Speakers
Mark Sollis
Noted for disruptive thinking and willingness to challenge the status quo, Mark is the founder of global higher ed consultancy, D3 Advancement Strategies, and Strategic Growth Director for ed tech firm, Neutopia.
Having served in leadership roles in higher education and politics, he now works with institutions and colleagues in the areas of strategy and planning; stakeholder engagement, digital engagement; metrics and performance management; and organisational development. His post-secondary experience also includes major project management, media relations; and finance.
Mark has extensive experience working with clients and speaking in Asia-Pacific, North America, and Europe.
James Johnston
James is Head of the Development & Alumni Relations at Sheffield Hallam University where he established the University’s fundraising operations 5 years ago. He has over twenty years’ experience of across advancement from roles in development services to alumni engagement and major gifts and is passionate about the transformative role that Development & Alumni Relations teams can play in shaping our universities response to the challenges highlighted by Covid19.
Nena Grceva
Nena brings over fifteen years of international experience in the higher education sector. She has recently joined Hertie, where she is responsible for alumni engagement and the strategic growth of the School’s global alumni network in 110 countries. Prior to Hertie, Nena was in charge of alumni relations at the Central European University (CEU) in Vienna and Budapest. A number of successful initiatives were developed under her leadership, including Thesis Buddy Project, which won a CASE Circle of Excellence Award 2022 in volunteer engagement category. Prior to CEU, Nena had managed programmes at leading global organisations, including CASE in London, the Institute of International Education (IIE) and Open Society Foundation (OSF) in Budapest. A firm believer in collaboration and the power of sharing best practice, Nena is active CASE volunteer and has served as speaker, editorial board member, conference co-chair and task force member. A North Macedonia native, Nena has lived and worked internationally for nearly two decades, is fluent in number of languages and considers herself a citizen of the world.
Tristan Alltimes
Tristan is currently the Deputy Director of Alumni Engagement & Annual Giving at Durham University and is responsible for both the strategic and operational delivery of key integrated activities including events, communications, volunteering and annual giving to a global alumni community of over 200,000 alumni and supporters. With over 17 years extensive business experience of alumni and corporate relations, fundraising, business development, international recruitment, communications, marketing, sales and customer led service provision, Tristan has held senior management roles both in the UK and Australia and brings a global perspective from over a decade of international stakeholder engagement. Tristan is a passionate supporter of, and long standing volunteer to CASE and is focused on enhancing the Advancement profession through mentoring, the sharing of best practice and ideas and networking with colleagues across the world.
Cindy Crimmins
Cindy Crimmins is Associate Vice President of Advancement Resources and Engagement Programs at Carnegie Mellon University. Cindy joined CMU in 2016 where she is a strategic partner in the university’s advancement efforts and is responsible for strengthening relationships with constituents through alumni and constituent engagement programs, including university events; marketing and communication efforts; annual giving; as well as donor relations and stewardship activities. In addition, Cindy oversees several resource programs, including research and management, as well as advancement information services and gift administration. Cindy has worked in higher education fundraising for nearly 30 years. She was previously associate vice president of Advancement Operations at Kent State University, one of the largest state universities in Ohio and executive director of Advancement Services at The George Washington University.
Anne-Ev Enzmann
Anne-Ev Enzmann started her career in management consulting in Europe, followed by 12 years in the international retail industry. She left corporate life as Vice President Marketing & Communications and Member of the Executive Board five years ago to follow her passion for learning and education. Since then, she has worked with ed-tech start-up Gnowbe where she developed and marketed learning on mobile devices to universities and corporates. She has joined INSEAD as Director of Lifelong Learning in October 2018. She holds an MBA from INSEAD and an MA in European Studies from the College of Europe.
David Bass
David Bass serves as AGB’s executive director for philanthropic governance, providing thought leadership on board governance and leadership best practices that relate to philanthropy in higher education. He oversees the development of programs and resources supporting institutionally related foundation boards, institutional governing boards, and other senior staff and volunteer leaders of colleges and universities. Bass previously served as AGB’s director of foundation programs and research, authoring the AGB Board of Directors’ Statement on Institution-Foundation Partnerships, Illustrative Memorandum of Understanding between a Public Institution or System and an Affiliated Foundation, and Effective Foundation Boards.
Bass also worked for 12 years at the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) where he served as senior director of research, as director of CASE’s National Center for Institutionally Related Foundations and director of government relations.
Bass taught as an adjunct faculty member at Northern Virginia Community College, Georgetown University, and the University of Virginia.
Bass holds an MBA and certificate in nonprofit management from Johns Hopkins University and an MA and doctoral coursework from the University of Virginia. He received a BA from the College of William and Mary.
Jane Bower
Jane has worked in DARO at the University of Birmingham for five years, starting in student engagement with responsibility for developing, leading and implementing a strategic programme which championed engagement with students and recent graduates across the University. More recently she was the lead for the student audience for the launch of the Birmingham In Action campaign and became Head of Engagement in January 2020, managing a team who work across communications, events, staff and student engagement.
Rachael Green
Rachael Green has worked in the sector since 2009 working her way from a student caller at the University of Birmingham, to the University of Exeter in International Alumni Relations and as Acting Alumni Giving Manager, and since 2014 as the Head of Alumni Volunteering at the University of Nottingham. She has established the first volunteering programme at Nottingham launching volunteering as part of the Impact Campaign. Rachael’s role has changed as the Alumni Volunteering Team has expanded at the University of Nottingham now with 1400 volunteers a year and over 10,000 student beneficiaries. She manages a team of 6 and has established an integrated approach to alumni engagement/volunteering with philanthropic giving when working with schools and faculties at UoN. Since 2014 Nottingham have worked with over 4000 volunteers in a range of roles and are now looking at how volunteering can support student experience and strategic developments supported by a volunteer stewardship programme.
Sam Davies
Geoff Savage
Geoff Savage has worked in fundraising since 2001. Since 2007 he has specialised in university regular giving, managing over 50 telephone campaigns as an agency consultant for a wide range of institutions. In 2014, he was appointed Head of Individual Giving at Aston University, where he oversees in-house Telephone, Direct Mail and Crowdfunding campaigns.