The Pro Chancellor’s role includes:
In order to perform this role the Pro Chancellor may:
Pro-Chancellors can be former Chairs or members of the University’s Board of Governors, retired senior academic staff who have contributed significantly to the University during their tenure or a member of the local community who has made a significant contribution to the University and local region.
All appointments are subject to approval by the Chancellor and the Board of Governors and are for a term of five years.
Colin is the Chief Executive Officer of AQA, an independent education charity, providing high quality assessments that are fair, reliable, and support students in their educational journey. Before joining AQA, Colin was Managing Director of Collins Learning (the education and reference division of HarperCollins) for eight years, where he also launched Collins India. He chaired the Education Publishers Council from 2014 to 2018.
Before this, in 2020 he founded Learnthings Ltd (The Guardian’s digital learning business) and was appointed Managing Director of Guardian Professional in 2006. Previously, Colin worked as a journalist for the Press Association and The Times, before moving to The Independent, where he held roles including Policy Editor, Education Editor and, finally, Managing and Deputy Editor.
Colin Hughes served on the Board of Governors of Middlesex University London from 2006 to 2017. He headed the Finance and General Purposes Committee from 2009 as deputy chair, and was then elected unanimously as Chair of the Board, in which role he served from September 2010.
He led the Board through a decade of challenge and change, and has been instrumental in helping Middlesex University London fulfil its role as a 21st century institution.
Colin is a former trustee and lifelong Fellow of the Chartered College of Teaching and a Fellow of the RSA, as well as a member of the advisory board of the Norwich-based poetry magazine, The Rialto.
Anna is a London-born Cypriot who has held several senior positions in her 40 years in academia. She began her journey with Middlesex in 1974 when she enrolled on the Business degree at the Enfield campus of the then Middlesex Polytechnic. She graduated with a first-class honours degree and continued her studies at the London School of Economics in Industrial Relations and Personnel Management. During her MSc studies, she continued her affiliation with Middlesex as an hourly paid lecturer. By 1980, Anna secured a research assistant post at Middlesex where she worked on two major international research projects in the hotel, catering and tourism industries while studying for her PhD. After a brief period as a freelance researcher, she once again joined Middlesex as a Lecturer in Organisational Behaviour in 1986. Anna then spent her entire academic career at Middlesex until her retirement in 2023, progressing through a series of leadership roles within the University, including Head of Department, Dean of the Middlesex University Business School, and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Professional and Social Sciences.
Working closely with the local community and the London Borough of Barnet, Anna has more recently spearheaded the University’s community engagement with equality, diversity and inclusion issues. Her work with marginalised and faith communities has enriched her understanding of the issues and has helped shape the direction and policies of the University.
Alongside her academic roles, Anna has worked with the strategic development of organisations and their management teams throughout her career. Her areas of specialism are organisational behaviour, leading and managing people, and learning and development with a particular emphasis on managing and developing people in virtual organisations.
She has been instrumental in developing several major CPD and in-company initiatives with a range of public, private and third sector organisations, including the Metropolitan Police, the NHS, the Environment Agency, ITV, Worldpay, Association of Colleges, Recruitment Employment Confederation, and several London boroughs.
In recognition of her significant contribution to the HR and management professions, Anna was awarded Chartered Companion of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and Companion of the Chartered Management Institute (CMI). She has served as the elected Vice President of the CIPD’s Membership and Professional Development Committee and sat on the CIPD Board for seven years. She is currently Chair of the CIPD’s Qualifications Advisory Group and is a member of Advanced HE’s Aurora Champion Advisory Group.
Dr Caroline Stock studied for a BSc in Human Biology at the University of London. She then worked at different hospitals including Chelsea Hospital for Women and Queen Charlotte’s Hospital and went onto obtain a PhD at the Royal Postgraduate Medical School. Her doctorate was an investigation of human fertilization working in the field of In Vitro Fertilization.
Caroline’s work life has involved science, and projects that combine her interest in art, having undertaken a Diploma in Art and Design. An example was working for Figleaves, an internet lingerie company that aimed to revolutionize sizing of female garments using scientific methods. She has always aimed to support local causes and has been a Governor of a Primary School (with interests in special needs), chaired community groups such as the local Police Action Panel and Residents’ Associations. Caroline has been a volunteer at Home-Start Barnet supporting vulnerable families and ran a winter shelter for the homeless for six years. This passion for supporting the local community led to being elected a Councillor onto Barnet Council in 2014.
On Barnet Council Caroline has taken a special interest in children and health. In 2015, Caroline launched the Mayor of Barnet’s Golden Kilometre in response to the rise in childhood obesity. This successful local scheme encourages children and adults to run or walk a daily kilometre. She is trying to raise the understanding of Type 2 Diabetes, both of these have been actively supported by Middlesex University. She is currently Chairman of the Barnet Council Health and Well Being Board, enabling her to influence the direction of Public Health policy locally.
Caroline served as the Deputy Mayor of the London Borough of Barnet from 2018-2019 and subsequently elected Mayor in 2019.
Martin Taylor spent his early career in finance and consultancy and then joined Inchcape plc, the international automotive distribution and retail Group, where he became CEO Europe, Africa and South America. He then moved on to build a ‘portfolio career’ including various roles both as business consultant and as director/Chair on the Boards of two commercial companies. For a period of 9 years, from 2012 until March 2021, Martin was also a founding Trustee and Chair of Befrienders Worldwide, a registered charity which previously operated as the international division of Samaritans. Martin rejoined Befrienders Worldwide in November 2021 as Trustee and Board Treasurer, a position which he continues to hold today.
He has worked in various senior finance and leadership roles internationally, including a total of 18 years working and living with his family in Greece and Belgium. He has an MA in Economics from Cambridge University and is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants.
Martin served on the Board of Governors of Middlesex University London from June 2013 to July 2023. Between February 2012 and June 2013, Martin was an independent co-opted member of the Middlesex University audit committee prior to joining the Board as Governor. He was appointed as Deputy Chair of the Board and Chair of both the Finance Committee and the Remuneration Committee in September 2016, and at the same time joined the Board of the Joint Venture covering the Mauritius campus.
In June 2023, Martin was awarded an Honorary Doctorate from Middlesex University.
Jan Williams qualified as a nurse at University College Hospital in 1977 working in general surgery, coronary and intensive care before becoming a nurse tutor. She then taught on both pre-qualifying nursing and continuing professional development programmes.
Jan completed a degree in Contemporary Cultural Studies and a Masters in Health Psychology at Middlesex before joining the University as a lecturer on a one year temporary contract in 1993. Her academic career has embraced a number of roles including strategic programme lead for nursing, pan University learning and teaching coordinator, and then director of curriculum, learning and quality before becoming a Pro Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the School of Health and Education; a post she held for 14 years.
During her tenure as Dean, Jan saw the scope and location of the School change considerably through three major reorganisations and campus re-locations. As part of an outstanding Middlesex team, Jan effectively drove the pace and output of collaborative working with local and national health and care partners. Jan’s strong personal commitment to partnership working was recognised by a student union award in 2017. Her leadership with Erasmus at University level created enhanced opportunities for staff and student exchange and curriculum development. She was member of the Governing Body of Whitefield School and for 6 of her 10 year term she was deputy chair, responsible for safeguarding and for children with special educational needs and disability.
Jan is currently training to become a celebrant and is delighted to be continuing her strong association with Middlesex University.
