Our senior team
Alicia O'Grady
Executive Divisional Director of External Engagement and Global
Joining the University of Exeter in April 2023, Alicia took up her role as Executive Divisional Director of External Engagement and Global. Alicia was previously Executive Director, External Relations at the University of Bristol, and her 15-year career in Higher Education has included senior positions at The University of Queensland, Griffith University, the University of Tasmania and London Metropolitan University.
Prior to entering Higher Education Alicia worked in a range of marketing and consulting roles for organisations such as Aviva, Suncorp-Metway, and AMP Shopping Centres.
Alicia will lead the External Engagement and Global Division through the drive to transform Exeter into a truly global powerhouse, offering life-changing opportunities to students from around the world, engaging partners and stakeholders in our shared endeavours and energising our exceptional community of alumni to help us to create a sustainable, healthy and socially just future.
Email: a.ogrady@exeter.ac.uk
Louise Brown
Assistant Director, Strategic Marketing
I joined the University in December 2006 as the first of three School Marketing Managers, providing strategic and operational marketing expertise for the science disciplines. In 2013 I became the Assistant College Manager for Education for the College of Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences and led the professional administration of educational support, programme management and student services. The following year I absorbed responsibility for income generation and diversification through student recruitment, alumni engagement and commercialisation, becoming the Assistant College Manager for Education and External Relations. In 2015 I was fortunate to have the opportunity to establish another new role at the University, the Head of Student Recruitment, with responsibility to lead international and domestic student recruitment, widening participation and admissions.
My current role at the University commenced in May 2018. As the Assistant Director for Strategic Marketing, I support the delivery of University strategic goals, particularly international student growth and income diversification, with innovative and sector-leading marketing services. This includes leadership of the University’s pricing strategy, market-led business planning and portfolio development, global reputation and branding strategies, market segmentation and targeting, and continuous improvement of the customer experience.
Prior to joining the University, I worked within Further and Higher Education in various marketing and communications roles. I am a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and fellow of the Chartered Management Institute.
Tel: 01392 724239
Email: louise.brown@exeter.ac.uk
Rob Mitchell
Assistant Director, Communications
I joined in 2003 as the University’s first Web Editor, responsible for both the day-to-day management of the University’s website and the ongoing development and professionalisation of web management across the institution. The team grew rapidly and now has a remit which includes social media management, email campaigns, digital marketing, smartphone app design and everything in between.
As Assistant Director - Communications I lead the Communications Team, which includes press and media, internal and stakeholder communications, student communications as well as the digital team. It's a demanding role and despite no two days being alike, the team's ability to deliver time and time again is inspirational.
Prior to arriving in Exeter I was Web Administrator for the University of Manchester, where I developed and ran their first full website. Despite graduating with a degree in Colour Chemistry I come from a communications background, having spent much of my time at the University of Leeds writing for the student newspaper and then 10 years of my spare time as Music Editor and Film and TV writer for the Big Issue In The North.
Tel: 01392 725020
Email: rob.mitchell@exeter.ac.uk
Katherine Lloyd Clark
Assistant Director, Admissions and UK Recruitment
Tel: 01392 724074
Email: k.lloyd-clark@exeter.ac.uk
Dr Shaun Curtis
Director of Global Advancement
Shaun leads the University’s supporter engagement and fundraising activities in the UK and overseas, and led the delivery of Exeter’s largest ever fundraising campaign ‘Making the Exceptional Happen’, which raised over £71m at its close in December 2020. Over 100,000 volunteering hours had also been secured. The Global Advancement team is now in the planning stage of a new £150m philanthropic campaign.
Shaun joined the University as Director of International Exeter in August 2009, where he delivered the University’s first ‘Internationalisation Strategy 2010-2015’.
Previously, Shaun was the inaugural Head of the UK Higher Education International Unit (now Universities UK International) influencing and advising universities and agencies on the opportunities of internationalisation, and delivering a range of bilateral education agreements between the UK and overseas governments.
Over three decades Shaun has worked in the public and private sectors in several countries. He studied Politics at the University of Exeter, and holds a PhD in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
Email: s.curtis@exeter.ac.uk
Peter Clack
Director of Global Engagement
The University of Exeter has appointed Peter Clack as its inaugural Director of Global Exeter. He will join the University in January 2020.
The Director of Global Exeter is a new role to co-ordinate the University’s wide range of global activities, including our global partnerships with universities and businesses; international student recruitment; global experiences for our students and staff; engagement with our international alumni; and global profile-raising. Working with colleagues, Peter will help to develop a global culture that is welcoming to all of our staff and our 5,000 students from 140 countries, who contribute to the thriving international community across our campuses in Exeter and Cornwall.
Peter joins Exeter from the University of Birmingham where he has been Director of International Relations since 2013. He has also worked in Director roles for the British Council in Dubai, Malaysia, and Turkey.
Tel: 01392 723774
Email: p.clack@exeter.ac.uk
Victoria Isherwood
Director Student Recruitment
Victoria joined the University in April 2023 as the Director of Student Recruitment overseeing UK including Widening Participation, EU and International Student Recruitment and Admissions. This newly created role will bring together our student recruitment and admissions teams to help realise Exeter’s strategic ambitions over coming years.
Prior to joining Exeter, Victoria was the Director of Student Recruitment at the University of Stirling where she led on transformative student number growth, as well as meeting Scottish Widening Access targets. Victoria has worked in the field of Education for more than twenty years including roles as Head of International Student Recruitment at the University of East Anglia, an education representative in China, and teaching English in Japan. Victoria has also been an international student herself and studied at the University of Nankai in Tianjin.
Email: v.isherwood@exeter.ac.uk
David Watson
Assistant Director Alumni and Supporter Engagement
David manages a diverse team that encompasses volunteering, regular giving, alumni benefits in the UK and Internationally, in addition to our events, communications and alumni relations programme. For the 10 years previous to joining the University, David has been involved predominantly in the charity sector, and has a wide range of experience in fundraising and marketing, latterly as a Director in an agency owned by a charity, the Aspinall Foundation.
Tel: 01392 725106
Email: d.watson@exeter.ac.uk
Lisa Williams
Assistant Director Operations
Lisa graduated from Exeter with a Math degree in 2003 and since graduation has worked in various roles across the Global Advancement team. Lisa now leads the Operations team, which is responsible for identifying potential supporters, managing the data of alumni and supporters, ensuring that financial donations are processed in line with donors wishes and that all donors are thanked appropriately for their support.
Tel: 01392 725636
Email: l.c.williams@exeter.ac.uk
Gemma Bartlett
Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Strategic Marketing Partner
Tel: 01392 726373
Email: g.c.bartlett@exeter.ac.uk
Ian Watson
Health and Life Sciences (HLS) Strategic Marketing Partner
Tel: 01392 722685
Email: i.watson@exeter.ac.uk
Ruth Thorne
Environment, Science and Economy (ESE) Strategic Marketing Partner
Tel: 01392 725586
Email: R.Tyrer@exeter.ac.uk
