Chairman of the Board of Governors Appointment
The University of Hertfordshire is pleased to announce the appointment of Richard Beazley, Vice Lord Lieutenant of Hertfordshire, as an Independent Member of the Board of Governors from 1 January 2013 and Chairman of the Board from 1 September 2013.
Joining the Board
Richard will be replacing Mrs Jo Connell as Chairman of the Board of Governors, when she steps down on 31 August 2013. As the University’s governing body, the Board is responsible for determining the University’s educational character and mission, as well as its strategic direction.
Appointed as Vice Lord Lieutenant in 2010, Richard is a member of the University Court and of the Advisory Council for the Hertfordshire Community Foundation. He held the position of Non-Executive Chairman of East and North Herts NHS Trust, from 2002 to 2012 where during this time the Board was restructured. A new set of values were embedded in the Trust and a long-term vision, strategies and business plan were developed. The Trust also continued to develop its role in maintaining its standard of service and trust in the local community.
Welcoming Richard
Professor Quintin McKellar, Vice Chancellor of the University of Hertfordshire, said: “I am delighted that Richard Beazley has been appointed the new Chairman of Governors, to take over from Jo Connell at the end of her term. Jo has made an outstanding contribution to the University and I am confident Richard will build on the excellent work she has achieved during her tenure.”
In welcoming Richard, exiting Chairman Jo Connell said: “I have thoroughly enjoyed my twelve years on the Board of Governors, with six of those years as Chairman, and have no doubt Richard will be an excellent successor, bringing his wealth of knowledge and experience to the role.”
Background
Richard read Law at Exeter University and qualified as a solicitor in 1974. From 1976 he served as Legal Counsel with Mobil Oil Corp’s subsidiaries in Norway, Indonesia, Canada and the UK before taking up a position as General Counsel of Mobil North Sea. He stayed with the corporation until 2000 in various roles, and since 1993 held the position of Chief Executive of various groups of operating subsidiaries in Europe, Central Asia, Russia, Africa and the Middle East.
He has also published articles and presented papers on relevant legal and business issues in various forums, including the Royal Institute of International Affairs. He is also the Vice Chairman of the Florence Nightingale Foundation, which awards Scholarships to advance the study of nursing and to promote excellence in practice.
Richard’s term of office will conclude on 31 August 2016. Exiting Chairman, Jo Connell joined the Board of Governors in 2001 and became Chairman in 2007.