Nick Isles is Chief Executive Officer of Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design, bringing more than two decades of experience in education across both management and consulting roles. He has positioned the college as something of an industry disruptor, developing fashion and media curricula at a pace faster than is typical in higher education, driven by a belief that academic instruction should closely reflect real-world professional practice so graduates leave with genuinely current skills.
His time in the role has included steering the college through the disruption of the pandemic while continuing to expand its digital-first course offerings, requiring a mix of authentic engagement with staff and students and creative problem-solving under pressure.
Isles has also pushed for organizational cultures built around sustainability, diversity, and genuine care for stakeholders, arguing that these should be treated as core to how a modern institution operates rather than as side initiatives.
