Gwen's career started in the Netherlands and includes student activist, teacher and educational innovator.

At the Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen (now Radboud University, NL), she supported individual staff in the science faculty developing advanced teaching practices. On her departure to Britain, she received an award for Excellence from the University of Nijmegen and was put forward for a national award for HE teaching innovation.

Since the mid-1990s Gwen has led teams of academic staff developers; student learning advisers; quality officers and teaching innovators and taken on advisory roles for national HE organisations. Her current professional interests include the professionalisation of educational development; supporting governance change to empower the student voice and the re-alignment of quality assurance and enhancement.

Gwen also holds a number of roles at national level, including membership of the Planning Executive of the Standing Conference for Academic Practice (SCAP); chair of the Learning, Teaching and Quality Network within the '94 Group and membership of the planning group for the Heads of Educational Development Group.