Mark has more than 20 years’ experience at a senior level within the education sector. He has worked in international offices in Australian universities and TAFEs - notably as Director of International Marketing and Admissions at RMIT University. He was also Company Director for over 10 years at OCA Group and its subsidiaries: BPO Intelligence, Object Next Software and Oceanic Consultants - companies dedicated to improving the performance of education providers around the world through the provision of innovative IT-enabled services.

His experience offers clients unique insights into the global range of solutions and services available to education providers. His deep understanding of how complex organisations can be led to function at their best, provides clients with quick and sustainable wins, cost-effectively.
His areas of expertise are EdTech, student acquisition and retention, admissions and agent management, brand building, automated marketing, large system implementation, campus safety and dramatic improvements in recruitment processes.

Mark is a regular presenter at education conferences around the world and a passionate advocate for lifelong education. He is a strong supporter of and catalyst for collaboration between education providers and industry.

Experience: Curtin University, Swinburne TAFE, RMIT University, Monash University, BPO Intelligence (global marketing, printing and logistics), Oceanic Consultants (education agent) and Object Next Software (software solutions for admissions, agents and marketing)

Sharyn has more than 20 years’ experience at a senior level in international and domestic university marketing and recruitment offices, in government, in the private sector and as a private enterprise consultant. This gives her a unique and highly sought-after perspective on global education marketing strategy and the ability to deliver effective solutions to complex problems. Her areas of expertise are student acquisition and retention, marketing strategy, brand, lead generation and digital strategy.

Sharyn is a regular presenter at education conferences around the world and a keen mentor for up-and-coming talent.

Experience: Senior positions at Queensland University of Technology, Trade and Investment Queensland, Education Queensland International, Monash University and Social Garden (student acquisition agency). Consultant to Trade Victoria, Bond University, University of Queensland, University of Newcastle, Victoria University, Rockhampton Grammar School, ACPET-Business Mentor Services, IEAA, KENT Institute of Business and IT and Pragmatic Education Group.

Elissa is a specialist in communications, digital and marketing with more than 17 years' experience in Australian international and higher education.  

As one of Australia's leaders in education marketing, she has a track record for solving the unique sorts of problems thrown up by change, innovation and increased competition. With 13+ years in leadership and senior marketing roles, Elissa is known for her love of digital, data and transparency, and her ability to integrate technical, strategic and human perspectives to cut through inertia and establish a clear way forward.

She has held responsibility for brand, marketing communications, student recruitment, CX and digital across education organisations, most recently as COO of edtech company StudyMe and CEO of corporate education provider Plato Project. Prior to that Elissa worked as Assistant Director, Customer Acquisition and Engagement at RMIT University and in a number of management roles in the International Education Office at Australian Catholic University.

As an international student mentor, past member of Austrade’s Digital Engagement Reference Group, former and inaugural Chair of the IEAA Victorian Young Professionals group, former Deputy Convener of the IEAA Marketing and Communications Network and regular presenter at education conferences around the world, Elissa is passionate about supporting ongoing development of the international education sector.

Experience: RMIT University (Melbourne), Australian Catholic University (Melbourne), Plato Project, StudyMe.

Hayley is a recruitment and student experience expert, and has held leadership roles over two decades across Australia and New Zealand.  Prior to joining Edified in 2019, she was the first national Director International Student Experience for Education New Zealand, designing strategy, research, employability and digital innovation for international student experience nationally.  She has led international recruitment, communications, sales and marketing in a number of higher education institutions.

Her experience in large complex public and not-for-profit organisations has honed her client and stakeholder relationship management expertise, while developing her networks globally.  A creative thinker and problem solver, she is known for her ability to achieve cut through and results, whilst putting people first. A trained leadership coach and alumni of Leadership New Zealand, Hayley has a special interest in developing people, facilitating high levels of engagement and creating a positive and high performing workplace culture.

Hayley is a regular presenter at global education conferences, and a passionate advocate for education as an enabler of personal, economic, and social development and cultural understanding.

Experience:Education New Zealand (Govt), University of Auckland, CPA Australia (employability), University of Melbourne, UNSW.

Oliver has a deep understanding of the challenges faced by leaders and practitioners in achieving change and results within complex educational organisations. His critical thinking and problem-solving skills were honed by more than 20+ years working in international education and admissions. He brings global best practice perspectives informed by his career across the UK and Australia and having worked for clients in the major student destination markets. Oliver is a recognised expert in student acquisition, notably in enhancing recruitment, channel management and admissions strategies, business processes and organisational design.

Prior to joining Edified, Oliver was the International Director at Central Queensland University Australia where he oversaw the re-engineering of their entire international operations resulting in sustained growth and success. He is also a former chair and executive board member of the Australian Universities International Directors’ Forum (AUIDF).

As a Partner at Edified, Oliver now applies his knowledge, skills, and experience to projects for EdTech companies, education membership and peak bodies, government departments, universities, pathway providers, education agents and destination marketing organisations.

Oliver has been instrumental in the development of the UK’s Agent Quality Framework (AQF). His research in 2020 led to the introduction of the National Code of Ethical Practice for UK Agents and a suite of good practice guides for institutions, agents and students. He continues to advise sector bodies such as BUILA, UUKi and the British Council on global approaches to agent quality assurance. Regularly speaking on the subject at conferences and delivering agent management masterclasses, Oliver is one of the leading authorities in the field of education agent facilitated student recruitment.

Experience: CQUniversity Australia; RMIT University, Melbourne; University of Westminster, London; Japanese Exchange &Teaching (JET) Program, Okinawa; Programme of International Education Exchange (PIEE), Tokyo

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Chris is an international student recruitment specialist, working in the education sector for over 15 years. Chris is highly experienced in the fields of executive education, study abroad and exchange, international student recruitment & admissions, marketing, alumni strategies and partnership development.

Experienced working in the collaborative public-private sector space, Chris successfully led the integration of Bournemouth University’s first embedded pathway college. Working closely with government departments and peak bodies, he has also sourced and managed the delivery of sustainable, high-value commercial programmes on behalf of universities.

Chris has worked extensively in East and South East Asia and holds a keen interest in Latin America, having lived, worked and studied in the region. His professional interests include cross-cultural communication, international business culture and diversification strategies.

Experience: Bournemouth University (UK), University of Westminster (UK), London Business School (UK), London South Bank University (UK)

Jeremy has over 20 years’ experience working in senior positions in international education both in Europe and Asia, six of which were spent in Singapore where he was the founding Director of Marketing and Admissions at Curtin University’s Singapore campus. His roles have been across the areas of business development, partnership management, student recruitment, marketing and admissions.

His international experience in the higher education and international schools’ sectors has given Jeremy a deep and broad understanding of the dynamic and evolving trends impacting institutions and their students.  He has successfully helped to improve their international student recruitment strategies, partner development and management, Transnational Education (TNE) projects and business processes.

In 2019 Jeremy set up Hedu Consulting and has been focused on helping universities and international schools build strong partnerships in the UK and Ireland, improve business processes and student experience.  Additionally, Jeremy has a focus on sustainability for education institutions, helping them develop plans to reach Net Zero.

His areas of expertise include: TNE, partnership development, market launches, student experience, agent management, proposition reviews, sustainability and process improvements.

Experience:  Navitas, INTO University Partnerships, Study Group, University of West London, James Cook University Singapore, Curtin Singapore, and Hedu Consulting (UNSW Global, International Schools Partnership).

Nicola is a sales and marketing specialist with experience working in Australia, the UK, Europe and the USA. Nicola started her career in corporate IT and HR consulting but has spent the last 20 years in the international education environment.

She has held senior leadership roles leading high performing teams and revenue streams across multiple geographies, with responsibilities including new market entry strategies, agent review and development, product development, and recruitment and conversion. Nicola has led the design and build of a new international office from scratch, and the re-build of recruitment structures and functions including regional office set up and the creation of effective agent networks, compliance and commission structures.

Nicola is known for her engaging and positive style, and the ability to motivate and inspire through her high energy and outcome-oriented approach. This combination of experience, insight and relational skills have helped Nicola develop unique and practical insights across multiple operational functions, in particular, the nuances of sales and marketing. Her expertise in stakeholder relationship management and international operations has been applied directly to team development particularly in sales and communications, lead conversion and developing the student recruitment experience through authentic connection.

Nicola has a passion for bringing clarity and a human-centered approach to problem solving, crafting solutions for business development in complex and challenging environments.

Experience: Edified (Sydney), MyCareerMatch(Sydney), Macquarie University (Sydney), Bucks New University (Buckinghamshire/ London), Unisys Ltd (London), Internet Security Systems (Belgium), BostonNorth Eastern University (Research exchange USA)

Thomas has over 15 years of experience in the higher education sector across institutions in the United Kingdom and Australia. He has held director level roles, notably as Director of Strategic Intelligence and Planning at Deakin University and Director Market Intelligence and Proposition, and Director of International Recruitment and Admissions at RMIT University.

His areas of expertise lie across market intelligence, marketing and recruitment, data analytics and strategy formulation with specialist knowledge on how that relates to international education.

Thomas has a keen interest in using data to shape decision making at all levels of business through translating data into actionable insights. His ability to integrate external market factors and internal marketing analysis has ensured strategic, tactical, and operational success in the highly competitive education landscape.

As an experienced marketing and market intelligence strategist, Thomas takes a pragmatic, data-driven approach to decision making. He is known for the ability to understand and drive complex issues using data and insights to cut through, ensuring that solutions are grounded, pragmatic and actionable.

Experience: RMIT University, Deakin University, University of Reading (UK), University of Southampton (UK)

Sara is a UK-based international education specialist and strategic leader. She is highly experienced in the field of international student recruitment and admissions, marketing, alumni strategies, stakeholder engagement, study abroad and global partnerships. Sara has lived and worked extensively in Latin America and is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese.

During her time working for the University of Southampton she successfully created and led the University’s first overseas office in the Americas, in Mexico City, and under her leadership Southampton grew to have the largest number of Mexican students at a university in the UK. 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 regularly presents at international conferences. Her professional interests include international student experience and partnership development.  

Experience: University of Southampton (UK), Universidad de Colima (Mexico)

Elyse is a student success and support specialist with over a decade of higher education leadership and consultancy experience focused on the strategic design, development and delivery of evidence-based program and systems innovations. 
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She has led projects with post-secondary institutions, government and technology providers to spearhead the launch of products and services that impact all stages of the student journey.
 
With a passion for student wellbeing, Elyse has held Board Director and Chair positions with community organisations and not-for-profits addressing student housing, food-security, mental health and career mentorship. She is known for bridging the gap between industry, post-secondary and municipality partners to find impactful and sustainable solutions to emerging needs.
 
Elyse is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP), and holds a Masters of Arts in Education from Central Michigan University specialising in leadership and innovation in higher education.

Tari is a Certified Associate in Project Management with several years of experience in project coordination, business process improvement and stakeholder engagement. She has worked in variety of industries ranging from banking, facilities management and construction. Her strengths lie in her aptitude to adapt in challenging environments and her ability to use strong analytical and problem-solving skills to make sound judgements.

Tari holds a Bachelor of Commerce degree from Rhodes University in South Africa and a Master of Commerce degree specialising in Project Management and Information Systems from Deakin University. She is passionate about providing exceptional coordination support to assist in the successful delivery of projects and has a strong interest in the higher education sector.

Shweta has nearly 15 years of experience in the Indian media & communications industry and has extensive expertise in sales and marketing, advertising, campaign planning, business development, brand building, and innovation. She has worked 10+ years in leadership roles with some of the largest media houses in India across television, radio, print, and digital. Her passion and enthusiasm for constant learning and growth led her all the way to Australia to complete a Masters of Strategic Communications Management from Monash University where she has helped in guiding and shaping the international student experience as an executive global ambassador with the International Student Engagement Team, and as a Monash Arts graduate leader and peer mentor.

During her time in Australia, she has successfully completed a marketing and communications project with Practera, facilitating Stride Network’s international student mentoring and wellbeing program, and created a communication and engagement strategy for Multicultural Youth Advocacy Network (MYAN) to help them better reach and connect with Australia’s migrant and refugee youth. Shweta has also developed content and assisted with community management and performance monitoring for Monash University’s Marketing, Admissions and Communications ‘social media marketing division. Additionally, Shweta has been supporting Edified on various projects as a communications analyst and research assistant.

An analytical and positive thinker, she is known for her ability to navigate complex challenges with focus, clarity, and attention to detail, and her areas of specialisation include customer service and retention, stakeholder management, and strategic planning. Her own lived experience and her close work with other international students has provided her a unique perspective and insight on student journey, motivations, and expectations.

Experience: The Times Group (Bennett Coleman & Company Ltd), Disney Star Private Limited, Disney UTV, Red FM (Digital Radio (Delhi) Broadcasting Limited), Radio Mirchi (Entertainment Network India Ltd.)

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