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
Simon Bates
Partner/Member of PA’s Management Group
PA Consulting
Outline of Simon Bates's career
Simon is a partner/member of the Management Group at PA Consulting. He has spent most of his career in the management consulting sector, advising private and public sector clients on strategy, operations, organisational and technology topics. His particular areas of expertise are around customer-centric, data-led and digitally-enabled services. He has worked with some of the largest corporates and with many start-ups and scale-ups.
In recent years, his focus and passion have been in digital health, especially how healthcare providers and life sciences companies can collaborate to develop holistic therapies, diagnostics and services to improve outcomes for individuals, society and the organisations themselves. In an earlier phase of his consulting career, he worked extensively in the education sector, including advising on national-level reform programmes.
He has an MSc in Organisational Change from Cranfield University and his undergraduate degree was in France, at Neoma Business School. He is a member of the Economic & Social Research Council peer review college.
Committee membership: Finance Committee, Remuneration Committee
Dr Ben Calvert
University of South Wales (USW)
Outline of Ben Calvert's career
Ben started his academic career as an undergraduate studying social sciences and later a PhD focusing on British tabloid press coverage of share ownership and privatisation during the 1980s. He started his career as a lecturer at the University of Central England, teaching media and cultural studies. Later, he was a Senior Lecturer at the University of St. Mark and St. John, Plymouth and in 2002 moved to the University of Gloucestershire where he would eventually become Dean of the Faculty of Media, Arts and Technology.
Ben published in the fields of pedagogy and the study of television and as a Head of Department and later Dean was involved in the bidding team that secured Skillset Media Academy status. He oversaw a significant development of the portfolio and growth of student numbers. He was also university lead on the successful development of a University Technical College at Berkeley Green, in partnership with South Gloucestershire and Stroud College. Ben also trained as a QAA reviewer for their Review of Educational Oversight method and was an external examiner in various institutions.
Ben joined the University of South Wales in 2015 as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Learning, Teaching and Student Experience implementing a new Student Experience Plan and overseeing significant improvement in student metrics across the University. Ben has played important external roles within Wales and the U.K. including as a member of the UK Teaching Excellence Awards Panel, of the Advance HE Steering Group on External Examining, HEFCW’s Student Opportunity and Achievement Committee and the UK Standing Committee for Quality Assessment.
He was Chair of Universities Wales Learning and Teaching Advisory Group for several years, helping to facilitate sector-wide work on learning and teaching, retention, and learner analytics. And he acts as Chair of the Welsh Government COVID Guidance Group working with government, public health officials and other stakeholders in developing frameworks for the continuation of learning through the pandemic. He has been a member of the Board of Governors at Bridgend College, at his local primary school and in his role as Vice-Chancellor, on the Boards of Merthyr Tydfil College and the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Ben is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
Pat Carvalho
Birmingham Metropolitan College
Outline of Pat Carvalho's career
Pat Carvalho joined Birmingham Metropolitan College as Principal in June 2021. Prior to this, she had been at Harrow College since 2009, first as Vice Principal and then becoming the Principal in 2015. In 2017 Harrow College merged with Uxbridge College (HCUC) and Pat became the Deputy CEO for HCUC whilst retaining her Principal role at Harrow. A highlight of her time at HCUC was the successful application and establishment of the West London Institute of Technology.
Further education has always played a part in her life and her first career was as a medical secretary before going to university as a mature student, where she majored in philosophy and then artificial intelligence. After 30 years in the FE sector she remains committed to the sector and its role to promote and deliver lifelong learning to young people and adults.
Committee membership: Finance Committee, Remuneration 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
The AA
Outline of Mark Felix’s career
Mark Felix is the Group Chief Marketing Officer and Chief Commercial Officer for The AA. He is responsible for all Commercial and Marketing activities for its 3.2m AA members. The AA was acquired by Warburg Pincus and Towerbrook in March 2021.
Prior to this, Mark was Executive General Manager at MoneySupermarket.com, a FTSE liste digital price comparison marketplace. He was responsible for Insurance, Customer, Operations and Brand. Prior roles include: Online Director and John Lewis and Head of Grocery Online at Sainsburys. Mark began his career in management consulting at Accenture.
Mark has deep digital experience across Commercial, Marketing and Product in both digitally led and more traditional companies and broad leadership experience across wider teams.
Mark holds a BA Honours degree in history from UCL and has continued his executive education at London Business School.
Committee membership: Audit 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
Alistair Jarvis CBE (co-opted Board member)
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Partnerships and Governance)
University of London
Outline of Alistair Jarvis's career
Alistair’s role includes leadership of governance, communications, development, marketing, legal, inclusion, regulatory compliance and supporting partnerships with federation members.
He was Chief Executive of Universities UK (UUK) from 2017 to 2022. Leading the representative body for the UK’s 140 universities – a registered charity and six subsidiary entities – his role included influencing policy, political engagement, strategy and member engagement. Before this, he was UUK’s Deputy Chief Executive and Director of External Relations since 2013.
Previously, he was a Director at the University of Birmingham and has also held external engagement roles for national organisations in the public and private sectors.
Alistair received a CBE in 2022 for services to Higher Education and Supporting the Higher Education Sector in its response to the covid-19 crisis.
He was educated at the Universities of Kent, Leicester, and the Institute of Education, UCL.
Professor James Miller
University Principal and Vice-Chancellor
University of the West of Scotland
Biography to follow.
Professor Malcolm Press CBE
Manchester Metropolitan University
Outline of Professor Malcolm Press’ career
Professor Malcolm Press CBE 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 the British Council and UCAS, and sits on the Boards of Universities UK and 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, a Trustee of WWF-UK, and as a deputy chair for a Research Excellence Framework panel.
He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in 2022.
Committee membership: Remuneration Committee
Shuvo Saha
Outline of Shuvo Saha's career
Shuvo Saha is Chief Growth Officer for Kite Insights. He is charged with building 'The Climate School' – a new programme which will equip thousands of employees to drive the 'climate transformation' of their companies.
Prior to Kite, Shuvo spent 15 years at Google. He conceived and built the 'Google Digital Academy' to support the digital transformation of Google's top customers. He has extensive experience in building education programmes, enabling executives to change the way they work and lead people-centric transformation of their organisations. Shuvo also led Google UK's business with the Consumer Goods industry, and grew revenues +800% during his tenure.
His 25 year career started in P&G brand management, followed by a spell in consulting on marketing strategy & organisation capability before joining Google in 2006. Outside of work he's a trustee and advisor to educational charities, social enterprises & startups.
Committee membership: Nominations Committee
Melody Stephen
Outline of Melody's career
Melody Stephen is a student at the University of Manchester, studying law with international studies.
Melody has a strong passion for creating and promoting policies that pursue equality, diversity and inclusion in higher education, having served as General Secretary of University of Manchester Students’ Union as well as on the university’s Board of Governors. She currently sits on the Advance HE Governance Strategic Advisory Group and on the Board of the National Union of Students.
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Matters reserved for the UCAS Board (133.93 KB).
Key dates
2023 UCAS Board meetings
- Weds 22 March
- Tues 11 July
- Weds 4 October
- Thurs 7 December