Anthony joined the University of Hertfordshire on 1 September 2025 as its fourth Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive. He is responsible for the decision making affecting the delivery of strategic and operational plans and performance, the day-to-day running of the University, it’s internal structure and organisation, and the interface with external bodies and agencies.

Having graduated from Sunderland Polytechnic in 1986, Anthony gained a MSc in Experimental Pathology & Toxicology in 1987 and a PhD in 1993 both from the Royal Postgraduate Medical School, University of London.

He was Professor of Translational Medicine at Cranfield University until 2007, and more recently Provost at the University of West London. His research in molecular oncology and particularly the role of biomarkers as diagnostic and prognostic tools has been undertaken in collaboration with a number of international pharmaceutical companies.

Period of office to: 31.08.27

Claire Sanders has held a number of senior positions in universities. She is currently Chief Operating Officer at the Associations of Commonwealth Universities. Prior to taking on this role in July 2024, she was Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary at Cardiff University, where she was responsible for the leadership, development and effective delivery of professional services across the University.

Before joining Cardiff University she was Head of Communications and Public Affairs at the London School of Economics where she oversaw the press team, design team, corporate publications, digital communications and crisis communications. This followed a role at Cambridge University where she undertook communications work on admissions and governance.

Her university roles built on her career as a journalist. She worked for The Times Higher for a number of years, as a reporter, feature writer, news editor and opinion editor. She has also worked for the Guardian, New Society and New Statesman, the Listener, BBC and the Deccan Herald in Bangalore, India.

Born in Maseru, Lesotho, she has retained a strong interest in the country.

In 1999 she adopted two children who had spent considerable time in care and campaigns for more support for adopted children and greater understanding of the impact of trauma.

Period of office to: 31.08.27

Dr Nermeen Varawalla, MD, PhD, MBA, is a business leader in the healthcare and life sciences industry who founded, built, exited from multi-national start-up and corporate businesses. She has deep expertise in clinical development, bioinformatics and medical affairs and is passionate about innovative healthcare solutions. Her present portfolio of leadership roles includes President of the INSEAD Alumni Association in the UK, as well as of the Somerville College Alumni Association and Board Member of Oxford India Centre, University of Oxford. Dr Varawalla also serves as the Chair, Medical Advisory Group, Atorvia Health Technologies and Senior Adviser, to GPO Fund for its global venture investments in the life science and healthcare sectors.

Over the past 10 years, Nermeen has held leadership roles at several biopharmaceutical and medical technology companies including BTG International plc. until its acquisition by Boston Scientific Corporation, Atlantic Healthcare and Relief Therapeutics. She has served as a Trustee Board Member for the Malaria Consortium.

Prior to which recognising the opportunity to conduct global clinical trials in India, Nermeen founded a pioneering business which she sold to PRA Health Sciences, now ICON. She later raised private equity financing to build ECCRO, a differentiated contract research organisation which she exited to join the Intas Pharmaceutical Group.

Nermeen completed her medical training at the University of Mumbai, before receiving a Rhodes Fellowship to the University of Oxford for her doctorate following which she worked as an NHS obstetrician and gynaecologist. After an MBA at INSEAD (’00 D), Nermeen transitioned to business by joining Accenture’s Strategy Healthcare Practice in London.

Period of office to: 31.08.27

An alumnus of Herts who was additionally recognised with an Honorary Doctorate in 2012, David Sproul is the Chair of Starling Bank and Pennon Group, having also worked at Deloitte for nearly 20 years as Senior Partner and CEO. David has significant experience working with clients across many business sectors including consumer business, business services, private equity, and real estate, advising on strategic change issues encompassing globalisation of business models, digital and tech disruption, leadership and culture.

As a champion of talent development, David ensured that Deloitte provided student placements, graduate and undergraduate schemes, and programmes through the University of Hertfordshire’s own Careers and Employment and Enterprise Service teams. He has a track record of championing inclusive and diverse culture, increasing representation of women in senior ranks (recognised with a UN Women Empowerment CEO Leadership award in 2016) and increasing role models across all dimensions of diversity. He has also initiated programmes to embed responsible business, such as through schemes like Deloitte’s One Million Futures which has provided opportunities and support for less advantaged people in the UK.

David holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accountancy from Herts, is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants, and a Fellow of the Institute of Taxation.

Period of office to: 31.08.26

Dr Janet Bohrer has been the Chief Executive for the British Accreditation Council (BAC) since October 2019, which provides accreditation for hundreds of colleges and training providers both in the UK and overseas.

Between 2015 and 2019, Janet worked at London South Bank University as the Director of Teaching, Quality and Enhancement. In her role, she managed the four teams responsible for quality and teaching enhancement, including digitally enhanced learning and examinations and conferment.

Before that, between 2003 and 2015, she was an Assistant Director, Standards, Quality and Enhancement at the Quality Assurance Agency for higher education. She was part of the team that developed and maintained the UK Quality Code, managed higher education reviews, and undertook business development work organising and delivering programmes about quality assurance and enhancement with international delegates. Janet continued to facilitate the International Quality Assurance Programme for QAA on an annual basis until 2019.

Janet has also worked at London Metropolitan University and Sheffield Hallam University respectively, and has further experience of university partnerships from being a Trustee of the Council for Validating Universities (CVU).

Janet is Herts alumna, gaining an MSc in Occupational Psychology in 1997.

Period of office to: 29.01.28

Bob is Chair of Hightown Housing Association, and of ACS International Schools.

He started his career as a Geologist before training as a Chartered Accountant with Ernst and Young. He was Chief Executive at National Car Parks Ltd and has had various senior finance roles at Homebase and J Sainsbury. He also previously held non-executive roles with NEL Commissioning Support Unit and Broadview Energy.

Bob has extensive interests in commercial property in the UK and Ireland.

Period of office to: 31.08.27

Raj (B.Tech., MBA, PGDCM, FCMI, FIoD, Chartered Director) is a Chartered Director and CEO of Innotatio Limited, a boutique strategy and digital transformation consultancy; he also sits on the supervisory board of Thames Valley Berkshire Local Enterprise Partnership. He is a member of the Justice and Emergency Services Committee; the UK India Tech Forum of techUK; and is an advisor to the National Police Chiefs’ Council as well as a $5 billion private equity group.

Raj is an accomplished leader in strategy and digital transformation space and has over 38 years of international experience covering several continents. He was Vice President - Sales and Consulting at Intentia South Asia, and then joined Oracle to head their financial services industry solutions unit for Asia Pacific region. Later, he led the public sector business of HCL Technologies in Europe, in addition to heading its global business unit of criminal justice and public safety. In 2012, he founded Innotatio Limited.

Raj has an engineering degree from the Indian Institute of Technology; a M.B.A from Mumbai University; and a post graduate diploma in construction management. He is also a fellow of Chartered Management Institute and the Institute of Directors.

Period of office to: 29.01.28

Lesley CBE is a non-Executive Director of the National Bank of Kuwait International plc., and of Pay.UK. She is also a board member and trustee at StepChange, the debt advice charity.

She qualified as a Chartered Accountant and has held various roles in financial services regulation. From 2015 to 2019, she was Chief Executive of The Pensions Regulator and, before that, was Chief Operating Officer of the Financial Conduct Authority.

Lesley read Classics at St Anne’s College, Oxford, and was awarded a CBE in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours for services to pensions regulation.

Period of office to: 31.08.28

Karen is a chartered accountant who worked in audit practice at Deloitte, having held Finance and Procurement management positions in the retail sector between 1989 and 2003.

She has been a magistrate since 2004 and is Chair of the North and East Hertfordshire bench. She is also a member of both the Hertfordshire Out of Court Disposals Scrutiny Panel and the Hertfordshire Hate Crime Scrutiny Panel.

She has held several non-Executive and Chair positions in Public Services in education, health, and justice sectors, including the Hertfordshire Probation Trust as well as six non-Executive roles within the NHS. Most recently, she was Deputy Chair for the NHS North Central London Clinical Commissioning Group until June 2022.

Her other current positions include being a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire; Chair of Governors / Trustees at The Broxbourne School; and Chair of Governors at Wormley C of E Primary School (VC).

She has a BSc in Mathematics and Statistics from the University of Warwick.

Period of office to: 31.08.28

Dr Lionel is an Aeronautical Engineer by profession, working initially for De Havilland/Hawker Siddeley Aircraft and successor companies, specialising in Airworthiness and Certification. He is currently working on the design and certification of eVTOL (Electrical Vertical Take-Off and Landing) and other future electric aircraft. He has also held various Senior Executive positions throughout his career.

With a keen interest in the justice system, he currently sits on the Local Scrutiny and Involvement Panel of the Crown Prosecution Service. Dr Lionel is also passionate about serving young people in the community; he is involved in various charity and community organisations, including The Prince’s Trust, UK Youth, Hertfordshire Association for Young People, London Community Gospel Choir.

He was appointed by Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II to serve as High Sheriff of Hertfordshire for the year 2021/22, and has been Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire for over 14 years.

Dr Lionel is a Herts alumnus in Law LLB (2014), and became a Governor at Herts in September 2022.

Period of office to: 31.08.28

Dr. Walmsley is the Senior Independent Director at Hertfordshire Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (HPFT); is a trustee of Accumulate, a youth homelessness charity; and an active investor in start-up companies dedicated to climate change mitigation via the Green Angel Syndicate.

Serving on the finance committee, Dr Walmsley has a background in commercial-academic and professional publishing with a series of leadership and entrepreneurial roles driving rapid growth and transformation organically and via strategic partnerships. At Blackwell then Wiley, he served as managing director of £1-200 million international businesses through a period of rapid digital development, and he shared leadership of a £500 million Wall Street quoted company; he also previously grew a £6 million business to £100 million.

Dr. Walmsley holds a PhD in Physical Chemistry from the University of Nottingham where he also gained a joint honours degree in Chemistry and Philosophy. More recently, he completed an MSc in Health Policy from Imperial College, and has been a Public Governor at Ravensbourne University London.

Period of office to: 29.01.28

David Williams was the Leader of Hertfordshire County Council from 2017 to 2021 having been first elected to the council in 2013. This followed a career in financial services that included the roles of UK Supply Management Director and Group Strategy Development Director at Barclays PLC.

At Hertfordshire County Council, he established and chaired the Hertfordshire Growth Board and sat on the board of the Hertfordshire Local Enterprise Partnership and the Stevenage Development Board. He also championed local collaboration and partnership working across the wider public sector in Hertfordshire, notably with NHS bodies to provide better integration across health and care and a shared focus on population health.

Nationally, from 2019 to 2021, David was chairman of the County Councils Network, a cross party grouping of 36 County authorities that serve some 25 million people across England.

In 2021, David was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant of Hertfordshire.

David has an economics degree from Cardiff University, and an MBA from Henley Business School.

Period of office to: 31.08.27

Dr Bakri is a seasoned entrepreneur and healthcare executive with extensive experience in the biotechnology and medical sectors. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School where he was a Fulbright Scholar, and a Medical Degree from Guys and St. Thomas’s Hospital . He is currently the Executive Chairman of Celex Oncology, an oncology therapeutics company, and holds Board roles across various organizations, including the University of Hertfordshire and the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority. He has also worked closely with the UK Government in the Department of International Trade, and is a Senior Advisor to the Health Catalyst Company, a New York based Private Equity Health Technology fund.

Period of office to: 31.08.28

Dr Luke Wood is a Principal Lecturer in Engineering & Computer Science (specialising in AI and Robotics) at the University of Hertfordshire. He is currently Deputy Leader of the MSc Computer Science programme, one of the University’s largest postgraduate provision areas, supporting approximately 3,500 students annually since 2021 across multiple specialist pathways. In this role, he provides strategic leadership in curriculum development, academic quality assurance, assessment strategy, accreditation alignment and staff development, helping to ensure the programme remains industry-relevant, inclusive and internationally competitive.

His research focuses on human–robot interaction and assistive robotics. Luke played an integral role in the development of the Kaspar humanoid robot, designed to support children with autism spectrum disorder through structured interactive play. As part of the EU Horizon 2020 BabyRobot project (2016–2019), his work centred on designing and evaluating robotic interaction strategies to facilitate Visual Perspective Taking (VPT) in children with autism, including the deployment of Kaspar in school-based trials to support social cognition and engagement.

Beyond his academic responsibilities, Luke actively supports STEM outreach initiatives. He has led robotics and engineering workshops in local schools and community settings, including activities delivered through the UK Festival of Robotics. Between 2008 and 2020, he was also involved in youth development through sport as a roller hockey coach and mentor, promoting teamwork, resilience and wellbeing in young people through inclusive participation and grassroots sports engagement.

As Staff Governor, Luke brings extensive experience in large-scale programme leadership, research-led teaching, digital innovation and community engagement. He is committed to ensuring that governance decisions reflect the perspectives of both academic and professional services colleagues and align with the University’s strategic priorities around student success, inclusion, sustainability and future-focused educational practice.

Period of office to: 31.08.28

Professor Layzell CBE was Principal of Royal Holloway, University of London between 2010 and 2022. He is currently Chair of Herts for Learning, the UK’s largest schools-owned company supporting schools and school improvement across Hertfordshire and beyond. His role on the Board is as a co-opted member having experience in the provision of education.

Previously, he worked at UMIST and the universities of Manchester and Sussex respectively. A computer science academic, Prof Layzell worked on early developments of cloud-computing and ‘software-as-a-service’ as well as systems to integrate health, social care, and education data. Between 2001 and 2004, he was Programme Manager for the merger of UMIST and the University of Manchester.

Prof Layzell has served as a non-Executive director on many bodies, including chair of the UK’s largest general qualifications examination board, Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA); chair of London Higher, representing London’s universities; and chair of Eduserv. He has also served on the boards of Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA); Jisc; and joined the board of University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust in 2022.

Prof Layzell was awarded a CBE in the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Birthday Honours List in 2022 for services to Higher Education and Technology.

Period of office to: 28.02.27

Tony is an entrepreneur, corporate innovator, and angel investor with over 25 years of leadership experience. An authority on start-ups, corporate venturing, building high performing teams and businesses, he is especially focussed on developing high-value, technology-enabled Health, Environmental and Sustainable Development impact driven organisations. His role on the Board is as a co-opted member nominated by members of the Board who are not Co-opted members.

Currently, he is a member of the Advisory Council and Venture Partner of the United Nations Development Programme-backed sustainability venture accelerator ‘Accelerate2030’ in Geneva as well as a Board Advisor at Geneva Macro Labs. Tony is also an investor and board advisor in FinTech, ClimateTech, Health, and software ventures with merger and acquisition exits to Oracle, Piksel, Nokia, and Opentext.

Tony has an MBA from Henley Business School; a BSc (Hon) Physics & Electronic Systems from Brunel University; and is a certified Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) practitioner from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Period of office to: 31.08.27

Justin is the Medical Director of East and North Herts NHS Trust where he also works as a Consultant Paediatrician. His subspeciality interest is paediatric HIV. He is part of the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) Technology Appraisal Committee and has previously been the Trustee of a national charity.

As Medical Director, he has responsibility for clinical standards and also leads on a number of portfolios including research and sustainability.

Period of office to: 31.08.27

Following a highly successful career as a specialist electroacoustic consultant across the globe working on high profile cultural and transportation projects, Helen joined UH in October 2020. It was time to put down roots and not only add another building to the list of achievements but also to build a more far reaching legacy by contributing to the teaching of the next generation of engineers, beyond those in electroacoustics.

While working tirelessly as the technical lead and the School’s primary interface for Spectra project. Helen has built a department to serve exemplary teaching and research support. Helen is on mission to raise the profile of all UH technicians through the People Committee and the Technician commitment.

Helen is the immediate past President of the Institute of Sound Communication and Visual Engineers and is the Technical Chair of the annual conference. Helen is also the registered trustee of a local performing arts charity.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor

Tim joins the University of Hertfordshire from Oxford Brookes University, where he was Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation. With more than 20 years’ experience in higher education as a leader, researcher and teacher, Tim brings deep expertise in innovation, enterprise and partnership working.

Previously, Tim led the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and Oxford Brookes Business School, overseeing significant institutional change, strengthening interdisciplinary research, and building strong relationships with commercial, civic and public sector partners.

An economic geographer, Tim’s research focuses on entrepreneurship and regional economic development. He was awarded an OBE in 2022 and is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences and the Chartered Association of Business Schools.

Deputy Secretary and Registrar and Head of Corporate Services

Helen Davidson is Deputy Secretary and Registrar and Head of Corporate Services at the University of Hertfordshire. She has over 20 years of Higher Education experience working for Newcastle University and the University of Hertfordshire. In her role as Assistant Registrar (Academic Services), Helen led departments to provide academic administration support in relation to: academic quality and compliance; the Doctoral College; Ethics; Degree Apprenticeships; and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. For the past five years, her remit has widened and as Head of Corporate Services she is responsible for university governance; legal and compliance; internal audits; health and safety; research; and planning and policy.

Helen is co-chair of the University’s People Committee and Chairs the Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic Staff Success Group. Helen played a lead role in the University’s Athena Swan and Race Equality Charter Mark institutional submissions, for which the University of Hertfordshire holds Bronze awards. She is also a Senior Champion for the Carers Network at the University.

She has a BA (Hons) in Communication Studies from the University of Sunderland.

Period of office to: 30.06.26

Jubair Ahmed is the elected President of Herts SU.

Jubair began his academic journey at Hertfordshire International College (HIC) in 2021, where he received the High Achievers Class of 2022 Award. He progressed to the University of Hertfordshire to pursue BEng (Hons) (SW) Aerospace Engineering with Space Technology, completing a placement year as a Research & Development Engineer at Heraeus Electro-Nite UK Ltd, gaining valuable industry experience in innovation and problem-solving.

Throughout his time at Herts, Jubair has been deeply involved in student life. He served as Inclusion Officer of the UH Debate Society and Treasurer of the UH Bangladeshi Society, which was a finalist for Society of the Year at the SU Awards. He was also recognised as a finalist in the Unsung Hero category. Alongside his academic work, he held positions as a Student Representative and Student Proctor, supporting fellow students in labs and classrooms.

As President, Jubair is committed to addressing key student priorities including improved transport options, more accessible and affordable food services, enhanced student spaces, improved teaching quality and better facilities across campus. He is focused on uniting students, challenging the status quo and ensuring every student voice is heard and valued.