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
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.
Email: rob.mitchell@exeter.ac.uk
Katherine Lloyd Clark
Assistant Director, Admissions and UK Recruitment
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. As Director of Advancement, he manages a team responsible for the delivery of a philanthropic campaign, chaired by Sir Sajid Javid, to raise £175m and 150,000 volunteering hours by 2030. The campaign launched publicly in October 2026.
Shaun joined the University as Director of International Exeter in 2009, where he delivered the University’s first comprehensive Internationalisation Strategy. Previously, Shaun was the inaugural Head of the UK Higher Education International Unit (now Universities UK International).
Over three decades Shaun has worked in the public and private sectors in several countries. He is a graduate of the University of Exeter (BA and MA) and the University of Toronto (PhD).
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.
Email: p.clack@exeter.ac.uk
Victoria Isherwood
Director of Global Recruitment, Admissions and Marketing
Victoria joined the University in 2023 in a newly established role, contributing to the delivery of key priorities within the University’s Strategy 2030 and supporting the Vice-President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global).
She provides strategic leadership across multidisciplinary teams responsible for UK and international student recruitment, admissions, operations, and marketing campaigns, working collaboratively with academic and professional services colleagues to meet growth, student diversity, and global engagement goals.
With more than 20 years of experience in the education sector, Victoria has held a range of positions including Director of Student Recruitment at the University of Stirling and Head of International Student Recruitment at the University of East Anglia.
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.
Email: d.watson@exeter.ac.uk
Matt Davey
Director of Global Strategic Projects
The Director of Global Strategic Projects (50%) is a new role designed to coordinate and support a wide range of global activities across our three Faculties. This role will initially focus on supporting and growing Global Partnership activity, Transnational Education, and Global Executive Education.
As Director of Global Operations (50%), Matt leads and coordinates global activities across the Faculty of Environment, Science, and Economy. He works with the Associate PVC and executive team to deliver the Faculty's ambitious global strategy.
Matt joined the University in 2008 and has held several senior positions within the Institution. Prior to entering Higher Education, he worked in various leadership and management roles at Marks and Spencer and Gap Inc. Matt also holds a Non-Executive Director role with Exeter City Community Trust and is Chair of Governors for the Ted Wragg Trust, supporting Westexe School.
Email: m.l.davey@exeter.ac.uk
Brian Greenwood
Associate Director for International Student Recruitment
Brian joined EEG as Associate Director for International Student Recruitment in 2024 and overseas the institutions international student recruitment activity, leading the team based in the UK and overseas. Brian was previously Deputy Head of International Student Recruitment at the University of Bristol, looking after a wide remit of regions, with his 15 year career also having roles at Bath, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and Reading covering admissions, international student support, and conversion.
Brian is also part of the Executive Committee for BUILA (British Universities International Liaison Association) on which he is the lead for training and conference team.
Email: j.b.greenwood@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.
Email: l.c.williams@exeter.ac.uk
Tori Kirwan-Taylor
Faculty of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences (HASS) Strategic Marketing Partner
Ruth Thorne
Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy (ESE) Strategic Marketing Partner
Email: R.Tyrer@exeter.ac.uk
Jenna Richards
Faculty of Health and Life Sciences (HLS) Strategic Marketing Partner
Jenna leads marketing strategy for the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences. Her remit covers recruitment strategy, market analysis and competitive intelligence, campaign planning, content and stakeholder communications. Jenna is responsible for marketing of a complex, multi-programme portfolio to maximise recruitment impact and turn Faculty ambitions into measurable enrolment outcomes.
Jenna has worked at the University of Exeter for more than 15 years. During that time she has led digital communications for Research Services and Innovation Exeter and managed the College of Humanities and College Social Sciences and International Studies marketing teams. Most recently, she lead on Analytics, Tracking and Reporting implementing sector leading end-to-end campaign tracking across the University.
Email: jenna.richards@exeter.ac.uk
Emma Clark
Head of External Engagement and Global (Cornwall)
Emma leads on marketing, brand and reputation strategy for the University in Cornwall, helping to connect institutional ambitions with the needs of students, partners and local communities. Working closely with senior leaders, she plays a key role in shaping strategic direction, enhancing reputation and delivering impactful marketing and communications activity.
Prior to moving to Cornwall Emma was the Communications Manager in Global Advancement, supporting the landmark £60 million fundraising campaign, and building meaningful connections between the University and its global alumni community.
Before joining Exeter Emma built and led the marketing team at a fast growing technology start-up, headed up marketing and communications at a national media agency, and managed marketing and launch campaigns for international automotive clients.
Email: E.Clark3@exeter.ac.uk
Nicola Sinclair
Associate Director Access and Participation
I'm responsible for student access and participation at the University of Exeter and lead on Success for All, a well-established institutional programme to support student diversity and inclusion. I'm privileged to lead a fantastic team whose responsibilities include working with schools and colleges to support diverse recruitment, delivering outreach and fair access programmes, supporting current students from minority and marginalised backgrounds, and developing policy and insights to improve student outcomes.
I am Director (Practice) of the Centre for Social Mobility which aims to encourage research informed practice and applied research to address risks to equal opportunity experienced by students in accessing and succeeding within higher education. Chair of the Russell Group Evaluation Forum which promotes good practice to better understand the impact of access and participation interventions, I'm on the board of Advancing Access, which provides professional development for teachers to support fair access.
With professional qualifications in journalism (NCTJ) and public relations (CIPR), I started my career as a newspaper reporter and subsequently held strategic communications and marketing roles in the police, local government and higher education.
Email: n.m.sinclair@exeter.ac.uk
