The Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU) has appointed Colin Bezenar as Chief Operating Officer. Colin will join the ACU in January 2019 from his current role as Director, Global Experiences at London Business School.

Speaking of his appointment, Colin said: 'I am extremely excited and honoured to be joining the ACU. With its rich history, expansive reach, and bold ambition, it provides a unique platform for promoting higher education as a force for good and for fostering the relationships, ideas and initiatives that will drive it forward. Through its commitment to further enhancing the services and support that is provides, the ACU will continue to play a vital role in higher education across the Commonwealth by helping its members to develop their capacity and deepen their impact in critical areas such as gender equity, research management, climate resilience, and conflict resolution.

'Having spent my whole career in international education and development, I am very excited to have the opportunity to help shape and drive the continued development of the ACU and to work with such an amazing range of institutions and individuals in support of our common aim of advancing higher education to the betterment of society.'

Dr Joanna Newman, Chief Executive and Secretary General of the ACU added: 'I look forward to welcoming Colin to the ACU's Senior Executive Team. We are especially pleased that he is able to bring such a deep knowledge of, and commitment to, the higher education sector around the world, especially from his time with the Council on International Educational Exchange (CIEE).

'I am confident that Colin will help us to maintain and build upon our reputation as a flexible, responsive and innovative organisation that our members and partners trust to be the voice of higher education as a force for good in the Commonwealth.'

Colin Bezenar has over 15 years of experience in leading global non-profit and higher education organisations. He has worked at London Business School (LBS) since April 2016, where he was responsible for the development and expansion of a new team tasked with designing and delivering a well-received and diverse portfolio of global and London-based experiential courses. During his career, he has worked for international education and development establishments in the USA, UK, Germany and China to develop and deliver programmes and services for students and professionals from around the world.

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