Maggie Leggett has over 25 years’ experience in senior leadership roles in external relations. As External Relations Director at Queen Mary University of London, her portfolio includes communications, marketing, UK and overseas student recruitment, other aspects of international activity, admissions, alumni relations and development. She has worked in the higher education sector for the last 15 years, and previously held senior roles in other public sector and charitable organisations. Early in her career, before entering communications and marketing, she worked as a researcher in a university, and also taught for the Open University, and in secondary schools in the UK and Spain. She has a PhD from the University of Nottingham in genetics. Her particular interest is communication and engagement on contentious issues: for many years she was involved in the national group responsible for communication about the use of animals in research.