Crossbench Peer and chairman and founder of Cobra Beer

Lord Bilimoria is the founder of Cobra Beer, Chairman of the Cobra Beer Partnership Limited, and a prominent figure in the UK-India business community. He is recognized for his contributions to business and education, serving as the Chancellor of the University of Birmingham and a member of the House of Lords. He brings a wealth of experience in entrepreneurship, leadership, and international business relations to GCTMH’25.

Chief Global Affairs Officer, Times Higher Education (THE)

Phil Baty is an international authority on university performance and strategy, with more than 25 years of experience in global higher education, including a decade (2009-19) as editor of the prestigious Times Higher Education (THE) World University Rankings and its derivative analyses. He is a sought-after speaker, commentator and consultant, and he currently leads government affairs activities at THE, the trusted global data and insights partner for the higher education sector. Phil was the creator of the THE World Academic Summit. He oversaw its expansion into the world’s pre-eminent series of university leadership and policy events, and he led the team that developed and launched the Global Sustainable Development Congress and the sector-leading “Digital Universities” international events series.

Phil was listed as one of the top 15 “most influential” in education by The Australian newspaper in 2012, and in the 2016 book Global University Rankings and the Mediatization of Higher Education, he is described as “one of the most powerful commentators, and arguably policy actors, on higher education”.

Phil joined Times Higher Education (THE) in 1996, and served as chief reporter, news editor, deputy editor, editor-at-large, editorial director and chief knowledge officer, before taking his current role as chief global affairs officer. He took over responsibility for the World University Rankings in 2008 and led the development of the current THE World University Rankings methodology, determining the 13 performance indicators and weightings currently used to evaluate world-class research universities.

Phil is an award-winning journalist. He picked up the Ted Wragg Award for Sustained Contribution to Education Journalism (CIPR) in 2010 and was a runner-up for the Paul Foot Award for Campaigning Journalism, run by The Guardian and Private Eye magazine in 2007. He contributes regularly on global higher education for leading newspapers and broadcasters around the world.

Associate Pro-Vice Chancellor, Internationalisation and Global Engagement , University of Roehampton, London

Prof. Sunitha’s role is to develop and support internationalisation and global engagement and to deliver the university’s strategic international objectives. Her remit also includes ensuring that all international students have an outstanding and fulfilling learning journey towards successful careers and continue to engage as alumni, helping us strengthen our international reach and impact.

Sunitha, with over 25 years of experience in higher education, has worked at Universities in the UK, Singapore, Malaysia, and India. Her industry experience as a practitioner further enriches her understanding of the global education landscape. Before assuming the role of APVC, she was the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Business and Law.

She is a Fellow of the CIPD (Chartered Institute of Personnel & Development), An associate Fellow of the BPS (British Psychological Society), a Fellow of the CMI (Chartered Management Institute) and a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society of Arts and Manufacturing). Sunitha is also a Business and Administration Route Panel member for the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IFATE).

Sunitha has a BSc (Hons) degree in psychology from Women's' Christian College, India, an MA from Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, an MSc from the National University of Singapore, and a PhD from the University of London. Her research interests centre on effective decision-making and individual differences in cognitive processing.

Oxford Brookes University

Dr. Simon M. Smith, PhD, MA, BSc, FHEA is a Principal Lecturer in Business, Management, and Enterprise at Oxford Brookes Business School. He provides leadership in his field, collaborating with Programme Leads, Research Area Leads, and Associate Deans to manage talent among staff and students. Dr. Smith teaches a variety of subjects including Business Ethics, Business in Society, and People Management, and has extensive experience in program leadership, including roles as a Programme Director and Leader for various MBA and DBA courses. His research interests cover Human Resource Management, Leadership, International Business, Tourism, and Education, with a focus on topics such as Organizational Ambidexterity and Sustainable Development Goals. Dr. Smith has a significant role in research impact as co-Director of the Centre for Business, Society and Global Challenges and serves as Associate Editor for Employee Relations. He is actively involved in doctoral supervision and has taught internationally in countries such as China, Brunei, Germany, Spain, Cyprus, and the Czech Republic.