Our Team

A University of Cambridge and Wharton School alumnus, Nunzio is the founder of QS and the visionary behind the QS World University Rankings – now the most cited global rankings worldwide.

Patrick Brothers is an Executive Director at QS Quacquarelli Symonds and a member of its Executive Leadership Team (ELT), joining after QS’ acquisition of HolonIQ in October 2024. Before joining QS, Patrick co-founded and served as co-CEO of HolonIQ, the world’s leading research and analytics platform for the global impact economy. At HolonIQ, he led data and deep technology teams, advising governments, institutions, foundations, and investors worldwide on strategies that drive impact and investment for a more inclusive and sustainable future.

Patrick has had a significant impact on global impact investment and strategy through his work with HolonIQ. His career is marked by his dedication to fostering co-operation and collaboration between the public and private sectors to address global challenges.

Patrick hosted HolonIQ’s global leadership summits in more than 30 countries around the world, gathering senior leaders to discuss and collaborate on pressing global issues, including economic development, environmental sustainability, education and healthcare innovation.

Prior to HolonIQ, Patrick served as Chairman, CEO and senior executive roles in strategy, technology and corporate development in energy, infrastructure and education. He served as a senior advisor at Deloitte in M&A and Corporate Finance working with sovereign wealth funds and private equity clients around the world after starting his career as an Australian Army Officer leading paratroopers in reconnaissance and humanitarian assistance operations.

Patrick holds an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management, a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science and Mathematics from the University of New South Wales and graduated first prize in field leadership and military skills from the Royal Military College Duntroon.

Dr. Maria Spies is the Chief Innovation Officer at QS Quacquarelli Symonds and a member of its Executive Leadership Team, joining after QS’ acquisition of HolonIQ in October 2024. Maria is Co-Founder of HolonIQ and served as Co-CEO before joining QS. HolonIQ is recognized as a world leading research and analytics platform for the global impact economy, providing data and insights for growth, innovation, and risk intelligence for forward-thinking governments, institutions, organizations, and investors across sectors such as climate, education, and health.

With over 20 years of experience in both public and private education, Maria has specialized in transforming education through technology. She has built and led global teams, driving innovation in curriculum development, teaching practices, and student experiences in more than 50 countries. As Co-CEO of HolonIQ, Maria led the Education Intelligence Unit, delivering data-rich insights on the global education sector and overseeing tools and frameworks like the Global Learning Landscape, Scenarios for the Future of Education, and Digital Transformation Frameworks.

Maria advises institutions, policymakers, intergovernmental organizations, and NGOs on critical education issues. She holds both a Master’s and a Doctorate in Higher Education and was awarded “Thesis of the Year” for her research on public-private partnerships in higher education. Additionally, she serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education.

Veronica Omeni is an experienced senior leader in higher education with expertise in graduate management education, internationalisation, global engagement and employability. She joined QS in 2021.

Dr Helen Kelly has more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles within Trinity College Dublin, University of Warwick, and SOAS University of London. Her skills and expertise span student recruitment, TNE and global partnerships, change management, external engagement, development, and strategic planning.

Dr Shadi Hijazi is a management and marketing specialist and a consultant with multinational experience in higher education strategy. He has worked at QS for more than a decade with previous experience as a researcher and lecturer at institutions across the globe.

Daniel Kahn is an expert in graduate management education with more than 16 years of experience at QS. He is a data analyst and consultant with in-depth knowledge of business school trends and strategy.

Jacques de Champchesnel is an experienced higher education consultant. He has more than 7 years of experience at QS and prior to joining was a Dean of Student Affairs and Campus Life and consultant in higher education strategy.

Dr Habib Fardoun is an expert in university performance and reputation building, with a specialised focus on enhancing global institutional presence, and driving research and teaching excellence. Dr Fardoun has a PhD and Master’s in Quality Higher Education Development, complemented by a BA in Computer Engineering from Universidad de Castilla – La Mancha. He brings a deep understanding of the academic landscape and the strategic insights necessary for elevating university standards on a global scale. With extensive experience in university reputation enhancement and expanding global institutional presence, Dr Fardoun has successfully led initiatives that significantly boost research and teaching outcomes.

Jessica assumed the position of CEO in September 2022, after serving as Group Managing Director from 2019. Jessica leads a diverse global team focused on nurturing and amplifying the trust QS has earned over three decades from the worldwide higher education community, students, employers and policymakers. 

A University of Cambridge and Wharton School alumnus, Nunzio is the founder of QS and the visionary behind the QS World University Rankings – now the most cited global rankings worldwide.

Ben is one of the founding thinkers behind the QS World University Rankings and a veteran in the field of comparative institutional performance in global higher education. As Senior Vice President at QS, Ben heads the institutional performance unit, dedicated to bringing together policy makers and HE leaders through the power of data and insights. 

Martin Serrano leverages his experience in working across five continents in technology, architecture, urban planning and sustainability to drive innovation in higher education. A graduate of the University of Oxford and the University of Notre Dame, Martin is recognised for his curiosity, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit, with a strong focus on solving complex problems with innovative solutions.

Martin Serrano leverages his experience in working across five continents in technology, architecture, urban planning and sustainability to drive innovation in higher education. A graduate of the University of Oxford and the University of Notre Dame, Martin is recognised for his curiosity, passion, and entrepreneurial spirit, with a strong focus on solving complex problems with innovative solutions.

Esteban Veintimilla first recognised the gap between higher education and industry demands during his tenure at the University of Waterloo. Motivated by this challenge, he founded 1Mentor with the ambitious goal of harnessing artificial intelligence to enable higher education institutions to keep pace with the rapid advancements in industry. Following QS’ acquisition of 1Mentor, Esteban is now the Director of Product, Employability at QS Quacquarelli Symonds. In this capacity, he is dedicated to spearheading the development of pioneering technology that transform the way higher education adapts to a rapidly changing world.

Diego Robles is a Co-Founder of 1Mentor, an innovative AI-driven platform designed to help students prepare for the future of work. A graduate of the University of Queensland with a degree in software engineering, he brings extensive experience in managing and developing educational technologies, cloud solutions, and machine learning tools. Following the acquisition of 1Mentor by QS, he now serves as the Director of Technology, leveraging his expertise to integrate cutting-edge technologies that enhance the student experience and ensure they are equipped for tomorrow’s challenges.

Dr Shadi Hijazi is a management and marketing specialist and a consultant with multinational experience in higher education strategy. He has worked at QS for more than a decade with previous experience as a researcher and lecturer at institutions across the globe.

Higher Education professional with 22+ years of experience in Operations, Student Services and Process Excellence. At QS, I currently lead the Global Student Counselling Operations for University clients based in ANZ and UK/EU.

I have a background of working in universities in the UK and I’m eager to make sure our products provide universities with a different insight into their data. I am always willing to discuss how we can improve our products and support you in understanding which ones will help you reach your goals.

Juan has worked in international higher education since 2004. He joined QS in 2017 and today is responsible for leading customer adoption and satisfaction of the Institutional Performance Unit portfolio.

Suzie has worked to steer technical products for over 20 years and is driven to find the best way to empower users in their daily work.

I have more than four years of experience as Institutional Support Specialist working with institutions around the world. My passion includes data reporting and analysis.

I’m passionate about being part of QS, helping universities and students across the world. I believe in internationalisation and I’m excited to connect, learn, and share with a like-minded community.

I am customer-orientated and an excellent communicator. I strongly believe that consistency and conveying the right information drive better results for all parties.

Hello, my name is Gabriela Alexe, and I’m from Bucharest, Romania. I am passionate about languages and different cultures and through my position at QS I can explore and learn about universities worldwide and their academic culture.

My name is Indira Ghosh and I’m based in New Delhi, India. I am an international relations graduate with six years of experience in the international higher education sector, ranging across student placement, recruitment and client servicing. I have been a part of QS for two years and specialise in the QS Stars audit process and client management.

With eight years of professional experience, I possess a strong background in analytical insight, managing diverse and extensive data, project handling, decision-making, client service, and risk management. I hold an MBA from NMIMS, Mumbai, and was honored with the Eagle-Eye Award, recognizing my exceptional attention to detail.

Kashif has been a part of the QS Stars team for close to two years. He has been collaborating with universities all over the world to ensure they get the best possible ratings, which eventually leads to the overall development of the university. His core competencies are attention to detail, precise communication, and problem-solving with the utmost compassion towards universities.

With several years of experience in the education industry, I have developed a passion for helping academic institutions achieve their goals and thrive in a rapidly changing environment. In my current role, I am responsible for providing exceptional support to educational institutions, ensuring that they are fully engaged with QS programmes and services.

I always give my best while working with universities around the world. I love being part of their journey, identifying their strengths and weaknesses, and improving the quality of the higher education sector.

Veronica Omeni is an experienced senior leader in higher education with expertise in graduate management education, internationalisation, global engagement and employability. She joined QS in 2021.

Jason Newman has more than 20 years of experience leading higher education sales and marketing teams across the globe. He joined QS in 2011 and became our Chief Commercial Officer in 2020.

Chris Martin has more than 30 years’ experience working as a leader in technology. His career has included roles at IBM and Ask Jeeves. He joined QS in 2021.

Alisha Bartl is a graduate of Monash University and has an MBA from Melbourne Business School. She is an experienced leader in people, project and change management.

Matthew Wait is a highly experienced leader with previous roles at organisations including Siemens, and KPMG. He joined QS as Chief Financial Officer in 2016.

Dara Bukhtoyarova is an experienced higher education specialist. Her expertise is in research development, international collaboration and online learning.

Alice Wei is an experienced Senior Consultant. She holds a degree from Shanghai International Studies University, a master’s degree in comparative education from UCL and an MBA from Imperial College Business School.

Dr Helen Kelly has more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles within Trinity College Dublin, University of Warwick, and SOAS University of London. Her skills and expertise span student recruitment, TNE and global partnerships, change management, external engagement, development, and strategic planning.

Dr Helen Kelly has more than 20 years’ experience in senior leadership roles within Trinity College Dublin, University of Warwick, and SOAS University of London. Her skills and expertise span student recruitment, TNE and global partnerships, change management, external engagement, development, and strategic planning.

Lara is a Senior Consultant at QS. Prior to joining the company, Lara held management roles in student recruitment and marketing teams within the higher education sector in Australia and the UK. Lara’s expertise is in international and domestic student recruitment and strategy, programme development, global engagement and industry partnerships. Lara holds a Level 7 Marketing Leadership Qualification from the Chartered institute of Marketing (UK) and a Marketing and dual degree in BCom Marketing and BA International Communications from Macquarie University (Australia).

Kuldeep is an experienced strategy consultant. He has an MBA degree from Indian Institute of Management and is a rank holder in Electronics Engineering from SRM Institute of Science and Technology.

Kuldeep is an experienced strategy consultant. He has an MBA degree from Indian Institute of Management and is a rank holder in Electronics Engineering from SRM Institute of Science and Technology.

A University of Cambridge and Wharton School alumnus, Nunzio is the founder of QS and the visionary behind the QS World University Rankings – now the most cited global rankings worldwide.

Jessica assumed the position of CEO in September 2022, after serving as Group Managing Director from 2019. Jessica leads a diverse global team focused on nurturing and amplifying the trust QS has earned over three decades from the worldwide higher education community, students, employers and policymakers. 

Ben is one of the founding thinkers behind the QS World University Rankings and a veteran in the field of comparative institutional performance in global higher education. As Senior Vice President at QS, Ben heads the institutional performance unit, dedicated to bringing together policy makers and HE leaders through the power of data and insights. 

Zaeem Siddiqui is an experienced data scientist. He holds a degree from Clark University in Economics and International Relations and a master’s from SOAS University of London.

Nily Castano is an experienced manager in higher education, having worked previously at the Frankfurt School of Finance and Management and the UCC in Colombia.

Dr Shadi Hijazi is a management and marketing specialist and a consultant with multinational experience in higher education strategy. He has worked at QS for more than a decade with previous experience as a researcher and lecturer at institutions across the globe.

Jacques de Champchesnel is an experienced higher education consultant. He has more than 7 years of experience at QS and prior to joining was a Dean of Student Affairs and Campus Life and consultant in higher education strategy.

Daniel Kahn is an expert in graduate management education with more than 16 years of experience at QS. He is a data analyst and consultant with in-depth knowledge of business school trends and strategy.

Chris is a Melbourne-based market and social researcher with experience working across commercial, government, not-for-profit and political organisations.

Simona has played a pivotal role in establishing QS as a trusted insights partner to students, universities, employers and policymakers worldwide. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the QS World University Rankings portfolio, having been involved in the initiative since its inception, and spearheads the QS Reimagine Education Awards.   

Simona has played a pivotal role in establishing QS as a trusted insights partner to students, universities, employers and policymakers worldwide. She is a member of the Executive Committee of the QS World University Rankings portfolio, having been involved in the initiative since its inception, and spearheads the QS Reimagine Education Awards.   

Leigh is responsible for the organisation’s rankings, ratings and analytics insight platforms. He has a background in performance evaluation, quality assurance and evaluation system design spanning the public and private sectors in the United Kingdom and Australia.  

Edward Harcourt, Ph.D., is a seasoned higher education leader with a career deeply rooted in international relations and strategy. Edward leverages his diverse experience to improve student enrollment processes and leads a talented and diverse global team who spearheads innovations such as the deployment of AI-assisted machine learning to enhance student conversion. 

Ben is one of the founding thinkers behind the QS World University Rankings and a veteran in the field of comparative institutional performance in global higher education. As Senior Vice President at QS, Ben heads the institutional performance unit, dedicated to bringing together policy makers and HE leaders through the power of data and insights. 

A University of Cambridge and Wharton School alumnus, Nunzio is the founder of QS and the visionary behind the QS World University Rankings – now the most cited global rankings worldwide.

Matteo Quacquarelli is Director of Strategy & Analytics at QS.

Daniel Cunningham is an experienced senior leader in higher education, specialising in international student admissions and recruitment.