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As QS’ Chief Innovation Officer, Maria Spies is responsible for identifying and developing products, monitoring new opportunities and maintaining the market position of QS in the global higher education ecosystem. HolonIQ, the impact intelligence company she co-founded with Patrick Brothers in 2018, offers data and insights that drive informed decision-making, foster innovation, and enable future learners to fulfil their potential. Maria joined the company when QS acquired HolonIQ in October 2024.
Before founding HolonIQ, Maria held a range of roles at Navitas, the Australian College of Applied Psychology and UNSW.
Education
- MIT Sloan School of Management: Executive Certificate in Strategy and Innovation, Technology innovation
- University of Liverpool: Doctor of Education (EdD), Education Innovation & Leadership
- University of Technology Sydney: Master of Adult Education, Adult Education
- UNSW: Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Arts in Visual Art
Influential work
- Has built and overseen tools and frameworks such as the HolonIQ Education Market Taxonomy, Higher Education Digital Capability Framework, and the QS AI Competency Framework
- Led and developed initiatives including Scenarios for the Future of Education and 5 Strategic Shifts in Higher Education
- Regularly sought after as a keynote speaker on the future of education and technology
- Maria holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in Higher Education, and was awarded ‘Thesis of the Year’ for her work on public-private partnerships in higher education.
- Serves as Adjunct Faculty at the University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education, where she teaches on education entrepreneurship and innovation programs