How is Lancaster University governed and managed?

Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Professor Steve Bradley

Professor Bradley was the former Pro-Vice-Chancellor (International) prior to becoming Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor in January 2019, Interim Vice-Chancellor in October 2019 and reprising the role of Interim Deputy Vice-Chancellor in May 2020. He was appointed as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in October 2020. Steve Bradley is a Professor of Economics. He was educated at Leeds Polytechnic and Lancaster University from which he holds Master's and doctorate degrees. Prior to his entry to academia, Steve spent ten years working in Local Government as a member of the Education Department of Lancashire County Council.

His research interests fall into two areas – Education Economics and Labour Economics. He has published widely on issues related to the operation and impact of introducing a quasi-market in the secondary education sector, and the econometric analysis of educational policy. Published work in the field of Labour Economics includes the employer selection and recruitment, tests of theories of labour market matching, the effect of employment protection on worker effort.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor Global (Digital, International, Sustainability)

Professor Simon Guy

Professor Simon Guy’s remit is to develop, connect and lead Lancaster University’s digital, global and development strategy. He is leading the establishment of the University’s new campus in Leipzig and continuing to develop our China campus while strengthening connections between all our international partnerships, including Ghana and Malaysia. He also leads our digital agenda, ensuring our infrastructure and operational processes are digitally enabled to promote agility and efficiency and that digital innovation underpins our academic practices. Simon is the major lead across all of our development, alumni and fundraising work, oversees the library, and is the University lead on sustainability.

Simon’s previous role was the Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) at Lancaster University (2014-19), and in 2017-18 he was seconded as Interim Principal/CEO for University Academy 92 to lead the establishment of the new campus and curriculum.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (研究 and Enterprise)

Professor Louise Heathwaite CBE FRSE

Professor Louise Heathwaite provides strategic leadership for the University in research and enterprise, including developing the high-level strategy for research and ensuring the growth trajectory of research income in recent years is continued. She is the institutional lead for REF 2021.

Louise is a hydrochemist and Professor of Land and Water Science in the Lancaster Environment Centre at Lancaster University. She is recognised internationally as an authority on diffuse environmental pollution, particularly in understanding the pathways of nitrogen and phosphorus loss from agricultural land to water and the implications for freshwater quality.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Engagement)

Professor Sarah Kemp

Sarah Kemp is the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Engagement. She leads on the Knowledge Exchange Framework and the Civic University’s Agreement. Lancaster University places equal weight on the quality of its teaching, its research and its engagement, as all are critical to the civic responsibility of a university in the 21^st Century. She leads on the Eden North project and broader external engagement with National Cyber Force and is the senior management link to the Chaplaincy.

Sarah has built a career which is fluid across many sectors within the private and public sector arena, building on an original foundation as a science and technology graduate of Kings College London. She subsequently became a successful international business development manager in life science and scientific instrumentation markets, at which time she also successfully completed a Master's in 商业 Administration.

Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Education)

Professor Wendy Robinson

Professor Wendy Robinson is the PVC Education and is responsible for leading the University’s strategy for continuing to deliver an excellent transformative and innovative educational experience for all students and to ensure that the quality of the student experience remains at the heart of University activity.

Wendy joins Lancaster from the University of Exeter, where she was PVC and Executive Dean of the College of Social Sciences and International Studies. She joined Exeter in 2006 as a Professor of Education and held positions including Head of the Graduate School of Education, Associate Dean (Education) for the College of Social Sciences and International Studies and University Academic Dean for Students. Whilst at Exeter, Wendy led important developments within the University, including serving on University Council, leading Exeter’s strategic review of postgraduate taught programmes, leading the Exeter Effective Learning Analytics Project, chairing the University Race Equality Group and Widening Participation Operations Board and, in the region, as Chair of the South West Academic Trust. Wendy was recently co-opted onto the UCAS Audit Committee and is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE.

Executive Dean, Faculty of Science and Technology

Professor Peter M. Atkinson

Professor Peter Atkinson is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Lancaster University. Since 2015, he has been responsible for the strategic leadership of the Faculty, which comprises seven departments. In 2018-19, he was simultaneously Interim Dean of Lancaster's Faculty of Health and Medicine. In 2018-19, Peter Chaired the University’s Athena SWAN Institutional Self-Assessment Team (ISAT), leading to a successful Institutional Bronze Award.

Peter is a Distinguished Professor of Spatial Data Science at Lancaster. His research is highly interdisciplinary, covering a wide range of statistical and numerical modelling methods on the one hand and several application domains on the other. He is a Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, was awarded the 2016 Peter Burrough Medal of the ISARA organisation, and held the 2015 Belle van Zuylen Chair at Utrecht University.

Executive Dean, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences

Professor Edward Simpson

Professor Edward Simpson is Executive Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. FASS is a large and vibrant faculty with a global outlook and reputation. The Faculty includes arts, humanities, languages and social sciences as well the Confucius Institute, Lancaster Arts and The Ruskin. Edward joined Lancaster in 2023 having previously served as Head of College at SOAS University of London.

Edward is Professor of Social Anthropology. His research has focused on India, particularly post-disaster reconstruction and politics. More recently, with funding from the European 研究 Council, he has led projects looking at climate change, infrastructure and thought politics.

Executive Dean, Lancaster University Management School

Professor Claire Leitch

Professor Claire Leitch was appointed Executive Dean of Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) in May 2022, with responsibility for leading the Faculty to align with Lancaster University’s strategy. She joined LUMS in 2012 and served as Interim Executive Dean, Deputy Dean and Associate Dean in LUMS prior to her recent appointment. Before arriving in Lancaster, Professor Leitch held posts at Queen’s University Management School, Belfast and the University of Ulster. In 2021, she was elected as one of Senate’s representatives to University Council for a three-year period.

Claire has an international research reputation and recognition in gender, leadership and learning in entrepreneurial contexts and was responsible for leading the Faculty’s successful Athena Swan Bronze submission in April 2021. Currently, she is co-director of LUMS’s Academy for Gender, Work and Leadership and is leading a major EU project addressing gender inequality in management schools, which positions Lancaster at the heart of the European EDI agenda.

Executive Dean, Faculty of Health and Medicine

Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone

Professor Jo Rycroft-Malone is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medicine with responsibility for leading the Faculty to align with Lancaster University’s strategy.

Jo is a Professor of Health 研究 undertaking research that is directly relevant to improving patient and public outcomes and experiences. Funding for her research has come from a variety of sources, including the FP7 Programme, NIHR, the Economic & Social 研究 Council, the Medical 研究 Council, the Canadian Institutes for Health 研究, and the Australian Health and Medical 研究 Council. Jo was named a highly cited researcher in the top 1% globally by citation for field (social sciences) in the Web of Science.

Deputy Chief Executive (Operations)

Nicola Owen

Nicola Owen is the Deputy Chief Executive (Operations) at Lancaster University. Together with the Director of Finance, she leads the Professional Services at Lancaster. As Deputy Chief Executive (Operations), she is the Head of Administration and has responsibility for the following administrative divisions:

• 校友 and Development
• External Relations
• Facilities
• Information Systems Services
• People and Organisational Effectiveness
• 研究 and Enterprise Services
• Strategic Planning and Governance
• Student and Education Services

Director of Finance

Sarah Randall-Paley BA, FCA

Sarah Randall-Paley has been Lancaster University’s Director of Finance since 2009. Together with the Chief Administrative Officer and Secretary, she leads the Professional Services at Lancaster. As Director of Finance, she is responsible for Finance and Procurement activities including financial management and control, financial reporting, preparation of data returns, audit preparation, treasury management and promoting value for money. She also supports the Vice-Chancellor in his wider responsibilities as designated Accountable Officer under the OfS regulatory framework.

Prior to joining Lancaster, Sarah studied English at Nottingham University and then worked in London to qualify as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, working in audit and forensic accounting.