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Partners
Session Partners
The Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA) is the professional body for the most senior university leaders responsible for governance, operations and administration.
ARMA is the UK’s national association serving research managers and administrators. We are experts, operating locally and impacting across a global context. We train, support and advocate nationally for the needs of research management professionals through our vibrant and inclusive community.
Brand & Reputation is an international consultancy firm specialising in brand, marketing, communications, recruitment and stakeholder engagement across Education and non-profit sectors. We add leadership bandwidth and expert, independent input to reposition organisations to achieve distinction and improved performance.
Visit our website to see how we can become your critical friend.
Contact: Michael Lavery
Email: michael@brandandreputation.org.uk
Phone: +44 (0)7500 120400
www.brandandreputation.org.uk
Cairney & Company is a global consultancy firm that understands the unique challenges and opportunities that universities face in fundraising and engagement, taking an integrated approach across the institutions we work with. With decades of experience, our expert team has supported universities across the UK, Canada, the US, Asia and Australia to reimagine, reinforce, scale and sustain fundraising activity, while empowering teams for long-term success. Our expertise is rooted in a wider understanding of how successful fundraising and engagement is embedded within complex organisations, while being mindful of the challenges, politics and nuances of the sectors they operate in – often amid fast-paced change.
Contact: Karen Cairney
Email: karen.cairney@cairneyandcompany.com
Phone: +44 (0)7872 956 720
www.cairneyandcompany.com
The Data City provides real-time insight into what companies actually do - replacing outdated SIC codes and manual desk research with AI-driven classification built on live web data.
Our Industry Engine platform maps the modern economy at both national scale and local depth, showing where innovation is happening, who’s driving it, and how sectors are evolving. Trusted by governments, banks, investors, universities and consultancies, The Data City supports everything from industrial strategy and innovation mapping to investment planning, skills programmes and due diligence.
Contact: Alex Craven, CEO
Email: alex.craven@thedatacity.com
www.thedatacity.com
Welcome to Halpin, a fresh approach to management consultancy, designed to meet the specific needs of the higher education sector.
Our team have senior-level and in-house expertise in higher education and other sectors. We’ve worked with a wide variety of higher education institutions across the UK and in Ireland and also have international experience.
We also know the value of cross-sector experience. We undertake projects for clients outside the sector when their values align with ours, when our higher education experience is of value, and when we know we can deliver impact.
Halpin is part of Huron Consulting Group.
Hayhurst & Co creates high performing teams by specialising in mindset, culture and prioritisation. We provide training, consultancy and coaching to help university leaders to get things done, really well.
Contact: Vicky Hayhurst
Email: hello@hayhurstco.com
www.hayhurstco.com
Experts by your side - as part of IDP Education, the global leader in connecting prospective students to institutions, we offer our partners a one-stop-shop of recruitment, marketing, and data services.
Student recruitment: Our global network of 2,300+ trusted student counsellors support our partners to recruit the right students for them.
Digital marketing: Our 30 local-language student-first websites attract 100m+ visits every year, offering our partners unrivalled digital reach and engagement.
IQ data services: Our self-serve data subscription and bespoke consultancy services draw on our dataset of 100m annual visits to our student websites and help inform our partners’ marketing and recruitment strategies. These allow institutions to better understand their brand impact, identify the right countries to target with tailored local market strategies and develop a portfolio that meets student demand.
At the heart of what we do is helping prospective students find life-changing higher education opportunities that are right for them.
Knowledge Exchange UK is the professional body for KE practitioners working in universities, private and public sector research organisations to manage IP commercialisation, collaboration and other types of engagement between researchers and external organisations to deliver social and economic impact through innovation and enhanced productivity and skills.
Metro Dynamics was founded in 2015 to support devolution and build lasting capacity in local places, helping to deliver locally driven priorities. We care deeply about enabling good growth - growth that’s inclusive, long-term, and locally rooted. We work with places to understand their strengths and ambitions, translating them into bold strategies and tangible projects. As a critical enabler of economic growth, we support our clients in creating the right conditions for innovation to thrive - curating the activity, infrastructure, and collaborative networks needed to make it happen.
Contact: Fiona Tuck
Email: fiona.tuck@metrodynamics.co.uk
Phone: 07764 497932
www.metrodynamics.co.uk
Founded in 1991, Oxford International is a private education company led by a talented team committed to creating life-enhancing experiences for students worldwide. We believe in learning without limits and that global access to education provides opportunities for everyone regardless of borders and backgrounds. We are a trusted educational partner with heritage providing higher education programmes and direct entry recruitment to university partners, vocational programmes, English language programmes and proficiency testing across the UK, USA, Canada and Australia.
Perrett Laver specialises in executive search to identify outstanding leaders globally for organisations seeking positive outcomes in education, research, society, and the environment.
Contact: Sarah John
Email: sarah.john@perrettlaver.com
Phone: 020 7340 6200
www.perrettlaver.com
Here at QA Higher Education, we work hard to empower staff, students and universities to achieve their greatest ambitions.
Recruiting to and delivering more than 100 foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degree programmes for in-demand areas to equip students with the knowledge and skills to thrive within their chosen careers. We’ve had over 10,000 students study and graduate with us and our partners, and that numbers still rising across branch campuses and pathway college's located in Birmingham, London, Manchester, Southampton, Newcastle and South Wales.
Our international and UK students are supported by experienced faculty, extensive agent relationships and flexible teaching models to unlock new opportunities to transform their lives through higher education. Our staff are supported, championed and given key opportunities to help nurture and future their careers.
Contact: Claire Brown, Chief Strategy Officer
Email: cbrown3@qa.com
www.qahighereducation.com
Hello - we are SMRS. Through our work in culture, brand and communications we create value for global organisations by thinking bigger to help them do better. Purpose-driven and B Corp-accredited, we believe fiercely in the difference we make. It inspires us to give our all. We transform the way organisations think, act, and connect creating a lasting impact that drives success.
Contact: Dan Beynon
Email: dan.beynon@smrs.co.uk
Phone: 07710378421
www.smrs.co.uk
SUMS Consulting is the not-for-profit consultancy for higher education. With over 50 years of sector insight, we work alongside universities to solve complex challenges, improve performance, and deliver lasting impact. Our expert team – many of whom have held senior university roles – brings deep understanding across strategy, transformation, organisational design, and efficiency. Through SUMS Consulting International, we extend our support to institutions around the world, helping them navigate global shifts while staying true to their academic mission. We are proud to be the consultancy of choice for universities seeking evidence-based, sustainable change.
Contact: David Becker, Chief Operating Officer
Email: consulting@sums.ac.uk
Phone: 0118 228 4020
www.sums.ac.uk
The only professional network connecting leading universities focused on growing their global profile.
UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service is an independent charity and the UK's shared admissions service for higher education. Our vision is that all who could benefit from higher education, do.
Contact: Ben Jordan, Director of Strategy
Email: B.Jordan@ucas.ac.uk
www.ucas.com
Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN) is a central space for academics, policy actors, and professional services staff who undertake and support academic-policy engagement. We champion academic policy engagement to strengthen evidence-informed policymaking in the UK.
Wonkhe is the home of the UK higher education debate, bringing the sector together through expert analysis, debate and insight. A community of diverse voices, we provide platforms to drive the policy conversation forward.