Responding to the ever-changing needs of our customers

David Burton, Senior Responsible Owner, Global Assessment Programme

What excites you most about your position at OUP?

I love the element of the unknown. No day is predictable; this is not a kind of 9 to 5 humdrum. My role is global and I’m meeting new people every day in the fields of technology, sales, marketing, finance, and others, from Columbia to India. That daily interaction with different people in those different contexts is fascinating. That is what motivates me.

The world of educational publishing is changing all the time. In light of that, why is the Global Assessment Programme important?

As our customers’ needs change, we change to meet their needs. OUP’s Global Assessment Programme is a really good example of that. It sets out to provide teachers and learners with the right tools and solutions to support the learning journey every step of the way. A great example of this is the Oxford Test of English (OTE), which launched in Spain earlier this year. With OTE we offer an online Test that effectively assesses students’ language proficiency, certified by Oxford University’s Department of Continuing Education, which institutions, teachers and students really value. It’s fully online, and we know students love it because it’s new, it offers more flexibility over traditional exams, and is more relevant to them as members of the digital age.

You meet a lot of people from OUP around the world. Is there a common DNA or thread that runs throughout the people you meet?

When I started working for OUP in Italy in a field-based role, what impressed me about everybody in that team was the genuine passion to help teachers and, by extension, help students. This wasn’t just because we wanted to sell to teachers; there was a real desire to meet their needs. I see this exact same passion in people at OUP’s headquarters in the UK and in colleagues all around the world.