Job Shadowing HE

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...

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 financia...

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...

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 motiv...

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...

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...

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...

Akhil Yerneni and Claire Carter are both partners at the Executive Search firm,  Anderson Quigley.  In this episode, Akhil and Claire demystify the role of an executive search firm in relation to both permanent and interim roles for HE professional services and academic staff and, amongst other topics, offer advice on how and when to work with firms to maximise engagement.    This episode is kindl...

Andrea Bolshaw is an Interim Registrar and Secretary. She started her Higher Education career as a Graduate Trainee, and subsequently carved out a career path through increasingly senior positions that took her to becoming a Registrar and Secretary in a permanent role. In 2023, she took a major professional decision to leave permanent employment and move into the freelance world. Since that time,...

Professor Susannah Quinsee is Vice-President (Digital and Student Experience) at City, University of London and Ian Anderson is Principal Enterprise Architect at Ellucian. In this episode, Ian and Susannah reflect upon many of the themes that have arisen across the mini-series and consider how institutions are managing change. They draw together thoughts on how this might be done while also provid...

Luke Phillimore is Associate Director of Change at the  University of Nottingham  and is also the Network Coordinator for the  Association of Higher Education Professionals  Change Network. In this episode, Luke focuses on why people are at the core of change, the importance of empowering people through the change process and why the most relevant outcome of change is people's acceptance to adopt...

Krissi Sanft is Managing Director of Portare Solutions , a boutique consultancy firm focused on change and transformation. Portare Solutions has a strategic partnership with Ellucian to accelerate, support and enhance the transformation to Software as a Service (SaaS) student information systems for HEIs. In this episode, Krissi provides an overview of her career path and the work of Portare Solut...

Greg Sheridan is Senior Registry Digital Manager at the University of the West of Scotland . In this episode, Greg shares his experience of the cyber attack on his institution in July 2023. He explores both the rapid and longer-term change that he needed to progress to build back better the student record system, and how that process was as much about people, mindsets and decision-making, as it wa...

Louise Savage is Head of School Operations in the School of Education at the University of Nottingham . In this episode, Louise talks about her experience of engaging with change from a school perspective including in her roles as both a stakeholder and a leader. She explores navigating that often delicate balance of local and institutional needs, discusses how effective consultation, engagement a...

Helen Langley is Project Manager in the Change Support Unit at  City, University of London . In this episode, Helen provides an overview of the projects she has and is managing at City to enhance the student experience. She also shares more about how she got into project management, offers insight into the project framework used by City and reflects upon the downs and ups of being a project manage...

Ben Rogers is Director of Registry Services at  Cardiff Metropolitan University  and is also Chair of the UK's  Academic Registrars Council . In this episode, Ben talks about being the co-sponsor of an institution-wide change project at Cardiff Met to review student journey processes from enrolment through to graduation and the implementation of a new student records system. He shares background t...

Professor Mairi Watson is Deputy Vice-Chancellor at the  University of Hertfordshire , prior to which she was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and Student Experience. In this episode, Mairi offers a senior leadership perspective of leading change, the importance of ambition, the scope for taking risks and being brave, and why supporting colleagues' readiness for change is such a vital part of lea...

Yemi Gbajobi is the Chief Executive Officer of  Arts Students' Union  at the  University of the Arts London . In this episode, Yemi talks about her role and career path, discusses the pushes and pulls of the relationship between students' unions and universities, shares how she navigates the intersectionality of being a younger, Black, female leader in Higher Education, reflects upon how she learn...

Rachel Reeds is Senior Admissions Manager at  Anglia Ruskin University.  In this episode, Rachel talks about about the twists and turns of her career path, discusses the lynchpin role admissions professionals play in supporting students' HE journeys, shares her views on authentic leadership and provides insight into what she's gained from studying on the PG Certificate in HE Administration Managem...

Kerry Matthews is Chief Student Officer at the University of Surrey, and holds strategic leadership responsibility for the seamless student journey.  In this episode, Kerry shares insight into her role and career path to date, talks about her approach to leading cultural aspects of change, delves into what it's like to be a member of a University Executive Board and reflects upon why it's importan...

John Schless is Head of Student Experience at the  Royal College of Art.     In this episode, John shares his leadership experience at the Royal College of Art as well as the transition to his current post from previously being Chief Executive of the Students' Union at the University of Greenwich. With the benefit of leading the student experience from 'both sides', and having perspectives from a...

Rebecca O'Hare is Deputy Director of Residential Services at the  University of Leeds . In this episode, Rebecca shares more about how student accommodation is a central part of the student experience, talks about her career path in different types of student accommodation jobs and highlights the role she took in response to the national  Living Black at University  report, commissioned by Unite S...

Ashleigh Hope is Head of Access and Participation at the  Guildhall School of Music & Drama  and James Rew is Access and Participation Manager at  Leeds Conservatoire .    In this episode, Ashleigh and James discuss the HE conservatoire setting, the benefits of working in a small specialist institution and how they have each developed their access and participation career paths to date. They a...

Josh Gulrajani is Director of Planning, Performance and Student Statutory Returns at  Aston University .    In this episode, Josh explains the remit of a planning director and, with my episode co-host HE consultant  David Marks , delves into the topics of student number planning, the broader planning process and recent sector experience of Data Futures. Josh also shares his career path so far, dis...

Julie Kelly is Academic Registrar at the University of Hertfordshire and Lesley O'Keeffe is Registrar at Brunel University . They are also both members of the Executive Committee of the Academic Registrars Council, the national body that represents the profession.    In this episode, Julie and Lesley explore the vast and pivotal role of the Academic Registrar in supporting the student journey, the...