Ashish Fernando Podcast ft. Martin Betts | HEDx – Edu Unlocked Podcast

Martin Betts

Guest

Martin Betts brings four decades of leadership experience across universities on three continents, where he has witnessed firsthand the transformative impact higher education can have on individuals, industries, and communities. Throughout his career, he has led major academic and enterprise portfolios, driving innovation, partnership development, and large-scale institutional change.
In Australia, Martin served as the head of one of the country’s largest faculties spanning Science, Engineering, IT, the Built Environment, and Design. He also led a central portfolio encompassing marketing and communications, alumni and development, and major engagement initiatives. His leadership includes extensive experience navigating universities through periods of disruption, transformation, and complex change management.
Martin has played a key role in high-profile partnerships, including delivering one of Australia’s largest public events of the decade at the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games. He also worked across the cultural, leisure, entertainment, health, and education precinct of South Bank, where he served as Board Chair of the precinct’s trade association, BSB.
He is the co-founder and leader of HEDx, where he works with universities and global companies to drive positive transformation across higher education. His work is widely documented, shared, and continually updated through HEDx’s platforms.
Key Highlights:
1. 40 years of university leadership across three continents
2. Former leader of one of Australia’s largest faculties in STEM, Built Environment & Design
3. Led major portfolios in marketing, communications, alumni, development, and engagement
4. Expertise in change management, disruption response, and large-scale university transformation
5. Leadership roles in major national partnerships, including GC2018 Commonwealth Games
6. Former Board Chair of BSB, the South Bank precinct trade association
7. Co-founder and leader of HEDx, working globally to shape the future of higher education

Ashish Fernando

Host

Founder & CEO, EDMO
Ashish Fernando is the visionary founder and CEO of EDMO, a revolutionary educational technology platform that's transforming how people learn and grow. With over 15 years of experience in education and technology, Ashish has dedicated his career to making quality education accessible to learners worldwide. Before founding EDMO, Ashish held leadership positions at several prominent EdTech companies and worked as an educational consultant for Fortune 500 companies. He holds an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business and a Master's in Computer Science from MIT. Ashish is a frequent speaker at educational conferences and has been featured in publications such as EdTech Magazine, Learning & Development Today, and TechCrunch. He's passionate about the intersection of technology and human potential, believing that the right tools can unlock extraordinary learning outcomes for everyone. Under his leadership, EDMO has grown to serve over 100,000 learners globally and has partnerships with leading educational institutions and corporations. Ashish continues to drive innovation in personalized learning, adaptive assessment, and educational analytics.
Key Achievements:
1. Founded EDMO in 2019, now serving 100,000+ learners globally
2. Named 'EdTech Innovator of the Year' by Learning Technology Awards 2023
3. Featured speaker at Global Education Summit 2024
4. Published researcher in educational technology and learning analytics
5. Advisor to multiple EdTech startups and educational initiatives