We are governed by our Board of Trustees who are selected and appointed based on their specific skills, experience, and expertise including information technology, operational delivery, higher education admissions, marketing and communications, finance, and audit.
Our Chair is independent and is appointed by the Board of Trustees based on skills, experience, and capability relevant to UCAS.
Our Board is made up of a balance of trustees from higher and further education backgrounds, including three heads of providers of higher education and independent Trustees.
Our Board is supported by four Committees – Audit, Finance, Nominations, and Remuneration – comprising a majority of Trustees and also Co-opted Committee members, who have also been selected and appointed based on their specific skills, experience, and expertise.
Trudy Norris-Grey – UCAS Chair
Outline of Trudy Norris-Grey's career
Trudy Norris-Grey has held positions of President, CEO, and Managing Director at global digital businesses including AXA, Microsoft, BT, Sun Microsystems, and Oracle, helping to establish them in new markets around the world.
Trudy is currently Chair of WISE, a campaign to encourage women into science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, which anticipates more than one million women will work in core STEM areas across the UK by the end of 2020.
She was recently named as one of the top ten most influential women in UK technology by Computer Weekly.
Her passion for digital businesses transforming the customer experience will be pivotal for UCAS as it continues its ambitious journey to deliver engaging, relevant, and world class products and services to its students, universities, colleges, teachers, and advisers around the world.
Professor Edward Peck CBE – Deputy Chair
Nottingham Trent University
Outline of Professor Edward Peck’s career
Professor Edward Peck joined Nottingham Trent University as Vice-Chancellor in August 2014. The university educates around 36,000 students, and employs circa 4,500 staff across four campuses. Prior to this, he worked at the University of Birmingham as Pro Vice-Chancellor and Head of the College of Social Sciences. He is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.
His early career was as a manager in the UK National Health Service, and his academic interests encompass public policy and organisational leadership.
Edward has been a Non-Executive Director of an NHS Foundation Trust and an English Football League Club and the Chair of a Children’s Trust. He is currently on the boards of Universities UK, the University and Colleges Employers’ Association, and the Midlands Engine. He was a member of the Independent Panel established by Government to advise on the reform of Post-18 Education and Funding (the Augar Review).
Committee membership: Nominations Committee
Professor Colin Bailey CBE
Queen Mary, University of London
Outline of Professor Colin Bailey's career
Professor Colin Bailey was appointed as President and Principal of Queen Mary, University of London in 2017, having previously held a number of leadership positions at the University of Manchester. He is an internationally recognised Chartered Structural, Civil and Fire Engineer who has authored more than 130 research papers and practical design guides.
After leaving school at 16 and beginning his career as an apprentice draughtsman, Professor Bailey began his career in industry, before joining the University of Manchester in 2002 as a Professor of Structural Engineering. He was then appointed as Vice-President of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, before becoming Deputy President and Deputy Vice-Chancellor in 2014. He became President and Principal of Queen Mary University of London in September 2017.
Over his career he has gained significant non-executive experience, including as a non-executive chair, sitting on the Board of a number charities and organisations. He is currently a member of the Independent Expert Advisory Panel advising government on building safety following the Grenfell fire, and is a Board Member of Universities UK. Professor Bailey is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for services to engineering in the 2020 New Year Honours list.
Committee membership: Audit Committee
Thomas Chambers
Non-executive Chairman/Director of several public and private companies
Outline of Thomas Chambers’ career
Thomas is a director of a number of public and private companies, including Chairman of Propel London Ltd (digital new media recruitment), and a Director of Kings Arms Yard VCT plc (venture capital trust) and Compare The Market Ltd (price comparison website). Until March 2018, Thomas was Chairman of First Utility (independent residential gas and electricity provider) and until January 2018, Thomas worked with the University of Surrey, having been Treasurer for four years until 2016, and a member of Council for nine years, also until 2016.
Thomas has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Durham University. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, an Associate of The Association of Corporate Treasurers, and a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology. In 2015 he was awarded an honorary Doctor from the University of Surrey.
Having trained as an accountant with Price Waterhouse, he worked in corporate finance with Kleinwort Benson, and with the European Bank for Reconstruction & Development. Thomas was Chief Financial Officer for Robert Walters plc, for First Telecom plc, and then for Symbian plc. Symbian was the creator/developer of the first mass market smartphone operating system, being a joint venture between the major mobile phone handset manufacturers. Whilst at Symbian, Thomas led the software engineering development, and then the sale of Symbian to Nokia Oyj in 2008.
Committee membership: Finance Committee Chair, Remuneration Committee Chair
Mark Felix
MoneySuperMarket Group
Outline of Mark Felix’s career
Mark Felix is the ExCo General Manager for MoneySupermarket.com, a digital price comparison marketplace listed on the FTSE. He is responsible for Insurance, Customer, Operations and Brand. Previously he was the Commercial Director for Insurance & Home Services.
Prior to joining MoneySupermarket, Mark held roles within retail focused on Digital. Latterly, he was the Online Director of Trade at John Lewis, responsible for the website, commercial performance and the omni-channel experience for its customers. Prior to this, Mark was at Sainsbury's as Head of Online for Grocery, Non Food & Clothing, and formerly Head of Pricing and Promotions. Mark began his career in management consulting at Accenture.
Mark holds a BA Honours degree in history from UCL and has continued his executive education at London Business School.
Committee membership: Audit Committee
Andy Forbes
Outline of Andy Forbes' career
Andy Forbes is the Principal and Chief Executive of City of Bristol College. Previously, he was the Principal of City & Islington College, before that, Principal of the College of Haringey, Enfield, and North East London, and before that, of Hertford Regional College. Prior to this, he was Vice Principal at Blackpool and the Fylde College, and before that, he was Director of Widening Participation at The Oldham College. He began his career as a secondary school teacher of English and drama, before making the transition to further education by joining Manchester College.
He has served as a school governor, Chair of a housing association, Chair of Oldham Race Equality Partnership, and specialist adviser to the Parliamentary Select Committee on Social Cohesion. He is part of the Bristol City Leader’s Group and a member of the West of England Skills Advisory Panel. He is currently Chair of UCAS Media Limited.
Andy has a degree in English, an MA from Cambridge University, and a PGCE and Diploma in Management Sciences from the University of Manchester.
Committee membership: Nominations Committee
Caroline Hoddinott OBE
Caroline works as an Education Consultant in the secondary school sector, operating in a range of settings and contexts as a School Improvement Partner and leadership coach. She is a serving Ofsted Inspector. Caroline is currently deployed in a number of schools as part of the Department for Education’s COVID-19 School Recovery Offer.
Caroline was the Headteacher and latterly Executive Headteacher of Haybridge High School and Sixth Form for 12 years. She oversaw the school becoming a Teaching School and National Support School in 2011 (when Caroline was designated as an NLE – National Leader in Education) and a SCITT (School Centred Initial Teacher Training) in 2015. In 2018 Haybridge formed, in partnership with King Charles I School, the Four Stones Multi Academy Trust.
Caroline has served as a representative on the Ofsted West Midlands Headteacher Reference Group and was the Chair of WASH (Worcestershire Association of Secondary Headteachers) from 2017 – 2019. Caroline is a Trustee and the Vice Chair of a Multi Academy Trust and a school Governor. In 2020 she was awarded an OBE for her services to education.
Committee membership: Audit Committee
Professor Sally Mapstone
University of St Andrews
Outline of Professor Sally Mapstone’s career
Professor Sally Mapstone FRSE is Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of St Andrews, the second woman in succession to hold this role there.
She is a board member of Universities UK, vice-convener of Universities Scotland, vice-chair of the board of trustees of the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, a trustee of the Europaeum, and a member of the advisory board of the Higher Education Policy Institute.
In 2017, she received the Foreign Policy Association of America medal for services to higher education. In 2019, she was elected to the fellowship of the Royal Society of Edinburgh. As an academic, Sally is a medievalist, with expertise in the area of medieval and Renaissance Scottish literature. She is President of the Saltire Society, which champions Scottish culture.
Committee membership: Nominations Committee
Tom Newman
Imperial College Union
Outline of Tom Newman’s career
Tom Newman is the Head of Student Experience at Imperial College Union, an organisation that supports nearly 17,000 students to achieve the best experience and realise their potential while studying at Imperial College London. Prior to this, Tom held senior leadership roles at the University of Gloucestershire, University of Suffolk, and University of Westminster Students’ Unions. Tom was part of the National Union of Students Charity Advisory Group, providing support and expertise in student engagement with volunteering, sport, and societies. Tom has previously been a governor of a primary school in Gloucestershire.
Tom is passionate about student experience, inclusivity, widening participation, and empowering student voices to meaningfully inform policy and governance.
Tom holds an undergraduate degree in history from Swansea University, as well as postgraduate qualifications in leadership from the University of Gloucestershire, and the NUS leadership development programme hosted at the Centre for Charity Effectiveness, City University of London.
Committee membership: Finance Committee, Remuneration Committee
Professor Malcolm Press
Manchester Metropolitan University
Outline of Professor Malcolm Press’ career
Professor Malcolm Press was appointed as Vice-Chancellor of Manchester Metropolitan University in 2015, having previously held positions at the Universities of Birmingham, Sheffield, Manchester and UCL.
Malcolm is an ecologist with over 200 publications covering the impacts of climate and environmental change, tropical rain forest ecology, and subsistence farming in sub-Saharan Africa. He has studied plants and environments in a diverse range of ecosystems from the tropics to the high Arctic.
Malcolm is a trustee of WWF-UK, the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), the British Council, and sits on the Board of the Institute for Apprenticeships & Technical Education. Previously, he has served as president of the British Ecological Society, a trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, a council member of the National Trust, a council member of the Society of Biology, and as a deputy chair for a Research Excellence Framework panel.
Within Greater Manchester, Malcolm sits on the boards of Health Innovation Manchester, Oxford Road Corridor and Manchester Science Partnerships. He is also a member of the North West Business Leadership Team.
Katharine Purser
Outline of Katharine Purser's career
Katharine is Head of Data Strategy and Enablement at the Department for Work and Pensions, where she is focussing on supporting and enabling the Department to make best use of data as a strategic asset – both within the Department and across government – for public good.
Katharine has spent time as a strategic policy adviser in private sector consultancy, Local Authorities and the Cabinet Office prior to stepping into this role at DWP. She started her career coding for the National Insurance Records Service with Accenture in Newcastle before taking time out to study a Master's in Public Policy Formulation at UCL. Following this, she moved into government strategy and policy roles firstly as a consultant, then as a civil servant at the Cabinet Office. She also spent spent five years working at Local Authority level in London, wrangling big data sets to develop strategy and policy on both Welfare Reform implementation and Skills Devolution for London. Katharine is equally happy mining a spreadsheet or coalescing a group of individuals around a table to hammer out a solution to a difficult problem. It was the love of these two things that led her to take on these roles at DWP and UCAS.
Committee membership: Remuneration Committee, Nominations Committee
Shuvo Saha
Outline of Shuvo Saha's career
Shuvo Saha conceived and built the 'Google Digital Academy' – a service unit dedicated to helping Google's top customers to feel equipped for digital transformation and lead change in their organisations. Prior to this he built Google's UK business with the consumer goods and healthcare industries, as well as being the thought leader and MC for Google's flagship events about 'Marketing in a Digital World'. With a career spanning P&G, consulting, and Google, he brings extensive experience in brand management, sales management, digital media, marketing transformation, customer experience, L&D, and building organisation capability.
Shuvo is currently shaping the next chapter of his career in the education and transformation space, while continuing his work as a trustee and adviser to a number of educational charities, social enterprises and start-ups.
Professor Colin Riordan
Outline of Professor Colin Riordan's career
Professor Colin Riordan took up the post of President and Vice-Chancellor at Cardiff University on 1 September 2012. Previously he was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Essex, having been appointed in October 2007. He moved to Essex from Newcastle University, where he had been Pro Vice-Chancellor and Provost of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. Professor Riordan taught English as a foreign language at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg in Germany (1982-84), becoming Lecturer, then Senior Lecturer in German at Swansea University (1986-1998). He became Professor of German at Newcastle University in 1998, where he remained until his move to Essex. Professor Riordan is Vice-Chair of the Association of Commonwealth Universities. He is a Trustee of the Edge Foundation, chairs the Welsh Higher Education Brussels Board, and is also a member of the British Council Education Advisory Group.
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Key dates
2021 UCAS Board meetings
- Wednesday 10 March
- Thursday 13 May
- Wednesday 14 July
- Wednesday 6 October
- Thursday 9 December