8th February 2012

UNITE Group plc, the UK’s leading developer and manager of student accommodation, has appointed Jenny Shaw as Head of Higher Education Engagement. In this brand new role for UNITE, she will be responsible for spearheading the company’s university engagement and understanding of the sector. Jenny will also manage UNITE’s HE partnership programme across the 24 UK cities in which the firm operates.

Jenny has worked in the UK higher education sector for 15 years. She has held senior widening participation and strategic partnership roles at three institutions and has acted as a consultant to several others. During her career Jenny has spearheaded a number of leading edge initiatives for institutions across the diversity of the UK sector. At Middlesex University she helped to develop the institution’s strategic approach to work with business and the community, developing and leading a number of high-profile projects including one involving the whole of the London HE sector. Later, at York St John University, she led the Aimhigher programme for York and North Yorkshire. Her most recent full time appointment was as the Director of the Yorkshire and Humber East Lifelong Learning Network based at the University of Hull. As a result, Jenny brings to UNITE an established book of sector contacts and keen understanding of the environment in which it operates.

Paul Harris, UNITE’s Group Director of Strategy and Corporate Relations, said:

“Good HE relationships are absolutely key to UNITE’s success. Strong partnership working and sector knowledge enables us to effectively meet and respond to evolving accommodation needs. We’re keen to take this to the next level, embedding HEI engagement across the UNITE business while expanding our network further. Jenny represents a key appointment in helping us achieve this and we’re delighted to welcome her on board.”

Jenny Shaw added:

“It’s exciting to be joining at UNITE at such a pivotal time for the HE sector. As student expectations are changing, it is important that those responsible for delivering the different aspects of the student experience work even more closely together. I am looking forward to working with the UK HE sector in a new way, and supporting it to continue to provide an outstanding experience for students of all backgrounds.”

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