ICEF Accommodation 2024 - Seminar Programme

Fanta Aw, PhD, has been a dedicated member and leader within NAFSA since 1996 and currently holds the position of Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer. From 2013 to 2016, she served as NAFSA's President and Board Chair. Dr. Aw is a recognized and highly respected figure in the fields of international education and higher education administration. Dr. Aw dedicated her academic and professional careers to American University (AU) in Washington, D.C., where she achieved several degrees. Her accomplishments include a BS in accounting, an MA in public administration with a specialisation in organisational development, and a PhD in sociology with a focus on international education, social stratification, and transnational migration. Throughout her extensive tenure at AU, Dr. Aw held numerous leadership positions, most recently serving as Vice President of Undergraduate Enrollment, Campus Life, and Inclusive Excellence. Notably, she received recognition as an award-winning teacher, having fulfilled the role of Hurst Senior Professorial Lecturer at AU's School of International Service. In 2023, Dr. Aw's remarkable AU contributions were honoured with the Neil Kerwin Alumni Achievement Award. Furthermore, she actively participates as a member of the Global Advisory Board of Times Higher Education and has previously chaired the board of ETS TOEFL. Originally hailing from Mali, West Africa, Dr. Aw has resided in both East and West Africa, as well as the United States, fostering a broad and diverse cultural perspective. Her passion for global experiences has led her to explore nearly 60 countries. Dr. Aw is a frequent keynote speaker, sharing her expertise on various topics including international educational exchanges, diversity and inclusion in higher education, and U.S. immigration. Her expertise has been acknowledged by major global media outlets, including CNN, Agence France Press, USA Today, Washington Post, The Chronicle of Higher Education, National Public Radio, Middle East Broadcast Corporation, Washington Business Journal, WAMU, Washington Diplomat, and China Daily.

Sara Sandford is a UK-based international education specialist and consultant at Edified. She is highly experienced in the field of international student recruitment and admissions, marketing, alumni strategies, stakeholder engagement and global partnerships. Sara has lived and worked extensively in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Prior to her time at Edified, she spent over a decade working within an institution in the UK where she managed all international recruitment and partnership initiatives across the Americas and Europe. She also spearheaded a number of strategic partnerships, some of which generated over £1m+ funding for research, international collaboration and student employability. Sara is passionate about international education and the opportunities it can bring for students and her professional interests include international student experience and partnership development.

Marie is a recruitment, admissions and marketing specialist with 20+ years of experience spanning secondary, undergraduate, and post-graduate programs (for both the college and university sector). A key strength for Marie is developing data-driven strategic enrolment plans (across 50+ countries) that provide KPI transparency for executive teams and deliver ROI. Other areas of experience include governmental relations, international advertising (aligning tactics to custom audiences), as well as leading and coaching teams (that include full-time staff and a network of agents around the world).

Rachel is the Director of Partnerships and Stakeholder Engagement at IDP in the UK. Her role is to work with university partners on their student recruitment ambitions, as well as leading on government and sector stakeholder management, B2B Marketing and Global Communications. Prior to her joining IDP in early 2022, Rachel held roles as Director of International at the University of York in the UK, Head of Recruitment at University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and roles with Navitas for seven years in both Edinburgh and Melbourne. Rachel is passionate about ensuring successful outcomes for IDP’s partners, sharing IDP’s unique data sets to help improve the policy environment in the UK and working with a wider group of colleagues in the sector to constantly improve the applicant experience.

Andy is the Chief Marketing Officer for NCUK, a leading global pathway provider. He has worked in higher education for over 15 years in senior marketing and student recruitment roles at Royal Holloway, University of London, the University of Southampton and most recently, Universities UK International (UUKi). Andy has won several awards including ‘Best Issues and Crisis Campaign’ at the PR Week Global awards in 2022 for UUKi’s We Are Together campaign, and ‘Education Campaign of the Year’ at the CIPR Excellence Awards in 2023 for UUKi’s Twin For Hope campaign. In 2023, Andy led the relaunch of the UK higher education sector’s, #WeAreInternational campaign. Andy is a father of two young children and his claim to fame is delivering his second child himself, in his car, in a supermarket car park during the first weeks of Covid lockdowns!

Bobby has worked in the Higher Education sector in the UK since August 1999 and has worked at three different universities and has held a number of different positions. In April 2017, Bobby was appointed to the post of Director of UoP Global at the University of Portsmouth. During Bobby’s time working in the Higher Education sector in the UK he has been fortunate to have been able to gain a lot of experience working in different markets around the globe developing links and partnerships. Bobby has also done a lot of cross sector work and is currently Chair of the British Universities International Liaison Association (BUILA).

Larissa Bezo presently serves as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Canadian Bureau for International Education. Ms. Bezo has served in senior leadership positions in both the public and not-for-profit sectors, including as the youngest Deputy Clerk in the history of Saskatchewan, Senior Advisor to a Federal Royal Commission and most recently, as Interim President and Chief Executive Officer for the Canadian Bureau for International Development. After a distinguished public service career, Larissa pursued her longstanding commitment to international development and solidarity through senior-level assignments with the World Bank and the International Centre for Policy Studies in Ukraine. Larissa Bezo has worked successfully with Boards of Directors and Executive Committees to define strategic priorities and oversee their implementation. She possesses 25 years of professional experience, including 15 years in the international development and education sector. Ms. Bezo is an accomplished senior executive with a proven ability to provide effective leadership to build organizational capacity and resilience, foster durable partnerships, navigate sensitive political, intercultural and international issues and mobilize resources to achieve organizational priorities. Larissa graduated from the University of Regina with a Master of Arts in Political Science.

Jamie was appointed Director of Universities UK International (UUKi) in November 2022. Prior to taking on this role, Jamie led Universities UK’s research and innovation policy programme (2014-2017) before becoming Assistant Director for Policy Engagement at UUKi (2017-2022). Before joining Universities UK in 2010, Jamie was a research associate and ESRC research fellow at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Education and Social Research Institute.

Craig Riggs is the editor of ICEF Monitor, the industry's leading source of market intelligence for international student recruitment, and the publisher of ICEF Insights, an annual magazine focused on the most important trends and issues shaping international education. His work on both publications places him in constant contact with the latest research, best practices, and leading-edge strategies in the field. He has led international marketing for both private and public-sector institutions, is the co-founder of a longstanding consulting practice dedicated to publishing and education, and has more than 25 years’ experience in building international markets. Craig holds a Masters in Publishing and is an adjunct professor at Simon Fraser University.

Previously serving as the Vice Provost for Global Programmes at Penn State since 2020, Dr. Brindley oversaw a substantial team of professionals managing education abroad programmes, advising international students and scholars, and fostering global partnerships. His strategic approach played a pivotal role in advancing Penn State’s comprehensive international strategy and securing funding for critical international initiatives. Before joining Penn State, Dr. Brindley held the position of Vice President of USF World at the University of South Florida (USF). During his tenure, he managed global engagement and international student success initiatives, including an eight-year partnership with Sannam S4. In this role, Dr. Brindley oversaw thousands of students from diverse backgrounds, facilitating academic experiences abroad for both students and faculty. With a remarkable 24-year academic career at USF, Dr. Brindley received prestigious awards, including the Outstanding Undergraduate Teaching Award and the USF President's Award for Faculty Excellence. His commitment to higher education is further exemplified by serving as interim dean of the College of Education, as well as holding positions as Vice Provost and Associate Vice President before assuming the role of Vice President for USF World from 2013 to 2020. Dr. Brindley's contributions to higher education extend beyond his administrative roles. He is recognised for his impactful articles in North American and European publications and has served as an editor for three international journals. Dr. Brindley has been a featured speaker at numerous international conferences, showcasing his leadership in the field.

Professor Judith Lamie is Pro Vice-Chancellor International at Swansea University. Professor Lamie has spent over 30 years in higher education and held a number of senior executive positions at UK universities. Professor Lamie has published and presented widely in the fields of applied linguistics, change management and transnational education. Professor Lamie’s latest book, with Chris Hill, ‘The Evolving Nature of Universities: What Shapes and Influences Identity in International Higher Education’, was published by Routledge in 2023. The book explores the very nature of a university – where does it sit at home and abroad – and uses international case studies to discuss growth, sustainability and risk as universities navigate their role, value and purpose.

Lil was appointed Group Chief Executive Officer of Oxford International Education Group in 2019, a Private Equity backed business, after serving as the Group Commercial Director since 2017. During her tenure at Oxford International, Lil has been successful in driving fast growth, organically and through M&A and steered the Group through significant business change and development during the Covid19 crisis. With over 20 years senior management and leadership experience in education, Lil’s previous roles include Director of International Recruitment for Cavendish College, Head of International Operations for South Thames College, and most recently, International Director at BPP University. During her time at BPP, Lil set up overseas delivery centres in 6 countries, including Hong Kong, China, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Trinidad and Tobago and Mauritius. In addition to her current position as Group CEO at Oxford International, Lil also serves as an Advisory Board Member for IDP Connect, the Council of Indian Principals, is founding member and advisory board member at Business Women in Education and Non-Executive Director at Corndel.

Georgia leads PwC's UK Education Strategy practice, with significant experience working with universities and those providing software and services into the sector. She works alongside higher education providers to develop their strategies for growth, ensuring resilience and sustainability for the future. Key to these engagements are how universities can drive top-line growth to ensure financial sustainability, and where they should focus their efforts on the Global stage to maximise value. Georgia and her PwC UK Education colleagues recently collaborated with UUK on their report into the financial sustainability of the UK Higher Education sector.

In addition to currently being Vice President at Griffith University, Professor Todd has served on numerous boards and committees related to international education in New Zealand, Australia and globally. Current appointments include APAIE (Asia Pacific Association for International Education, of which she is immediate past president), IEAA (International Education Association of Australia), MSM’s global advisory board and Studyportals’ APAC advisory board. She is also on both Universities Australia’s and the Innovative Research Universities’ International Committees, Experience Gold Coast’s Education Advisory Committee, as well as Common Purpose’s Global Students’ Strategy Group and When in Culture’s advisory board.

Adam has been working in the HE sector since 2010 with most of that time spent working at UK universities including; Loughborough, City, University of London and Hertfordshire. His roles have covered recruitment, marketing, admissions and student experience, however international student recruitment has been a focus since 2015. More recently Adam joined Password English Language Testing as Head of University Partnerships until 2022 after which he joined student recruitment agency AECC as Director of UK Partnerships. At AECC Adam works with an extensive team of counsellors across the world to promote the UK and EU as a study destination and build up the profile and reputation AECC’s university partners in various source markets.

Jacqui is the Global Programme Lead for International Student Mobility at the British Council. She leads how the British Council works with those that influence prospective international students including; agents, counsellors, pathway providers and sponsors. She oversees a global network of staff in the 40 countries that send more than a 1000 new international students to the UK annually. Jacqui launched the UK’s agent and counsellor training and engagement platform in December 2022, which has become an integral part of the UK’s Agent Quality Framework. Jacqui has had an extensive career at the British Council and has been instrumental is setting up Going Global conference (2004-13), the global Study UK Alumni Awards (2013-17) and she was the education adviser to the UK’s Government GREAT Britain Campaign; Study UK (2016-19).

Dan has more than 20 years’ experience in regulatory compliance and financial crime roles and is responsible for financial crime compliance across all of Kapan International’s business units globally. He regularly contributes to industry discussions on financial crime and agent management related matters, becoming somewhat of a sector expert on financial crime controls and frameworks for international student recruitment.

Andrew provides strategic leadership for developing, championing and implementing the University strategies for Recruitment, Reputation, Internationalisation and Communication. His responsibilities include ensuring the University’s strategic planning structure meets the needs of all stakeholders across the Institution to deliver plans that fully align with the University mission and strategy. With over 20 years’ experience in higher education marketing, communications and recruitment Andrew is passionate about the role that education has in supporting positive change at an individual, institutional and regional level. Having previously worked at Oxford Brookes University, the University of Southampton and Bournemouth University, while also representing the higher education sector on a range of Boards and Advisory Groups, Andrew has a proven track record of creating impactful solutions aligned to each organisation’s strategic objectives.

Josie Booth, Business Development Director for EMEAA comes with eighteen years of Business Development experience, the past ten of which have been in Education. Prior to ICEF, Josie was leading the recruitment of a portfolio of American Universities, managing a global team of Business Developers and supporting with the overall strategic vision of these institutions. An experienced Director, she has worked at some of the biggest Education brands in the UK including The Guardian - Education, Global University Systems, and The Student Room. Josie brings a breadth of knowledge across a range of sectors including student recruitment, student accommodation, digital marketing, creative solutions and publishing. Josie gained a 2.1 bachelors degree at The University of Sheffield. A diligent and motivated team member, Josie brings her unrivalled energy and positivity to any task she may face!

Bronagh Rolph is Head of Assessment: HE & Adult for Multi-Level Tests at Cambridge University Press & Assessment. She has an over 30-year career in English language teaching and assessment. Currently she oversees a team of Assessment Specialists who create and develop test content for Linguaskill, Linguaskill Business and other multi-level testing products in Cambridge. Her career spans working as a Teacher, Teacher-Trainer, Director of Studies and Further Education management, in the UK and Spain. She has worked in Assessment in Cambridge English for the last 15 years, working on a range of products before moving to her current team 11 years ago.

James Carmichael is the Country Manager UK and Ireland for Pearson English Language Learning. He is responsible for stakeholder relations and market development across Pearson’s ELL portfolio, with particular responsibility for managing university and other stakeholders to grow and manage recognition for PTE in the UK. James has over 25 years’ experience working in high-stakes English language testing in a number of roles across diverse markets, including China, Africa and Europe. Before joining Pearson, James worked for the British Council, Inspired Education and Oxford University Press.

Catherine Jones is an Assessment Development Specialist at LanguageCert. She has worked in assessment for twenty years with expertise in developing multi-level language curricula, tests and teaching materials for a range of international organisations and governments. She holds a BA in French and History of Art from University College London.

Peter Thompson leads the market research and insights function at INTO University Partnerships, supporting business strategy, recruitment and education operations across partner institutions globally. Peter previously managed insights team for a major vocational education awarding body and delivered socio-economic evaluation consultancy for public sector clients, with a focus on employment and skills initiatives. Peter is a political economy graduate of the University of Sussex and University of the West of England.

Edwin van Rest is co-founder and CEO of Studyportals – the Global Study Choice Platform. Studyportals is a purpose-driven organisation that has grown from a small student initiative into the world’s largest structured information source for students considering their study abroad options. Through his embrace of technology, strategic partnerships, and disruptive innovation, Edwin has positioned Studyportals as a trailblazer in the field of global education, empowering millions of students worldwide to pursue their academic aspirations and expand their horizons. In 2023, Studyportals was able to connect over 55 million prospective students to over 3500 institutions and over 200 000 programmes. These students visited the portals from 81 000 cities in 245 countries and territories across the world, to find and compare their study options across borders. Edwin is an outspoken advocate for international higher education and was awarded the PIEoneer Award for Outstanding Contribution to the Industry in 2023.

Joanna Kumpula is a respected international student recruitment and marketing professional, with over 15 years in the field. Presently she is the international marketing manager at the Finnish National Agency for Education (EDUFI) where Joanna’s main tasks are in the development and management of the international Study in Finland brand. Before joining EDUFI, Joanna worked in several positions in international student marketing, recruitment and admissions in the university sector and she also managed her own university consulting agency. Joanna’s professional interests lie in service design, brand development, and content and digital marketing. Joanna is currently Chair of the EAIE's (European Association for International Education) Expert Community Marketing and Recruitment.

Florian Hummel has been Professor of Strategic Management and Vice-Rector for International Affairs at IU International University since 2017. With a BA from the University of Brighton and an MSc from Cranfield University, he wrote his Doctorate dissertation at the University of Sheffield on "An analysis of the effects of the Bologna Declaration on higher and vocational education". Prof. Hummel began his professional career in a large US company before moving to the higher education sector. For the past 20 years, he has worked at various Universities - as faculty member, Dean, Vice-President and CEO. He has been an external examiner at several UK Universities. His area of special interest lies in the field of digital international HigherEd collaboration and accreditation, such as online dual degree development, articulation agreements & pathways.

Jessica Turner is the Chief Executive Officer at QS Quacquarelli Symonds, a role she assumed in September 2022 after serving as Group Managing Director since 2019. Under her stewardship, QS, a global leader in higher education insights and solutions, has delivered strong organic growth augmented by strategic acquisitions, as it accomplishes its mission – to empower motivated people anywhere in the world to fulfill their potential through educational achievement, international mobility, and career development. Jessica leads a diverse global team focussed on nurturing and amplifying the trust QS has earned over three decades from the worldwide higher education community, students, employers, and policymakers. Before joining QS, Jessica served as the General Manager of Clarivate Analytics’ Scientific and Academic Research Business, where she spearheaded product and service innovation. She also spent over a decade at Thomson Reuters in data and analytics leadership roles and began her career as a Consultant at McKinsey & Company, advising media and technology companies across diverse geographies, including Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, the U.S., Brazil and Mexico. Jessica holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Pure Mathematics from the University of Sydney and a master’s degree in public policy, specializing in International Trade and Finance, from Harvard Kennedy School. With her extensive experience and commitment to higher education, Jessica plays a pivotal role in shaping the future of the global education sector.

Oliver is a director at Nous Group specialising in strategy, change and implementation in Higher Education organisations. He has helped universities and private education providers across the UK, Australia and Canada to better understand their position internationally, develop strategies to more effectively navigate the turbulent international recruitment and partnerships markets and deliver on those strategies to improve their performance and competitiveness globally.

Tom Wilmot is the Director of Global Expansion at StudyLink - A Flywire Company. He works with institutions to ensure that their international student journey is yielding as many enrolments as possible by utilising StudyLink’s market leading agent portal and application management system to maximise conversions. Previously the VP of University Partnerships at Studee, Tom has a particular interest in the institution/agent relationship and how getting that right can result in a positive increase in both enrolments and agent satisfaction. Since 2020 he has served as an elected Steering Group member of the EAIE Marketing and Recruitment Expert Community and in September 2024 will take up a position on the EAIE’s Marketing and Admissions Thematic Committee.

Sara Sandford is a UK-based international education specialist and consultant at Edified. She is highly experienced in the field of international student recruitment and admissions, marketing, alumni strategies, stakeholder engagement and global partnerships. Sara has lived and worked extensively in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. Prior to her time at Edified, she spent over a decade working within an institution in the UK where she managed all international recruitment and partnership initiatives across the Americas and Europe. She also spearheaded a number of strategic partnerships, some of which generated over £1m+ funding for research, international collaboration and student employability. Sara is passionate about international education and the opportunities it can bring for students and her professional interests include international student experience and partnership development.

As Director of Global Business Development, Des leads the Sinorbis team, working closely with partners and clients to understand the strategic role China plays in their business and define a digital marketing approach to meet their goals. Des is passionate about helping businesses to create a digital marketing presence in China that is built on solid foundations, so they can reach their full growth potential in this difficult market. He has worked with partners and clients across APAC, EMEA, and North America. With a background in programmatic and digital advertising, Des has a deep knowledge of digital marketing in both the western and Chinese digital ecosystem. He holds a Bachelor of Commerce (Marketing) and Bachelor of Arts (Advanced Chinese Studies) from UNSW.

Kate Barnes has worked in the Higher Education Sector for the last 15 years with experience in the fields of international student recruitment, marketing, and admissions, specialising in UK and European higher education contexts. Her role at Acumen emphasises fostering global outreach and strategic student recruitment initiatives, particularly in North America, Southeast Asia, and South Asia. Kate's prior experience includes leading diverse, geographically dispersed global teams in driving student enrolments for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes through various channels. Kate harbors a genuine passion for sharing her experiences living and working overseas, navigating new markets, and fostering meaningful partnerships.

Ross is VP, of Partnerships and Publishing at ICEF, where he manages ICEF Monitor and ICEF Insights, as well as key client accounts in Canada, the UK and Europe. He started his career in international education in 2007, organising student fairs and agent workshops across Brazil and Latin America. After 5 years, he returned to his native UK where he helped brands such as HSBC, British Airways and Harrods develop strategies to reach international students studying in the UK. Ross joined ICEF in 2013.

Janet B. Ilieva is the founder and director of Education Insight‚ a research consultancy specialising in international higher education. Janet's research focuses on international student mobility‚ university partnerships‚ transnational education‚ national policies for global engagement, and sustainable development. Janet regularly researches higher education engagement for government departments‚ universities‚ and international organisations in Europe and Asia. Janet started her career as a university lecturer in economics before joining the British Council in 2004 to lead the department's work for higher education research and market intelligence. She joined the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) in May 2013 as head of the HEFCE Observatory. Education Insight’s Global Engagement Index is an open-access resource that captures the state of internationalism across UK higher education institutions. Education Insight is a co-founder of the TNE Impact repository.

Nannette Ripmeester is Director Performance Benchmarking Europe and North America for Etio (formerly i-graduate) leading the largest global student satisfaction survey, the International student Barometer (ISB) in those regions. She combines this role with heading the Expertise in Labour Mobility team and is the founder of the app CareerProfessor.works. Her love for international mobility was ignited whilst working for 7 years at the European Commission, streamlining labour mobility within Europe for EURES. Nannette is member of the supervisory board for Codarts University and is involved in the NAFSA Trainer Corps. She was appointed Industry Innovator in Residence for Study Queensland focussing on employability. With over 30 years of experience working for large corporate clients and HigherEd institutions across the globe, she understands what makes people internationally employable, making Nannette a leading expert on mobility for study and work.

Anne Marie joined UKCISA in 2019 from the Association of Commonwealth Universities, where she was Director of Chevening, the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s flagship global scholarship scheme. Prior to that, Anne Marie led on a range of educational programmes and projects promoting international mobility and intercultural exchange. At Universities UK International, she developed the first government-funded UK Strategy for Outward Mobility, and established the Go International programme to build capacity and influence institutional change in UK universities to increase the proportion of UK-domiciled students with international experience. At the National Centre for Languages, she directed the development of new national occupational standards in translation and interpreting in conjunction with language service practitioners and employers, and led on the National Networks for Translation and Interpreting for the Routes into Languages programme. Before moving into the education sector, Anne Marie spent several years in the language services industry managing high-profile accounts with multinational engineering and pharmaceutical companies. Anne Marie is a linguist, with a first degree in modern languages from Anglia Ruskin University and a postgraduate translation qualification from University of Westminster. She continues to support the professional standards in the language professions and is a member of the Qualifications and Standards Committee of the National Register of Public Service Interpreters.

Nick oversees QA Higher Education’s Marketing, Recruitment, Admissions and Conversion work primarily, but also leads QAHE’s work in growing its new University partnerships. He has part of the Senior Management Team that has delivered QAHE’s revenue growth from under £10m in 2015 to over £100m in 2021/22, delivering higher education to over 17,000 students working with seven UK University partnerships. He previously worked for Kaplan (2010-2015) and BPP (2005-2010) in Home and International Student Recruitment and Marketing roles He studied at the University of Portsmouth and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM). Nick is regularly at Industry events and has taken part in panel discussions and speaking engagements at ICEF and on behalf of UniQuest where he is part of their Advisory Board. His passion is marketing and has spoken previously at the CIM Higher Education Marketing Interest Group. He is comfortable with large events, for example represents QA at industry events where QA sponsors awards, such as the PIEoneer awards. Nick is on the advisory board for UniQuest, Edvoy and AH&Z Associates as part of his industry related work.