Estates Director appointed Chair of national body

The University of Hertfordshire’s Director of Estates, Ian Grimes, has become the new Chair of the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE).

AUDE is a membership body dedicated to making estates and facilities in Higher Education better and providing a credible voice for estates within higher education.

It supports university estates teams in a wide range of professional areas, such as in emerging issues around sustainability and biodiversity, as well as on themes such as the successful management of campuses, and running large-scale capital development projects. By nature, it is a ‘learning organisation’, helping colleagues from universities right across the country share and learn together so that the profession can be as strong and effective as possible.

Ian Grimes commented:

“I am proud to be taking on the role of Chair of AUDE, which has been important to me in my career. I am excited to help shape its approach in such a meaningful sector for so many people.

“The challenges facing our campuses are significant, but so is the collective expertise and commitment across AUDE’s membership.”

Under Ian Grimes’ leadership, Herts’ College Lane campus recently expanded to include a £100 million, five-storey Spectra building housing its School of Physics, Engineering and Computer Science. Alongside its Morgan Sindall Construction, Spectra led to Herts being awarded Project of the Year and Herts was also awarded Client of the Year by Constructing Excellence.

The University is currently set to open Hertfordshire’s first Medical School in September. The University’s facilities, across two campuses located in Hatfield, include a full-scale courtroom, science laboratories, a dedicated Institute of Sport, and an Enterprise Hub.

Ian Grimes now holds the position of AUDE Chair for two years until 2028.

Learn more about AUDE.

Read more about the University of Hertfordshire’s estates.

ENDS.