University Council and Committee members

Professor Bob Cryan (Vice-Chancellor) CBE DL FREng

Professor Bob Cryan took up the post as Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield on the 1st January 2007, a University that now has over 22,000 students from over 120 countries. Bob holds two first class honours degrees (Engineering, Mathematics), an MBA and two doctorates (PhD, DSc) and he is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Engineering Technology and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Bob is a Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire and in 2013 he was awarded The Guardian Inspiring Leader Award. In 2014 he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours and made a Companion of the Chartered Management Institute. In 2015 he received The Daily Telegraph Educate North Inspiring Leader Award and was included in the group of 50 World leading Engineers appointed as Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering.

Mr Jonathan Thornton

Mr Thornton currently advises businesses in Yorkshire and is Chairman of a small pharmaceutical development company. He is also a Trustee of several charities. Previously he has been Chairman of Thornton & Ross, a Healthcare Manufacturing Group, and was Vice-President of Euralliance Pharma. He was appointed to the University Council in July 2006 and was Chair of the Audit Committee from August 2012 to May 2018. Mr Thornton became Vice-Chair of Council in August 2018 and subsequently was appointed as Chair of Council with effect from August 2019.

Baroness Pinnock of Cleckheaton

Baroness Pinnock was elected as a Councillor for the Cleckheaton ward in 1987 and has served the Cleckheaton community as its Councillor ever since. She served as Leader of Kirklees Council from 2000 to 2006 and was also the leader of the Kirklees Liberal Democrat Councillors from 1991 to 2014. Baroness Pinnock was appointed to the University Council with effect from August 2016 and elected Vice-Chair of Council in August 2019.

Mr Bernard Ainsworth OBE

A leading figure in the construction industry, Bernard Ainsworth is regarded as the 'ultimate' project manager and has been responsible for leading teams in the construction of many famous buildings, including the iconic London Shard and the Millennium Dome, and it was for this latter project that he was awarded his OBE. He now carries a number of Non-Executive Director roles on major construction project. Mr Ainsworth was appointed to the University’s Estates Development Committee in August 2017 and became a member of University Council with effect from August 2019.

Mr Robert Cox

Mr Cox is a retired Chartered Accountant and former Finance Director of AQA Education. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales and has held a number of Finance Director roles across a range of industries. He was appointed to University Council with effect from August 2018 and has been a member of the Audit Committee since March 2013.

 

 

Mr Mark Fisher CBE FRSA

Mr Fisher is a Director General in the Cabinet Office and Secretary to the Grenfell Tower Public Inquiry. He was previously the Director of the Office for Civil Society and Innovation at the Cabinet Office and before that the Social Justice Director at the Department for Work and Pensions. In January 2010 Mr Fisher received a CBE. He was appointed to the University Council in March 2006 and became Chair of the Estates Development Committee in August 2018.

Professor Isobel Pollock-Hulf OBE

Professor Pollock-Hulf is currently working with WISE (Women into Science and Engineering) and the Bloodhound Project to promote STEM to the next generation of engineers. She has been an active volunteer member of the Institute of Mechanical Engineers for over 30 years and was the 127th President of the Institute in 2012. In June 2014, Professor Pollock-Hulf was awarded an OBE for services to mechanical engineering. She was appointed to the University Council in March 2015.

Mr Ajaz Ahmed BEM

Ajaz Ahmed is an entrepreneur who founded Freeserve, the UK's first Billion-Pound internet company. His eureka moment for Freeserve came when nobody in PC World could tell him how to get onto the internet. Freeserve was sold to France Telecom for £1.65bn three years after its launch in 2001.

Ajaz is included in the 'Yorkshire Business Power 100.' He writes a column for the trade publication 'Retail Week' and is the Chairman of the digital agency, Quba. The Queen awarded him a 'British Empire Medal' BEM.

Ajaz was appointed to the University Council on 1st August 2021.

Mrs Virginia Lloyd DL

Mrs Lloyd is a business woman and has a manufacturing and property business based in Elland.  She stepped down as High Sheriff of West Yorkshire in April 2014 and was appointed President of the RNLI Leeds Business Branch in May 2014. Mrs Lloyd was appointed to the University Council in July 2014.

Ms Magennis is currently Head of HR at Public Health England, having been with the organisation since 2013, initially as Senior HR Business Partner. She has a proven track record in leading the strategic development and operational delivery of the Human Resource Management function, together with business partnering experience across both public and private sectors. Ms Magennis was appointed to the University Council in August 2019.

Mr Davies is a non-executive director of Sovereign Health Care Limited; a governor of Bradford Grammar School; and serves on the Members’ Committee of the Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club. He is also a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce). Mr Davies has extensive experience of leading IT functions and change programmes having held the roles of Chief Information Officer, IT Director, and Chairman across a range of business sectors including higher education and research, retail, technology, leisure and health data. He is known for creating innovative and transformative business solutions, some of which have been world firsts. He was appointed to University Council with effect from  14 February 2019 and is also a member of the Audit Committee.

Professor Tim Thornton

Professor Thornton is Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the University of Huddersfield and is responsible for planning, resources and marketing across the University. Professor Thornton studied at New College, Oxford and specialises in the late medieval and early modern political and social history of the British Isles. He was appointed to the University Council in September 2015.

Professor Paul Bissell

Professor Paul Bissell is Dean of the School of Human and Health Sciences and was appointed to the University Council with effect from 1st August 2020.

 

Mr Krish Pilicudale 

Mr Pilicudale is Director of Digital Information and responsible for the University’s Computing and Library Services. Mr Pilicudale was appointed to the University’s Council Committee in November 2020.

Miss Natalie Stuart – SU President 

Miss Stuart is the current President of the University of Huddersfield Students’ Union and was appointed to University Council in July 2021. While at University, Natalie was studying an integrated master’s in social work. She completed her third year of study, before taking post as a sabbatical officer.

Prior to taking the Presidential role, Natalie founded @selfimprovementsociety. This society focused on encouraging students to self-improve on a multitude of levels. The society went on to win society of the year in 2020/21. Natalie gained various skills during this period including teamwork, leadership, and organisation which she hopes to bring forward to her new role.

As President, Natalie aims to lead the first all-female executive officer team in a dynamic manner, encompassing the prior knowledge and experiences of the officer team. Natalie aims to enhance the accessibility and communication between the university and student’s to improve the overall student experience.

Mr Rob Kelly

Mr Kelly is a Partner at Schofield Sweeny Solicitors in Huddersfield, having formerly worked for Armitage Sykes Solicitors and Eversheds LLP. He is also a qualified chartered accountant and previous roles include Finance Director and Deputy Group Managing Director for Kunick Leisure and European Finance Director for Caudwell Communications, based in Dusseldorf. Mr Kelly was appointed to the Audit Committee with effect from August 2016.

Delroy Beverley CCMI, MIoD

Delroy Beverley is Managing Director for one of the UK’s largest independent facilities commercial service providers for the NHS.

Previously, he was Executive Director at Nottingham City Homes (NCH), an award-winning UK housing company. With over three decades of executive leadership experience, spanning housing, local government and the private sector, he was, in 2018 voted one of the most influential BME Leaders in the UK housing sector.

He is currently Chairman for CMI, North, East, Yorkshire and Humberside Board. He also serves as Non-Executive Director and Trustee on the Board of The British Library. In 2020, he was appointed, Chairman of the Board for the Institute of Directors covering, Yorkshire and North East. He was appointed to University Council on 1st August 2020.

Ms Alison Jones

Alison joined the University in January 2020 and has worked in professional higher education administration, leadership and management for 25 years.  She has spent the last twelve months at Oxford Brookes University providing interim leadership and guidance on strategic and operational planning, prior to which she was University Secretary and Director of Planning, Legal and Governance at the University of Bradford. Alison has a BA (Hons)  in Literature and Philosophy and a Masters in Strategic Decision Making, specialising in research and analysis into University governance structures and decision making following the publication of the Dearing Report.

Revd Professor Jessica Malay

Revd Professor Malay is a Professor of English Literature within the School of Music, Humanities and Media and was appointed to the University’s Council Committee in November 2020.