ICEF management team

Markus Badde has a background in journalism and publishing. Markus studied at the CELSA (Sorbonne University – Paris IV), before working in the French media and communications sector. Markus co-founded ICEF in 1991. After his first period at ICEF, Markus went on to hold various senior marketing positions at Cisco Systems, the world leader in Internet networking, before re-joining ICEF as CEO in 2004. Markus speaks eight languages and is at home nearly anywhere in the world.

Formerly the Global Digital Marketing Director at Study Group, Tony led teams in Singapore, Shanghai, Sydney, New York & the UK recruiting students for universities in the USA, Australia, and Europe. Before this, he established the digital marketing footprint for INTO University Partnerships. Tony was a co-founder of Global Campus, serving on the board alongside Sir Drummond Bone, Sir Anthony Smith & Sir Graeme Davies. Tony studied Digital Disruption Strategy at Oxford University and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing.

Martijn’s career has predominantly been within the student & youth travel sector, including an 8-year tenure as global director of the International Student Identity Card (ISIC): the only internationally recognised official student ID and travel discount card with distribution spanning more than 130 countries. His international profile is characterised not only by his studies but also by the places where he has lived and worked: Martijn studied Japanese and French at the University of Applied Sciences in Maastricht, International Business Communications at the Radboud University Nijmegen, and has lived and worked in Frankfurt, Paris, and Tokyo. Based in Amsterdam, he speaks 7 languages.

Matthew Cope has a background of over 30 years in Banking and Finance.  Matthew worked with American Express for over 20 years, doing several roles for them, though most recently head of finance for International Payments and the Cash Trading business.  Since leaving American Express Matthew has work as a freelance consultant, specialising in M&A work.  Matthew is CIMA qualified accountant.

Amy has over 10 years’ experience in senior marketing positions across a range of industries including international education, travel and financial services. Her international experience has seen her work for organisations in the UK, Australia and Hong Kong where she has led strategic marketing projects and multinational teams. Amy has a BA (Hons) in Business Studies and postgraduate qualifications in marketing and digital marketing.

Ian’s background has made him an open-minded, multi-lingual and globally aware citizen of the world. Born in Brussels with an English, Dutch, and Indonesian heritage, he was exposed to diverse cultural influences from an early age. He holds a BA with Honours from the University of Leeds and initially worked in the publishing industry with Time Inc. in London. He subsequently was involved in international student fairs in Brazil for 3 years before joining ICEF in 2009 and then moving to Barcelona in 2010, where he is still based today. At ICEF, Ian has contributed to the development of comprehensive internationalisation programmes, particularly in North America. He is a frequent public speaker, helping to shape the discourse on agent use and ethical recruitment practices.

Isabel Vogt holds a Master’s degree in Communications, Media Studies & Political Science from the Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. Before joining ICEF in 1996, she held various jobs at publications owned by the Gruner + Jahr Media Group in Berlin. Isabel has held a number of positions at ICEF, most recently VP of Events and Logistics, which she has held since 2009. During her time at ICEF, Isabel has been responsible for the conceptualisation and successful organisation of over 300 events in 45 countries around the world. Isabel is based in the South West of the UK, where she has lived for over 20 years.

An industry veteran with over 35 years’ experience, Nick founded CATS Colleges and then Cambridge Education Group. After pioneering the pathways sector, Nick worked in independent and international schools in the UK, before becoming one of the Cambridge Angels group of investors in start-up technologies, and was Strategic Development Director for The Ambassador Platform. Most recently, he was Business Development Director at The PIE. Nick read Law at Magdalene College, Cambridge, and holds an MA (Cantab.)

Since 1989, Rod Hearps has worked in a variety of roles in the international education industry. Rod has taught ESL, worked as a Principal and as Marketing Manager of an Australian ELICOS College. He co-owned an education agency for 7 years in the 90’s and started recruiting international students via the internet in 1994. Rod was also an early pioneer of student enquiry generation before joining ICEF in 2006.

Ross started his career in international education in 2007, when he moved to Brazil and spent 5 years organising student fairs across South and Latin America. He then returned to his native UK, where he worked with brands including Harrods, Selfridges, HSBC, and British Airways to help them reach international students in the UK. He joined ICEF in 2013 and currently manages ICEF Monitor, ICEF Insights, as well as stakeholder relationships in key markets.

Stacey has 14 years’ experience in international education, working in both the UK and US, where she led global teams. In that time, she developed and implemented digital marketing, content, and training strategies for organisations including INTO University Partnerships and Study Group. Since joining ICEF in 2022, she has relaunched its agent training programme through ICEF Academy, expanded its professional development footprint and, most recently, introduced a Brand Level Training platform for institutions.