Members of the Board of Governors

Jeff has spent his entire career in higher education. He was an undergraduate student at the University of Newcastle where, after a sabbatical year as President of the Students' Union, he achieved a BSc Agricultural Zoology (1st) in 1973. He subsequently achieved a PhD in the area of insect ecophysiology from the same university in 1977 and was then awarded the Lord Adams Fellowship at Newcastle for studies on soil pest species.

Jeff worked as Lecturer and then Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pure and Applied Zoology, University of Leeds between 1979 and 1992. He was a Nuffield Science Research Fellow at the State University of New York at Binghamton in 1988.

Jeff was appointed Professor of Environmental Biology at the University of Birmingham in 1992, since when he has held a succession of roles of Director of Quality Assurance and Enhancement for the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education and the Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education. He was also a Visiting Professor at the University of Rennes in 2007. Jeff retired from the University of Birmingham in 2016.

He has held a number of external roles including:

• External examiner for undergraduate and postgraduate programmes at 13 UK universities.
• Quality Assurance Agency (QAA) subject specialist reviewer for Biosciences and then an institutional-level reviewer through the successive QAA Institutional Audit, Institutional Reviews in England and Northern Ireland (IRENI) and Higher Education Review (HER) processes.
• A member of the Grade Point Average (GPA) Advisory and Implementation Groups
• A panel member of the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) exercise.
• A member of the Government's Advisory Committee on Releases to the Environment (ACRE).

Jeff served as an elected academic member of Council at the University of Birmingham before becoming an ex-officio member upon his appointment as Pro Vice-Chancellor for Education.

Period of office: August 2017 – July 2021

David Bradley is a Consultant at DLA Piper, formerly its UK Managing Partner, leader of the International Employment Practice and Executive Member. David has conducted business locally, nationally and internationally during his career as a lawyer and has occupied several senior management positions within the firm over the course of the last fifteen years. David held the positions of Managing Director (Europe), UK Managing Partner, Executive Member of DLA Piper International LLP and International Group Head for Employment, Pensions and Benefits services. Key areas of experience David has gained whilst working as a specialist lawyer include guiding clients through significant periods of change; advice and guidance on issues of corporate governance; advice, guidance and representation in relation to the appointment, management, retention and severance of senior personnel within all sectors and working with employers operating within a trade union environment. As part of DLA Piper's senior management team, David's key areas of experience covered the global delivery of key legal services to clients, responsibility for key geographic regions within the firm (UK, France and Norway) and he was the Executive sponsor for the programme of enhancement and revision of the performance management programme for staff and partners across the international firm and for the restructuring of the constitution of the LLP. David is also non executive chairman of Ramsdens LLP a leading West Yorkshire law firm where he assists the management team with the development of the practice.

Period of office: August 2013 – July 2021

Dan Bye is a Business Relationship Manager in Library and Student Support Services. A chartered librarian, he has worked for Sheffield Hallam University since 1994, having graduated from the University of Central England in 1993. Originally appointed to the ground-breaking Distance Learner Support Service, Dan subsequently joined the library’s team with responsibility for supporting Sheffield Business School. In 2015 Dan was appointed to a Business Relationship Manager post in Library and Student Support Services. Alongside his professional duties, Dan became involved with trade union activities at the University, starting in 2004 as a departmental representative for UNISON, before becoming Communications Officer the following year, Branch Chair in 2008 and then being elected as Branch Secretary for the first time in 2009.

Outside of work, Dan is involved with various campaigning organisations, serving as a director of the National Secular Society for many years, and more recently acting as Chair of the Board of GW Foote & Co, a small but long–established publisher, in which role he has been seeking to revive its activities by leading the development of a digital publishing strategy.

Period of office: March 2014 – July 2020

Karen Finlayson is a partner in PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC). Karen has worked for PwC since 1997 and currently works in the firm's risk assurance team, specialising in the government and public sector. She is the business unit lead for the internal audit practice in the North and regional lead for the health industries practice across the North. Karen leads a team of over 100 staff. Her role involves developing strategy, business development and leading on a variety of assurance and advisory services across government and the public sector. She is a specialist in the healthcare sector working with the Department of Health and other health sector bodies. Karen started her career as an apprentice and has held posts with DFS, Abbey National PLC and Rotherham Chamber of Commerce, Training and Enterprise Limited.

Karen's public sector voluntary roles include Associate Lay Trust Board member at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust where she chairs the panel responsible for overseeing recruitment of consultants, business mentor to the Maypole Women's Charity and governor, chair of the Audit Committee and chair of the Managed Recovery Committee of the Doncaster College and University Centre. During her time at Doncaster College she played a significant role in the leadership team which improved the College's financial and operational performance.She is an affiliated member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants for England and Wales and a member of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors.

Period of office: April 2017 – July 2020

Chris Husbands has been Vice-Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University since January 2016. Read more.

Peter Jones has spent most of his professional life in higher education and joined Sheffield Hallam University as a Lecturer in Communication Studies in 1989. He is now Reader in Language and Communication in the Department of Humanities, having previously been Subject Group Leader for Communication Studies in the Faculty of Science, Technology and Arts. He teaches and writes on linguistics and communication theory, Marxist theory and philosophy and is particularly interested in the communication skills involved in effective co-operation. He is co-author of a major study of the language development of children after experience of extreme neglect and is currently carrying out a critical investigation of the cultural psychology of Russian theorist, Lev Vygotsky. Peter is a longstanding member of the University and College Union, a delegate to Sheffield Trade Union Council, and active in local anti-austerity campaigns. He helped to establish Sheffield Palestine Education Network within the University.

Period of office: August 2015 – July 2019

Lord Kerslake is Chair of Peabody, Chair of the Centre for Public Scrutiny (CfPS), Chair of London Collective Investment Vehicle, and is President of the Local Government Association.

A former Head of the Civil Service, Lord Kerslake led the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) from November 2010, stepping down in February 2015.

Prior to his DCLG role, Lord Kerslake was the first Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency, where he was responsible for promoting new and affordable housing supply; supporting the regeneration of cities, towns and neighbourhoods; improving existing housing stock, and advancing sustainability and good design.

Before joining the Civil Service Lord Kerslake received a knighthood for his services to local government, spending eight years serving the London Borough of Hounslow and then a further 11 years leading Sheffield Council. In early 2015, he was made a life peer, taking the title Baron Kerslake, of Endcliffe in the City of Sheffield.

Period of office: June 2016 – July 2021

Chris is the Chief Executive of the Medical and Dental Defence Union of Scotland. Chris was formerly the Chief Executive Officer of the Legal Services Board, the overarching regulator of the legal services market. Chris worked to set up the Legal Services Board and led its work on regulatory independence, the development of new business structures in legal services and a major review of legal education. His early career was in the civil service where his roles in the Department of Health, Treasury and Oftel including Principal Private Secretary to the Secretary of State, involved a wide range of policy and operational roles, focusing on consumer affairs and market opening. As Director of Life and Pensions for the Association of British Insurers from 2004 to 2006 he led the insurance industry's input into pension's strategy and a wide range of consumer issues. From 2007 to 2008 he managed the detailed work on Lord Hunt of Wirral's independent review of the Financial Ombudsman Service before moving to the Legal Services Board. Chris has also held a variety of non-executive posts in the NHS and third sector.

Period of office: August 2014 - July 2022

Professor Christopher Kinsella is a former Group Finance Director of Dyson Group plc, Sheffield, and a former Chief Financial Officer and main board director of TI Automotive, a business which employs 22,000 people in 28 countries, and has also served as the Chief Financial Officer of the charity, Victim Support, as well as Chief Financial Officer of the British Council. He is an experienced director from the commercial sector, a successful finance director with general management, CEO, board and audit committee chair experience. 

A previous Chief Executive of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI), Christopher’s experience also includes serving as; a director of the South Western Ambulance Service NHS Trust where he was chair of the audit committee; a member of the Industrial Development Advisory Board (Department for Business Innovation and Skills); and chair of the audit committee and board member of the CMI.

During his time as CEO at CMI, he contributed to the development of the awarding body and its dispersed delivery model with educators, examiners and moderators; realigned the research agenda; promoted the Institute in the media and within Government; and also led the initiative to forge relationships with colleges, universities, schools and other awarding bodies. 

Christopher is a graduate of Sheffield Hallam, is an Honorary Professor at Lancaster University where he was a post graduate, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, a Chartered Manager and a Companion of the CMI.

Period of office August 2013 – July 2021

After graduating in 1977 from the University of Sheffield with a 2.1 in Economics and Accounting, Neil remained in Sheffield. He spent ten years with KPMG, qualifying as a Chartered Accountant in 1980. From 1987 to 2006 he worked at Firth Rixson, the international aerospace engineering group, and was appointed Group Finance Director in 1994. At that time Firth Rixson was a public company and Neil oversaw a period of expansion, including the acquisition of Aurora in 1999. He led the public to private transaction in 2003, and secured a successful exit for the private equity owner in 2006. Following a brief period of retirement he returned to executive duties in 2007, joining AES Engineering, the Rotherham based mechanical seal manufacturer, as part-time Group Finance Director. He stepped down from that role in October 2012 to become Master Cutler of the Cutlers Company of Hallamshire, based at the Cutlers Hall in Sheffield, a position that ended in September 2013.

Since leaving Firth Rixson, Neil has held many non-executive and trustee roles in the private, public and third sectors. He is currently a private sector board member on the Sheffield City Region Local Enterprise Partnership and a non-executive director at Pressure Technologies plc. He is also Chair of St Lukes Hospice, Sheffield, Chair of Yorkshire Artspace and a trustee at Museums Sheffield. Neil's previous appointments include being a non-executive director of the Sheffield Children's NHS Foundation Trust and Rotherham Foundation Trust.

Period of office: August 2013 – July 2021

Julie studied for a degree and PhD at the University of Sheffield. After training as a lawyer and working at Nabarro LLP and DLA Piper UK LLP, both in Sheffield, she moved to Irwin Mitchell LLP as an Equity Partner specialising in construction and engineering. Julie has worked with large national and international businesses and has advised Sheffield Hallam University and the University of Sheffield on construction matters.

Julie's voluntary appointments have included the Prince's Trust at both a national and local level. She was involved in the founding and development of the Trust's "Get Into Construction" programme. The programme, which involved training disadvantaged young people, brought together businesses, which normally compete with each other, to develop basic skills programmes within the industry to allow young people to acquire the basic training credentials they would need to get a job or further training in the industry.

Julie was an Executive Board member of the national Construction Business Services Leadership Group responsible for securing new members to the initiative and fundraising. Julie was also a Board member on the Construction Sector Network, a Yorkshire and Humber based network run in conjunction with Leeds Metropolitan University, which was responsible for providing training and other skills guidance to small and medium enterprise businesses.

Period of office: October 2013 – July 2021

Nabeela is a second year law student with an interest in social justice, liberation groups and community campaigns.

Period of office: July 2018 - June 2019

Meg Munn is an independent governance consultant - she works internationally on parliamentary processes, political party development, gender mainstreaming and women's leadership. She has several publications to her name, which include advocating increasing the numbers of women working in science, engineering, technology and construction.

She is a non-executive director of the Phone-paid Services Authority (PSA) and a non-executive director of the Esh Group. Meg is also Chair of the British Council’s Society Advisory Group.

From 2001 to 2015 she was the Member of Parliament for Sheffield Heeley and stood down at the General Election. Whilst in Government she served as Minister for Women and Equality and subsequently as a Minister in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office.

Meg was the first MP to be awarded Chartered Manager status with the Chartered Management Institute, subsequently becoming a Fellow. Before being elected to Parliament, Meg worked for twenty years in the social work profession, her last post was as Head of Children's Services at the City of York Council.

She obtained a BA in Language from the University of York and later an MA in Social Work at the University of Nottingham. Meg also gained a Certificate and a Diploma in Management Studies from the Open University.

Period of office: August 2015 – July 2023

President, and Deputy Chair of the Trustee Board at Sheffield Hallam Students’ Union, Abdullah is also a mechanical engineering student. Abdullah sits on the National Union of Students, Union Development committee, which works towards supporting students’ unions to be effective in building power for students and giving them opportunities. 

Period of office: July 2018 – June 2019

Julietta Patnick is Visiting Professor in Cancer Screening at the University of Oxford. Until August 2015 she was Director of NHS Cancer Screening Programmes. She graduated in Ancient History and Classical Civilisation from Sheffield University and has lived in Sheffield for over 40 years, working in the NHS from 1979 with brief breaks to have a family and for a foray into further education.

She is a Fellow of the Faculty of Public Health and was appointed a CBE in 2005. She holds honorary doctorates from Sheffield, Sheffield Hallam and Loughborough Universities. She retains research interests in cancer screening and early diagnosis and leads one of the largest clinical trials in the world examining the ages at which women are offered breast screening.

Julietta has advised cancer programmes across the developed world, working with the EU and WHO as well as individual organisations. She has been involved with skills and competency development, with professional training and support and extensively with the development of quality standards and quality assurance. She is keen that people are not limited in their endeavours by the areas of previous study but can move into new areas as interest and need arises. In addition, having been the first in her family to go to university and having been the recipient of a scholarship, she is very keen to see opportunities extended to people of all backgrounds and ethnicities.

Period of office: Jan 2017 - July 2020

Kevin Taylor is a lecturer within the Department of Engineering and Maths concentrating on PLCs, Automation and Instrumentation. He is a graduate of Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Ulster. Kevin worked as a Telecommunications Engineer for seven years with Nortel Networks in Belfast and Montreal developing cutting edge high speed fibre optic networking equipment and then spent ten years as an FE lecturer in Southern Regional College in Newry, Co. Down developing collaborative courses to increase the participation levels of local schools in STEM subjects. He was particularly involved in increasing participation by female students and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Kevin joined Sheffield Hallam University in 2013, initially as an Associate Lecturer. Kevin is an active committee member and caseworker for UCU (University and College Union) at the University and is also a delegate to Sheffield Trades Union Council. He has represented UCU on the University’s Health and Safety and Information and Consultation Committees. He is also a member of the Gaelic Athletic Association, Mensa and a dedicated Manchester United fan.

Period of Office: August 2017–July 2021

Penny Thompson is Managing Director of Penny Thompson Consultancy Ltd. The Consultancy provides mentoring and assessment and undertakes individual contracts in the areas of Leadership and service improvement. Penny's educational achievements include a BA Hons History (2.1) from Queen Mary College, University of London and the Certificate of Qualification in Social Work and MA in Social Work from the University of Kent. Her previous roles include Chief Executive of two unitary Local Authorities which were Brighton and Hove Council and London Borough of Hackney and Chief Executive of a National Regulator, the General Social Care Council. Her achievements at Brighton and Hove Council included resetting the corporate plan and organisational culture; leading reductions of £75m whilst modernising services and balancing budgets; and managing the governance implications of a minority administration. Penny is also a former Executive Director of Social Services at Sheffield City Council. Penny's current public sector voluntary roles include Independent Chair of Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board; associate and senior independent assessor for the College of Policing, and associate and mentor for SOLACE (Society of Local Authority Chief Executives and Senior Managers). Penny was awarded a CBE in 2012 and is a Fellow of the RSA (Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce)..

Period of Office: April 2017–July 2020

Stephen Timothy has over 25 years of experience in front line business roles, as well as a broad history of involvement in academic activities over the course of his career to-date.

Initially completing a first degree and PhD at St Johns College Cambridge, Stephen then went on to take up the position of Rolls-Royce Research Fellow at Emmanuel College Cambridge. A variety of interfacing industry/research roles followed at Alcan International Ltd, Schlumberger Cambridge Research and later at the Centre for Exploitation Science and Technology, during which time Stephen made a considerable contribution to the development and implementation of science and technology policy.

Stephen has extensive experience of producing successful companies and turning around loss making businesses. In 1993 he took up a position at Sheffield Forgemasters, where he became directly responsible for global sales and the marketing of steel, special metals and engineered products, leaving in 2000 he went on to became Director/General Manager of ALSTOM Transport Services UK.

In his current role, Stephen is Client Relations Director at Eversholt Rail, a rail asset management and finance business in London, a position which he has held since 2003.

In 2008, Stephen took up the additional role of Director and Company Secretary at NNRAA RTM Company Ltd in a voluntary capacity and continues to serve on its board at the present time.

Period of Office: October 2012–July 2020

Professor Paul Wiles is currently the Biometrics Commissioner and an Honorary Professor at the University of Sheffield. Previously he was a non-executive Director of the National Centre for Social Research, a non-executive Director of the Food Standards Agency, Commissioner of the Local Government Boundary Commission of England and Advisor to The Sentencing Council. From 1999 to 2010 he was Chief Scientific Advisor to the Home Office and Government Chief Social scientist. He was deputy chair of Main Panel C in the last Research Excellence Framework. He has held academic positions at the London School of Economics and Cambridge, Sheffield and Oxford universities.

Period of office: August 2013–July 2021

Martin is a graduate of Aston University and, after a role in benchmarking HR performance post-graduation, he joined the higher education sector. He begin his HE career at St Martin’s College, Lancaster, as an Exams Administrator and then as Admissions Officer. In 1997, he joined UMIST as a Senior Admissions Officer, before roles as Assistant Registrar (Planning), Assistant Registrar (Research), and then, during Project Unity, he was appointed as Interim Executive Assistant to the Vice President and Dean of Engineering and Physical Sciences, supporting the transition period prior to the establishment of the new University of Manchester, in 2004, working on various project groups on the determination of research, school and staffing structures. He was appointed as Deputy Secretary at The University of Manchester in 2007, and held responsibility for the governance of the University, the prioritisation of work for the Board of Governors and its constituent committees.

In May 2017 Martin took up the role of University Secretary and Clerk to the Board at Sheffield Hallam University. His key responsibilities are to ensure that the University operates effectively and efficiently within the parameters of its governance, legal and regulatory responsibilities. The University Secretary works closely with the Vice-Chancellor, Chair of the Board of Governors and Chief Operating Officer to ensure that good governance practices are adopted and embedded within the University. The role reflects the changing regulatory framework for higher education and the need for specific governing body assurance about compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements.