tml Partners are delighted to have been appointed by Northumbria University, one of the leading universities in the UK, to appoint a new Chief Marketing Officer to lead their 180-person strong marketing and commercial directorate.

Northumbria University has developed a remarkable reputation nationally and internationally as one of the most successful challenger universities to the Red-Brick and Russell Group institutions. In 2022 they were named University of the Year in the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) Awards.

As their success is compounded with an increased and more geographically diverse student base and whilst they win many accolades across academia and research, their commercial objectives have naturally changed direction.

The Challenge:

The well-respected incumbent CMO chose to retire, and the newly appointed Vice Chancellor of Northumbria university needed a new diligent marketing figure to take the helm and steer the ship effectively to achieve these new objectives. There were many headline strategic milestones but quite significantly, they wanted to help increase the institution’s revenues through ventures outside of their core student recruitment strategy.

The Vice Chancellor wanted to partner with an executive search firm specialising in Marketing that could offer a network of outstanding marketers with experience outside of the education sector. With a sector-agnostic approach and careful understanding of the commercial viability of marketers, tml Partners were appointed by Northumbria University.

The Solution:

Charlie Green and Peter Bush managed the project, delivering a shortlist of 8 well-profiled candidates. The university curated a thorough and comprehensive interview process. This resulted in an offer for Peter Thomas, a veteran of 13 years at Accenture who, during several iterations of marketing leadership roles, was the EMEA CMO. Peter was able to bring his highly attuned marketing skills from a best-in-class consultancy along with consumer experience at institutions such as the RFU (Rugby Football Union) to build upon their global commercial strengths.

tml Partners leveraged their sector-agnostic approach and deep understanding of Northumbria University’s commercial objectives to find the right person for the role.

Peter Thomas, CMO at Northumbria University, said: “Having worked with tml partners as a client I’m familiar with their excellent service but experiencing their end-to-end solution from the other side of the fence, as a candidate, has been exceptional. Peter and Charlie approached me with a mandate that they knew would spark an interest in me. The level of detail they were able to impart was first class, not only about the role but around the numerous stakeholders involved in this process as well, all of which was ultimately invaluable. The process was lengthy, however, the communications from tml was thorough and meticulous so I always knew where i stood – something seldom found from recruiters in my experience. Having successfully secured the role, I’m very grateful for all the support they’ve provided throughout this seamless journey and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Peter, Charlie and tml Partners as both a client and now, a candidate too. Thank you both”