Setting the agenda: how universities can regain control of the narrative

Laura Davies is Director of Communications, Marketing and Student Recruitment at Cardiff University and joined the University Executive Board in 2024. She leads a great team of talented communications, marketing, public affairs, admissions, student recruitment, widening participation, international and civic mission colleagues. Prior to being Director, Laura was the University’s Director for Student Recruitment and Outreach, and has held a wide range of communications and marketing roles across the Schools, Colleges and central divisions at Cardiff. 

Seb has a long background working in communications roles in the public sector and regulated industries, including the London Fire Brigade and the Local Government Association. He joined Universities UK after spending a decade in senior communications roles in the rail industry. This included as Director of Communications for the Great British Railways Transition Team, where he influenced the policy of successive governments towards the biggest reforms to rail in a generation. Before this, he worked in a membership organisation acting as the voice of the railway on a range of operational and policy issues ranging from rail fares to train punctuality and reform of the sector.

Seb has acted as a spokesperson in national broadcast media, led the industry-wide introduction of a life-saving partnership between the railway and Women’s Aid, and managed the production of various research and policy reports. He was also part of the team that devised a first-of-its kind strategy to reposition the reputation of the rail sector.  

Jess Lister is Director and Head of Higher Education at Public First, a global public opinion and policy consultancy, where she leads the firms work with universities and higher education providers in the UK and overseas. She previously worked as policy and public affairs advisor at the University of Cambridge.

Nicola has been Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Sheffield Hallam University since 2024. She joined the Sheffield Hallam University in 2007, bringing with her a wealth of experience in marketing and student recruitment. Over the years, Nicola has held several key positions, including Head of Admissions, Director of Admissions and UK Student Recruitment, and Group Director for Recruitment, Communications, and Marketing.

Nicola is deeply passionate about the pivotal role Sheffield Hallam University plays in driving regional success through applied research, collaborations with schools and colleges to raise aspirations within the region, and high-quality teaching and student outcomes. 

Lorna Gozzard oversees all aspects of external and internal content, engagement and brand at the Royal College of Art, including student recruitment marketing, media and stakeholder relations, online content and internal communications.

She has over 25 years experience in communications and marketing, starting her career in PR agencies before moving in-house to senior roles, including working on the physical legacy of the London 20212 Olympic and Paralympic Games; and as the Director of Communications, Marketing and Commercial at the Courtauld Institute of Art. She joined the Royal College of Art - the world’s leading art and design university - in January 2022

Eamon Deeny is an Irish communications professional with 40 years’ experience. He started his career as a journalist in his hometown of Coleraine and Belfast before taking up his first communications role with the Post Office. He went on to work in local, regional and national government during the Northern Ireland conflict and the subsequent peace process. Eamon has headed up communications at Belfast City Council, departments in the Northern Ireland Executive and UK Government’s Northern Ireland Office and was NI rep for the Cabinet Office. Eamon joined Queen’s University in 2021 and became its Director of Communications shortly after, designing and implementing a review of its communications operation. He stood down from his full-time role in April and was appointed an advisory Associate Director at the university. 

Vicky Clarke is Deputy Director of Communications at the University of Nottingham, where she leads the University’s media relations and internal communications teams, and is responsible for crisis communications and issues management.

Previously Head of Strategic Communications at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities, she led national campaigns including the COP26 communications strategy for the department and the launch of the Levelling Up White Paper.

Vicky has more than a decade of experience in helping organisations across higher education, government and corporate sectors to navigate high-pressure situations, communicate with empathy and clarity, and build strategic, resilient communications functions.

Paul is a leadership development expert with extensive experience in supporting and coaching teams in universities. With 35 years’ experience of working in Higher Education, Paul has held positions as Head of Department and Dean. From 2012-2016 he was Director of Programmes at the Leadership Foundation, and has led more than 10 cohorts of the Top Management Programme. 

Paul works in the UK and internationally and is an advocate of sharing learning across the world to better inform strategic development, and to build a more connected global higher education system.

Chris Havergal was appointed editor of Times Higher Education in March 2025. Prior to that he spent eight years as news editor. He joined THE in 2014 as a reporter, covering areas such as teaching and learning, access, and internationalisation. Chris started his career as local government correspondent at the Cambridge News and holds a BA in history and an MA in medieval studies from the University of York.

Dr Michael Head is a Senior Research Fellow in Global Health, in the Faculty of Medicine at University of Southampton (UoS). His main focus is population health in rural Ghana, looking at access to healthcare and issues such as the links between climate change and health, neglected tropical diseases, and vaccine hesitancy. He is also Head of Academic Advocacy, within UoS Corporate Communications, creating bridges between academic and non-academic stakeholders to improve public visibility, and improve university reputation.

Allison Stratford has led marketing communications at a senior level, providing strategic direction across multiple sectors including Local Government, the NHS, Further Education and for the last seven years Higher Education at the University of Southampton.

As Associate Director Corporate Communications, Allison oversees a professional service which includes the Media and PR team, Social Media, Public and Community Affairs, and Internal Communications to over 6,500 staff. She is passionate in her support to academics, working alongside and supporting them in media liaison and thought leadership opportunities, while building a strategic approach to academic advocacy.

Joan Concannon has been the University of York’s Director of External Relations and a member of the University's Executive Board since October 2009. She is responsible for a portfolio of responsibilities spanning regional, national and global reputation, UK and global student recruitment, philanthropy, alumni relations, communications, marketing, stakeholder engagement, public affairs, and income generation. She works closely with the Vice-Chancellor and President, and other senior academic leadership, to ensure the University of York is responding to the UK government's national renewal programmes, and working closely with regional governmental bodies and industrial partners to identify collaborative opportunities to shape and grow the regional economy and retain more York graduates. 

She is also the co-founding Director of York Festival of Ideas, one of the UK’s largest free festivals of its kind, and a founding Director of the city's Management Destination Organisation, Make it York. She is an elected member of the Royal Institute of Philosophy and is a co-opted Non Fellow member of the Royal Academy of Engineering's External Affairs Committee. 

Professor Kene Igweonu is Provost of London College of Communication at University of the Arts London (UAL), where he also holds executive responsibility for Impact and Innovation. His portfolio includes leading UAL’s strategic alliances, enhancing its national positioning, and shaping a future-facing vision for creative education in a digitally and AI-enabled world. An interdisciplinary scholar and senior academic leader, Professor Igweonu has particular expertise in immersive, interactive, and performance practices. His research focuses on storytelling, African and diasporic theatre and performance, and the Feldenkrais Method in health, wellbeing, and performer training. A committed advocate for the arts and creative industries, he serves as a Council Member for Creative UK and was formerly Chair of DramaHE and President of the African Theatre Association.

Dr. Mike Knowles is the Associate Dean for Learning & Teaching, focusing on enhancing academic quality and student experience in Computing, Engineering, and Digital Technologies. With expertise in curriculum innovation and student experience, Mike aligns academic delivery with industry needs. He has led initiatives to improve learner satisfaction in STEM disciplines and contributed to institutional responses to Ofsted and internal quality reviews. Mike fosters meaningful employer engagement in apprenticeship programs, championing cross-school collaboration, digital learning integration, and consistent assessment practices. His work bridges academic theory with workplace application, ensuring apprentices gain essential knowledge, skills, and behaviours for success. Mike is also dedicated to staff development and well-being, recognizing their importance in sustaining high-quality apprenticeship experiences.