Online learning provider looks to boost academic programmes with new senior appointment

Cardiff based postgraduate online medical learning provider, Learna (@LearnaBusiness), has appointed a new Head of Programme Development and Innovation.

Helen Davies joins the firm from BMJ (British Medical Journal), where she was Head of Online Learning and Assessment and has over twenty years experience working in the online medical education sector.

Helen’s latest role is a new position, leading a newly created Programme Development and Innovation department, at the rapidly scaling online learning provider which has undertaken significant expansion in recent years, in line with the wider online learning sector, as it experiences exponential growth in both scope and size.

Helen’s appointment is part of Learna’s continued ambitious growth strategy as the core of her role will be dedicated to bringing more Postgraduate Diplomas and MSc programmes online in order to develop the company’s reach to prospective students.

She is responsible for developing the content and structure of new medical programmes and working with Learna’s university partners, including the University of South Wales and the University of Buckingham to ensure they are optimised for the modern medical professional and learner.

One of the first programmes Helen has introduced to Learna’s course repertoire is a particularly relevant new Infectious Diseases MSc set to launch early in 2022. New courses set to follow later in the year include clinical specialities, comprising oncology, cardiology and more.

Speaking about her new role Helen said: “Online medical education has been the focus of my career for a long time now and in joining Learna I have attached myself to one of the most exciting up and coming firms operating in the online learning space.

“I actually came to this position in a slightly unusual way in that I started studying for an EMBA in Healthcare Management with Learna in 2020 during the early pandemic. During this time I was aware that Learna as a company was restructuring in order to facilitate growth and when this role became available my background and experience were the perfect fit. I have gone from a student to the head of a team developing the type of courses I was studying.”

Courtenay Probert, COO at Learna, said: “Helen’s background in online education and her own learner journey means that she is acutely aware of the requirements of busy professionals when it comes to fitting in online learning around a demanding career. Her experiences mean she is perfectly positioned to understand how to make our programmes digitally accessible and engaging for busy medics.

“This is an exciting moment for the online education sector, with so much to play for, and so having someone like Helen onboard will be a huge support in our ambitious growth plans as a company”.

Learna offers a range of specialist online courses across the postgraduate medical qualification spectrum. Their courses are delivered in partnership with the University of South Wales, the University of Gibraltar and the University of Buckingham.

Learna has seen rapid expansion in recent years; with their team more than doubling in the past twelve months to 57 employees, and turnover for 2021-22 estimated at £6.5m.