Independent Governors (7-14)
Craig McWilliam (Chair of Governing Body)
Chief Executive, The Arch Company. Former Programme Director, New Hospital Programme and NHS Capacity Delivery Director, NHS England, 2020-21. Former Chief Executive Officer, Grosvenor, Britain & Ireland (privately owned global property business) 2010-2020. Previously Managing Director, Fortress Investment Group (listed US private equity business) 1999-2010.
Chair of the Governing Body since September 2024. As Chair, Craig is vice-chair of the Honorary Degrees Committee, a member of the Finance Committee, the People and Governance Committee and the Remuneration Committee.
Welcoming Craig McWilliam as Chair of the Governing Body | Articles | University of Greenwich
3rd term of office ending 31.8.2027.
Surinder Birdi
Senior HR Director, Manufacturing & Employee Relations, Ford Britain. Has held various senior HR and business partner roles for the Ford Motor Company Ltd and Ford Credit Europe Bank plc covering UK and European operations since 2001.
In his earlier career, worked in government and the public sector, including the Home Office, Metropolitan Police Authority and the Parliamentary Ombudsman's Office with responsibilities covering business development, a range of strategic and policy areas including race equality and diversity, and the investigation of complaints made by the public against public departments.
Holds non-executive Board appointments as Chair of the Appointments Board of the Nursing & Midwifery Council and Board Member of the Kingston & Richmond NHS Foundation Trust and Fore Halewood Transmissions Ltd.
1st term of office ending 31 August 2028.
Cathryn Chandler Browne
Chief Transformation Officer & Director of Estates for GDST (Girls Day School Trust) since 2018. A chartered Architect with significant experience in portfolio optimisation and delivery of strategic change and capital development projects for a number of companies including charities and private development, always through a lens of sustainability and regeneration. Led the programme management for the London 2012 Olympic 2012 bid and subsequently helped to deliver the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic legacy masterplans and infrastructure, as well as the Options Appraisal for the Palace of Westminster. Has held senior estates roles at the University of Surrey and Brunel University. Previously a Governor of a junior school in Sussex.
An alumna of the University of Greenwich (BA(Hons) Architecture), Dip Arch (Cons), MA, RIBS.
1st term of office ending 31 August 2028.
Pamela Coles (Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee)
Former Chief Governance Officer/Company Secretary, Rolls-Royce Holdings plc. Has wide-ranging experience as a UK corporate governance and company law professional in a number of sectors. Previously Head of Secretariat, Centriac plc and Group Company Secretary, The Rank Group plc. A Trustee of E-Act Multi Academy Trust.
Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and member of the Remuneration Committee.
1st term of office ending 31.08.2026.
Simon Cook
Principal & Chief Executive, Mid-Kent College, since 2016; previously Vice-Principal and Interim Principal leading on curriculum and quality from 2013. Before that time, held senior leadership roles with responsibility for the strategic direction and delivery of the curriculum at Cornwall College and Somerset College. His earlier career in the hospitality and catering industry, travel, tourism and retail in hotels in London, Germany and South Africa laid the foundation for later lecturing and management roles at Aylesbury College and Bournemouth & Poole College in hospitality, catering, travel, tourism and retail and to qualification as an OFSTED Additional Inspector in hospitality, catering and retail.
Holds various Trustee and non-executive appointments including the Royal Engineers Vocational Training Trust, the Kent & Medway Economic Partnership and Future Schools Trust and is Chair of Kent Further Education and Medway Places Board.
1st term of office ending 31 August 2028.
Richard Hicks (Chair of Honorary Degrees Committee)
Chief Executive, Medway Council since July 2023, previously Director of Place and Deputy Chief Executive. Has held a number of roles at Medway Council since its inception in 1998. Before then he has worked in a range of positions across Kent County Council, both at corporate and service level.
Chair of the Honorary Degrees Committee and member of the People and Governance Committee and Remuneration Committee.
2nd term of office ending 31.8.2026.
Tricia King (Chair of People and Governance Committee)
Founder and Director of TKCC Consultancy & Coaching. Previously Vice-President, Global Engagement, Council for Advancement and Support of Education. Previously Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Strategic Engagement at Birkbeck University of London between 2007-2015.
Chair of the People and Governance Committee and vice-chair of the Remuneration Committee.
3rd term of appointment extended to 31.8.2026.
Murray Orr (Vice-Chair of the Governing Body)(Chair of the Finance Committee)
An investment banker with 40 years' experience in the financial services sector. Former Vice-Chair of M&A at JPMorgan where he provided corporate finance advice to clients internationally and across many sectors. He also has significant not-for-profit senior governance and board experience, including at the Royal Institute of British Architects and AQA Education.
He has an Economics and Accounting degree from Bristol University, is a qualified Chartered Accountant and completed the Duke Fuqua Business School Advanced Management Programme.
Chair of the Finance Committee and member of the Remuneration Committee.
3rd term of office extended to 31.8.2026.
Rakesh Patel
Chief Finance Officer, London Ambulance Service NHS Trust. A chartered certified accountant with 35 years' experience of working in the NHS including senior financial and operational level positions within various Hospital NHS Trusts.
Member of the Finance Committee.
1st term of office ending 31.08.2026
Ameet Sharma
Technology Risk Consultant. Head of Service Auditor Reporting, Grant Thornton UK LLP. Previously Director, Head of Assurance & Issues Remediation Governance, Barclays Bank and Director, Technology Risk Consulting, KPMG US.
Member of the Audit and Risk Committee.
3rd term of office ending 31.8.2028.
Elizabeth Sideris (Chair of the Remuneration Committee)
Former Executive Director of Human Resources for Medical Research Council and Cancer Research UK.
Chair of the Remuneration Committee and vice-chair of the People and Governance Committee. Senior Independent Governor. .
3rd term of office ending 31.8.2027.
Dr Stuart Sweeney
Experienced senior executive most recently head of fund raising at social investment asset manager, Social and Sustainable Capital. 23 years at leading investment banks rising to Managing Director, Head of European Debt Capital Markets (Corporate) at UBS. Doctorate in History from Oxford University with two books published, latterly at Centre for Global History, Oxford.
Holds Visiting Research Fellowship at Reading University and non-executive directorship at Special Educational Needs and Disability Board (Kingston Council). Previously board member at Enterprise Development Programme, Oxfam.
Vice-Chair of the Finance Committee.
1st term of office ending 31.08.2026.
Staff Governors (up to 2)
Jaspal Seehra-Pearce
Business Operations Manager, Student & Academic Services Directorate, and EDI Business Partner, University of Greenwich.
Held administrative and specialist advice positions within Lewisham Southwark College before joining the University of Greenwich in 2015 as an Accommodation Officer.
Member of Honorary Degrees Committee and People and Governance Committee.
1st term of office ending 31.8.26.
Professor Nazanin Zand
Head of the Food & Markets Department at the Natural Resources Institute, University of Greenwich, since 2022. Professor of Food and Nutrition at the University of Greenwich since 2012. International expert in the field of infant nutrition lecturing at major symposia and international conferences in food and nutrition and authoring storylines published in the media. Provides food and nutrition advice to public and private sector organisations including Kent, Lewisham and Greenwich Councils. Works with large multi-national companies and regional SMEs on the nutritional quality of new food products.
Councillor at the Boxley Parish Council, Member of numerous professional bodies including non-executive Board member of Greenwich Cooperative Development Agency and Kent Food Partnership. Member of Kent & Medway NHS Trust Joint Research Collaborative Group and Research Award Board of Coeliac UK.
1st term of office ending 31.8.28.
Vice-Chancellor
Professor Jane Harrington
Vice-Chancellor, University of Greenwich (ex-officio).
Chair of the Academic Council; member of the Finance Committee, member of the Honorary Degrees Committee and member of the People and Governance Committee.
Student Governor
Mohammad Abdulmumin
President, Greenwich Students' Union, University of Greenwich.
Appointment as student representative ends 30.6.2026.