Marketing headhunters, tml Partners, are delighted to have partnered with the leadership team at De Montfort University to appoint their new Global Marketing Officer
De Montfort University (DMU) is a globally connected, post-1992 university with a strong social mission, an expanding international campus network, and more than 27,000 students across Leicester and global locations including London, Dubai, Kazakhstan, and Cambodia. As the institution accelerates its internationalisation strategy and brand transformation agenda, DMU sought to appoint a senior global marketing leader capable of shaping how the university presents itself, competes, and grows across international markets.
The Challenge
This was a strategically critical, Board-level leadership appointment designed to elevate marketing’s role in driving the university’s next phase of global growth. DMU required a Global Marketing Officer who could establish a unified global brand architecture across multiple campuses and markets, strengthen international reputation and visibility, and build a more integrated, performance-led global recruitment and engagement strategy.
A central priority was identifying a leader capable of translating a complex, value-driven academic identity into a clear, compelling, and globally resonant brand proposition, while modernising marketing capability across digital acquisition, CRM, data, and performance marketing disciplines. The successful candidate needed the experience and credibility to influence diverse stakeholder groups across academic, operational, and international leadership structures, while leading organisational change across geographically dispersed marketing teams. Given the highly specialised nature of the brief, combining global commercial marketing expertise with the ability to operate within a complex Higher Education governance environment, DMU partnered with tml Partners to ensure comprehensive international market coverage and access to senior leaders with multi-market transformation experience.
The Solution
Emma Calder, Head of the Consumer practice at tml Partners, led the global search in close collaboration with the University’s executive leadership teams. The project focused on translating the strategic transformation brief into a clearly defined leadership profile, mapping senior international marketing leaders across sectors including consumer, retail, digital platforms, global agencies, and multi-market brand organisations.
Through a focused, insight-led search process, Emma delivered a highly curated shortlist of senior global marketing executives aligned to DMU’s transformation agenda and global growth ambitions. Johnny Morris quickly emerged as an outstanding fit. An experienced international marketing leader, Johnny brings deep expertise in global brand architecture, omnichannel marketing transformation, CRM, and customer experience strategy, and leading large-scale marketing operations across multi-country organisations.
Emma supported both DMU and Johnny through a structured, collaborative interview and offer process, maintaining strong stakeholder alignment and momentum throughout the appointment. The appointment of Johnny Morris positions De Montfort University to accelerate the development of a globally coherent brand platform and build a modern, integrated global marketing operating model aligned to long-term international growth.
About tml Partners: Specialist Headhunters for Marketing and Commercial Roles
tml Partners are specialists in Executive Search with access to a global network of commercial, marketing, communications, brand, product and digital leaders. Our team work with businesses ranging from fast-growth challenger brands to blue-chip organisations to develop their in-house teams.
As one of the world’s leading commercial and marketing recruitment businesses, we can support whether you’re seeking interim or permanent solutions. Our team has the expertise to support across various sectors and locations.
To learn how tml Partners can help you, please get in touch.
