Advancing Global Research Leadership at Queen Mary University of London
The client Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) – a member of the Russell Group of research-intensive universities, known for its commitment to excellence in research, education, and public engagement. The role Strategic Professorial Hires across five Institutes within the Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FMD) The brief As part of a transformative growth strategy, QMUL sought to appoint a cohort of world-leading Professors to strengthen its research leadership across five flagship institutes within its Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry: the Barts Cancer Institute, Blizard Institute, Institute of Dentistry, William Harvey Research Institute, and the Wolfson Institute of Population Health. These roles were designed to underpin the university’s long-term vision for innovation and global impact, including the development of the £1bn Barts Life Sciences campus in Whitechapel. The recruitment focused on a broad range of scientific domains: lung and pancreatic cancer (advanced therapies), immuno-oncology, tumour microenvironment, genetics, bioinformatics, inflammation, host-microbiome interactions, translational cardiovascular research, computational medicine, advanced cell and gene therapies, genomics, epigenomics, infectious diseases, brain cancer, epidemiology, primary care, health data and AI, and psychiatry and mental health. Candidates needed to demonstrate a strong track record of research leadership, including high-impact publications (e.g. Nature, The Lancet, BMJ, JAMA, NEJM, Cell), substantial grant capture, and the ability to collaborate across disciplines and lead ambitious programmes of work. The process Veredus partnered closely with QMUL to design and execute a bespoke, insight-led executive search campaign that extended far beyond conventional academic recruitment. Key features of the process included: • ✏️ Development of institute- and theme-specific outreach materials to reflect local priorities and research strengths • 📢 Strategic advertising in Nature and BMJ to complement direct outreach and attract candidates actively exploring new opportunities • 📊 Analysis of over 3,500 global academic profiles, using citation metrics and publication benchmarking to identify recent 4* or equivalent outputs • 🔍 International headhunting across the UK, EU, North America, and Asia-Pacific • ⏰ Weekly strategic meetings with faculty leadership to adapt targeting and refine priorities in real time • 🧠 Comprehensive psychometric assessments for all shortlisted candidates, with tailored insight reports and pre-interview briefings delivered by Veredus’s in-house psychologist • 📄 Referencing conducted for all successful candidates, ensuring due diligence and a seamless onboarding experience Throughout, Veredus operated not simply as a supplier but as a strategic partner of the university’s leadership, responding flexibly to feedback, evolving the campaign in real time, and maintaining a constant focus on quality, fit, and long-term institutional value. The results The campaign resulted in multiple high-impact professorial appointments across the Faculty. Veredus received 105 formal applications and shortlisted 19 highly regarded candidates through a rigorous, research-led selection process. All of the appointed individuals brought with them outstanding publication records, substantial research funding, established teams, and cross-disciplinary expertise. These hires have bolstered QMUL’s institutional capacity in key strategic areas, directly supported its REF ambitions, and contributed to its financial sustainability at a time of growing pressure across the UK higher education sector. Take-aways • 💡 Successfully delivered a complex, high-volume academic recruitment campaign at pace • ✊ Operated as a fully embedded partner to academic and executive leadership • 🔍 Combined advanced data analysis, subject expertise, and behavioural insight to shape a high-calibre shortlist • 🌍 Strengthened QMUL’s profile as a destination for world-leading research talent This campaign stands as a testament to Veredus’s ability to deliver high-stakes, global academic recruitment at scale, underpinned by deep sector insight, strong analytical and research capability, behavioural assessment, and strategic partnership. By combining data-led headhunting with an agile, collaborative approach, we helped Queen Mary University of London not only attract world-leading Professors but also strengthen its global research profile, advance its REF goals, and lay the groundwork for future innovation. This work exemplifies our commitment to redefining what’s possible in academic executive search. Are you looking to strengthen your research leadership capability in today’s competitive global landscape? Talk to our team to explore how we’ve supported leading institutions in attracting world-class academic talent. Nataliya Starik-Bludova Co-Head of Executive Search and Practice Lead for Education Mobile: 07717 003 792 Email: nataliya.starik-bludova@veredus.co.uk
Three Professorial Chairs for the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA)
The client Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) and Barts Health NHS Trust – a leading academic and clinical partnership serving one of the UK’s most diverse urban populations. The role Three Professorial Chairs for the Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA) The brief Veredus was engaged to appoint three world-class Professors to lead the newly established Academic Centre for Healthy Ageing (ACHA), a £6.6 million initiative funded by Barts Charity. Each role would head one of the Centre’s core research themes – Prevention, Rehabilitation, and Cognition & Mental Health, and play a critical role in translating research into improved clinical outcomes for older adults. The client sought senior academic leaders with an outstanding track record of interdisciplinary research, healthcare impact, and the ability to shape ACHA’s long-term strategy from inception. The process Veredus delivered a comprehensive international executive search campaign, tailored to the distinct academic and clinical context of ACHA. We began by facilitating detailed scoping discussions with leadership at QMUL and Barts Health to clarify the strategic ambitions of the Centre, define each professorial role, and shape a compelling candidate proposition. This co-created briefing formed the foundation of our targeted outreach. We then activated our global network to identify senior academics and clinician-researchers with expertise in ageing, orthopaedics, dementia, and rehabilitation. Our campaign focused on individuals with a demonstrated track record of driving research into policy and practice, with experience in securing significant grant funding and publishing in leading journals such as The Lancet, Nature, and New England Journal of Medicine. The search strategy blended: • Direct headhunting across top-tier UK and international institutions • Advertising on sector-leading platforms and social media • Engagement with specialist academic and clinical networks • Inclusive sourcing practices to broaden reach and encourage applications from underrepresented groups We assessed potential candidates against clear leadership criteria, including academic profile, strategic alignment, collaborative ethos, and capacity to contribute to ACHA’s translational mission. Shortlisted individuals progressed through a rigorous selection process, including psychometric assessments conducted by Veredus. Our in-house psychologist provided bespoke assessment reports for each finalist, offering the panel targeted insights into leadership style, interpersonal dynamics, and organisational fit to support robust, evidence-based decision making. Throughout, we maintained close communication with the client, provided regular market insight, and supported candidate engagement to ensure alignment and momentum at every stage. The results: Three internationally recognised Professors were appointed: • Professor Adam Gordon, MBE, President of the British Geriatrics Society, to lead Rehabilitation. • Professor Liz Sampson, a globally respected authority on dementia and cognitive frailty, to lead Cognition & Mental Health. • Professor Hamish Simpson, FRSE, incoming President of the International Combined Orthopaedic Research Societies, to lead Prevention. Each brings a proven ability to drive innovation and influence national and international health policy. Their appointments have helped establish ACHA as a leading hub for ageing research, bringing immediate momentum to its mission of transforming care for older adults through world-class, translational research. Take-aways: • Veredus’s global network and tailored strategy enabled the appointment of high-profile academic leaders aligned to a unique clinical-academic vision. • Deep collaboration with academic and NHS partners ensured alignment across organisational priorities. • Diversity and inclusion were embedded throughout the search, supporting equitable access and broad engagement. • The campaign demonstrates Veredus’s strength in delivering complex, multi-role academic searches that drive sector-leading innovation and impact. Veredus is proud to support clients building bold, future-facing academic initiatives that change lives.
The Project: Director of Research & Innovation Office (2024)
The Brief ARU retained Veredus to recruit a new Director of Research & Innovation Office (RIDO). Reporting to the Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research and Innovation), the postholder will lead the RIDO to support the development and delivery of impactful Research, Innovation and Knowledge Exchange. Veredus were briefed by senior stakeholders including the ARU Deputy Vice Chancellor and tasked with generating a strong and diverse field of candidates for the post. Veredus worked closely with ARU HR colleagues to develop an effective attraction strategy for the role including the advertising campaign, candidate briefing pack and innovative, bespoke executive search methodology. The process We launched the advertising campaign, liaised with the media via our advertising agency, and handled all candidates’ responses and queries. We undertook an in-depth analysis of the global HE market, identifying relevant institutions and candidates. We targeted high-performing, research intensive universities in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, focusing on those that have demonstrated significant improvements in research and knowledge exchange performance. We contacted over 250 individuals, engaging both with our existing networks and candidates that we have identified through desk research. We highlighted the unique benefits and opportunities of the position and ensured that our messaging resonated with candidates’ career goals and values. ED&I were central to our approach, and we designed a recruitment process that was inclusive, unbiased and proactive in engaging the broadest possible pool of suitable candidates. We also engaged with equality and diversity networks, such as Association for Women in Science, Cambridge Association for Women in Science, Diversity Works, Black Women in Science Network. We updated ARU weekly during the search campaign including the candidate pool, level of interest, market feedback and any issues which we then addressed as soon as possible. We elicited 25 applications comprising both UK and overseas candidates. We presented a Longlist Report to the ARU panel to help select candidates for interview, and feedback points for the unsuccessful candidates. Seven candidates were progressed to Veredus preliminary interviews, and we conducted rigorous, competency-based assessments, producing detailed appraisal reports highlighting candidates’ strengths and areas to consider, motivation and relevant logistical factors such as salary expectations, location, notice period etc. We prepared appraisal reports on each candidate and presented the shortlist to the ARU panel, who selected three candidates. We provided comprehensive feedback to all candidates that were not progressed at this stage. The final selection process included meetings with the university leadership and staff groups and informal discussions with the vacancy holder, and we handled all arrangements. The candidates attended formal interviews with the selection panel, and we conducted referencing and due diligence. Due diligence on included ID/nationality check, internet trawl, media and social media activity checks, flagging any issues identified to the university. As a result, two appointable candidates were identified. The preferred candidate was from a leading Australian university and Veredus helped with the arrangements for her visit to ARU before the offer was finalised. The results: We offered the preferred candidate who was then counteroffered by her employer and subsequently withdrew. However, as we had an imminently appointable runner-up candidate, we were able to re-engage him. He delightedly accepted and we successfully filled the role. All the longlisted and shortlisted candidates applied for the role as a result of our direct approach as opposed to advertising. ARU were very happy with the diversity of the shortlist where we had two female candidates and one male.
The project: Vice Dean for Teaching & Learning, Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health (2024)
The brief previously, the University of Manchester retrained Veredus to assist with the recruitment of a new Vice Dean for Teaching & Learning for the Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health. Reporting to the Faculty Vice President, the postholder will lead the development and delivery of the Faculty’s strategy for Teaching, Learning and Students, ensuring that pedagogical research, innovation and applied practice is recognised in pursuit of an outstanding student learning experience. Veredus were briefed by several senior stakeholders including the Faculty Vice President and Vice-President for Teaching, Learning and Students. We also worked with HR to scope out the process, agree the timeline, key milestones and deliverables, and reporting arrangements. We created the candidate brochure for the post, led the advertising campaign and managed responses. The process We undertook an in-depth analysis of the global HE market, targeting high-performing, research-intensive universities in the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand (we did not target other countries as their health systems were deemed too different from the UK). We identified and contacted over 230 individuals as sources and targets. Our approach involved personalised communication that highlights the unique benefits and opportunities of the position, ensuring it resonated with their career goals and reflected positively on the university. EDI was central to our approach, and we designed a recruitment strategy that was inclusive, unbiased and proactive in engaging the broadest possible field of suitable candidates. We engaged with a range of diversity focused networks to identify suitable candidates such as Association for Women in Science, Cambridge Association for Women in Science and Engineering, Diversity Works, BMA’s Women in Academic Medicine Group, Women in Science, the Black Women in Science Network, the Group on Women in Medicine and Science. We provided Manchester with weekly updates on the executive search progress outlining who was engaged, market feedback and any issues, and diversity make-up of the candidate field. As a result of our activities, we elicited 20 applications, which we assessed against the role criteria. We presented the longlist to the client selection panel, and seven candidates were progressed to interview with Veredus. We conducted rigorous, structured, competency-based interviews, producing detailed appraisal reports which outlined candidates’ motivation, strengths and areas to consider, relevant housekeeping factors and any risks. We met with the panel to present the shortlist and agree on the next steps. As a result, four candidates were shortlisted. We provided comprehensive feedback to all candidates that were not progressed and held detailed de-briefings with the shortlisted candidates including feedback from preliminary interviews and panel’s feedback to help them prepare for the final interview. We also conducted due diligence on shortlisted candidates which included an internet trawl, media and social media activity checks. The results The final selection process included a tour of the university, stakeholder panel interviews and the selection panel interviews. Veredus assisted the University with making all the arrangements, communicating these to the candidates. Following the final selection process, two appointable candidates were identified, and the preferred candidate accepted the offer. Veredus took references for the successful candidate enabling the University to confirm her in post. Veredus provided feedback to all candidates, ensuring they had a positive experience of the recruitment process. All external shortlisted candidates applied as a result of our direct approach and included 3 female candidates, one of whom was successful.