“I spent 14 years inside BIMM University—from strategy consultant to Pro Vice Chancellor. I commissioned the leading specialist HE consultancies. I know exactly what a six-figure engagement delivers, and where those models break. Blairgowrie exists to close that gap.”
Dr. David O’Connor.
The Gamekeeper.
Founder & Principal Advisor · DBA · MBA · Pro Vice Chancellor (former)
David spent 14 years inside BIMM University—the UK’s leading for-profit creative arts institution—rising from Strategy Consultant to Chief Strategy & International Development Officer and Pro Vice Chancellor. He wasn’t advising from the sidelines; he was the operator accountable for a 300%+ increase in student enrolment, the establishment of five new campuses, three sector acquisitions, and two successful private equity exits delivering 4× investor returns.
During that tenure, David directly commissioned and managed engagements from the sector’s leading strategy consultancies. He saw a consistent pattern: brilliant analysis, poor follow-through, and zero accountability for outcomes. That experience—of sitting in the client’s chair—is Blairgowrie’s founding insight.
Before higher education, David held C-suite roles at Ceridian Corporation (international HCM SaaS), led strategic turnarounds at Hays plc, and originally founded Blairgowrie Associates in 2004 as a specialist operational transformation consultancy. His doctoral research at the University of Bath produced the sector’s first quantitative study of what UK students actually value, identifying four distinct student personas that now underpin Blairgowrie’s advisory methodology.
Founded Blairgowrie Associates, delivering operational transformation and performance improvement for FTSE 100 and multi-billion-pound financial services organisations.
SVP/CEO at Ceridian Corporation, leading international HCM SaaS strategy—doubling profitability, shifting NPS from −49 to +10, and directing operations across 15 global branches.
Joined BIMM University as Strategy Consultant, rising to Chief Strategy & International Development Officer/Pro Vice Chancellor. Architect of 300%+ enrolment growth, five new campuses, three sector acquisitions, two PE exits (4× investor returns), and £12M international revenue.
Relaunched Blairgowrie as a specialist HE advisory practice—applying 14 years of institutional operator experience to close the execution gap for universities navigating transformation.
Nic Ledger
Associate — Brand, Content & Creative Strategy
A senior creative leader with 15+ years building and running award-winning in-house teams across complex, multi-brand higher education environments. At BIMM University, Nic led the creative function across five specialist brands, nine campuses, and three countries—delivering brand refreshes, campaign strategy, and content production spanning design, video, motion, and digital.
His work includes leading major rebrands (saving up to £60k in agency fees), originating the award-winning “Music Made Us” campaign recognised at the UK Content Awards, and building strategic frameworks that connect creative output directly to commercial conversion.
Extended Advisory Network
Blairgowrie also maintains a curated bench of senior associates—former university registrars, digital transformation leads, and M&A specialists—deployed on a project basis to scale execution capacity without inflating overhead.