Vicky’s strengths as a consultant result from her particular combination of:

• senior higher education (HE) leadership experience, including expertise in developing internationalisation and marketing strategies informed by organisational priorities;
• in-depth understanding of marketing, communications and student recruitment practices;
• application of insights developed from academic research into HE management, with a particular focus on values-led, fully integrated internationalisation;
• personal attributes including incisive thinking, willingness to listen and learn, translation of strategy into tangible actions, and the ability to engage and motivate a wide range of stakeholders.

She has direct experience of engaging with students, partner organisations and other stakeholders in South East Asia, South Asia, East Asia, North America, Africa and Europe.

Professional Profile

A University of Oxford Modern Languages graduate, Vicky has 20 years’ experience in the UK HE sector, starting off in Wales, then moving to Scotland before settling in southern England in 2000.

Internationalisation has been a constant thread in all her roles which have ranged from establishing an International Office from scratch to leading an 80-person Marketing & Communications Directorate at Bournemouth University. She has 13 years’ experience operating at University Leadership Team level and leading organisation-wide initiatives, including development of institutional marketing and internationalisation strategies.

Over the years, Vicky has had management responsibility for international student recruitment, partnerships and exchanges; international admissions and student support; market research, strategic and relationship marketing; branding, marketing communications and publications; corporate communications, PR and media relations; digital communications; internal communications; UK student recruitment and outreach; alumni relations and development.

Professional highlights include:

• Achieving stretching student recruitment targets (double-digit percentage growth in international enrolments each year for nearly a decade)
• Directing organisational re-branding project to establish single strong corporate identity, contributing to improved institutional league table position (rose to top modern university in Britain in 2009 and 2010 – The Guardian)
• Building network of 220 international agents and establishing quality-assured partnerships with private sector providers to deliver preparatory English and Study Skills programmes
• Leading transition from devolved to centralised staffing and budgeting model for marketing and communications, involving reconfiguration of staff base and reduction in costs
• Establishing professional enquiry-handling service (consistently out-performing that of competitors) and international admissions service with 48 hour turnaround
• Twice achieving top ranking in the UK for International Office, including a commendation for the immigration advice received (i-graduate International Student Barometer)

Vicky completed a Doctorate of Business Administration (Higher Education Management) at University of Bath in 2007. Her doctoral thesis examined the motivations, strategies and approaches to internationalisation embraced by UK higher education institutions. She is a graduate of the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education’s Senior Strategic Leadership Programme and has completed a Coaching and Mentoring Masterclass.

Vicky is part of the 'network of experts' associated with The Brenn-White Group, a New York-based consultancy specialising in marketing communications for internationalisation. She is also a Consulting Fellow with Halpin Partnership, a leading UK-based higher education management consultancy.