UCAS recently launched the Myriad by UCAS platform for international postgraduate students coming to the UK, which is now being used in more than 150 counties and territories, and has over 90% of eligible UK universities and colleges represented.
Having worked in education and training for almost two decades, Chris has successfully led digital transformation of career-changing products with customers always at the heart.
As Director of International Employers at OpenClassrooms, an online education-to-employment platform, Chris led the international expansion of their business-to-business offer, with a focus on the UK, USA and Asia from the company’s French roots. A customer-led mindset has enabled Chris to deliver upskilling, reskilling and outskilling solutions that add real value to their users, particularly in tech and digital occupations.
Chris also had an extensive career at the City & Guilds Group, including as Managing Director of Digitalme, a standalone business specialising in digital credentialing. The role saw Chris develop and test market strategy, create brand awareness and significantly grow adoption. Prior to this, Chris held the position of Director of Products & Services at City & Guilds, having progressed in various roles within customer strategy, marketing, and sales.
Clare Marchant, UCAS Chief Executive, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Chris to UCAS, and look forward to working together, shaping the future of Myriad by UCAS. An unrelenting focus on customer is at the heart of Chris’ work, and that desire, along with a successful portfolio of developing digital platforms to make a real difference to individuals’ futures, means he is the right person to lead the UCAS International team.”
Chris Kirk, UCAS International Director, said: “For the majority of my career in education, I've been fixated on how technology can be leveraged to create, deliver and capture value for customers. To do this requires an obsession with understanding your target users, to ensure a strong product-market fit for the customer proposition.
“I'm really excited to join UCAS at this key moment to help support its international ambitions and the continued roll-out of Myriad. I am completely committed to ensuring we create an indispensable tool for international students, agents, universities and colleges to connect the world to UK higher education. I can't wait to get started and help the team build on the excellent work done so far."
Myriad by UCAS, available in-browser and as an app, is tailored to international postgraduate students coming to the UK, providing the support and guidance on courses, accommodation, scholarships and funding, and local jobs that many are saying they need.
Chris will join UCAS at the end of June.
UCAS Press Office
NOTE: New temporary number – 07881 029 025
Notes for editors
UCAS, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, is an independent charity, and the UK's shared admissions service for higher education.
Our services support young people making post-18 choices, as well as mature learners, by providing information, advice, and guidance to inspire and facilitate educational progression to university, college or a degree apprenticeship.
We manage almost three million applications, from around 700,000 people each year, for full-time undergraduate courses at over 380 universities and colleges across the UK.
We also provide a wide range of research, consultancy and advisory services to schools, colleges, careers services, professional bodies and employers, including apprenticeships.
We’re a successful and fast-growing organisation, which helps hundreds of thousands of people every year. We're committed to delivering a first-class service to all of our customers — they're at the heart of everything we do.
About Myriad by UCAS
Myriad by UCAS connects the world to UK higher education by providing a single postgraduate gateway under the trusted UCAS brand. International students can search courses, research universities, make applications, get matched to scholarship and funding opportunities and find jobs and accommodation all within one app.