Oxford

Two days in one of the world's most historic seats of learning — connecting business school marketing and communications leaders with industry innovators, media experts, and leadership teams to confront the future of higher education.

Thank you to our sponsors

Schedule

  • PRE-CONFERENCE ACTIVITY

    Locations: Oxford University Colleges (Afternoon) & The King's Arms (Evening)

    • 3:00 pm: Historic College Tour & Literary Pub Walk (Gathering point TBD)

    • 5:50 pm: Pre-Conference Cheers at The King's Arms (All attendees welcome)

  • Location: Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

    • 8:00 am: Registration and Coffee

    • 8:30 am: Opening Keynote: The Biggest Shift in 100 Years - AI & MarComms | Oliver Matthews, Founder & CEO of 4UniSolutions

    • 8:45 am: Host Welcome | Mette Morsing, Interim Dean, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

    • 9:15 am: Dean Panel: The Challenge to Retain Critical and Creative Thinking in an AI World
      Campus Dean Marie Taillard, ESCP
      President Santiago Iniguez, IE University
      Interim Dean Mette Morsing, Saïd Business School
      Executive Vice President Martin Boehm, Hult International Business School
      Dean Iis Tussyadiah, Surrey Business School

    • 10:30 am: Coffee Break

    • 11:00 am: Plenary Panel Topic: Pitfalls and Solutions in AI for Higher Education | Moderated by Kate Byrne
      Executive Director Rachel Maguer, Communications at INSEAD
      Chief Innovation Officer Sarah Toms, IMD
      Associate Dean Michelle Sisto, AI Center & AI academia and research at EDHEC
      Associate Dean Patti Brown, Accredited Programs at Saïd Business School

    • 12:00 pm: Lunch

    • 1:00 pm: Brand Messaging, Language and the Role of AI | Simeon de la Torre (SIM7)

    • 1:45 pm: Thought Leadership Spotlight | Gregory Unruh, Author of "Academic Authority: The Professor’s Guide to Becoming a Sought-After Thought Leader"

    • 2:15 pm: Media Panel: The Changing Landscape of Journalism
      Beth Kennedy, The PIE
      Seb Murray, Freelance & Financial Times
      Olivia-Anne Cleary, Time Magazine
      Clara Murray, Financial Times

    • 3:00 pm: Coffee Break

    • 3:30 pm: Expert Session: Leyla and Helen

    • 6:30 pm: Drinks and Mingling at Rhodes House (S Parks Rd, Oxford OX1 3RG)

    • 7:30 pm: John Byrne Retirement Dinner & CelebrationJeremy Kahn, Fortune

  • Location: Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

    • 8:30 am: Arrive / Coffee

    • 9:00 am: Global Education Insights | Pernilla Carlsson, House of Education

    • 9:30 am: Tech Ecosystems | Tania Roquette, FullFabric
      Toby Roe, Roe Communications
      Summer Ostler from Muckrack
      Zoya Zaitseva, Q
      Delia Fisher, IM

    • 10:15 am: Coffee Break

    • 10:45 am: Panel Discussion: Companies in EdTech and How They are Using AI
      Tania Roquette, Fullfabric
      Stéphane Urena, Semantikmatch/ ESSEC
      Ben Stevenin, representing Avris and others
      Anthony Campesi, GPRS Solutions

    • 12:00 pm: Lunch

    • 1:00 pm: Media Workshop: How to pitch now, how the journalist role has changed, and how AI affects workflow
      Andrew Jack, Education Editor, Financial Times
      Pola Lem with Poets&Quants
      Siân Phillips, GMAC
      Ken McGuffin, Rotman
      Dimitra Kessenides, Bloomberg

    • 2:00 pm: Best Practice Session: What’s new with Podcasts & Crisis Communication | Richard Miron and Mark Renouf

    • 3:00 pm: Plenary Session: Preparing for the Next Wave of Change - Geopolitics, Tech, AI and B-schools

    • 3:30 pm: Coffee Break

    • 4:00 pm: Breakout Sessions with Business School Experts

    • 5:00 pm: Conference Ends

Event Details

  • Host

    Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

  • Location

    Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

  • Dates

    May 6 & 7, 2026

About This Conference

Set against the backdrop of the world's oldest English-speaking university, the 2026 Oxford conference tackles "Responding to Change," exploring how artificial intelligence and shifting global dynamics are rewriting the rules of business school marketing and PR. Hosted by the Saïd Business School, this year's event anchors its narrative around the preservation of creative academic thought leadership in an automated age. Participants will collaborate with international journalists, tech developers, and global business deans to analyze the evolving mechanics of pitching, media workflow, crisis management, and digital storytelling, ensuring their institutions stay ahead of the next macroeconomic wave.

Speakers

  • Portrait of a smiling middle-aged woman with short blonde hair, wearing a light-colored blazer and a black top, standing in front of a blurred background of bookshelves.

    Mette Morsing

    Interim Dean - Saïd Business School, University of Oxford

  • Portrait of a smiling man in a suit and tie standing in front of a colorful abstract background.

    Santiago Iniguez

    President
    IE University

  • A woman with short, curly gray hair smiling in front of a window.

    Marie Taillard

    Dean, London Campus & L'Oréal Professor of Creativity Marketing - ESCP

  • Martin Boehm

    Executive Vice President at Hult International Business School

  • Iis Tussyadiah

    Dean of Surrey Business School

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiling, wearing a black top and a silver necklace, standing indoors near large windows

    Michelle Sisto

    Associate Dean of AI Center & AI Academic Research - EDHEC

  • Patti Brown

    Associate Dean for Accredited Programs University of Oxford Saïd Business School

  • Portrait of an older man with gray hair, wearing a dark suit and white shirt, sitting and smiling at the camera.

    John Byrne

    Former Editor - Fast Company & Business Week

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, smiling, wearing a black top and earrings, standing indoors near a brick wall with a blurred background.

    Sarah Toms

    Chief Innovation Officer - IMD

  • A smiling woman with blonde hair, wearing a blue blazer and white blouse, standing in a bright indoor space.

    Rachel Maguer

    Executive Director of Communications - INSEAD

  • Woman with short, wavy brown hair wearing a white sleeveless top, resting her face on her hand, looking directly at the camera.

    Kate Byrne

    Founder and Host - Women Advancing

  • Peter Heneghan

    Strategist and Founder of Albie.ai

  • A professional headshot of a man with short brown hair, light skin, wearing a light blue collared shirt and a black blazer, against a dark background.

    Ben Stevenin

    Connector of Changemakers in Business Education

  • Rob Read

    Founder & Executive Chairman at Media Minds Global

  • Headshot of a middle-aged man with gray hair, blue eyes, and a broad smile, wearing a blue shirt.

    Gregory Unruh

    Author of Academic Authority - MIT Sloan Management Review & George Mason University

  • A professional man in a pinstripe suit poses for a portrait in an indoor office setting.

    Oliver Matthews

    CEO - 4UniSolutions

  • A smiling man with gray hair, glasses, and wearing a purple shirt, standing in front of a window with natural light.

    Simeon de la Torre

    Owner and Creative Director - SIM7

  • A man with dark hair, glasses, and light skin wearing a gray suit and white shirt, sitting indoors with blurred windows in the background.

    Stéphane Urena

    CEO - Semantikmatch

  • Close-up of smiling woman with long red hair wearing a black top and pearl necklace.

    Pernilla Carlstrom

    CEO - House of Education

  • A woman with shoulder-length brown hair, wearing a black blazer over a red top, smiling with arms crossed against a light gray background.

    Tania Roquette

    Vice President - Full Fabric

  • Jeremy Kahn

    AI Editor at Fortune

  • Beth Kennedy

    Editor with The Pie News

  • Olivia-Anne Cleary

    Editor at TIME

  • Seb Murray

    Freelance Contributor to The Financial Times

  • Clara Murray

    Data Journalist at The Financial Times

  • Pola Lem

    Executive Editor of Poets&Quants

  • A smiling older man with gray hair, wearing a dark blazer and a checkered shirt, standing outdoors in an urban setting.

    Toby Roe

    Co Founder - Roe Communications

  • Summer Ostler

    Sales Manager with Muck Rack UK

  • Zoya Zaitseva

    Innovation Manager at QS Quacquarelli Symonds

  • A woman with short brown hair wearing glasses, a black blazer, and a striped shirt smiling against a white background.

    Delia Fischer

    Chief Communications Officer - IMD

  • Anthony Campisi

    Anthony Campisi, President, ReadyRecruit.ai

  • A middle-aged man with short brown hair, wearing glasses and a white shirt, smiling outdoors with a blurred green background

    Richard Miron

    Director of Earshot Strategies, specializing in communications and content

  • Mark Renouf

    Senior Associate with Earshot Strategies, specializing in crisis communication

  • Andrew Jack

    Global Educations Editor at The Financial Times

  • Sian Phillips

    Director of Editorial and Content Strategy

    GMAC

  • Portrait of a woman with curly dark hair smiling against a gray background.

    Dimitra Kessenides

    Senior Editor - Bloomberg News, Businessweek

  • Ken McGuffin

    Media Relations Manager at Rotman School of Management

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