles in student recruitment, business development and admissions. Speaking of her new role, she says: “My mission is to combine technology and innovation, redefining excellence in admissions processing and lifting student satisfaction to unprecedented heights, all in the pursuit of transforming the student journey.”

ETS, Global. ETS International UK has appointed Charlie Horwood as its GRE & TOEFL client relations outreach manager for the UK and Ireland. Charlie has over six years experience in the higher education industry and previously worked for Pearson in their online learning services function. During this time Charlie managed the student recruitment functions for a number of Pearson’s partner universities, working closely with academic leads, deans of schools and heads of admissions to help grow their online postgraduate offerings and increase their international student numbers. He is excited about the opportunity to develop the profile of the GRE and TOEFL Tests with universities and business schools across the UK and Ireland. Of his new role, Charlie said: “I am delighted to be joining ETS at such an important time for the business in the UK and Ireland. I am excited by the chance to get out and meet people from all over the industry and look forward to both building new relationships and deepening existing ones.”

Meridean Overseas Education Consultants, India. Nick Carey has joined Meridean Overseas Education Consultants as a liaison Officer and the head of its IELTS programme. Nick has worked in education in various pedagogical capacities and will be using his expertise as a CELTA certified English teacher to lead the new ‘Prepare IELTS’ product which launched on September 11. Nick is excited to deliver high quality English education to Meridean’s “ambitious and driven” students who are brave enough to study abroad and experience higher education in a second or third language. Nick said: “This side of my role will not only give me an opportunity to prepare Meridean Overseas clients linguistically and culturally for their international education experience, but will also provide conviction in my objective to deliver them to their dream destinations and universities. Through my desi avatar “Nick Singh” I will be delivering short English lesson videos and guidance on how to apply for international universities. I’m also looking forward to introducing myself to the international education sector around the world at various seminars and conferences.”

Studiosity, Australia. Debby Hsieh has been appointed as business development lead for the UK and Europe region of Studiosity. Debby has over six years’ experience working within the education sector, helping students and institutions to shape a better future. Debby said of her new role, “Studiosity’s mission of increasing life chances is particularly near and dear to my heart. I’m originally from Taiwan, so as an ex international student, I experienced first-hand how higher education can impact a person’s life. I’m therefore so excited to embark on my journey to help support this mission by partnering with universities across the UK and Europe, enabling access to equitable and ethical study support, anytime and anywhere a student needs it.”

Dusemond Study Programmes, UK. Benedetta Montera has taken up the role of director of operations at Dusemond Study Programmes. With more than ten years of experience in the industry she has progressed through various operational positions, culminating in her new role. Dusemond has not only been a workplace but a second family to her, fostering both her personal and professional growth. As director of operations, she will play a key role in coordinating and overseeing the seamless organisation of our growing number of centres with invaluable support from an exceptional and highly professional team, ensuring that Dusemond Study Programmes continues to provide outstanding educational experiences for young learners. Benedetta expressed her excitement  for this new chapter, “I’m extremely privileged to remain a part of the Dusemond family. Our shared journey promises growth and a commitment to delivering nothing but unforgettable moments to students. I look forward to many successes together and my gratitude goes out to everyone at Dusemond, Cheers!”

SI-UK, UK. Tim Edwards joins SI-UK as chief marketing officer, having spent 18 years in global higher education marketing, most recently as CMO at QS Quacquarelli Symonds. Prior to this, Tim held various executive marketing and student recruitment roles at Shorelight, Navitas, and Cardiff University. Tim has a strong track record of elevating and evolving iconic higher education brands to ensure that they continue to drive superior engagement and remain ahead of their field. Most of all, Tim is people-focused with extensive experience in leading large, global marketing teams, enabling not just outstanding results but fun and creativity along the way. Tim is passionate about the role marketing and story-telling have to play in the student enrolment journey and, in particular, telling this story to an increasingly digitally savvy, sceptical Gen-Z audience.

Ecctis, UK. Ecctis has appointed ed-tech entrepreneur Susanna Lawson as the new independent non-executive chair of its board of directors. Susanna will support the organisation’s commitment to best-in-class governance that ensures the executive team is both challenged and supported by independent trustees and non-executive directors. As co-founder of cloud-based vocational training software company OneFile and new technology business Circle of Trust, Susanna has experience of growing businesses from start-ups to multi-million-pound businesses. “Susanna brings award-winning experience of leading transformational change in a digital business environment,” said Tom Bewick, CEO of Ecctis. “[She] will work with me and the senior leadership team to transform Ecctis into a best-in-class digital skills business; particularly as we look to deliver our vision to become a global leader in international skills standards, mobility exchanges, credit-based learning and qualification verification services.”

SI-UK, UK. Rob Grimshaw has recently been appointed at SI-UK as its first CEO. Rob is an experienced CEO with a 15-year track record of leading businesses in the education, legal services and digital publishing sectors. Rob has spent the previous six years within education, transforming the ed tech company Tes Global and its then subsidiary, Times Higher Education & World University Rankings, by reshaping the business into a platform for various software services for schools and teachers. Whilst running FT.com, the digital division of the Financial Times, from 2008-2014, Rob developed a reputation for innovation, leading the introduction of a new business model that sparked rapid growth in revenues and subscribers. In his most recent role at Simply, he focused on supporting growth by optimising workflows and improving productivity and client service.

SOAS University of London, UK. Joanna Newman has joined SOAS University of London as provost, providing strategic leadership to enhance teaching and learning. Over the past six years as secretary general and chief executive of the Association of Commonwealth Universities, Joanna navigated the organisation through a challenging time during the Covid pandemic, and led the implementation of a new strategic plan, which pinned the success of all 17 SDGs to the vital role that universities contribute to each one. Reiterating that both SOAS and the ACU share a similar ethos and values, Joanna said about her new role: “There has never been a more pressing need across the globe for the specialist knowledge and world class scholarship that SOAS possesses. As Provost I look forward to working with the SOAS community to realise its vision and strategy, and I couldn’t be more excited and honoured to take on this role and to have the opportunity to support world class teaching, learning and research in an institution with equity and diversity at its core.”

UK Languages Courses, UK.  UKLC has announced that Katya Bonello has joined its head office team. After many years in the industry, she is a well-known face to many of the agents at the company and has worked extensively in the Young Learners space. She has a teaching, operational and sales background which she has focused on for many years. Katya has been appointed as the company’s sales and marketing director and will be responsible for UKLC summer and year-round junior sales and is extremely excited to join such a great team. Of her new role, she also said: “I am delighted to have recently joined the esteemed UKLC team, renowned leaders and specialists in the education industry. It’s an honour to be part of this exceptional company and the warm and friendly team, and I’m genuinely proud to contribute to their mission. Looking forward to this incredible journey together.”

Meto, Global. Julie Moloney recently joined Meto as director of university initiatives, where she will manage Meto’s university partnerships spanning across the globe in order to connect international students with higher education opportunities. Julie was previously the director of international admissions at the University of Notre Dame and most recently a college counselor at The Bolles School in Jacksonville, Florida, an international and day boarding school. Julie is an active member of NACAC, International ACAC, and SACAC and has served on numerous committees for the organisations. She currently co-chairs the NACAC SIG Supporting International Students in the US. In joining Meto, Julie is proud to spread the transformative power of education and access to education for all students.

University of Liverpool, UK. The University of Liverpool has appointed Tariq Ali to the role of pro vice-chancellor for global engagement and partnerships – a new post which will lead the development of the institution’s global vision and strategy. Tariq is currently deputy pro-vice Chancellor for strategic partnerships at the University of Birmingham and acted as the vice-provost for research and innovation at the University of Birmingham Dubai. Tariq has established and developed important key relationships with stakeholders in business, government and academia in the UK, UAE and globally. Tariq said of his new role: “The University of Liverpool is an outstanding, ambitious institution with a very strong and comprehensive research and education portfolio. I am honoured and excited to join a fantastic team and to have the opportunity to help develop the University’s international partnerships and activities for local and global impact.”

ETS, Global. Karen Barton has been appointed as the vice president of assessment operations at ETS. Karen will work with ETS senior VP of production and delivery Dennis Stetzel in leading the global organisation’s design, development and delivery of assessments across operations. Karen will head assessment operations and lead a team of professionals in re-envisioning the design and implementation of our assessments, psychometrics, scoring and reporting, and accessibility accommodations. Assessment operations will continue its industry-leading role in developing and delivering best-in-class assessments to learners across the globe. “I am truly honoured to be in this role at ETS, and I look forward to innovating how we measure the skills of all learners,” Karen said. “From design through delivery, we have an obligation to ensure that ETS assessments support sound decision making so learners can access more opportunities to learn, grow and be successful.”

Association of Commonwealth Universities, UK. Colin Riordan has been appointed as the ACU’s interim secretary general and chief executive. He has previously been Cardiff University’s president and vice-chancellor, and before joining Cardiff University, Colin worked as vice-chancellor of the University of Essex UK, having been appointed in 2007. Prior to this, he was Pro Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences at Newcastle University in the UK since 2005. He has published widely on post-war German literature and culture, including writing and editing books on the writers Jurek Becker, Uwe Johnson and Peter Schneider. Other research interests include the history of environmental ideas in German culture. Colin commented on his new role: “Having served as a member and vice-chair of the ACU’s Council I have seen first-hand how the work of the ACU and its members lifts lives across the Commonwealth and beyond. I am therefore delighted to be taking up the role of Interim Secretary General and Chief Executive and look forward to working closely with the ACU community to help realise its strategy and shared mission to build a better world through higher education.”

University of Warwick, UK. The University of Warwick has announced that Professor Michael Scott will be the new pro vice-chancellor (international). Michael will lead Warwick’s international strategy, covering Europe, China, Africa and North America, as well as Warwick’s relationship with Australia’s Monash University. The development of both new and existing markets for our international student recruitment will be another key area of focus. Michael believes passionately in making academic research as accessible as possible to a broad range of audiences, and has written and presented a wide range of television, radio and podcast series for channels in the UK, US and Australia. He was made an Honorary Citizen of Delphi, Greece in recognition of the global impact of his research and engagement. Commenting on his new role, Michael said: “I am honoured and delighted to be taking up the role… I am excited to collaborate with colleagues and partners at home and abroad to embed and extend our global standing and impact as we work together to solve the common challenges we face.”

London Metropolitan University, UK. Marcia Wilson is joining London Met as a VP for student experience. Marcia is a multiple award-winning academic leader and researcher who has pioneered programmes to address inequalities in the education sector. Her work has been used by Universities UK and London Higher in their initiatives aimed at tackling racism in higher education. Before her most recent role, as The Open University’s dean of equality, diversity and inclusion, Marcia spent more than a decade at the University of East London where she was the founding Dean of their Office for Institutional Equity, the first department of its kind in the UK and has been used by institutions across the country as the blueprint when planning their own interventions. Before founding the OIE at the University of East London, Marcia held various roles including head of the University’s School of Health, Sport and Bioscience and head of the Sport Science department. She spent 10 years studying and working in the USA. 

Global University Systems, Canada. Nosika Janbandhu has joined GUS as its representative for the GISMA University of Applied Sciences in Germany. Nosika previously worked at KC Overseas Education, where her innate ability to connect with people paved the way for success. The foundation and self-assurance she gained have now led her to her new role, which entails spearheading market development in Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and South East Asia. Of her new role, Nosika said: “Admittedly, stepping into the world of student recruitment feels exhilarating yet nerve-wracking. My nearly 3-year journey with KC Overseas has been nothing short of remarkable. As a trailblazer in establishing the international market, I’ve nurtured invaluable relationships that have shaped my passion for the overseas education realm. However, the support of my incredible GUS team has eased this transition, making it an opportunity to eagerly embrace challenges that lie ahead. With enthusiasm and determination, I’m all set to conquer new milestones on this journey with GUS.”

RMIT University, Australia. Zach recently joined the team at RMIT in Melbourne as an advisor for international partnerships – supporting RMIT’s TNE in markets like Hong Kong, China, Singapore, India and more. In a varied and exciting role, Zach splits his time with the Asia Impact team who work on key RMIT projects, the Asia Trade and Innovation Hub, the Australia Vietnam Policy Institute as well as RMIT’s International MOU delivery and Asia policy support. Prior to this role, Zach led projects and events for the Australia China Business Council nationally, and in Victoria. While there he worked closely with government and the over 3,000 member organisations connected with the council around Australia and in China to drive constructive bilateral economic engagement. Of his new role, he said: “It’s a thrill to be able to put my Asia literacy to use in the international education space at RMIT. All while supporting the uni’s genuine commitment to the region, including its prominent Vietnam campus and diverse international footprint and impact.”

Regent Group, UK. Part of the wider Regent Group, Sean Buckley has recently joined Regent Independent College as its new principal. Sean graduated from Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford (MA Oxon, English Language and Literature) and has a PhD from the University of London (19th Century Irish Writers). He has a wealth of teaching and academic leadership experience, having held several senior positions in a range of schools, including being the principal of an independent sixth-form college. Sean has also been a senior examiner for several examination boards for many years. Sean joined Regent as principal in August 2023 and is delighted to be part of the college and The Regent Group.

Infinite Group, Global. Rebecca Hill has joined Infinite Group as director of partnerships (UK, Australia, and Europe) to support universities looking to establish an in-country presence in India and the UAE through Infinite University Centre.
Rebecca was previously head of international student recruitment for the University of Exeter (Business School), where she achieved ambitious growth targets ahead of schedule; much of this growth was powered by a data-driven student recruitment strategy. The Business School was previously highly reliant on China. While working at Exeter, she worked closely with senior managers to establish the South East Asia Office in Malaysia. Much of her work in the last three years has been working with the newly expanded India Office to achieve a 900% PGT growth rate in two years. Rebecca knows how significant an in-country office presence can be to achieving targets and brings this expertise to the Infinite Group family.