Joe Cooper is Director of People and Culture at the University of East London. In this episode we discuss how the University has evolved during recent years and where his focus has been as the executive HR lead. Joe also talks about his unique career path from Students’ Union Chief Executive into University HR, and the importance of remembering that students are always at the heart of university life.    This episode is kindly sponsored by Anderson Quigley which builds better leaders for a better society. They are industry experts with decades of experience in public sector executive search, interim management and advisory.  The Association of Higher Education Professionals is proud to support Job Shadowing HE as a valuable source of professional insight.

Simon Goldsmith is Head of Sustainability at the University of Greenwich. He works with colleagues across and outside the institution to help embed environmental sustainability into all aspects of university life, and to support the strategic goal of the University of Greenwich being a recognised leader in this field by 2030. Simon explores various strategic initiatives that the University is progressing, discusses the different opportunities at the 3 different campuses, and reflects upon the importance of partnerships. He also shares how each of us can make a difference to creating a more sustainable society, and why working in sustainability can be such a positive career choice. This episode is kindly sponsored by SEAtS One. SEAtS One is a unified platform that helps universities make data-driven decisions to improve student success, retention, and compliance. From monitoring attendance to streamlining workflows and reducing operational costs, SEAtS offer a single, easy-to-use solution for managing student engagement, wellbeing, and institutional efficiency.

My guest in this episode is Steph Glen. Steph has been a Higher Education professional since 2007, initially working her way through a series of progressively senior roles in Timetabling including nearly 10 years at the University of Nottingham, and since December 2024 holding the newly created strategic role of Head of Teaching Space Operations at UCL, the UK’s largest university. In this episode, I find out from Steph about the significant impact she has made within her career so far to improve the student experience, and the strategic focus she places on building collaborative relationships with colleagues to help break down some of the challenges that exist in HEIs about use of space.  ----more---- This episode is kindly sponsored by SEAtS One. SEAtS One is a unified platform that helps universities make data-driven decisions to improve student success, retention, and compliance. From monitoring attendance to streamlining workflows and reducing operational costs, SEAtS offer a single, easy-to-use solution for managing student engagement, wellbeing, and institutional efficiency.

Jenny Jenkin and Tessa Harrsion have each had 25 year+ careers in Higher Education, and both held registrar positions at various institutions. During the past few years, they have each forged new career directions outside universities but still working with HE. The episode explores the motivation for change and how they have experienced their transitions. They also reflect upon the similarities and differences they now find in comparison with institutional life, as well as thoughts about the current and future direction of Higher Education.   This podcast is kindly sponsored by Ellucian Student powered by Banner. Ellucian Student is the modern AI powered SaaS solution purpose-built for Higer Education, empowering your institution to seamlessly connect people, processes and applications. By choosing Ellucian you choose a winning combination of global and regional expertise.

My guest in this episode is Anna Quinn, Head of Student Services at the University of Northampton. In addition to leading her large team, Anna contributes to the strategic development of the University such as its bid for the University Mental Health Charter and work on student suicide prevention. She also talks in this episode about the work she has led since 2017 on addressing sexual misconduct, and the grounding this has offered the University in addressing new Office for Students requirements. Anna also shares her reflections on leadership development and the future direction of Student Services.  This episode is kindly sponsored by The Consent Collective, an expert-led training organisation trusted by universities across the UK to deliver impactful education on consent and the prevention of sexual harassment. Founded by psychologist Dr Nina Burrowes, their content goes beyond the basics, helping universities engage students and staff with learning that is impactful, relevant, and genuinely thought-provoking. Find out more at consentcollective.com      

My guest in this episode is Gemma Kenyon, Director of Careers and Employability at City St George’s University of London. Gemma shares more about her role and how she has successfully directed and embedded a student employability and career focus into institutional life. We talk about how she and her team have gone about collaborating successfully with academic colleagues to achieve this goal, how work is prioritised to best support student success and what the future focus of careers and employability might hold. We also discuss Gemma’s career to date – including navigating being a young leader – and the skills she has developed along the way. This episode is kindly sponsored by Unitemps – a University-owned, campus-based recruitment service which allows universities to streamline their internal departmental recruitment whilst addressing key HE challenges. By partnering with Unitemps, Universities can offer students and graduates a range of job opportunities both on campus and with local businesses. The Unitemps service allows students to secure meaningful part-time work alongside their studies, provides financial support during the cost of living crisis, enhances their overall student experience and improves graduate employability. 

Dr Brooke Storer-Church is Chief Executive Officer of Guild HE which represents around 70 diverse institutions in the Higher Education sector. In this episode, Brooke reflects upon why diversity is so important to UK Higher Education, and talks about the way in which Guild HE is working to support and champion this part of HE . She also discusses her career pathway into and through Higher Education, as well as what’s been her focus, along with that of her team, since she became CEO in June 2024.    This episode is kindly sponsored by Gatenby Sanderson, the UK’s leadership expert. We partner with universities to find and place exceptional HE leaders and develop their teams – improving leadership performance, inclusivity and accelerating change.

Kerry Shepherd and Ben Tucker are founders and partners of the executive search firm, Minerva, sponsor of this Leadership Reflections Mini-Series.   In our discussion, we explore some of the themes from earlier episodes of the mini-series and put those topics into the wider Higher Education leadership context of 2025. As professionals who have contact with a significant number of institutions and leadership candidates, Kerry and Ben also share their observations of the leadership qualities that are now being sought, as well as consideration of how emerging leaders can be supported through development programmes to best support the future leadership of Higher Education.   This Leadership Reflections mini-series is kindly sponsored by Minerva. Minerva is an executive search firm that supports universities in making senior executive appointments across academic and professional service roles and also in recruiting to university council and interim positions. Minerva helps individuals enrich their careers and take on roles that fulfil their potential.      

Professor Pip Beard is Professor of Viral Pathology and Head of the School of Life Sciences at Keele University. Pip took her up post as Head of School following the initial part of her career in practice and subsequently in research institutes, and she continues to hold a national and international government advisory role in her professional field. In this episode, Pip reflects upon taking up a Head of School role and how she has found the first two years in post.  She considers the value of leadership development programmes she undertook prior to her university appointment, and reflects upon how she has found the transition of parking much of her research activity while she leads her school. We also discuss how she has navigated being a female leader in various male dominated environments. This Leadership Reflections mini-series is kindly sponsored by Minerva. Minerva is an executive search firm that supports universities in making senior executive appointments across academic and professional service roles and also in recruiting to university council and interim positions. Minerva helps individuals enrich their careers and take on roles that fulfil their potential.  

My guest in this episode is Jim Irving, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Students and Governance) at Southampton Solent University, who has developed his higher education career over the past 25 years across a series of progressively senior professional services posts.  Jim reflects on his leadership path so far and delves into a range of topics including what motivated him to pursue a career in Higher Education leadership, successfully navigating relationships across an institution and how he’s responded to times that have been professionally tough. He also discusses the art of leading through influence, and the importance of supporting emerging leaders of the future. This Leadership Reflections mini-series is kindly sponsored by Minerva. Minerva is an executive search firm that supports universities in making senior executive appointments across academic and professional service roles and also in recruiting to university council and interim positions. Minerva helps individuals enrich their careers and take on roles that fulfil their potential.  

My guest in this episode of the Leadership Reflections mini-series is Professor Randall S Whittaker, Principal and CEO of Rose Bruford College, one of the UK's leading specialist performing arts Higher Education Institutions.  As a renowned figure for his work on representation and diversity, Randall reflects upon his leadership journey including what he has learnt along the way, how creativity forms a core part of his leadership approach and why engaging with the wider sector is so important for career development and establishing a voice. He also considers the instrumental role of specialist institutions as part of a diverse HE sector, and the significant impact that creative graduates have on the well-being of our society and economy.  This Leadership Reflections mini-series is kindly sponsored by Minerva. Minerva is an executive search firm that supports universities in making senior executive appointments across academic and professional service roles and also in recruiting to university council and interim positions. Minerva helps individuals enrich their careers and take on roles that fulfil their potential.  

My guest in this episode of the Leadership Reflections mini-series is Professor Shân Wareing, Vice-Chancellor of Middlesex University. In this episode, Shân shares more about her professional background and progressing her career through an educational development route and into senior leadership. With a prime motivation to want to see students flourish and for institutions to work effectively, Shân reflects upon her pathway to becoming a Vice-Chancellor, including what she learnt along the way, her approach to team leadership, managing resilience. She also considers why it’s important to be supporting emerging leaders of the future, and how she still sees leadership as a learning process.  This Leadership Reflections mini-series is kindly sponsored by Minerva. Minerva is an executive search firm that supports universities in making senior executive appointments across academic and professional service roles and also in recruiting to university council and interim positions. Minerva helps individuals enrich their careers and take on roles that fulfil their potential.  

My guest in this episode is Erica Conway, Chief Financial Officer at the University of Birmingham and Chair of the British Universities Finance Directors Group (BUFDG).   In this episode, Erica offers insight into the role of Chief Financial Officer, and how she works in partnership with university colleagues and governors to enable the institution to achieve its strategic goals. She also offers her reflections on the financial state of the wider sector, how finance professionals can be supported in fulfilling careers within Higher Education, and the benefits that she draws from her engagement as a trustee and governor with organisations beyond the university.   This episode is kindly sponsored by Peridot Partners. Peridot Partners transforms leadership and inspires change across organisations with a social purpose. Their specialist higher education team recruits diverse leaders and governors who are driven by your vision of academic excellence.

Holly Duglan is a Registrar and Secretary who had a leading role in managing the market exit of Writtle University College and its merger with Anglia Ruskin University in February 2024.    In this episode, Holly talks about what led to the decision to exit the market as an autonomous institution, the 'red lines' determined by the Board of Governors to secure the future of its specialist provision and the role she took as Registrar and Secretary in navigating the process. She also reflects upon managing the market exit and merger alongside 'the day job', the pivotal role of legal advice and the more emotional aspects of a merger for staff and students.    This episode is kindly sponsored by Pinsent Masons, a multinational law firm specialising in sectors including the Universities & Higher Education sector. The Universities & Higher Education team includes over 150 lawyers based in offices globally, drawing on the full resources of Pinsent Masons to cover the full range of legal disciplines.

Vivi Friedgut is Founder and CEO of Blackbullion, the learning platform for students who want to gain control of their money. Vivi is recognised nationally as one of the top 10 tech influencers and in this episode she shares more about why she set up Blackbullion, how it has evolved and how she works with numerous institutions across the UK and beyond. She also reflects upon the current financial position of the HE sector and talks about what she would like to see looking better for students in HE by the end of the decade. Blackbullion produces regular reports for the sector and you can sign up here to receive them. 

Reverend Ian Worsfold is Coordinating Chaplain at City St George’s University of London, who, with his team of chaplains from different faiths, play a central role in supporting the pastoral needs of the highly diverse student and staff body. In this episode, Ian discusses how the role of chaplaincy has evolved at the institution during the past ten years, considers the importance of adapting to the needs of different communities, reflects upon what it means to ‘disagree well’ in a societal era of polarisation and provides insight into the Doctoral research he’s currently undertaking to influence equality, diversity and inclusion policies for students of faith in a secular university.

Dr Monika Nangia is Academic Registrar and Director of Student & Academic Services at Durham University. She is also leading The Power of Storytelling Project as part of the Higher Diversity Coalition. Data shows that ethnic diversity in professional services leadership - especially in student and academic services leadership - is concerningly low. In this episode. Monika discusses her motivation for gathering stories from senior colleagues from ethnically diverse backgrounds, shares themes arising from their career experiences and discusses her vision for the future. Please note that some of the stories may be uncomfortable to hear, but are included in this episode to show why sector-wide action is needed. To share your story with Monika, please connect with her via LinkedIn or at monika.nangia@durham.ac.uk This episode is kindly sponsored by Gatenby Sanderson, the UK’s leadership expert. We partner with universities to find and place exceptional HE leaders and develop their teams – improving leadership performance, inclusivity and accelerating change.

Kelli Wolfe is Deputy Academic Registrar at the University of Roehampton. In this episode, Kelli talks about her role as Deputy Academic Registrar as well as the career path that led to it. She also shares background to her recent research entitled 'The Impact of High-Performance Work Practices on Employee Burnout Experience in UK Higher Education: A Professional Services Perspective' which was published by Taylor and Francis in August 2024. Kelli additionally offers reflections on solutions to avoiding and addressing work intensity and burnout, and how these can be enacted.   

Dr David Gilani is Head of Student Engagement and Advocacy at Middlesex University.  In this episode, David shares more about his leadership of, and thoughts on, student engagement and what that means to support student success. He also reflects upon his own career path to date, and how and why the student engagement professional niche has become so much more prominent across the sector in recent years. David also offers insight about the benefits of being part of an institution’s board, and looks forward to where the sector focus on student belonging needs to be in the next 5 years.   This episode is kindly sponsored by SEAtS One. SEAtS One is a unified platform that helps universities make data-driven decisions to improve student success, retention, and compliance. From monitoring attendance to streamlining workflows and reducing operational costs, SEAtS offer a single, easy-to-use solution for managing student engagement, wellbeing, and institutional efficiency.

Dr Diana Beech is the Chief Executive of London Higher, the largest representative body of its kind in England. In this episode, Diana shares more about the role of London Higher and the type of work that she and her team lead to support the success of HE. She also delves into her career path to date, including her time at the Higher Education Policy Institute, and at the Government's Department for Education where she supported four different Ministers of State.    This episode is kindly sponsored by Anderson Quigley which builds better leaders for a better society. They are industry experts with decades of experience in public sector executive search, interim management and advisory.