The following people are standing for election to the Board of Trustees
Office holders
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Emma Woodcock - nominated for the position of Chair CIO |
Pen profile
Emma Woodcock is an experienced Senior Leader who has worked within a variety of complex organisations. She has experience of working in Higher Education, Local Government, and the Private Sector and works regularly at Executive level. She is currently the UCISA Deputy Chair and CIO at York St John University.
Emma forged her early career within the private sector where she was involved in implementing process improvements and organisational change, many of which overlapped with the introduction of new technologies. Emma’s career evolved alongside the growth and evolution of IT as a professional discipline, she has witnessed the development and adoption of professional standards such as ITIL and has experience in managing their adoption and use. She is a qualified ITIL Expert, MSP Practitioner and Scrum Master. She has experience of working in IT Operational roles, project and programme management and change management.
In her personal life Emma brought up two sons on her own and understands the challenges of juggling a demanding career with the commitments of family life. Emma is particularly interested in how to support more women into digital careers.
Emma has held several voluntary roles including a school governor, Sheffield steelers lacrosse junior section manager and membership secretary and is currently treasurer for Sheffield Harmony, a large women’s acapella choir.
Emma started working in the HE sector 13 years ago at Sheffield Hallam University and is currently in the role of CIO at York St John University with responsibility for IT operations and the delivery of an ambitious Digital Strategy. At the heart of this strategy is a commitment to design the digital campus with as much care and attention as the physical campus and empower the University community to get value from all its digital resources.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan
Higher Education is a challenging sector to work in as an IT leader – the open nature of a campus combined with the demands of research and a varied curriculum presents some unique challenges especially in areas such as cyber security. I understand these challenges from holding leadership roles in both one of the largest UK Universities and one of the smallest. I have found being a UCISA trustee to be extremely rewarding and I believe that I can offer value as deputy chair.
I can offer a marriage of experience accumulated in the fields of IT management and organisational change management. I have learnt lessons the hard way and carry the battle scars of failed initiatives and I understand the impact of issues such as poor decision making, poor levels of scrutiny, lack of challenge, poor stakeholder engagement, and poor supplier management. I will use these experiences and the ways in which I have overcome these kinds of issues to support UCISA in the delivery of its strategic plan.
I have experience of the challenge’s that IT leaders face to maintain services during periods of accelerating digital change. I understand the pressure to deliver innovative solutions to meet the way in which HE is evolving. I am an advocate of good digital design and believe passionately about technology adding value in education. I have experienced the reality of this on the ground and understand the sector specific nuances that add complexities to the way in which we manage IT services.
Finally, I care deeply about the development of the profession of IT within HE/FE. I have worked hard to “professionalise” and raise the profiles of two HE IT departments, bringing industry standard practise to teams that had previously suffered from a lack of recognition and low morale. I care about the way IT itself needs to evolve to gain greater recognition and Executive level support. This aligns with so much of what UCISA wants to achieve with its members. Sharing good practise, supporting the development of its members, and helping to win the ear of Executive teams. I am keen to continue my support of UCISA and explore how its membership benefits can enhance the ability of our members to become trusted strategic partners within their organisations.
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a ucisa Trustee or USL Director:
The simple answer to this question is that I have benefited enormously from the work that UCISA does, my first experience being the support of the Project and Change Management Group when I first joined the HE community just over 12 years ago. The resources and networking opportunities were invaluable. I became a Trustee in 2021 and I feel that I can now offer value back to UCISA by offering to become Deputy Chair.
The role of UCISA has never been more important to the sector, the pandemic has catapulted IT and digital firmly into the spotlight. I am passionate about retaining the momentum and respect that IT departments across our sector have achieved in the last 2 years, which were debated widely at our leadership conference in March. It is clear to me that UCISA is playing a key role in bringing the IT leadership community together to navigate the post pandemic challenges that we all face. I am hugely motivated with what this community can potentially achieve together.
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James Crooks - nominated for the position of Deputy Chair CIO |
Pen Profile
James is currently the Chief Information Officer at Durham University. He joined Durham in February 2023 bringing over 20 years’ experience in technology leadership roles across Higher Education, Financial Services, and UK Government, most recently as Director of Learning and Information Services for the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). James is a Fellow of the British Computing Society (FBCS) and has served on the Board of Trustees of UCISA since June 2022.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan
A key challenge for all organisations is that digital, technology, systems and data are no longer solely the responsibility of the IT team. These are all enterprise-wide capabilities that must be embraced, owned, and used by everyone, and I look to bring colleagues, students, researchers and partners together to enable, build, and grow this digital capability. I truly believe that the organisations who can openly acknowledge and embed this understanding across their communities and culture, are the ones who have the most to gain – whether through increased market share, adopting new and different business models, or simply the flexibility to scale their operations up or down with ease, and at pace. The digital age brings such significant, but often untapped, potential for transformation across all areas of business, education and research, but must be managed and enabled through appropriate levels of strategic control, security and governance.
I have written several IT and Digital strategies and plans, which have encompassed all of the above areas and have very much shared the same underlying values and guiding principles of UCISA’s strategic plan.
I have always been a passionate advocate of the enabling capabilities of digital technology, and can confidently articulate, present, and share this with people and groups of all levels of experience, status, and understanding. I have delivered presentations on a range of topics – including digital skills, recruitment and retention, cyber security, and digital strategy - to senior leadership teams, external suppliers, and communities at various organisations, conferences and other events both nationally and internationally, and would be keen to continue to support these opportunities for sharing and advocacy in my role as trustee. My leadership style acknowledges the importance of balancing authority and confidence, with humility and service, which is essential in any organisation but particularly so in Higher Education, where so many of our colleagues are proven experts - often world-leaders - within their field. I believe this balanced and customer-centric approach, continues to serve me well in tangibly leading and building relationships based on trust and confidence, in the wider sector community.
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a UCISA Trustee or USL Director:
I have applied for the role of Deputy Chair of UCISA for a number of reasons, but having had the pleasure of serving as trustee since last June, my primary motivation is to continue to play whatever part I can in supporting, enabling, and influencing positive change across the sector. There has never been a more exciting time to be a technology leader, nor has there been a greater opportunity for technology to enable innovation and change across education. As deputy chair I really do think I can make a valuable contribution to realising the potential that our community has to deliver positive change for students, our colleagues, our technology partners, and the UK education sector as a whole. I believe my skills and experience will allow me to help support Deborah, the Chair, our fellow trustees, and team UCISA, to deliver on the strategic plan and continue to develop and grow UCISA in the best interests of its members.
Nominees for the one elected position on the UCISA Board of Trustees
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Karen Bates Deputy Chief Digital and Information Officer |
Pen profile
I have worked in the Higher Education Sector for the last 8 years, after almost 20 years in Local Government. I have led Digital and Organisational Transformation Programmes for the last 14 years, and have a strong background in Programme Leadership, Change and Contract Management. In 2020 I completed an MBA specialising in Strategic Leadership and will shortly be undertaking an Executive Education Programme at London Business School, focused on Women in Leadership. Continued personal and professional development is something I strive to maintain.
I pride myself in working in a collaborative and coaching way to support my teams and organisation to success, leading by example and exhibiting strong and positive leadership behaviours. I have been able to bring the experiences of leading efficiency programmes in local government to the HE sector, exploring new ways to deliver high-quality services in the most cost effective way. I enjoy bringing together the high-level strategic aims, and translating into actionable, achievable programmes of work. The pandemic enabled us all to work in a more agile, responsive and risk-based way, and I am keen to ensure that the sector continues this way of working, collaborating and innovating together.
I believe through building strong, trusted relationships, both within our sector and beyond we can enable growth and UCISA can grow its positive influence as the voice of the sector. I will always seek to do the right thing, not necessarily the easiest thing, and embark on new challenges in my career and personal life to stretch myself and expand my networks. I am passionate about encouraging and motivating others to reach and exceed their potential and am particularly keen that the technology sector within HE improves its DEI activities, and allows us to attract more diverse talent to our institutions.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan
I have worked in leadership roles for over 15 years, spanning both the Higher Education and Local Government Sector. I have experienced first-hand the challenges faced to deliver and keep pace with the digital agenda with the years post-covid bringing greater demand coupled with growing investment challenges for many institutions. I was fortunate to be co-opted onto the Board of Trustees for UCISA in 2022, and it has been an exceptional experience, working with the UCISA Board and Leadership Team to ensure that our members are both represented and supported. I have been able to bring my knowledge and skills to the board discussions both from several years at the University of Portsmouth, and my 18 months working at London Business School which provides a different lens to approach the same challenges.
Working collaboratively as a body of organisations facing many of the same challenges will allow for improvement and influence on the market, and the benefits of that are clear to see from the ongoing representation work within UCISA. I would like to continue to bring my commercial and contract management experience to support the board with this growing body of work. Helping UCISA to use our collective influence as a single voice to shape change. Through my career I have led on several multi-million programmes of work, at times with complex shared service structures or tri-partite agreements. I have led bids to central government and supported the delivery thereafter. With a background in business and digital transformation, I would also be looking to support the organisation of UCISA to continue to grow and achieve great results for itself and the sector.
Another key area I would like to support UCISA with is the attraction and retention of highly skilled technical professionals within the sector. It’s an issue for many of our institutions, and as mentioned in the UCSIA vision, working together to provide ‘professional development of individuals and enhance the collective expertise of our community’. At the Leadership Conference in March I participated in a panel, discussing this topic alongside colleagues and Hays. I would like to continue to support UCISA taking a lead facilitation role. We need greater diversity across our institutions, particularly in our technology teams, and I believe UCISA has a role to play in helping accelerate our diversity agenda. Last year I was honoured to participate in a UCISA Webinar alongside the Rt Hon Stuart Lawrence discussing DEI in Tech.
Having completed a Masters in Strategic Leadership, I have had a short break from formal study, but have recently been accepted on a Women in Leadership programme being run by London Business School, I would love to bring this learning to how we can support our Women in Technology group.
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a UCISA Trustee or USL Director:
Having had the privilege to be a co-opted member of the Board of Trustees for the last year, I put myself forward a second time, fully appreciative of the commitment and time it takes. I believe I have added value to the Board over the last year, bringing helpful challenge and support as needed. I have been able to support events and special interest groups, working with the established Trustees in positioning UCISA as the voice of the sector. Over the last year much has been achieved, and the year to come will be equally demanding and exciting, but I am approaching in the knowledge of the value I can bring.
I wish to continue to have the opportunity to develop the approach to our collective talent shortages, and to be able to continue to drive our DEI efforts. I believe my background in both the Local Government Sector and Higher Education, as well as not being a pure technologist, but a grounding across a range of disciplines can continue to add value.
Another motivation for applying again to be considered for a position on the Board of Trustees is to have the privileged opportunity to work with a team of experienced CIOs, working on behalf of the sector. I am sure I will continue to learn and grow whilst giving back to the sector and organisation that has provided so much growth within my career to date.
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Craig Darlison Acting Director of ITMS |
Pen profile
Over 30 years of IT experience, with in the private, charity and education sectors.
A visionary digital and business transformation leader with change management, program management, business re-engineering, quality, and financial leadership experience. Highly motivated, with exceptional communications skills and the ability to manage and motivate multidisciplined teams to successfully achieve targets and meet deadlines.
An enthusiastic, innovative, honest, and determined leader delivering many successful projects, through people.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan
A visionary digital and business transformation leader with change management, program management, business re-engineering, quality, and financial leadership experience. Highly motivated, with exceptional communications skills and the ability to manage and motivate multidisciplined teams to successfully achieve targets and meet deadlines.
Implemented multiple customer centric systems including Websites, Content Management Systems, ERP, HR, Finance, Learning Management and BI systems. Aligned to technical and business strategies, demonstrating return on investment. The ability to work strategically and alongside colleagues to assist with delivery.
- An enthusiastic, innovative, honest, and determined leader delivering many successful projects, through people. Over 30 years of IT experience, with in the private, charity and education sectors.
- Strategic leadership at all levels with a track record of achieving all strategic performance indicators
- Technology in teaching and student experience, introducing simulation suites/systems and online/hybrid teaching
- Technology for all, defining and delivering technology accessibility standards
- Operational and project capital (£40m plus) and revenue (£16m plus) management
- Implementing and supporting global IT Services, through partners and templated re-usable systems
- Developing digital, IT, emerging technologies and transformation strategies.
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a UCISA Trustee or USL Director:
To network and support colleagues enhancing the services we are passionate to improve and deliver. To learn from others and to be that conduit to help others to share, help and grow together.
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Nick Gilbert Chief Information and Digital Officer |
Pen profile
It’s an incredible time to be in technology in Higher Education (in the UK and globally). Talking with colleagues in my role as CIDO at Surrey, and as co-opted trustee at UCISA has shown me how much value we can get as colleagues working together, and how much more of a difference we can make when we do. Working with UCISA has been an incredible privilege, as has working with the many colleagues and friends I’ve come to know across the UK HE and FE sector during my time here and I’m committed to continuing to serve my institution, and the sector as we deal with the fun and the hard stuff!
With 22 years in the sector, first in Australia and now in the UK I’ve led digital for large and smaller Universities, partnered and fought with tech suppliers big and small, and worked on an exciting range of admin, education and research digital transformation work. Now focused on supporting my institution and bringing what I can to help our sector evolve with the possibilities of technology I’m enthusiastic to continue to bring my deep sector specific knowledge, familiarity and broad business and administration skills to bear in service to the sector and my colleagues.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan
I am a Higher Education focused Digital Transformation and IT Executive, working as Chief Information and Digital Officer at the University of Surrey and prior to 2019 as Director, IT Service Management at the University of Sydney. I am a sector specialist, having worked in Higher Education for 23 years’ experience across two major Higher Education geographies, moving to the UK in 2019 to bring my trade and experience from Australia to bear in the UK sector and make a difference here.
I have acted as a co-opted trustee for UCISA through 22/23, supporting the UCISA Team, Adrian, Deborah, Emma and the incredible trustee team, acting as an ambassador for UCISA, rolling up my sleeves, and working to make a difference on the matters that matter to our members. UCISA has made a huge difference to me personally and is why I am in the UK today. I’m keen to continue giving back, and supporting UCISA and its trustees and members.
In my day job I am the strategic and direction setting leader of our digitisation journey at the University of Surrey, acting as the face of IT, providing direction for its resources and service offerings and leading and evangelizing for the delivery of large sections of our organization-wide strategy. In previous roles at the University of Sydney I have directly led all IT operations for a globally recognised highly ranked University, leading a team of 250+ staff and driving significant and rapid customer service and digitisation transformation for the University.
I have experience leading technology for a top 60 University with 70,000 students, and a smaller University with under 20,000, have a deep operations and financial understanding of the sector, having redesigned end to end services and budget approaches for both organisations. I have also worked as a professional singer, and operated as GM of an arts company, joining to bring it out of voluntary administration and reconstituting its board, returning it to profitability and sustaining its vital place in the (small) Australian Performing Arts landscape.
My career and experience has focused on the opportunities that technology affords to transform the Higher Education sector, bringing learnings from the sector, and inter-sector conferences and my networks to help modernize and digitise a sector that has existed in the UK for almost 1000 years. I care deeply about the sector and the value that education and research provide to society and humanity, and it is delightful (and an obligation) to be working in a sector in which collaboration is so prolific.
I’ve built coalitions both within and without my University. Since joining Surrey I have worked with our senior planning/strategy lead in revitalizing and refreshing our strategy (which now has digital spun through it, rather than relying on a separate digital strategy), pivoted our board to making data driven decisions around investment opportunities/business cases and scrapped and refreshed our budgeting approach to drive accountability and buy in to strategic goals, driving real-time, data-driven objective and budget setting.
I joined Surrey during a 5 year decline in National Student Satisfaction Survey results, with the University dropping from top ten in the UK to bottom 30 in 2020. Partnering closely with our Pro-Vice-Chancellor Education during the global pandemic, we drove a massive range of activities that saw an 86 point rise in NSS ranking when results were released mid last year. Unachievable by technology alone, we built a coalition of the willing, tag-teaming as evangelists and delivering a huge portfolio of digital, process and culture change transformations, during the pandemic and with a fully remote workforce and off-campus learning experience.
I helped draft the University of Sydney’s Procurement Policy (and have been similarly involved at Surrey), have a strong background in contracting and awareness of contract law and drafting, have an undergraduate degree in psychology (with significant focus on org. psych and culture change) and have strong (but not unyielding) opinions, an authentic communication style and an ability to operate with humility, emotional self-awareness, and to bring various coaching, mediating and counselling style (including various therapeutic counselling modalities) to the table.
At the University of Sydney I co-authored the University’s first (and subsequent) Disability Action Plan(s), and served as a member and at various times the chair of the Disability and Accessibility Committee. My experience in the UK has suggested that we are not as far advanced as some of the Universities that I was able to work with in Australia on EDI matters, and I work closely with my HR and EDI colleagues on whole of organisation issues well outside the remit of technology to learn the best bits of approach here, but bring some of the best practice from the ANZ region to bear.
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a UCISA Trustee or USL Director:
I love Higher Education, the ever-increasing importance of digital in our sector, and believe in the vital role of UCISA in this country to support IT departments and Universities make a difference to our communities, and to the world.
It was a conversation with a UCISA Trustee, then speaking with some UCISA members on a brief holiday to the UK, and then eventually attending UCISA Directors 2018 in Bournemouth that started me thinking about, and then making up my mind to make the move to the UK. The openness, energy, enthusiasm and passion that I saw from peers here made it somewhere that I wanted to be. Moving right before the global pandemic meant that in the mad rush we all went through to move online, and then sustain online business I missed the opportunity to connect with many peers in my first 18 months.
Having had a year of experience as a co-opted trustee I am passionate about continuing in whatever role I can be of assistance in.
I have a deep and abiding passion for the sector and a desire to support an organisation that has supported me. I have a great respect for many current, outgoing and previous members of the UCISA Trustee’s group that I know, and I submit this application under advice that it is a fulfilling, important and worthwhile role, and one in which I could meaningfully contribute.
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Brian Henderson Director of Digital & Information Services |
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With over 25 years' experience in senior management roles in HE Information Services, I am a highly motivated and dedicated professional with an excellent service ethos, can-do attitude and keen sense of the importance of working collaboratively as a sector to innovate and protect our vital societal role.
My current work as Chair of HEIDS, Chair of HEFESTIS and UCISA Leadership Council has contributed to the inception and development of a number of collaborative initiatives and partnerships.
I continually task myself with implementing on-going innovation and service improvement in support of organisational and sectoral goals. I have excellent communication skills, an open and frank leadership and collaboration style, and work productively with all levels of staff.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan
I believe my 25 years’ experience in HE information management, in combination with 4 years Board membership at an FE College gives me significant insight into the issues facing the sector and how UCISA can help develop and represent us.
My current leadership role includes responsibility for IT Services, Library Services, Museums & Special Collections, Cyber Security and Information Governance which provides contemporary evidence across a broad spectrum of some of the real challenges currently requiring us to work as a sector to help make progress. This experience will help me to influence UCISA and other relevant organisations to continue to deliver a relevant and meaningful strategic plan.
I feel, through my work in the Leadership Council, as Chair of HEIDS and as long term Chair of HEFESTIS that I have a proven ability to help build teams and meaningful collaborations within and across organisations in taking forward key objectives. I believe this collaborative work is a key enabler of UCISA success be it working within the sector or with partner organisations and suppliers.
As chair of HEIDS, I championed the proposal to take HEIDS under the umbrella of the wider UCISA organisation. This, I believe, shows an understanding of the importance of UCISA and the delivery of the strategic plan, the need for collaboration and a trust that UCISA is quickly developing into a more impactful and relevant partner under the current leadership. In addition, in my role as Chair of HEFESTIS, I also worked to help achieve the working partnership with UCISA to help take forward both HEFESTIS growth but also the strategic objectives of UCISA. These 2 partnerships highlight how I can contribute to meaningful team and service building to the benefit of the sector – which I believe is key to UCISA success.
As a regular presenter and attendee at UCISA events, I believe that I have knowledge, insight and skills gained from helping develop the current UCISA strategic plan and from my own institutional roles that would help me contribute well to the role of UCISA Trustee.
In summary, I believe I have appropriate communication skills, work ethic, passion, level of strategic thinking and ability to innovate that as a Trustee would help support UCISA in its development and strategic achievements.
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a UCISA Trustee or USL Director:
My motivations in respect of being a UCISA Trustee are simple ones but sincerely held. Primarily, I wish to offer my skills and experience in helping UCISA to continue to develop and achieve its organisational goals. As part of the UCISA Leadership Council, I was part of the strategy development process and I believe that the role of UCISA in the sector is increasingly important to ensure our continued success and contribution to society.
This role would allow me to continue my journey of giving back to a sector and community which has been life-changing and life-affirming for me. As part of this, I would continue to develop further as a professional and as an individual through contact with key, knowledgeable individuals working consistently at a strategic leadership level.
Success in this application would provide me with a unique and rewarding opportunity to contribute to the higher and further education sectors while developing my own skills and network.
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Mark Johnson Director of IT |
Pen profile
Chat-GPT claims:
Mark Johnston is a highly accomplished technology leader with over 20 years of experience in the Higher Education sector. He has a proven track record of developing and implementing successful strategies for digital transformations. With a keen eye for detail and a strong focus on delivering results, Mark is highly respected by his peers and colleagues for his analytical skills and strategic thinking.
Mark's strengths include his technical proficiency, strategic vision, and collaborative approach. He is skilled in managing teams and fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. Additionally, he is a skilled communicator who can convey complex topics in a clear and concise manner.
As a natural leader and forward-thinker, Mark is passionate about driving innovation and pushing the boundaries to achieve success in the quickly evolving digital landscape.
Mark would add that he is evangelical about technology, hence asking Generative AI for an ego-boosting pen-portrait sourced from LinkedIn. He is still a geek at heart.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan
Having been fortunate enough to experience employment in three very different Higher Education Institutions, I feel that I understand the challenge in the sector from a number of vantage points.
For me, capitalising on the sector to form stronger representation to vendors is an incredible position we have, but also looking at emerging opportunities and exploring how the sector could best embrace them (e.g. BTS, HERM, etc.)
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a UCISA Trustee or USL Director:
As a long-standing advocate of UCISA and with approximately 20 years of engaging with UCISA materials and events, I feel the need to put something back in. I was delighted when the board approached me in July 2022 with an invitation to be co-opted as a Trustee. While it may have been a tad daunting in my first few meetings (having never been a Trustee before), I feel that we work incredibly well as a team. With my first year coming to a close, and reflecting on my contribution and the benefit it is bringing to me and the sector, I feel that I want to continue adding value back in to a great organisation that supports great members.
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Iain McCracken Assistant Director, IT Infrastructure |
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Iain is a dedicated family man, husband to Becky, father to Rose, stepfather to Phoebe and walker of Caius the dog.
He is an experienced IT professional with over 15 years digital technology experience, gained through various roles in the Kent and Medway Health Informatics Service (NHS) before joining Higher Education in 2015. Iain has held a range of leadership roles including leading an award-winning service management function, operational leadership and strategic delivery before joining the University of Sussex as Assistant Director, IT Infrastructure in 2022. This is a senior leadership role, working alongside experienced, influential peers where he is accountable for leading an inspirational team responsible for maintaining and transforming people-centred technology services to support the Universities future ambitions.
Passionate about diversity, equity and inclusion, Iain uses his privilege and experience to support the next generation of technology professionals. Delivering regular presentations to young adults studying in the local college and teaching specialist content to support a module within a local University, Iain positively supports engagement with digital technology from our underrepresented demographics. Away from technology, he volunteers as a rugby coach for a local youth team where he has a particular passion to increase girls’ participation into the game by creating a player pathway to the senior game.
Iain is the currently the vice chair of the UCISA support services group (SSG) and has supported the journey of UCISA for over 5 years. As an active member of the community, he has chaired the annual support services conference, a wide range of webinars and was active in the contributions towards the UCISA Building on Success strategic plan. He is passionate about the sector, a true champion of UCISA and the value that sector wide collaboration brings to connect and transform our community.
Outside of higher education, Iain is a trustee of a local school and a member of a multi-academy trust where he can influence decisions about educational policies, curriculum development and the overall strategic business direction.
Overall, Iain is an authentic, driven, and accomplished IT professional who is committed to making a positive impact in his work and personal life. His leadership skills, passion for delivery, and dedication to the values of UCISA make him a well-rounded and respected member of his community.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan
Early in my career I created my personal values, values that I remain aligned to in both my personal and professional life to this day. These values align directly to those of UCISA. Below, is a descriptor of my ‘TOPCAT’ values.
- Teamwork - The ability to work collaboratively and effectively with others towards a common goal.
- Openness - The quality of being receptive, transparent, and willing to communicate openly and honestly with others.
- Passion - Driven by a strong sense of purpose and enjoyment in their work or activities.
- Collaboration - Sharing ideas, knowledge, resources, and responsibilities in a way that maximizes the strengths and contributions of everyone involved.
- Accountability - Taking responsibility for one's actions and decisions, both individually and collectively.
- Trustworthiness - The importance of building and maintaining strong relationships based on mutual respect, transparency, and dependability.
It’s possibly unsurprising that with close alignment of value and purpose, I was instantly drawn to the UCISA community since joining the sector in 2015 and have valued each interaction with peers thought the sector since joining the support services group back in 2018. Supporting the delivery of the UCISA strategy has been a pleasure as the vice chair of the UCISA support services group and I feel the time is right for me both personally and professionally to further influence the sector as a trustee of UCISA.
UCISA enables the HE/FE sector to be unique, harnessing a collective voice to collaborate openly continues to be a true benefit of the community. I am fortunate to have chaired the annual UCISA Support Service conference in 2020. This conference was unique in itself, the first annual conference held virtually was a challenge for the committee but openly demonstrated the passion for the community as many support staff came together for the first time in unprecedented circumstances to collaborate, in what for some would have been the first time their heads were ‘above the parapet’ for many months.
I feel the experience and willingness to explore the unknown I bring stands me in good stead for the trustee role at UCISA. It’s evident the sector is facing unprecedented times, a strong trustee team must act with agility, with limited oversight of what may be the next sector wide challenge or consideration.
When I attended the UCISA leadership away day at the University of Loughborough in 2022, I was immensely impressed with the level of engagement throughout the existing trustees, the desire to do more for the community. I was genuinely excited for the future of UCISA. I took this passion back to the SSG committee and with support from peers created a SSG Webinar Series. Using feedback from the community to deliver at least one webinar a month to the community on topics that are most pertinent to them, so far this has been received extremely positively, with the events engaging with over 200 members of the UCISA community.
As a trustee, I’d be passionate to be taking sector wide content and creating the transparent platforms to collaborate and share, allowing UCISA to truly represent the sector, both operationally and strategically.
My career has enabled me to operate across roles focused on people, process and technology - a unique blend that allows me to speak with confidence across many areas of digital technology, enterprise service management and organisation change. As referenced in my pen portrait, I use my experience to support underrepresented demographics and promote inclusivity in both my personal and professional life through voluntary activity, that is a passion of mine. ‘Being an experienced person, teaching a less experienced person to become an experienced person’ is a motto that continuously resonates and drives me to do more, evidenced regularly with a small cohort of people that I am fortunate enough to mentor.
In summary, I believe my values and evidenced experience align well with the mission of UCISA, and I am excited about the opportunity to contribute as a trustee. I am committed to promoting collaboration, transparency, and accountability across the sector, and I look forward to working with the other trustees to drive the strategic direction of UCISA.
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a UCISA Trustee or USL Director:
I am truly passionate about the values and mission of UCISA and continue to see the potential for UCISA to have a positive impact on the higher education and further education sector.
I have been actively involved in the UCISA community with the support services group and now believe that my skills and experience would enable me to make a valuable contribution to the organisation as a trustee.
I am absolutely committed to promoting collaboration, transparency, and accountability, and am excited about the opportunity to help shape the strategic direction of UCISA to better serve its members and the wider sector.
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James Smith CIO |
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I am a firm believer in the power of education to transform lives, and proud to play a part in that effort. I have spent my entire career working in and around the use of technology to support Higher Education, and am currently Chief Information Officer at Birkbeck, University of London. As such I’m responsible for ensuring our Information Services (incorporating Library and IT Services) support our teaching, research, and the management and administration of the enterprise.
My background is in business analysis, project management and the design, build, implementation and support of corporate information systems. I’ve been involved with UCISA for the last decade – for much of it as a member of the UCISA CISG committee – which I now chair. I have served as an elected UCISA trustee since 2021. In my work with UCISA to date I have helped to organise and present at events, organised and chaired webinars, and helped lead representation work on behalf of the sector on areas of common interest.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan:
I have significant experience of digital transformation and technology management in the Higher Education sector – having worked in this area for nearly 20 years. As such I have experienced the value that UCISA brings to the sector – to share knowledge and expertise, and to support colleagues working across institutions. In many cases UCISA provides an essential support network – many of those working in IT in our institutions will not necessarily find others in their own organisations who understand the difficulties and frustrations they face – but they can and do find them via UCISA in similar roles at other institutions.
I have worked ‘at the coal face’ in business analysis, project management, business systems architecture, design, implementation and support. In more recent years, in more senior positions I have been responsible for driving technology strategy development and implementation – and injecting the potential of digital technologies into top level institutional strategy. In my current role I am a member of the senior leadership team, and have significant interaction with the governing body – giving me an appreciation of the wider context in which our organisations operate and the opportunities both perceived and actual (not always the same) for the use of technology.
I lead a department of 120+ staff, and have managed project teams spanning the organisation, and understand that clear, accurate, open and honest interactions with colleagues are essential to ensure both delivery of required business outcomes, but also job satisfaction for those involved.
In addition to my technical and leadership experience, I believe I have a good set of communication skills, and have frequently presented on these topics at a range of UCISA events.
I believe I understand UCISA’s strategic vision – both appreciating its importance for our sector and individuals working with technology in it – and that my skills would also be useful as a trustee of the organisation in delivering this vision.
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a ucisa Trustee or USL Director:
As already stated, my primary motivation for applying to be a UCISA trustee is simply that I value the experiences, support and opportunities UCISA has provided me, and the organisation I work for, over many years – and I am keen to continue to support it in this way to ensure that it is able to continue, and further develop this work going forwards.
I am also keen to continue performing a governance role. I believe this personally aids my understanding of the challenges faced by those in similar roles – including members of institution governing bodies – and I hope that this will enhance my ability to relate to, and work with such people as my career progresses.
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Ash Roots Chief Digital Officer |
Pen profile
Creative, visionary and commercial tech leader with over 25 years’ experience, helping start-up and established companies take advantage of the Internet to deliver goals through digitally powered people-focused activity.
Transforming organisations and driving value by developing digital products and services, customer experiences, culture and capability across a host of digital disciplines: Ecommerce, Mobile, CRM, Digital Marketing, Social Media, Data Science, Agile, DevOps, Product Management and UCD.
My strengths include: digital strategy; building and leading teams; finding solutions that challenge the norm; turning ideas into action within fast growth or challenging environments; establishing new working practices and culture while still maintaining a down to earth human approach.
Please describe how your experience will support UCISA delivering the strategic plan
I have over 25 years experience of working with individuals and organisations to take advantage of the internet and digitally transform. Whether this is the introduction of new technologies, ways of working, culture and skills or the evolution of the experience, products and services provided.
Currently leading digital adoption at one of the UK’s top universities, my work has crossed many different sectors to give a solid grounding for successful methods and approaches. Spotting common themes and well-trodden paths.
My approach puts people front and centre. From collaboration co-creation, interventional navigation of change to user centred delivery. Always in service of the outcome and creation of value but in in human way. The secret is enabling and engaging others, whether they are your staff, partners or customers.
I have performed many advisory and mentor roles for organisations and individuals. I am currently the Chairperson of the Heart of the South West Digital Skills Partnership and a member of the Citizens Advice Tech Committee..
Please describe your motivation for applying to be a UCISA Trustee or USL Director:
For me it’s simple. I am on a mission to re-shape education so that it take full advantage of everything the internet has introduced today and in the future. People need the right skills to the future. UCISA is a critical organisation that is a part of enabling this and I would like to help.
