David Richards joined Arizona International in January 2022 as Executive Director, International Marketing and Communications. Like many working in international education, Richards is driven by a mission to enrich the lives of individuals and their communities through life changing education opportunities. Over the last two decades, Richards has helped institutions across the ELICOS, pathway and higher education sectors engage with future students locally and around the world.

His experience has included managing IDP’s New South Wales student placement and IELTS test center operations, developing partnerships for exchange and administering dual degrees for the University of Queensland in South East Asia, contracting and managing customized short-term professional development programs with government departments and instrumentalities in Thailand and Vietnam, and coordinating the University of Sydney’s exchange programs with Europe and the USA, including with the University of Arizona in 2003-2005.

In early 2021, Richards moved from Sydney to New York and worked as Director, Recruitment Marketing at St. Francis College, Brooklyn, focusing on strategic domestic marketing and recruitment strategies to grow and diversify the College’s cohort, until moving to Arizona the following year to undertake his current role.

As Executive Director, International Marketing and Communications, David leads a team of skilled marketing, communications, and design specialists to deliver a broad range of projects across all Arizona International units. This includes collaborating with internal and external stakeholders on marketing and communication strategies and operations to achieve departmental objectives and navigate an ever-changing business environment.