The Professional Services Divisional Leadership Team
Mike Shore-Nye
Senior Vice-President and Registrar & Secretary
Mike joined the University of Exeter in January 2016 as Registrar and Secretary with responsibility for the institution’s entire Professional Services team and for the effective and efficient operations and governance of the University. As a member of the University’s senior management team and Vice Chancellor’s Executive group he plays a major role in the development and implementation of the major strategies and plans that enable the University to fulfil its mission and vision.
As Secretary to the Chair of Council Mike works to ensure the University conforms to regulatory and legal requirements through the effective application of the dual assurance system in support of robust and effective University governance.
Mike has a particular responsibility for overseeing the development and implementation the Professional Services Strategy along with the University’s Capital Investment Strategies especially in relation to the Estate and IT infrastructure.
Linda Peka
Deputy Registrar and Executive Divisional Director of Education and Academic Services
Linda is Chief College Operations Officer and in her role is responsible for the overall leadership of college operations and ensuring that the University's Professional Services resources are fully aligned to colleges strategies and operational priorities. Linda is also responsible for delivering professional services support to the university's research institutes and providing leadership for technical services.
Linda joined the University of Exeter in 2005, returning to her home county of Devon. An accountant with nearly 30 years’ experience of working in the health, housing and education sectors, she joined Exeter from King's College London where most recently she held the position of Deputy Head of Internal Audit with a focus on leading continuous improvement across the institution. Linda is experienced in management, leadership, finance, audit and governance and since joining the university has supported the continuous development and growth of science at Exeter and led the transformation of technical services.
Linda is a governor and trustee of Exeter mathematics Schools, a specialist 6th form college jointly sponsored by the University of Exeter and Exeter college. she is also a lay member of the Royal academy of Music's Audit committee.
Linda is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting and a member of the Leadership Foundation.
Drs. Astrid Wissenburg
Divisional Director of Research Services
Research Services provides support to all academics in the university in bidding and delivering research projects. Astrid’s responsibilities include the delivery of the Research and Impact Strategy 2015-2020, including new university Institutes; the next REF; and research environment and infrastructure. Astrid also oversees the Doctoral College, supporting our post graduate research community and early career researchers.
Astrid’s career has been focussed on making knowledge and research accessible and usable, as widely as possible. She is a trustee of the Careers Research and Advisory Centre (CRAC), the UK's leading expert in the field of academic career development and is a past trustee of MentorUK. She was, until 2016, a member of the UUK Open Access Group.
Astrid's previous post was as Director Research, Scholarship and Quality at the Open University responsible for the strategic development of research, enterprise and scholarship; and quality assurance and enhancement of taught programmes. Prior to this she was Deputy Chief Executive at the ESRC. responsible for ESRC’s knowledge exchange, evaluation and impact initiatives; relationships with non-academic partners; and external communications. Astrid also led for RCUK on its economic and societal impact strategy, and on open access policies.
Her early career included appointments at King's College London, Glasgow University and Leiden University.
Astrid holds Dutch postgraduate degrees in contemporary international history and in IT, and a Master of Public Administration from Warwick Business School. She is currently undertaking a MSc in systems theory at the Open University.
Chris Evans
Divisional Director of Innovation, Impact and Business
Chris is Divisional Director and Director of Regional Engagement within the Innovation, Impact and Business Department of the University of Exeter. Chris is responsible for the University’s Business Engagement Strategy and its regional strategy, including liaison with regional stakeholders and supporting the University’s role as a civic and anchor institution in Exeter and the wider South West Peninsula. She works closely with strategic agencies on policy and strategy and leads on the development of strategic and transformational projects.
An economist, Chris joined the University of Exeter as Director of the Marchmont Observatory, established by the University of Exeter in 1999, to develop a response to issues such as lifelong learning and the development of e learning. Establishing the first regional skills observatory with responsibility for overall strategic developments and the oversight and commissioning of research in the area of adult skills and learning. Chris also worked closely with Local Enterprise Partnerships to develop regional and local economic strategies.
Dr Michael Wykes
Divisional Director of University Corporate Services
Headed Dr Michael Wykes, University Corporate Services unites teams from across the University who oversee the ability to plan and deliver our new strategy. The division also ensures compliance with the ever-changing higher education sector regulatory and legal context and adherence to all elements of best practice in health and safety and risk management
Dr Wykes joined the University of Exeter in 2004 following a DPhil at the University of Oxford on the subject of access to essential medicines. This followed previous employment in the pharmaceutical industry and public-sector headhunting. At Exeter he has worked in a variety of roles across Research Services and as the College Registrar for Exeter’s College of Social Sciences and International Studies. He led a Jisc-funded project on Impact in 2013 and managed the University’s submission to the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF). He was seconded to the UK Government’s funding council to serve as a panel adviser for the assessment phase of REF 2014 and in 2017 was invited by the Australian Research Council to serve on the review panel for the Engagement and Impact Assessment Pilot. Michael has an MA, MSt and DPhil from the University of Oxford.
Alicia O'Grady
Executive Divisional Director of External Engagement and Global
Joining the University of Exeter in April 2023, Alicia took up her role as Executive Divisional Director of External Engagement and Global. Alicia was previously Executive Director, External Relations at the University of Bristol, and her 15-year career in Higher Education has included senior positions at The University of Queensland, Griffith University, the University of Tasmania and London Metropolitan University.
Prior to entering Higher Education Alicia worked in a range of marketing and consulting roles for organisations such as Aviva, Suncorp-Metway, and AMP Shopping Centres.
Alicia will lead the External Engagement and Global Division through the drive to transform Exeter into a truly global powerhouse, offering life-changing opportunities to students from around the world, engaging partners and stakeholders in our shared endeavours and energising our exceptional community of alumni to help us to create a sustainable, healthy and socially just future.
Dave Stacey
Chief Financial Officer and Executive Divisional Director of Finance, Infrastructure and Commercial Services
Dave joined the University in August 2023 and has spent the last decade in senior management roles in the NHS, latterly as Chief Finance Officer and Deputy Chief Executive at Torbay and South Devon NHS Foundation Trust, where he was responsible for the Trust's financial management, procurement, capital development, estate and commercial development. Prior to relocating to Devon in 2020, David worked in London in a variety of roles, including Director of Finance and Director of Strategy, in acute and mental health Trusts. He started his career with KPMG's public sector team, where he completed his accountancy training. Over seven years, he worked with a range of domestic and international healthcare clients providing both audit and advisory services.
In his career to date, he has overseen a successful financial turnaround, significant transformation programmes, major capital developments and a post-merger integration programme.
Dave will have a joint reporting line into the Vice-Chancellor as CFO and the Registrar and Secretary as Executive Divisional Director of Finance, Infrastructure and Commercial Services, providing strategic financial advice and guidance as well as developing and delivering the University’s capital, estates and commercial strategies.
Imelda Rogers
Executive Divisional Director of Human Resources
Imelda is the University's Executive Divisional Director of Human Resources. As Director of Human Resources, Imelda is responsible for delivering all Human Resources, Organisational Development, and Health, Safety and Wellbeing Services for the University.
Imelda joined the University as Head of Business Partners and Operations in May 2015 and was appointed as Deputy Director in January 2016. Previously, Imelda was Head of HR in the Met Office, and prior to that spent 20 years working in Financial Services. Within her Financial Services career, she held a range of both HR and business appointments including 5 years as Head of HR for the international division and Deputy HR Director during a period of merger and acquisition.
Imelda is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, and is trained mentor and business coach through EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council).
Nathan Burden
Divisional Director of Information Technology
Nathan was appointed to the Director of IT Services role in December 2021 with responsibility for the institution’s IT team of circa 200 colleagues and for the effective and efficient operations and governance of the University IT capability. As a member of the University’s Professional Services Leadership Team and Chair of the Universities IT Operating Board he plays a key role in the development and implementation of our technology strategy and plans that enable the University to fulfil its ‘Strategy 2030’ vision.
Nathan also has an external governor role at the Riviera Education Trust in Torbay.
Nathan’s early career, after graduating with a degree in Computer Science from the University of Plymouth in 2000, began in the Aviation industry working in several senior IT roles enabling the digital transformation of a low cost airline with new revenue streams and operational efficiencies. In 2012 Nathan moved from the private sector joining Exeter on a fixed term contract to programme manage the introduction of the universities new network, after successfully completing the programme he took up several leadership posts in IT focused on partnerships, operations and more recently the IT delivery response to the pandemic.
Donna Fitzgerald
Director of PS Connect
Donna Fitzgerald joined us in June 2018 and is the Director of PS Connect and University’s Chief Procurement Officer. She has over 15 years of experience working with a wide range of public sector organisations on complex transformation programmes to deliver new ways of working and benefit realisation through new operating models, shared services and procurement transformation. Her current role involves overall responsibility of PS Connect through leadership and delivery of Professional Services in a new and diverse way. As the University’s Chief Procurement Officer, Donna has responsibility for Strategic Procurement.
Clare Wydell
Director of Faculty Operations
Clare Wydell is the Director of Faculty Operations and works closely with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean, the Faculty Executive Board and the Professional Services teams to ensure the operational delivery of the Faculty’s business plan.
Dr Tom Begbie
Director of Faculty Operations
Tom is the Director of Faculty Operations for the Faculty of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences. He joined Exeter as the Director of College Operations for the College of Social Sciences and International Studies (CSSIS) in 2018. Prior to this, Tom worked at the University of Bristol as a School Manager between 2013 and 2018. Tom holds a degree and a PhD in music from Dartington College of Arts.
Amie Fulton
Director of Cornwall Operations
Amie became the Director of Cornwall Operations in January 2020. She first joined the University in November 2012 to work for Research Services in the College of Life and Environmental Sciences, and later joined the IIB team in June 2016.
As Director of Cornwall Operations, Amie works closely with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Cornwall, College Operations Directors, and professional services teams to help deliver Cornwall’s vision and strategy. She is a member of the University’s Professional Services Leadership Team.
Gill Preston
Director, Enabling Strategy 2030
Gill was appointed to the role Director, Enabling Strategy 2030 in August 2023 and works directly with the Registrar and Provost to oversee the activities that will realign the University’s financial and organisational capacity to achieve its 2030 strategic ambitions. She also leads the Strategic Delivery Unit which delivers institutional level strategic transformation projects and programmes in close partnership with IT Services, HR and Estates.
Gill joined the University in February 2010 as the Head of the Projects Office. She has overseen or personally delivered a range of projects and programmes spanning service redesign, IT enabled transformation and estates development. Prior to joining the university she worked as a management consultant for over 10 years with both private and public sector clients in Life Sciences, Logistics, Local and Central Government.
Sophie Hawkes
Business Manager to the Registrar and Secretary
Sophie Hawkes is the Business Manager to the Senior Vice-President and Registrar & Secretary, Mike Shore-Nye. She provides executive and business management support across the entire range of issues within the Registrar’s portfolio. This involves undertaking specific projects; drafting of speeches, presentations and briefing papers; assisting him in undertaking his duties as the senior Professional Services leader for the University and working closely with the Professional Services Leadership Team on a daily basis.
