Biography
Maria Di Gennaro is a seasoned strategic operations leader with over 20 years of experience across higher education, international schools, and global corporations. As Senior Manager Strategy Business Planning & Communications in IET at The Open University, she leads the development and delivery of long-term strategic plans, working closely with the IET Director develops, leads and delivers the Unit Business Plans, overseas the unit’s budget, manages units Research forecast, drives operational excellence, and fosters collaboration across academic and professional services. She is also responsible for the units Internal and External Communications strategy. Her previous leadership roles at the university include managing research and enterprise initiatives, supporting sector-leading educational technology innovation, and overseeing multimillion-pound budgets.
Maria is known for her ability to translate complex strategies into actionable plans and lead cross-functional teams with empathy and clarity. She holds qualifications in CRM Marketing, Project Fundamentals (APM), and Business Administration, and is a super user of platforms such as Microsoft 365, Sage 200, Worktribe, Ariba, Microsoft Azure, and SAP. A member of the Higher Education Strategic Planners Association, Maria combines analytical thinking with people-centred leadership, and is highly regarded for her innovative mindset, strong communication skills, and commitment to inclusive team environments.