Jennifer Bruce

Jen has worked in the Higher Education industry since 2007 and joined Studyportals in May 2013. During her time with the company, she has progressed from leading regional teams to managing large Business Units across the UK and EMEA. In June 2023, she became a member of the Management Team as Global Commercial Director.

In her current role, Jen leads a global team of more than 75 colleagues, working together to shape and deliver Studyportals’ overall commercial strategy, goals, and vision. She is responsible for driving sustainable growth while ensuring alignment with the company’s mission and long-term objectives.

Together with her team, Jen focuses on building long-term partnerships and delivering data-driven solutions and diversity strategies to universities and higher education institutions worldwide. The commercial success achieved under her leadership enables Studyportals to continue investing in innovation and to give back to its most important audience—students—through initiatives such as the Studyportals Scholarships. These efforts directly support the company’s mission to create global education transparency, choice, and access across borders.

Jen can often be found visiting university campuses around the world, attending international conferences, participating in panel discussions, and presenting key research at workshops and industry events.

She holds a BA (Hons) in Tourism and Recreation Management from Sheffield Hallam University. As part of her four-year degree, she completed a Study Work Experience (SWE) year in the United States, living and working in New Paltz, NY, and San Antonio, TX. Before entering the Higher Education sector, Jen worked for British Airways and Thomas Cook. Her passion for education and travel has taken her across the globe, with Cape Town, Melbourne, Hong Kong, and Eindhoven among her favourite destinations.

Studyportals’ mission and core values closely align with Jen’s own. Reflecting on her journey, she shares:

I have been fortunate to work with an incredibly dedicated and knowledgeable team of colleagues and leaders. Together, we have helped change and improve the lives of many international students and continue to advance our mission of global education transparency, choice, and access across borders. One of our core values is #personalgrowthiskey, and Studyportals has truly embodied that for me. As a fully inclusive and diverse company with no invisible walls, I am proud to be an example of women in leadership.

Jen also enjoys exploring new programmes featured on the Studyportals platforms—especially those that spark curiosity. A recent programme that caught her attention is Ecosystem Science and Sustainability at Colorado State University. She finds it particularly relevant, as it provides a strong scientific foundation in ecosystem ecology while integrating cultural, social, economic, and political perspectives on sustainability—an increasingly critical global issue.