Maria is the Independent Chair of the ARC Hub for ICT (hosted by TU Dublin). She is also the Independent Chair of the Academic and Professional Council at Griffith College, a member of the QQI Approvals and Reviews Committee, a member of the HEA Future Funding of Irish HE Working Group and a member of the Flemish Universities Quality Board in Brussels.
Maria has built up an extensive portfolio of governance and leadership experience in the Higher Education sector internationally. She was previously the Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Wrexham University in the UK, and President of Limerick Institute of Technology before then. She oversaw student number growth and major capital developments at both organisations, and strengthened their role in the regional economy and community.
As a Dutch national, she started her academic career in The Netherlands. She holds a B.A. in English Language and Literature from Leiden University, an M.A. in Modern English and American Literature from Leicester University and a PhD in International Marketing from Maastricht University. She is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales.