Membership of University Court

Freda was formerly Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at the University of Derby. After retirement in 2006, she became a part-time Senior Associate for the Higher Education Academy being the strategic lead for their national team for Employer Engagement and Workforce Development. Freda is now fully retired. [Updated 2017]

Stephen was an Independent Member of Governing Council from 2015 to 2023 and Chair of the Strategy, Finance and Planning Committee from 2018. He has a 40-year career helping companies across Europe and beyond. His focus is on improving governance, negotiation strategies and decision-making, especially during complex, business-critical transactions.

Best known for his work on complex Western European restructurings, Stephen’s roles have encompassed board roles on several internationally high-profile cases. He was a partner in the European leadership team at PwC and later a senior managing director at Alix Partners.

Stephen is also an advisor to various governments and pan-national institutions and has been a guest lecturer at several European universities. Educated in Derbyshire and living in the county for many years, Stephen is a Chartered Accountant and holds a degree in Music. [Updated 2023]

Len is the Principal of Buxton & Leek College which was formed in 2012 when Leek College joined Buxton College as part of the University of Derby. Len has worked in further education for over 30 years. His teaching career began at what was then Cauldon College of Further & Higher Education in Stoke-on-Trent where he taught computer science and software engineering.

After a number of academic, management and senior roles at Stoke-on-Trent College, Preston College and Shrewsbury College, where he was Vice-Principal for Curriculum & Quality; Len was appointed as the Principal of Buxton & Leek College in January 2013. Len is a Governor at Thistley Hough Secondary Academy in Stoke-on-Trent which is part of the Creative Education Trust.

He is also a member of the Association of Colleges national portfolio group on learning technologies, Chair of the Association of Staffordshire Colleges and represents Staffordshire Principals on the Stoke and Staffordshire Local Enterprise Partnership board and the Stoke and Staffordshire Education Trust and ESIF Committees. [Updated 2017]

Lydia is a member of the England Women’s Rugby Team. She made her debut in 2012 when she scored three tries against Spain during the 2012 European Cup. At club level, she plays for Worcester Warriors Women. She has represented England in three World Cups, the Commonwealth Games and several Six Nations Championships. She was nominated World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year in 2017.

Lydia graduated from the University having studied Occupational Therapy in 2013. In July 2022, she received the degree of Honorary Master of the University in recognition of her outstanding international rugby career.

Maggie was elected MP for Erewash in the 2015 general election. She was re-elected in 2017 and following a Government reshuffle in January 2018 was appointed Parliamentary Private Secretary to the Ministerial team at The Department for Health and Social Care.

Born in Shipley, West Yorkshire, her early education was at the Bradford Girls’ Grammar School. She graduated from the University of Manchester with a BSc in Biology. After graduating she worked as a biomedical scientist for several years before pursuing a career in marketing and public relations which included a directorship of a pharmaceutical company and running her own consultancy. [Updated 2018]

Ann is a journalist, author, theatre critic and columnist. She has worked for The Times for the past 20 years, most recently as chief theatre critic and, before that, as parliamentary sketch writer for 12 years. Ann has published four books and regularly appears at literary festivals and other events. She has won and been shortlisted for many awards and is the new President of Bromley House Library in Nottingham. Ann lives in Bakewell, Derbyshire.

In November 2019, Ann received the Degree of Honorary Doctor of Letters from the University in recognition of her outstanding career as a journalist, sketch artist and theatre critic and her contribution to the British media. [Updated 2020]

Rupert is a retired farmer. The farm, situated on the Chatsworth Estate, was formerly based on dairying but more recently principally based on sheep. Rupert was High Sheriff of Derbyshire in 1993/4 and he is now a Deputy Lieutenant of the County. He was a member of the Probation Board for Derbyshire from 1995-2006 and is currently Chair of The New Eilt Association, running the salmon and sea trout fishing on the River Ailort in Inverness- shire. Rupert has been Churchwarden of St. Anne’s Church, Beeley, since 2008. He was formerly a director of Derbyshire Student Residences Ltd which is now a subsidiary company of the University. [Updated 2017]

Tony joined Toyota Manufacturing UK (TMUK) in 1990, as one of the first employees and played a fundamental role in the establishment and development of the company. From 2001 to 2010 he worked at Toyota Motor Europe in Brussels, holding various positions, including European Human Resources Vice President. From 2010 he was Deputy Managing Director of TMUK, retiring at the end of 2017. Currently, he is Managing Director of Toyota Motor Europe’s London Office. 

Tony is actively involved in national automotive sector affairs: he is President of the Society for Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), the trade association for the automotive industry, and is Chairman of the Business Environment and Skills Group of the UK Government/Industry Automotive Council. He is the Business in the Community (BITC) Prince’s Ambassador for Responsible Business in the East Midlands, a Deputy Lieutenant of Derbyshire and is active in the local community where he lives in the Ashbourne area. 

In the 2018 New Year’s Honours list Tony was awarded a CBE for ‘Services to the British Motor Industry’.

Tony is married with three grown-up children and four grandchildren. [Updated 2018]

Adrian was appointed as a co-opted member of the Audit and Risk Committee in April 2024. He brings a wealth of experience in audit, accounting, risk management, governance, and regulation to the Committee.

Adrian is a Chartered Accountant with a background in data and financial services and has an executive role as Chief Internal Auditor with Secure Trust Bank PLC. Before this, he was Head of Internal Audit with Experian PLC, and prior to that, he was a Director with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP. In an earlier career, he was a secondary school maths teacher and recently served as Chair of Governors in a Local Authority primary school.

Roger was Director of Derbyshire College of Higher Education (1989-1992) and then first Vice-Chancellor of the University of Derby (1993 to 2005). He was educated at King Edward VII Grammar School Sheffield and took the degree BA Philosophy and Psychology at Oxford in 1961. In the 1960s he taught social studies in both the secondary and further education sectors but perhaps the most influential formative experience came from his time teaching at Ma’abarot Kibbutz High School in Israel. In 1972 Roger was appointed Principal Lecturer in Philosophy at Middlesex Polytechnic where he rose to become Dean of Humanities and Combined Studies.

In 1986 he moved to Wolverhampton Polytechnic where he took up the position of Deputy Director with responsibility for Academic Planning. He was widely sought as a consultant on the implementation of modular systems and associated programme design. He also advised on the use of credit accumulation and transfer and student exchange in Belgium, Germany, France, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and the Republic of Ireland. From 1978 until 1987 Roger Waterhouse served on various boards, committees and working parties of the Council for National Academic Awards (CNAA). In 1985 he was founder and first Chair of the South East Consortium for Credit Accumulation and Transfer (SEEC) a body that is still flourishing today.

On arrival at Derby, the task ahead was considerable. The college had less than 6,000 students and only 5% of students were undergraduates. There were just four-degree programmes. As Chair of the Academic Board, Roger infused the idea of offering highly flexible, accessible education which provided new opportunities for a wide range of students. He commissioned a credit-based modular scheme as a vehicle for programme design. The College won taught accreditation from the Council for National Academic Awards and satisfied a CNAA inspection of the research training provision.

University status was confirmed in January 1993, the first direct promotion from college of higher education to university in the sector. In 1998 the University merged with High Peak College, Buxton a well-respected provider of further education in the north of the county. The transfer of the further and higher educational provision from outside Buxton to the new Devonshire Campus in the heart of Buxton followed the bold decision to purchase and restore the former Devonshire Royal Hospital site. This project was completed in September 2005 and staff and students now teach and learn in excellent refurbished rooms.

Fang was appointed as an Independent Member of Governing Council in August 2021. She has over 15 years of professional experience largely focused on risk management at sell-side institutions (companies that issue, sell or trade financial securities). In 2014, she built a 20-person London based team for a financial technology start-up providing treasury and risk management platforms for multi-billion-dollar global hedge funds across all investment strategies which was later acquired by markets operator ICAP.

Fang began her career at Goldman Sachs FICC (Fixed Income, Currency and Commodities) division as a strategist on the commodities derivatives desk and worked in the high-tech consulting division at Accenture in Silicon Valley. She currently serves as the Chief Risk Officer for System Two Advisors LLC.

Fang received her BA in Mathematics from Princeton University and MSc in Computer Science from Stanford University. She also sits on the board of trustees of the Royal Holloway Student Union and Princeton Association UK. In addition, she has advised the board of trustees of London Air Ambulance on their digital transformation strategy.

Paul lives between Germany and the UK. He retired in July 2016 from full-time work at the University of Derby after c. 36 years including as Director of the Religious Resource and Research Centre; Senior Lecturer, Principal Lecturer and Reader in Religious Studies; Head of Religious Studies; Head of Division of Humanities and Social Sciences; Head of Research and Commercial Development in the Faculty of Education, Health and Sciences; Head of Research (MPhil‐PhD Students and REF [Impact]); Acting University Head of Research; and Professor of Inter‐Religious Relations. Between 2017-21 he was re-engaged as a fractional Professor at Derby, during which time he was also a fractional Professor at Coventry University and a fractional Research Fellow at Regent's Park College, Oxford.

 His publications include: Time for a Change: Reconfiguring Religion, State and Society (London: T & T Clark, 2005); Religious Diversity in the UK: Contours and Issues (Continuum, 2008); A Mirror for our Times: 'The Rushdie Affair' and the Future of Multiculturalism (Continuum, 2009); Religion and Belief, Discrimination and Equality: Britain in Global Contexts (Bloomsbury, 2013); Hizmet in Transitions: European Developments of a Turkish-Muslim Inspired Movement, and Fethullah Gülen’s Teaching and Practice: Inheritance, Context and Interactive Development (both Springer, 2022). He is the academic editor of the Journal of Dialogue Studies and was a member of the Academic Advisory Group for the Ethnicity, Identity, Language and Religion Census Topic Group for the 2021 decennial Census.

Anne is Opposition Leader of Derbyshire County Council. She was elected in 1997 and was the first female leader of Derbyshire County Council in May 2013. She became a Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List in June 2016 in recognition of her services to local government. [Updated 2017]

Arlo is a sports broadcaster who was born and brought up in Leicester. He studied at the University and progressed his career from humble beginnings as a volunteer at BBC Radio Derby to establish himself as one of the foremost broadcasters in the industry. He joined NBC Sports in 2012 and has been the voice of the Premier League for the United States for almost a decade. Arlo started his career at BBC Radio 5 Live as a sports reporter. He progressed to presenting their flagship show Sports Report and enjoyed a stint as a commentator on Test Match Special.

In November 2021, Arlo received the degree of Honorary Doctor of the University in recognition of his outstanding international career in sports journalism and his engagement with the students of the University.

Dominic served two terms as a Student Representative Governor, having been elected Vice President (Activities) of the Union of Students for the academic year 2022/23, and then as Union President for the academic year 2023/24. He completed his undergraduate degree in History in 2022. During his time as a student, Dominic was deeply involved with the Union of Students, first serving as a Programme Representative and then as a Part-Time Officer (Humanities & Journalism) before serving within the Union’s executive. He also held numerous committee positions within Sports and Societies, including President of Rounders and Sports & Societies Councillor posts. His key aims were to increase resource and facility provision while widening accessibility and development opportunities across the Union and University.

Dominic is now continuing his career at Derby within the University’s External Relations Department in the Schools & Colleges Liaison Team, where he remains passionate about creating an accessible and vibrant student community that fosters growth and development which drives forward the University’s social mobility agenda. Dominic is also continuing his studies with a master’s degree in History at the University.

Dave was a Derbyshire County Councillor between 1981 and 2017. He was Chair of the UK Local Government Information Unit (LGIU), the leading local government think tank from 2003 to June 2014. Until July 2013 he was Chair of the Local Government Association European and International Board and was Leader of the County Councils Network Labour Group.

He is a former Board Member of the Basic Skills Agency, the Improvement and Development Agency, National Foundation for Educational Research and a former Executive Member of USDAW, the shop workers’ Trade Union. He is a past Chair of East Midlands Airport plc and over the years has filled various senior Derbyshire County Council political positions. [Updated 2017]

Edward opened his first career with the National Coal Board and ended as General Manager of Associated Heat Services Ltd in 1971. He opened his second career with Leigh Interests plc, in the West Midlands and retired in 1994 as the Group Services Director. He was Chair of The Coal Industry Society in 1969. Following National Service in The Sherwood Foresters, Edward served for 35 years in the Territorial Army ending 1985 as TA Adviser to the Commander in Chief with the rank of Brigadier.

He was ADC to the Queen (1981-1985). He was appointed OBE in 1977 and CBE in 1982. Edward was Chair of the East Midlands TAVRA (1985-1994) and Vice-Chair of the Council of TAVRA’s (1990-1994).

He has served as a Deputy Lieutenant for Derbyshire since 1985 and was appointed High Sheriff in 1996. He served as governor of Repton School from 1993-2007 and is now an Honorary Life Patron. He also served as Chair of Repton School Foundation from 2000-2007, President from 2007 to 2016 and is now President Emeritus. He was Chair of Derbyshire Crimebeat from 1997 to 2002. He became Lay Canon of Derby Cathedral (2001-2007) and now is Lay Canon Emeritus. Edward was a Member of Derbyshire County Cricket Club General Committee from 1998 to its abolition in 2010 and is now a Vice President.

He was Chair of the Derbyshire Army Benevolent Fund (1976-2007) and is now the Vice President. He was also a Trustee of Derbyshire Community Foundation (1996-2007) and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Fuellers, becoming Master in 1996. He was a Freeman of the Guild of Air Pilots and Air Navigators from 1996 to 2007. He is Freeman of the City of London. [Updated 2018]

Nick studied Chemistry at St. Catherine's College, Oxford (1961-1965) and worked for the BASF group for 33 years (1967-2000), finally as Managing Director of their subsidiary, Elastogran U.K. Ltd, in Alfreton (1990-2000).

Following his retirement, he took an active interest in community affairs. He was a member of Blackwell Parish Council (2007-2019) and Chair (2011-2018). He was a member of the Skills and Enterprise Group of the Bolsover Partnership (2006-19) and a member of its Executive Board. He has been a member of the University Court since 1995 and was a member of the University Court Advisory Group until 2019. [Updated 2020]

David is Chairman of Geldards LLP, a law firm with around 350 staff and offices in Derby, Nottingham, Cardiff, and London. After originally qualifying as a lawyer, David had careers as a property developer and as General Manager of a major building society. After heading the property team at Geldards for many years, David has recently taken up responsibility for the private client team.

In addition to these roles, he is Chair of East Midlands Business Limited, a Board Member of D2N2 LEP, and holds several trustee and non-executive positions. He is Vice-Chair of Governors at Derby College. [Updated 2017]

Former Chief Executive, EM Media, Regional Screen Agency. Independent Creative Industries consultant and Director, The Home Transformation Company. [Updated 2017]

Abby served as the President at the Union of Students at the University of Derby in the academic year 2018/19 following a successful term as Vice President (Welfare). During 2018/19 she also held a student representative position on the Governing Council representing the views of students and successfully passing the anonymous marking policy.

She studied a BA in Illustration and progressed onto an MA in Design: Visual Communication. Abby is currently employed at the University as part of the OfS funded project DANCOP as Communications Officer. The Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire Collaborative Outreach Programme works with schools and colleges across Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire to raise the aspirations of young people who are underrepresented in higher education. Abby has and continues to be an advocate for inclusivity and fair access to education through the roles she’s held. [Updated 2020]

Mike was a Primary Headteacher in the Bahamas and in Derbyshire prior to entering Higher Education in Teacher Training at Matlock College of Education. Latterly, he was Dean of the School of Education and Social Science from 1994-97 and Director of University Programmes in Israel from 1997 to full-time retirement in 2001.

Donald is a retired Chartered Mechanical Engineer. He was Director of Whessoe PLC, parent group which owned Aiton & Co. Ltd, Stores Road, Derby. He worked for the company for 30 years. Currently, he Chairs the Trustee Board of the Shaw Group UK Pension Scheme. The US-based Shaw Group Inc. is the current owner of the Stores Road company. He served as governor of Derby College for several years after retirement.

Former Chair of the University (1990-2002), Deputy Lieutenant of the County of Derbyshire since 1997 and High Sheriff of Derbyshire 2012/13. [Updated 2017]

Geoff is the founder of Derby Jazz, a not-for-profit organisation. He founded Derby Jazz in 1982 and has since brought some of the finest national and international talent in jazz to the city. He has ensured the opportunity for musicians to play to an appreciative audience in the region and has opened up the world of jazz music to hundreds of local young people.

Geoff’s career spanned a variety of teaching, curriculum development and managerial posts at Derby College of Further Education from 1972 to his retirement in 2004. He has worked for Derby Jazz on a voluntary basis for well over 30 years. In 2004, Geoff led the formation of a development agency for jazz in the East Midlands. The ‘EMJAZZ’ is made up of five core member groups like Derby Jazz and is an Arts Council National Portfolio Organisation.

Geoff was awarded the Honorary Degree of Master of the University in July 2017 in recognition of his achievements, and for developing and fostering new talent through the Derby Jazz education programme. [Updated 2018]

John was appointed as an Independent Member of Governing Council in May 2021. He is Deputy Chief Executive of The Careers and Enterprise Company, the Government’s body for careers education in England.

John’s career in the skills sector, over the last 25 years, has been largely driven by his passion for promoting social mobility and providing excellent standards for careers guidance and opportunities for young people and adults. Throughout his career, he has gained extensive knowledge of skills policy, from a central Government angle with the Learning and Skills Council, local government from being Director of Economic Development at Nottingham City Council, and from a provider position through his CEO role of the Futures Group. He has held chair and vice-chair roles in charities, schools, trade associations and awarding bodies.

John has been the Deputy CEO at The Careers and Enterprise Company since 2019, overseeing all delivery of the organisation's responsibilities .

Former CEO of the Padley Group, Derby. [Updated 2016]