Dr Guy Collender

Consultant

Dr Guy Collender is a successful major gifts fundraiser and communicator with nearly 20 years’ experience in the higher education sector. Having worked in fundraising, donor relations, alumni communications and as an academic, Guy can apply his versatile set of skills to help Philanthropy Company clients secure philanthropic funding in complex academic environments.

Guy has secured gifts for scholarships, academic posts and outreach at the University of Oxford, where he worked for eight years, including in various management roles. Guy has also worked in communications at Birkbeck, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, and the Institute of Development Studies. Guy is the Post Doctoral Senior Research Associate at the Centre for Port Cities and Maritime Cultures, University of Portsmouth. He gained his doctorate on the history of the Port of London from Birkbeck in 2022, and has taught at Birkbeck and the University of Portsmouth, adding depth to his understanding of the academic landscape.

Given his journalistic background – his first job was as a reporter on The Portsmouth News – Guy is passionate about telling stories in compelling and creative ways. He has captured the transformative impact of research and higher education in print and online. He has interviewed leading figures from academia, politics, the arts and sport, including Joan Bakewell, Susan Greenfield, David Miliband, and Roger Bannister. He has also written for The Guardian, The Conversation and The Independent.