Ashleigh Williams
London, UK • Linkedin
BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT & STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS LEADER
Results-oriented and accomplished global business development and partnerships leader with 15+ years of experience
in driving growth, increasing organisational revenue, and building high-value, long-term partnerships in dynamic
markets. Extensive experience in negotiating, and closing, high-value agreements across diverse environments,
including education, corporate, and government sectors. Adept at stakeholder engagement, cultivating robust
relationships, identifying synergies, and negotiating win-win collaborations. Skilled in identifying and securing new
business opportunities, fostering C-suite relationships, and directing cross-functional teams to achieve ambitious
targets. Excels at fostering long-term relationships and aligning business objectives to drive market penetration, sales,
and revenue growth. Experienced at developing and delivering comprehensive B2B/B2C strategies, with a proven track
record of aligning initiatives with business development goals.
CORE COMPETENCIES
New Business Development | Global Partnership Building | Revenue Generation & Growth | Government Relations |
Team Building & Leadership | Strategic Planning & Execution | Sales Optimisation | Global Market Expansion | Deal
Structuring & Contract Negotiations | International Education | Student Recruitment | GTM Strategy | Data Driven |
Regulatory Compliance | B2B/B2C Development
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Cobham Free School, Surrey
Trustee & Director
Apr 2020 – present
Appointed to the Board of Trustees to provide strategic leadership, accountability, and oversight to a high-performing
Single Academy Trust, ensuring the school delivers high-quality education and sound financial management in line with
statutory responsibilities.
• Provide expert support to Senior Leadership Team ensuring smooth operations and academic excellence,
holding senior leaders to account educational performance and financial probity.
• Govern Careers/Sixth Form by actively driving initiatives to enhance school's metrics in this domain.
• Facilitate Exclusion panels in accordance with DfE policy, ensuring equitable decisions and adherence to
regulations.
Coursera, London
Associate Director, University Partnerships and Strategic Development, (EMEA)
Sep 2024 – Feb 2025
A senior strategic leadership position focused on growing Coursera's degree business, and open content among leading
universities. Responsible for owning key strategic accounts and for establishing and developing new relationships with
strategic HE institutions to accelerate growth. Leveraging my in-depth knowledge of higher education trends and
commercial acumen, coupled with data-driven insights, I led a portfolio of current and prospective degree decisionmakers, and identified prospective new opportunities to secure the growth pipeline.
• Selected by top leadership to lead the company’s most strategic degree programme account by fostering
relationships with stakeholders and developing account insight to engage senior clients with confidence and
credibility.
• Mastered AI tools and LLMs through targeted Coursera certifications to boost productivity by between 40%
and 66% enabling a focus on strategic growth initiatives.
Lingoinn, (Freelance), UK
Head of Partnerships & Growth
Feb 2024 – Aug 2024
Spearheaded strategies to drive growth and increase revenue. Optimised brand presence by overseeing integrated
marketing plans and high-impact LinkedIn campaigns. Capitalised on regional knowledge and learner motivations to
drive growth and expand market presence across China/East Asia and the UK.
• Devised and implemented a strategic B2B partnership framework that refocused Lingoinn’s growth efforts,
streamlined partner engagement, and drove more targeted, cost-effective business development.
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Spearheaded the creation of a host teacher vetting and due diligence policy to maximise organisational
credibility with partners and mitigate potential financial and reputational risks.
Secured an MoU with the University of Manchester and converted cold leads into strategic growth
opportunities by building and activating a targeted B2B pipeline.
Executed a targeted marketing strategy, achieving a 3x increase in scholarship applications while improving
Lingoinn’s visibility, brand presence, and partner engagement through increased interest and lead conversion.
WRAP, Banbury
International Partnerships Manager
Nov 2021 – Nov 2023
Led strategic expansion and management of international partnerships, and identified high-value new business
opportunities aligned with WRAP’s mission and values. Spearheaded submission of grant applications to secure
additional funding and managed an EPR project involving four countries (Chile, India, UK, South Africa).
• Directed and expanded WRAP’s strategic partnership with the World Economic Forum to obtain multiple
contract renewals and double funding from £80K to £160K by aligning deliverables with WEF’s global
sustainability goals.
● Oversaw the company’s collaboration with BSR on a joint grant proposal by securing £50K in funding to explore
the social and sustainability impacts of circular economy principles in the underfunded textiles sector.
● Identified and pursued new EPR business development multi-stakeholder opportunity in Pakistan.
● Provided consulting services to Senegal Plastic Solutions, enhancing partner involvement, project clarity, and
local capabilities through French meetings, advice, knowledge sharing, and proposal reviews, fostering cultural
alignment.
● Revitalised the European Plastics Pact by acquiring renewals from 14 member states, including 4 at-risk
countries via tailored government engagement and strategic relationship-building, securing the financial
viability of the Pact.
Royal Holloway University, Egham
Student Recruitment Regional Manager (China & East Asia)
Aug 2020 – Oct 2021
Led strategic planning, creation and implementation of student recruitment and marketing activities for key regions
including China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau. Developed comprehensive international marketing strategies, created
a pipeline of new business opportunities, and managed diverse portfolio of existing external relationships (HE Agent
Partners, international and local-curriculum schools, diplomats).
● Orchestrated series of international virtual recruitment events, maximising reach and engagement despite
travel restrictions (50% increase on previous year’s activities).
● Oversaw the establishment of a China-based recruitment team for Royal Holloway, driving a 70% increase in
engagement through increased presence, which was critical during pandemic travel restrictions.
● Revitalised and enhanced agent partnerships in Taiwan and Hong Kong, resulting in a notable increase in
applications from these regions.
Imperial College London, South Kensington
International Relations Officer
Aug 2018 – Aug 2020
Devised strategic engagement plan to foster ties with UK-based foreign embassies, high commissions, and government
offices, resulting in a 24% increase in new diplomatic contacts engaging with Imperial. Drafted briefings and
opportunity analyses, administered development of international academic/research partnerships, and collaborative
projects. Acted as the primary liaison for strategic relationships in Europe and Latin America (Chile, Nicaragua, and
Brazil).
● Led Imperial's participation at the World Science Forum in Budapest, fostering strategic connections to bolster
partnerships and international engagement.
● Steered logistics, marketing, and stakeholder engagement for three successful annual events, including largest
gathering of over 300 attendees at Imperial Global Science Policy Forum.
● Developed a dynamic policy programme, engaging with Academics in all Faculties including Medicine,
Engineering and , which gained significant traction and acclaim within academic and diplomatic communities.
● Initiated partnership between Imperial and the Brazilian Embassy in London, leveraging expertise to establish
Imperial as their preferred partner for significant entrepreneurial exchange programme.
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Foreign & Commonwealth Office, London
EU Negotiations Co-ordination Lead
Nov 2017 – Aug 2018
Advocated for the Foreign & Commonwealth Office’s policy position in cross-Whitehall and Brussels meetings. Built
professional relationships to strengthen collaboration and supported cross-cutting issues within the Overseas
Territories Directorate.
● Managed and strengthened relationships with government representatives from the UK’s Overseas Territories,
ensuring their interests were effectively represented and fostering collaborative policy development.
● Directed a strategic financial business case, collaborating with five government departments, which played a
crucial role in shaping policy within my area of expertise.
● Drafted critical documents, including Ministerial Submissions and EU Exit Strategy proposals.
● Elected as an Events Officer for FCO Women's Network by organising career-supportive events for female
colleagues, highlighting leadership and organisational skills.
Cinnabar, Exeter
Executive & Marketing Officer
Jul 2015 – Oct 2017
Streamlined operational processes to boost productivity while overseeing administrative tasks for seamless business
operations. Designed engaging promotional content, including blog posts to highlight services and boost visibility.
● Executed a cost-effective CRM system (Sugar) and standardised templates to improve client management
processes.
● Led a workshop for local government stakeholders on neurodiversity in the workplace.
University of Exeter, Exeter
International Officer
Jan 2013– Apr 2015
Spearheaded strategic recruitment initiatives in China, Hong Kong, and Brunei, managing a diverse, high-volume
portfolio. Developed and executed targeted strategies to diversify student intake, expanding postgraduate enrolments
outside the Business School while enhancing undergraduate recruitment across all programmes and territories.
Cultivated extensive networks with local and international schools, universities, and HE Agents, optimising ROI for the
University.
● Consistently generated £8–10 million in annual revenue through strategic student recruitment initiatives,
directly contributing to institutional growth and financial sustainability.
● Chased and secured a prestigious partnership with The High School Affiliated to Renmin University in Beijing,
● Represented the University internationally on multiple global visits and implemented targeted recruitment
strategies during these visits, leveraging cultural awareness to build strong relationships with key
stakeholders.
● + 20.7% UG applications to College of Engineering, Mathematics, and Physical Sciences, +190% increase in UG
applications to College of Humanities programmes from China -). Successfully met KPI to reduce
Business School applications (achieved 23.3% decrease), aligning with strategic goal to diversify enrolments.
● +14.8% PGT applications from China across various colleges, including significant rises in Life and
Environmental Sciences (+44%) and Social Sciences (+39.6%) -)
EDUCATION & CREDENTIALS
MSc in Gender & International Relations (Distinction) | The University of Bristol, UK
HSK Level 4 - Mandarin Chinese Language Study | Xiamen University, China
BA French & Spanish (2:1 with distinctions in Oral French & Spoken Spanish) | The University of Exeter, UK
Professional Development: Prompt Engineering for ChatGPT – Vanderbilt University (Pending) | Navigating
Generative AI: A CEO Playbook (Pass) | Generative AI for Everyone (Pass) | Circular Economy Masterclass Course |
Mental Health First Aider Course | Certified PRINCE2 (Foundation & Practitioner)
Volunteer Experience: Career Mentor (Jun 2020 – Present), University of Exeter – Exeter, UK
Languages: English (Native) | French & Spanish (Fluent) | Mandarin Chinese (Advanced) | Italian (Intermediate) |
German, Greek, Japanese, Afrikaans (Basic)
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