People

Michael Lavery, Founder and CEO

Michael began his career in private sector brand and MarComms before he worked in higher education leadership at Durham and Teesside universities. He established Brand & Reputation in 2017. He is a former advisor to the House of Lords, a Laureate – and former Global Trustee & Interim Vice President – of CASE (Council for the Advancement & Support of Education), and a Fellow of both the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the RSA. Michael has won a number of personal awards and accolades with thought leadership contributions in print and at conferences across Europe, the US, the Middle East, and Asia.

Justin Shaw,
Associate Consultant

Justin has over 30 years of experience of communications and marketing in the UK and US higher education sectors working with over 120 global universities. He is the Managing Partner of Communications Management and a director of the academic channel ExpertFile.

Karen Cairney,
Associate Consultant

Karen is a former University advancement director, turned consultant, with a 25-year career in integrated advancement in Canada, the US, Asia and the UK. She is the founder and CEO of global consultancy Cairney & Company and an accredited Executive Coach.

Emma Darwin,
Associate Consultant

Emma is a strategic events, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement consultant with over a decade of international experience as the former Content Director at Times Higher Education and Head of Educational Programmes at CASE. She is the founder and MD of Assemble Events and a founding partner of Union Spaces.

Andrew Crisp,
Associate Consultant

Drawing on considerable media and agency experience in research, strategy and communication, Andrew founded global market intelligence firm CarringtonCrisp in 2003, working with business schools and universities across the world using data and creativity to drive analysis, insight, and practical solutions. Andrew is a regular speaker and thought leader for the likes of the Financial Times, The Economist, The Australian and other international titles.

Tricia King,
Associate Consultant

Tricia is a highly experienced consultant and leadership coach with 30+ years in the education and culture sectors and an extensive marketing, communications, fundraising, alumni, and government relations background. She was formerly Pro Vice-Chancellor at Birkbeck University of London and Vice-President (Global) at CASE, and has worked extensively in Australia, North & South America, Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.

Liz Lawrence,
Associate Consultant

Liz has over 15 years of marketing, communications, and project management experience, across UK and international markets in both public and private sectors, adopting a data-driven approach to deliver integrated marketing campaigns and content. She is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (FCIM) and a Member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations (MCIPR).

Lisa Eaton,
Associate Consultant

Lisa is a marketing expert, strategy consultant, and Founder of Fabric Academy, an online CPD-accredited training provider that empowers ambitious marketers to excel worldwide with clients including Boots, itsu and Savills.

With more than two decades of experience in creating and executing marketing and communication strategies for global brands, including P&G, Visit England, Dulux, and NHS, Lisa has a deep understanding of what it takes to develop a high-level marketing strategy that makes an impact while delivering tangible business results. She is a strong advocate for women in business and is committed to supporting them in achieving their full potential through mentoring and sharing her experiences.

Paul Hicks,
Creative Associate

Paul has more than 25 years’ experience in creative development, design and production fields, working across the UK in education, healthcare, pharma, retail and charity sectors. With expertise developed in agencies and as a senior designer in a large PLC in-house creative team, Paul established boutique design agency ReBrand in 2008 to offer a high-quality bespoke service in brand and design, including work with the NHS, Royal Mail, UCL and the University of Bath.

Working with Michael and this hand-picked team of associate consultants are other experts and partner agencies of national and international renown in specialist disciplines including digital media, design, public affairs, and market intelligence. We will work with you and your team to deliver an intelligent, insightful, and responsive service of the highest quality.