Movers and Shakers August 2021

Dixon Walter are pleased to have supported the appointment of Nicola Smith to the role of Director of Fundraising and Alumni at the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). Nicola previously worked at the Scottish Opera as the Head of Donor Development.

We are also delighted to have recently supported the University of Manchester with the appointment of Adèle MacKinlay who has been appointed as the new Director of People and OD. Adèle joins the University of Manchester on October 1st.

Two new Heads of School were appointed within the University of Leicester’s College of Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities (CSSAH). Lisa Smith, Professor of Criminology at the University of Leicester, has been appointed as the Head of the School of Criminology. Along with Professor Krista Cowman who joined the University of Leicester as the new Head of the School of History, Politics and International Relations.

The School of Law and Social Justice at University of Liverpool has announced the appointment of an Interim Dean, Professor Warren Barr, for a period of 12 months. Warren, took over from Professor Debra Morris, who stepped down after serving seven years as Dean of the School.

The University of Sussex has appointed David Ruebain, as its first permanent Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Culture, Equality and Inclusion. He will take up the post in the Autumn, working alongside interim Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Culture, Equality and Inclusion, Professor Kevin Hylton, who will remain at Sussex until early 2022. The University of Sussex has also appointed the inaugural Dean of the Doctoral School, Professor Jeremy Niven. Jeremy is Professor of Zoology in the School of Life Sciences, where he has worked since 2011.

Staffordshire University announced that Professor Martin Jones has been appointed as its next Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive. Professor Jones, who currently holds the position of Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the University, will take up the post on January 1st, 2022 following the retirement of Professor Liz Barnes CBE DL.

Welsh conductor and pianist Iwan Teifion Davies has been appointed as Aberystwyth University’s new Director of Music. Iwan now leads the University’s music provision, bringing together a unique range of university and community activity and engagement.

Professor Andrew Charlton Perez has been appointed the new Head of School for the School of Mathematical, Physical and Computational Sciences at the University of Reading. Andrew will take up his new role on 1st September 2021, replacing Professor Ben Cosh who is taking up a new role at the University of Kent.

King’s College London announced Professor Ajay Shah has been appointed as Executive Dean of the Faculty of Life Sciences & Medicine (FoLSM). Professor Shah starts on 1st September 2021. Also, the King’s College London Mathematics School has appointed a new Director of Outreach and Widening Participation, Tiffany Woods-Shepherd. Tiffany is an experienced Programme Manager and Oxford University graduate with a demonstrated history of working in the charity sector, who previously worked for The Access Project.

Professor Jo Swaffield has been appointed as the next Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Southampton. Jo, will join Southampton on 1st January 2022, when the current Dean Jane Falkingham’s second term of office ends.

Robert Gordon University has appointed Donella Beaton as Vice-Principal Economic Development, a new role which will see the University further develop its strategic commitment to stimulating and supporting economic development regionally and further afield.

The University of Manchester have announced that Larissa Fast, Professor of Humanitarian and Conflict Studies, has been appointed as the new Executive Director of the University’s Humanitarian and Conflict Response Institute (HCRI). Professor Bertrand Taithe, co-founder of HCRI and Executive Director for the past 13 years, will step down on September 1st.

That’s all for now. We’ll see you next month for another round of Movers & Shakers.

If you would like to chat to our team about an opportunity you may need help with, or perhaps you are seeking your next challenge please contact us on 0191 500 5500 / info@dixonwalter.co.uk.

Posted by Rebecca Kinghorn

Rebecca Kinghorn

Higher Education

Posted

As executive recruiters specialising in higher education, we’ve witnessed a fascinating shift in recent months: the growing reliance on interim placements to fill critical leadership roles. This trend has been particularly pronounced over the last six months, as declining international student numbers have put significant financial pressure on institutions and the cost of living also having a detrimental impact on domestic student numbers. These economic challenges, coupled with an ever-changing landscape, underscore the adaptability of the sector and the critical need for skilled leadership during these turbulent times.

Higher Education

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The University of Manchester has appointed Barra Mac Ruairí as the new Chief Property Officer to lead the Estates and Facilities Directorate, joining early in 2025.
Barra is currently the Chief Property Officer at the University of Bristol where he leads the campus division. He is the joint institutional lead for sustainability and works on this as one of the University’s strategic priorities, alongside delivering a world-class physical and digital campus. He has also played a significant role in major projects such as the Temple Quarter Enterprise Campus, a new city centre campus currently in development.

Higher Education

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Keele University is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Tasnim Munshi as the new Head of the School of Chemical and Physical Sciences.

Professor Munshi joins from the University of Lincoln where she was the Head of the School of Chemistry and had full responsibility for the management of all teaching provision within the School, including leading student recruitment-related activities. Prior to this Tasnim, a Professor of Chemistry, was the Acting Head of School of Chemistry and Forensic Science at the University of Bradford.