Biography
Rebecca Hollington is Director of Student Recruitment at Birmingham Newman University, with strategic responsibility for the University’s student recruitment activities, wider external engagement and university brand.
Rebecca is an experienced senior leader with over 16 years’ experience in higher education. She has led professional teams across a wide range of functions spanning the prospective student lifecycle, as well as broader external relations portfolios including PR and communications, alumni engagement, public affairs, and civic and business development. Before joining Birmingham Newman in 2024, she held senior leadership roles at University College Birmingham and the University of Wolverhampton, having previously worked at Solent University and the University of Southampton.
Throughout her career, Rebecca has worked with schools and colleges, education and policy organisations, industry and sector partners, prospective students and their families, professional associations and local government. Her work is particularly focused on how universities can successfully attract, engage and support prospective students from a wide range of backgrounds, combining effective recruitment and marketing with a strong understanding of the student journey.
She has a particular interest in widening access to higher education and ensuring that recruitment and marketing enable prospective students to make informed and confident decisions about their future.
Profile
Responsibilities
As Director of Student Recruitment, Rebecca has strategic responsibility for:
- University brand
- Marketing and campaigns
- Student recruitment and outreach
- Admissions
- PR and communications
- Website and digital content
- Social media
- External regional engagement
External Roles
Alongside her role at Birmingham Newman, Rebecca is a Board Trustee of TASO (Transforming Access and Student Outcomes in Higher Education) and member of the UK Advisory Panel for IDP. She previously served as UK Vice-Chair for Partnerships for HELOA and a Governor at Pool Hayes Academy. She regularly speaks at sector conferences including UCAS, IDP, CASE and HE Marketing Conferences and has served as judge at the HEIST Awards.
Education and Professional Development
Rebecca graduated in French, Spanish Language and Linguistic Studies from the University of Southampton and holds a CMI Level 7 Diploma in Strategic Management and Leadership. She also holds a CELTA qualification and studied Dialectology and Linguistics at the Universidad de Alcalá in Spain.