Brought to you by jobs.ac.uk, our HE Recruitment Conference is designed exclusively for HR, Recruitment and Talent professionals working for higher education providers across the university, public and commercial sectors. It provides a distinctive platform to connect, share insights and develop your recruitment strategy.
Register now
At jobs.ac.uk we continue to focus on helping recruitment professionals attract and retain talent in a candidate-driven market. The event brings together innovators in recruitment, HR and talent acquisition, offering practical strategies, fresh perspectives and actionable insights that attendees can take back to their teams and organisations.
Alongside an engaging programme of expert and inspirational speakers, the conference provides valuable opportunities to connect with fellow recruitment professionals.
HE Recruitment 2027 will take place at IET Birmingham: Austin Court on 22nd April 2027.
Book your ticket now and receive an Early Bird discount!
IET Birmingham: Austin Court is located near the centre of Birmingham, in the heart of the UK. Getting there couldn't be easier with Birmingham's motorway links, direct public transport and extensive car parking adjacent to the building.
IET Birmingham: Austin Court
80 Cambridge St, Birmingham B1 2NP
Discover six expert sessions tackling the big recruitment challenges facing HE today, from attracting international talent and building a strong talent pipeline, to creating cultures that attract and retain the best people. With practical strategies, industry expertise and thought-provoking discussion, you'll leave with fresh ideas and insights you can put into practice.
Please note that session times may be subject to change.
Our jobs.ac.uk team will open the event and be on hand throughout the day to answer any questions.
Ad Davies, former Head of Talent Development at Gymshark, explores how perspective drives performance, connecting empathy with execution, resilience with results and leadership with a culture that can scale.
Andrew Willis, Head of Global Talent Acquisition Volume at TUI, provides international recruitment strategies that support sustainable growth and future workforce needs.
Network with fellow delegates over free tea and coffee during this short break.
Senior Amazon personnel Cath Possamai (Talent Acquisition Director) and Grant Hall (Recruitment Manager) discuss building high-performing teams and driving data-informed talent strategies at scale.
Indulge yourself at our complimentary finger buffet lunch. Take this opportunity to meet, greet and network with your fellow attendees.
Our jobs.ac.uk team is on hand to provide any assistance you may require.
Jess Pringle, Assistant Director of Organisational Development at Manchester Metropolitan University, will join our speakers on a panel talk answering your questions on a range of topics within higher education.
Submit question
Luther Burrell, former England national rugby team player turned motivational speaker, delivers the bridge between elite locker room standards and boardroom execution.
Our jobs.ac.uk team will close the event.
Early bird tickets are available until 31 January 2027.
Your ticket includes complimentary tea and coffee throughout the day, as well as a buffet lunch.
Meet six leading voices in recruitment, talent and leadership, bringing experience from global organisations, elite sport and higher education. Discover practical ideas, proven approaches and expert insight to help you attract, develop and retain talent in your organisation.
Ad is a global speaker and cultural architect known for transforming how leaders think, act and perform. His experience spans elite environments, from coaching in Leicester City’s Premier League-winning academy to helping shape the leadership culture that enabled Gymshark to grow from 150 to more than 1,000 employees and generate over £600 million in revenue. Throughout this growth, he helped embed values-based leadership at every level.
His keynotes explore how perspective drives performance, connecting empathy with execution, resilience with results and leadership with a culture that can scale. Audiences leave with more than inspiration: they gain clarity, accountability and a renewed understanding of what it means to lead.
A highly experienced recruiting leader, Cath Possamai currently serves as Amazon’s Talent Acquisition Director for EMEA, overseeing many thousands of annual hires across 20+ countries. She previously led British Army recruitment and has held leadership roles in various sectors during her 30-year career in recruitment and talent. She went to school in Essex before completing a sports science degree and a Master’s at Loughborough. Any spare time is spent playing cricket and hockey and trying to stay one step ahead of her two sons.
Grant Hall is a Senior Recruitment Leader with over 15 years of experience shaping talent acquisition strategies for global organisations. Currently a Recruitment Manager at Amazon, he leads a team of recruiters delivering high-volume hires annually across multiple European markets, with his work spanning strategic workforce planning, predictive attrition modelling, and recruitment process optimisation. A passionate advocate for early careers and higher education partnerships, Grant designed and launched a Hire Ahead of Attrition program to address talent gaps proactively – pairing new graduates with structured training plans to accelerate their development into future leaders, building strong partnerships with University TA teams at Amazon.
Prior to moving in-house, Grant spent seven years at a leading international recruitment consultancy in New York, managing executive-level recruitment in Financial Services. He built deep expertise in VP and C-suite stakeholder management, commercial contract negotiation, and team development.
Grant holds a BSc in Psychology and Sports Science from Northumbria University and is passionate about building high-performing teams and driving data-informed talent strategies at scale. In his spare time he enjoys cycling, football and chasing two boys under five around the house.
Andrew Willis is Head of Global Talent Acquisition Volume at TUI, one of the world's leading travel and tourism businesses. With more than 30 years of experience across commercial operations, retail leadership and talent acquisition, Andrew leads global recruitment strategy and delivery for high-volume hiring across airlines, retail stores, hotels and resorts, holiday destinations, contact centres and pilot recruitment. Throughout his career, he has been at the forefront of large-scale recruitment transformation, building international talent acquisition functions, modernising hiring processes and leading global teams through organisational change. His passion lies in creating simple, scalable and inclusive recruitment solutions that improve both business performance and candidate experience. A strong advocate for diversity, innovation and continuous improvement, Andrew partners with senior leaders across multiple markets to develop talent strategies that support sustainable growth and future workforce needs. Outside of work, Andrew enjoys travelling, keeping active through fitness, and spending time in the garden - three activities that help him recharge and maintain perspective in a fast-paced global role.
Jess Pringle is an Assistant Director of HR at Manchester Metropolitan University, with responsibility for Organisational Development, including People Development, Employee Engagement, and Talent Management. Jess has held her current role since April 2022, but has been at Manchester Met for over 10 years. She is a member of the People and Organisational Development senior team, supporting delivery of the University’s Great Place to Work Strategy.
Luther is often asked about lifting trophies on the biggest stages in world sport. But the moment that truly defined his career did not begin with silverware. It began with history. Exactly seventy-five years after the last player from his hometown represented England Rugby Union, Luther ran out onto the international pitch to restore that proud legacy.
That breakthrough was about far more than rugby. It was about proving to every youngster that their starting line never gets to dictate their finish. Luther understands what it takes to rise from the bottom, navigate systemic barriers, and perform when an entire community is watching.
When Luther steps onto the stage, he does not deliver dry corporate theory. He brings energy, raw honesty, laughter, and an undeniable feel-good factor. He takes audiences behind the closed doors of elite sport to share what happens when everything is on the line: the intense pressure, the locker-room humour, the devastating setbacks, and the euphoric victories.
For Luther, overcoming adversity is a skill. Whether navigating high-stakes transitions, breaking through self-doubt, or pulling a team together through crisis, his keynotes leave audiences uplifted, motivated, and equipped with a clear framework to turn pressure into their greatest competitive advantage.
Thank you so much! I got overly excited with new ideas and information and I just walked off planning the coming year’s strategy. It was a very rewarding day.
An excellent event; well-run, great facilities, and really helpful support.
Explore the latest articles from the jobs.ac.uk blog.
Do you have an enquiry about the event, or would you like to submit a question to our panel?
We’d love to hear from you.