Julia Weston MCIM

Julia has been a volunteer member of the CIM since 2016. She is Interim Director of Marketing and Student Recruitment at Bucks New University. Julia has worked Bucks for over four years and prior to that worked at UWE Bristol. In Higher Education marketing roles for over 20 years and has experience of strategic planning and managing all areas of the marketing and communications mix in the higher education sector including brand, digital presence, alumni relations, research and business to business.

Julia began her marketing career in the Finance Sector where she worked on a rebranding project and customer services communications projects.  

Kenon Man MCIM

Kenon is currently Deputy Director of Marketing at University of Nottingham. He started in HE as an International Digital Communications Officer at Swansea University, leading on digital campaigns to increase the recruitment of international students and managing social media channels. Previously he was Head of Digital Marketing, he was responsible for website development, content, social media, paid media, design and print.

He is an active member of the sector and keen to share best practice with colleagues. Kenon’s presented at various Higher Education conferences such as CASE Europe about digital marketing activities.

Kenon was co-chair of the CASE Europe Multi-Cultural network, which aims to promote EDI and open up the discussion of Race and Ethnicity. 

Helen Bower, PG DipM, FCIM, MBA, Chartered Marketer

Helen is the Assistant Marketing Director in Global Marketing and Business at Northumbria University responsible for Student Recruitment. In this role, she has ownership of Northumbria’s student recruitment acquisition and conversion strategies, specifically including recruitment in the UK including all schools outreach, Access and partnership work,  Middle East and Africa student recruitment, all pre-entry prospective student events (both virtual and face to face) and Northumbria’s applicant services and admissions functions and processes. Helen is recognised as an expert advisor to the university in relation to student recruitment and marketing challenges in the sector, with extensive experience and knowledge of regional, national and international trends. Helen has worked in Education marketing for more than twenty years, with a variety of roles and experiences across Newcastle University, the University of Cumbria and Northumbria University.

Helen has a Masters qualification in Creative Writing from Northumbria University, a professional PG Diploma from the Chartered Institute of Marketing and an Executive MBA from Newcastle University. Helen has been a chartered marketer for more than 14 years and was made a Fellow of the institute in 2016.

Karen Christie MCIM

As an experienced marketing professional, Karen is skilled in all areas of the marketing mix in the higher education sector. With a strong track record of delivering results, Karen has proven experience of driving conversion across all stages of the student journey in order to meet ambitious recruitment targets. Karen’s areas of expertise include: campaign management, digital marketing, content creation, marketing strategy and planning.

At Bucks New University, Karen has held roles encompassing undergraduate, postgraduate, and faculty-specific marketing as well as recruitment and admissions. Karen now heads up the team responsible for marketing to all audiences, including student recruitment and B2B marketing.

Prior to Bucks, Karen was responsible for managing the prospectuses and other key publications at Royal Holloway, University of London. Karen was also Marketing Communications Manager at The Prince’s Trust, a leading youth charity aimed at empowering young people aged 11 to 30 to get into jobs, education and training.

Richard Shepherd ACIM

Richard is an experienced strategic marketer with more than a decade and half’s experience in Marketing and Communications roles. He has spent the last three years working in Higher Education at Staffordshire University, where he currently heads up the strategic student recruitment marketing team, looking at recruitment across the whole institution including Undergraduate, Postgraduate and Apprenticeship campaigns.

Richard specialises in customer engagement, including campaign management, CRM and Social Media marketing as well as having an extensive background in print media and design/content marketing roles.

Prior to joining Staffordshire University, Richard spent the bulk of his career in the Leisure industry, most recently working in digital engagement and brand roles at Alton Towers Resort. This background in experience marketing is an approach that he has carried over to the University sector as a way to increase engagement and sell the emotional experience of university.

Stephen Allmark DipM FCIM

Membership and Partnership Lead for CIM Higher and Further Education Group

Steve is the Head of Postgraduate Recruitment at the University of Birmingham, responsible for the University of Birmingham postgraduate marketing and student recruitment strategy.

In addition to his role at the University of Birmingham, Steve is a Board Member and Director of the Higher Education External Relations Association (HEERA), a professional body and registered charity working across the areas of public relations, marketing, alumni relations and fundraising in the higher education sector in the UK.

Steve holds an undergraduate degree in Commerce from the University of Birmingham and a postgraduate qualification in Marketing. Steve was awarded Chartered Marketer Status from the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM) in 2007 and last year was awarded CIM Fellow status.

Rachel King DipM FCIM Chartered Marketer

Rachel is Head of Student Recruitment Marketing at the University of Sheffield. She is responsible for student recruitment marketing strategy, campaigns, and alignment of marketing activity and messages across the university.