Liverpool, England, United Kingdom, January 2026 — The University of Liverpool has appointed David Winstanley as Group Director of External Relations, marking a strategic leadership move as the institution strengthens its global engagement, student recruitment, partnerships, alumni relations and external positioning.
In his new role, David Winstanley will lead the newly configured Directorate of External Relations, bringing together five major professional services portfolios—Marketing, Communications, Global Student Recruitment & Admissions (including widening participation and global opportunities), Development & Alumni Relations, and Global Engagement & Partnerships—to deliver a cohesive, high-impact external strategy for the University.
Before joining the University of Liverpool, David spent over three years as Executive Director, Student Life at the University of Southampton, where he provided enterprise-wide leadership across the full student lifecycle—overseeing student support, careers and employability, global recruitment and admissions, communications and engagement, and widening participation—ensuring an integrated, high-quality student experience.
Earlier at Southampton, he served as Director of Global Recruitment and Admissions, leading a team of 160+ colleagues and driving international recruitment, admissions, global mobility, partnerships, CRM-led enquirer experience, and market research to deliver sustained growth and service excellence. He also led the successful launch of the University of Southampton Delhi campus as Executive Director – India Implementation, working closely with partners to establish the institution’s first India campus.
Prior to this, David was Director of Marketing, Student Recruitment and Admissions at SOAS University of London, where he delivered creative, targeted global marketing campaigns and admissions transformation to meet ambitious recruitment targets. He also held senior recruitment leadership roles at Goldsmiths, University of London—including Associate Director; Student Recruitment and Head of Recruitment and Admissions—leading large multi-disciplinary teams across marketing, admissions, widening participation and international recruitment.
David began his higher education leadership career at the University of Sussex as Head of Undergraduate Recruitment, where he centralised applicant visit days, modernised CRM-led enquiry handling, and significantly scaled schools and colleges engagement. Earlier, he held multiple leadership roles at the University of Liverpool, including Chair of Convocation, Education Liaison Manager, and Project Manager – Widening Participation, bringing him back to the institution with deep institutional knowledge and alumni engagement experience.
About the University of Liverpool
The University of Liverpool is a globally respected research-intensive institution and a leading centre of knowledge, innovation and collaboration. With a pioneering reputation and strong global partnerships, the University delivers life-changing education and world-shaping research that attracts students, scholars and partners from around the world.
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