As QS’ Chief Innovation Officer, Maria Spies is responsible for identifying and developing products, monitoring new opportunities and maintaining the market position of QS in the global higher education ecosystem. HolonIQ, the impact intelligence company she co-founded with Patrick Brothers in 2018, offers data and insights that drive informed decision-making, foster innovation, and enable future learners to fulfil their potential. Maria joined the company when QS acquired HolonIQ in October 2024.
Before founding HolonIQ, Maria held a range of roles at Navitas, the Australian College of Applied Psychology and UNSW.
Education
MIT Sloan School of Management: Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation, Technology innovation
University of Liverpool: Doctor of Education (EdD), Education Innovation & Leadership
University of Technology Sydney: Master of Adult Education, Adult Education
UNSW: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art
Areas of expertise
Market Intelligence
Insights and Analysis
Leadership and Strategy
Digital Innovation
Innovation in Education
Global Engagement
Employability
Influential work
Has built and overseen tools and frameworks such as the HolonIQ Education Market Taxonomy, Higher Education Digital Capability Framework, and the QS AI Competency Framework
Led and developed initiatives including Scenarios for the Future of Education and 5 Strategic Shifts in Higher Education
Regularly sought after as a keynote speaker on the future of education and technology
Maria holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in Higher Education, and was awarded ‘Thesis of the Year’ for her work on public-private partnerships in higher education.
Serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where she teaches on education entrepreneurship and innovation programs