University of Exeter announces key senior management appointments

Mike Shore-Nye has been appointed to the new position of Registrar and Secretary, with overall leadership and management responsibility for a wide range of professional services, delivered centrally and within Colleges. Jacqui Marshall, currently Exeter’s Chief Operating Officer (Interim) and Director of Human Resources, has been appointed as Deputy Registrar and Secretary.

Drs Astrid Wissenburg will join as Exeter’s Director of Research. Alan Hill will also join the University as Chief Information and Digital Officer (CIDO).

Meanwhile Professor Steve Thornton, the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the University’s Medical School, has announced that he is leaving Exeter to take up a new role as Vice Principal (Health) as Queen Mary University of London, in the New Year. Interim arrangements for the role will be announced shortly.

Professor Sir Steve Smith, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Exeter, said: "I am delighted to announce these critical appointments, all of whom bring a wealth of talent, expertise and innovative ideas to our already outstanding organisation.

“Their knowledge and wide-ranging experience will play a pivotal role as we seek to strengthen Exeter’s position as a UK top 10 and Global 100 institution. I know that they will all be welcomed by many colleagues across the University, and I wish them every success in the years to come.”

Mike Shore-Nye, who joins the University of Exeter from Queen Mary University of London where he is Chief Operating Officer, will take up the new position on January 1, 2016. He will have overall responsibility for a range of professional services, including HR, student recruitment, Research Support, Innovation and Impact, IT, libraries, catering and accommodation, marketing, fundraising, estates and planning and international relations and finance.

Mike said: “I regard Exeter as a very special university having achieved growth, outstanding performance and a world-class reputation for excellence. I’m looking forward to working with colleagues to build on this success."

Jacqui Marshall joined the University as Director of HR in July 2013, and took up the role of Interim Chief Operating Officer (COO) on July 1 this year. Her new role as Deputy Registrar and Secretary will see Jacqui working in tandem with Mike Shore-Nye in leading and managing the University’s professional services. Jacqui will be responsible for HR, Health & Safety and Transformation.

Jacqui said: “I am delighted to accept this new challenge, and am relishing the opportunities that it will offer. I have enjoyed immensely my time as Interim Chief Operating Officer and look forward to working with Mike to support the University’s excellent professional services team in the years to come.”

Astrid Wissenburg has been appointed as Exeter’s Director of Research. Drs Wissenburg is currently Director for Research, Scholarship and Quality at the Open University, with responsibility for the strategic development of research and scholarship across the University's faculties and institutes, and the quality assurance and enhancement of the University's taught programmes.

She previously held the position of Deputy Chief Executive and Director for Partnerships and Communications at the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), and before that worked at King's College London (KCL) where she held posts as Assistant Director (Information Resources), managed a JISC research project on models for hybrid libraries, and was part of the Arts and Humanities Data Service.

Drs Wissenburg said: “I am delighted to be joining the University of Exeter in the New Year and am looking forward to working with colleagues on helping the University achieve its ambitions. It will be an honour for me to join the vibrant research community at the University and raising the profile of its achievements.”

Alan Hill has been appointed as the University’s new Chief Information and Digital Officer. He will join the University from January 2016.

Alan has spent more than 30 years as an Army officer and IT specialist. As well as taking part in multi-national IT planning for worldwide operations, he was previously Head of Information Superiority and Deputy Chief Information Officer for the British Army, and more recently part of the UK Ministry of Defence Information Systems and Services.

Meanwhile, Professor Steve Thornton will leave the University to take up a new position as Vice Principal (Health) and Executive Dean of the Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, at QMUL.

A distinguished clinical scientist whose speciality is Obstetrics and Gynaecology with a particular focus on pre-term labour, Professor Thornton is currently Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of Exeter’s Medical School.