Having led the team behind the QS World University Rankings for over a decade, I have had the opportunity to become a leading expert on comparative performance in international higher education. I have the honour of leading the QS Intelligence Unit, a team of international enthusiasts who together have become a world-leading think-tank on the measurement and management of performance in universities. Since its establishment in 2008, QSIU has extended the rankings to five regions and over 40 subjects, as well as innovating in other dimensions. Additionally the unit not operates the QS Stars rating system, a variety of thought leadership reports on student and applicant behaviour, jobs and salary trends, performance of higher education systems, attractiveness of cities as student destinations and the performance of young universities. As a by-product of much of this work we also now provide distinctive business intelligence to over 200 client institutions worldwide and operate two major international conferences. The EduData Summit each June (www.edudatasummit.com) and Reimagine Education each December (www.reimagine-education.com). Members of the team are frequently invited to international conferences as speakers and to visit institutions to explain the technicalities behind our work, or to draw on our unique data to provide a fresh perspective on trends and developments in international higher education. As the leading protagonist of this outreach over the years I have visited hundreds of universities and spoken on our research in over 30 countries. In addition to my daily responsibilities, I was appointed to the Board of QS Quacquarelli Symonds Ltd in 2015.