Council
Council & Council Committee Structure
The Academic Year runs from 1st August - 31st July
Council Members and other trusteeships held by them:
Chair - Baroness Young of Old Scone MA FRSGS AHM FRSE
![аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council (Chairman) The Baroness Young of Old Scone](/Media/Default/About/Governance,%20Policy%20and%20Legal/Council/baroness-young.jpg)
Barbara, Baroness Young of Old Scone
Barbara Young was appointed as a Member and Chair of the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council from 1st August 2019.
She has had wide experience as chief executive or chairman in leading large complex public sector, charitable and educational organisations in environment, media, education and health.
Her chief executive positions have included leading NHS healthcare groups in Scotland and London, and as Chief Executive of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds and the Environment Agency and the charity, Diabetes UK. She has also been Chairman of English Nature and the Care Quality Commission, Vice-Chairman of the BBC and is currently Chairman of the Woodland Trust, which is growing in its role of protecting, promoting, restoring and increasing woodland cover in the UK. For ten years she was Chancellor and member of the Council of Cranfield University, during which it grew further in reputation and funding with a substantial academic, research and campus development programme.
Internationally she helped found Birdlife International, the global species and habitat conservation partnership and is still Vice-President. She is President of the South Georgia Heritage Trust which has completed a ten year programme to eradicate rats from South Georgia in the South Atlantic to protect the unique assemblage of albatrosses and other birds.
She has honorary degrees from a range of universities and is an Honorary Fellow of Sydney Sussex College, Cambridge and of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
A Labour life Peer since 1997, Baroness Young sits on the House of Lords Science and Technology Select Committee and is an officer of the Agroecology, Game and Wildlife and Water All Party Groups.
She lives in rural Bedfordshire and competes unsuccessfully at dressage. Her aged Irish Sports Horse has a close relationship with his equine vet practice!
Other Interests Held | Position |
Cranfield University | Chancellor |
Cranfield University | Member of Council |
Woodland Trust | Chairman |
RSPB Birdlife International | Vice President |
South Georgia Heritage Trust | President |
St Mary's Hospital Development Charity | Trustee |
Vice Chair - Ms J Alexander
![аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council (Independent Member) Ms Jane Alexander](/Media/Default/About/Governance,%20Policy%20and%20Legal/Council/Jane-Alexander-sm.jpg)
Jane Alexander was appointed to Council in 2017 and also joined the Finance & General Purposes Committee. Jane was elected to Vice Chair of Council in August 2024.
Jane has over 20 years’ experience as a corporate finance lawyer with Norton Rose and then 3i, a FTSE 100 investment business, where she was responsible for legal strategy, deal risk management and legal outsourcing across its European investment business.
In 2011 Jane joined The Royal College of Art, the world’s leading postgraduate art and design university, as Pro-Rector (Operations) with responsibility for strategic planning, financial and estate issues, governance and risk management. She was Chair of the RCA’s Equality & Diversity Committee and a member of the Advisory Board of InnovationRCA, the student business incubator.
Between 2010 and 2014 Jane was a trustee of The National Association of Youth Theatres, the sector development agency for youth theatre in England.
She is currently a Governor and the Vice Chair of the Board of the Contemporary Dance Trust (The Place), home to the London Contemporary Dance School, a founding affiliate of the Conservatoire for Dance & Drama.
Other Interests Held | Position |
---|---|
Contemporary Dance Trust (The Place) | Governor and Vice-Chair |
Contemporary Dance Trust Ltd | Director |
Honorary Treasurer - Mr A Scott MA FCA
![аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council (Independent Member) Mr Andrew Scott](/Media/Default/About/Governance,%20Policy%20and%20Legal/Council/Andrew-Scott-PHOTO.jpg)
Andrew Scott was appointed to Council in August 2023, and as Honorary Treasurer in August 2024.
Andrew is a Chartered Accountant and has over 35 years commercial experience in a wide variety of industries. He was most recently Chief Financial Officer of Meininger Hotels and has held senior finance positions in companies such as Travelex, Ladbrokes, De La Rue, The Resort Group, Grand Metropolitan and Arthur Andersen. His involvement has covered public, private and joint ventures companies, including significant international experience and regulated industries. He later focused on fast-growing private companies which required careful management through challenging commercial and ownership situations. He is particularly proud of having developed some outstanding finance leaders.
Between 2015 and 2022 Andrew served as a Lay Member of the Finance Committee of Kings College London, latterly as the senior independent member. He is also a Trustee of the Tunnell Trust for Young Musicians, established to support young classical musicians at the onset of their careers. He has an Honours Degree in Geography from the University of Aberdeen. Andrew holds other volunteering roles and lives in the Chilterns with his family and three cats.
Other Interests Held | Position |
---|---|
Tunnell Trust for Young Musicians | Trustee |
Damon Singers | Trustee and Treasurer |
Independent Member - Mr R Hargreaves BVSc MRCVS
![аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council (Independent Member) Mr Robin Hargreaves](/Media/Default/About/Governance,%20Policy%20and%20Legal/Council/robin-hargreaves.jpg)
Robin Hargreaves was appointed as an Independent Member of аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council in August 2017
Robin was born and grew up on a Yorkshire Dales hill farm and following graduation from Liverpool university school of veterinary medicine he entered mixed, predominantly farm animal practice. A switch to exclusively companion animals came in 1987. Robin was a partner director of a large mixed practice in Lancashire for 32 years where he does some part time work having retired from full time practice in Autumn 2022.
Robin is a past President of the Lancashire Veterinary Association and was President of the British Veterinary Association in 2013-14.
Robin has chaired the Liverpool University Veterinary School alumni association.
Alongside part time clinical practice, Robin works as a consultant to a pet insurance company and is deputy head vet for the UK operation of Agriavetguide, a 24/7 on line advice line for pet owners.
Other Interests Held | Position |
Stanley House Veterinary Group | Director |
аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Veterinary Practices Ltd | Director |
Liverpool University Veterinary Alumni Association | Chairman |
Agri Pet Insurance | Veterinary Consultant and Veterinary Panel Lead |
Independent Member - Mrs A Pearce Higgins MA (Oxon)
![аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council Independent Member) Mrs Amanda Pearce Higgins](/Media/Default/About/Governance,%20Policy%20and%20Legal/Council/amanda-pearce-higgins.jpg)
Amanda Pearce Higgins was appointed to the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council and as a Member of the Audit Committee from 1st August 2019. She was appointed Chair of Audit Committee from August 2020.
Amanda is a Chartered Accountant by training and has had a long and successful career with professional services firm PwC. In recent years, her primary focus has been advising organisations on risk management and Internal Audit. Her experience at PwC has provided her with a strong independent voice and the ability to deal with difficult issues at a senior level.
Since retiring from PwC in 2015, Amanda has held a number of Trustee and Non-Executive Director roles. She has also worked with аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø in an advisory capacity on a variety of distinct projects, including a governance review and the gender equality (Athena Swan) award
.
Other Interests Held | Position |
Active Oxfordshire (CIO) | Trustee |
Chinnor Rugby Football Club Limited | Non Executive Director |
Independent Member - Dr Z Latif PhD MBA MRPharmS
![аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council (Independent Member) Dr Zahid Latif](/Media/Default/About/Governance,%20Policy%20and%20Legal/Council/Zahid-Latif.jpg)
Zahid Latif PhD MBA MRPharmS
Zahid initially qualified as a pharmacist and after pre-registration training at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary, he went on to study for a PhD in natural product chemistry aimed at the discovery and identification of insecticidal compounds from tropical plants.
After graduating Zahid worked for Xenova Discovery and MNLPharma focused on drug discovery and then for Integrin in Oban, one of the first marine biotech companies in the UK, heading up operations.
Zahid joined the Technology Strategy Board (later renamed Innovate UK) in 2007 becoming Head of Healthcare in 2010. Here he established key funding schemes and programmes which have had a significant impact on the UK life sciences sector. This included the award-winning Biomedical Catalyst programme and establishing world leading research and technology organisations, the Cell and Gene Therapy and Medicines Discovery Catapults.
Zahid joined Cancer Research UK in 2016 as Director for Population and Early Detection Research and then in 2017 established his own consultancy providing support to clients such as the Cell and Gene Therapy Catapult and the Department for International Trade where he was Innovation Specialist for life sciences helping UK companies explore overseas markets and overseas companies to invest in the UK. In August 2021, Zahid joined Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi as their Vice President for Global Innovation.
Other Interests Held | Position |
Shionogi | VP Global Innovation |
Selfless | Trustee |
Modify Medical Services Ltd | Director |
NIHR i4i Programme | Member of Committee 'A' |
NC3Rs | CRACK IT Advisory Panel Member |
Independent Member - Ms A Cooper
Alia Cooper started her career with British Airways in technology and went on to work for a number of Blue Chip organisations in a variety of transformation roles. Since 2013 she has worked for HSBC in various Financial Crime Risk management roles and is currently the Global Head of Client Due Diligence for the bank’s corporate and institutional businesses. She has recently started to work on plans to embed HSBC’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) strategy. Alia recently qualified as an accredited workplace mediator and enjoys the non-judgemental process of facilitating conflicted parties into mutually agreed resolutions.
Alia is a passionate and pro-active ally of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. She is chair of the steering committee for an HSBC partnership project with the East London Business Alliance; Enable, which is focused on improving employability skills within the local community. She is co-chair of HSBC’s global employee network ‘Ability’ which represents and supports colleagues with disabilities, physical or sensory impairments, mental health and neurodiverse conditions; as well as carers. She is also an Ambassador for PurpleSpace, a social enterprise which supports disability employee networks globally. Whilst not formally diagnosed Alia has recently come to identify as neurodiverse. Having experienced severe depression and anxiety since she was a teenager this revelation has been life affirming and she is determined to challenge and change the perceptions that many people have of those with experiences of mental ill health and neurodiversity.
Outside of work Alia is a keen amateur dressage rider, whose horses seem determined to develop conditions that baffle the finest equine veterinary minds.
Other Interests Held | Position |
PurpleSpace | Ambassador |
Independent Member - Professor S Virdee BSc PhD PGCE FAUA
Sonia Virdee was appointed a Co-Optee Member of the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Audit Committee from the 1st August 2019. From the 1st August 2020, Sonia was appointed as a Independent Member of аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council and became, at this time, an Independent Member of the Audit Committee.
Sonia was award her PhD in Evolutionary Genetics by the University of East Anglia 1991. Since then she has gained wide experience of the HE sector, working firstly as an academic until 1999 and thereafter holding senior Strategy and Planning roles in a number of UK universities.
Since 2005, as a Co-director of Okra Consulting, Sonia has also been providing consulting advice and support (regarding knowledge transfer / enterprise / strategic planning etc.) to high profile clients in the national and international HE sector.
Other Interests Held | Position |
University of Durham | Principal, Grey College |
Orka Consulting | Co-Director |
Independent Member - Professor L Nasir BSc MSc PhD
![аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council (Independent Member) Prof Lubna Nasir](/Media/Default/About/Governance,%20Policy%20and%20Legal/Council/Lubna-Nasir.jpg)
Lubna Nasir was appointed to Council in March 2023.
Lubna gained her PhD in Molecular Biology at the University of Liverpool in 1991. Since then, she has engaged in research in the field of comparative oncology at the University of Glasgow, School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, focusing on the role of viruses in the pathogenesis of animal cancers. Following many years of a successful research career with a demonstrated track record of grant acquisition, publications, and PhD supervision, her focus and interests moved towards learning and teaching and she has been heavily engaged in course design, development and evaluation in the disciplines of veterinary medicine and biosciences. For over a decade, Lubna has also been intimately engaged in Equity Inclusion and Diversity (EDI) work within Higher Education to help foster inclusive and supportive communities for both staff and students. Her passion and drive for equity is at the forefront of her numerous EDI roles and her day-to-day practice.
Other Interests Held | Position |
---|---|
None held |
Independent Member - Ms S White BSc(Hons) MRICS
Sophie White was appointed to Council in August 2024.
Sophie is a highly emotionally intelligent, committed, target driven leader with first class commercial credentials. People focussed with a track record of successfully leading high profile and complex real estate projects. She creates a strong sense of followership through a value-led leadership style. An experienced, adaptable, and creative chartered surveyor with extensive private and public sector experience focussed for the last decade on financing the residential sector. Confident under pressure Sophie delivers on business priorities through a strategic and commercial approach to problem solving. Collaboration is a stand-out strength.
Independent Member - Dr S Armstrong BVScHonsl MANZCVS MBA
Stephanie Armstrong was appointed to Council in August 2024.
Stephanie is a veterinarian and successful business leader, with an international career that spans over two decades in the animal health industry. Encompassing a combination of frontline veterinary experience and strategic acumen in the animal pharmaceutical industry, Stephanie is dedicated to advancing the veterinary profession by elevating the voices of industry talent and advocating for vets.
Stephanie began her career as a veterinarian, working in small animal and mixed practice in both Australia and the UK. This foundation in clinical work shaped her perspective on the broader implications of veterinary science, particularly in the opportunities that innovation provides in advancing care.
Completing post-graduate education in Veterinary Pharmacology as well as an MBA allowed Stephanie to merge her clinical knowledge with business strategy, positioning her to take on leadership roles that shape the animal health industry. Her career has been defined by a dedication to advancing veterinary medicine through innovation and collaboration. At Zoetis, the world’s largest animal health company, she is Senior Vice President and Cluster Lead for Northern Europe, where she oversees operations and growth across the region.
Stephanie is a passionate advocate for sustainability in the industry, striving to ensure that advancements in animal health contribute positively to global wellbeing. In her personal time, the Australian native enjoys travel, design and going on long walks with her dog, a golden retriever named Archie.
Other Interests Held | Position |
---|---|
Virtual Recall Ltd | Director |
Ex-Officio - President of the Students' Union 2024 - 2025 - Ms E Prideaux
Ezrie Prideaux is the elected аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Students' Union President for 2024-2025.
Academic Board of the College - Dr D Palmer BSc(Hons) MSc PhD PGCAP FHEA FRSB
Dr Donald Palmer was elected in June 2024 by members of the Academic Board to represent the Board on Council. His term of office as an Academic Board Member of Council will be from 1st August 2024 until 31st July 2026.
Other Interests Held | Position |
---|---|
None Held |
Academic Board of the College - Professor S Priestnall BSc(Hons) BVSc PhD PGC(VetEd) FHEA FRSB DipACVP FRCPath MRCVS
Professor Simon Priestnall was elected to the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council in June 2024 as a representative of аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø’s Academic Board. His term of office will be from 1st August 2024 until 31st July 2025.
Simon qualified as a veterinary surgeon from the University of Bristol having undertaken an intercalated degree in Veterinary Pathology at the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø which sealed his career path into pathology. Following graduation Simon embarked on a PhD at the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø working on a novel canine respiratory coronavirus, followed by specialist clinical training in anatomic pathology, also at аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø, culminating in board certification by the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) and Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath).
Simon joined аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø faculty in 2011 and has held various roles from Course Director (BSc Comparative Pathology), Rotation and Residency Director and latterly Head of Pathology. Simon is Professor of Veterinary Anatomic Pathology and was appointed Head of the Department of Pathobiology and Population Sciences in 2023 and has responsibility for a diverse group of units from the Diagnostic Laboratories to Bolton’s Park Farm.
Simon is passionate about training veterinary pathologists of the future and has served as both a senior examiner for the Royal College of Pathologists and member of the ACVPs Certifying Exam Committee for several years. In addition to teaching and clinical diagnostic service, Simon contributes to provision of Experimental Histopathology consultancy to the Francis Crick Institute. Simon maintains an active research profile, having authored over 150 research papers and various textbook chapters with particular expertise in gastrointestinal and respiratory pathology and has supervised a number of PhD and masters students. Simon is a Fellow of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons and previous President of the British Society of Veterinary Pathology. Simon is an avid (obsessive) birder and ornithologist with a current (August 2024) life total of 3,159 species out of a total of approx. 11,000 species worldwide. He enjoys foreign travel from the tropics to the arctic, always with binoculars, and even breaks at scientific meetings and conferences provide opportunities to see new species!
Other Interests Held | Position |
---|---|
None Held |
Ex-Officio - Professor S W J Reid CBE BVMS PhD DVM DipECVPH FRSB FRSE FRCVS (President & Principal)
![аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council (Ex-Officio) Professor Stuart Reid](/Media/Default/About/Governance,%20Policy%20and%20Legal/Council/stuart-reid.jpg)
Stuart Reid
Stuart Reid is Principal of the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø, London.
With research interests in the application of quantitative epidemiological techniques to diseases of both animals and humans he has worked in Africa, Australia and the USA and has published over 130 papers and won over £15M in competitive grants. His most recent work, with others, on the One Health aspects of antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella appeared in Science and the Proceedings of the Royal Society and challenged some of the basic tenets of the origin and transmission of resistance.
He is a Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons Recognised Specialist in veterinary epidemiology and a diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Public Health, of which he was the first elected president. He has served on numerous committees including the Scottish Science Advisory Committee and the Veterinary Products Committee.
He has been a Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh since 2001 and was a member of the RSE inquiries into Infectious Salmon Anaemia, Foot and Mouth Disease and Avian Influenza. He has been recognised by his peers with the award of the Petplan Charitable Trust Scientific Award (2010), the Wooldridge Memorial Lecture and Medal (BVA, 2010), the McCall Lecture (2012) and is the 2016 recipient of the Dalrymple-Champneys Cup and Medal for the advancement of veterinary science.
A veterinarian who has worked in both the private and public sector, Reid has served on the executive committees of the professional regulatory bodies in Europe and the UK; he currently chairs the European Committee on Veterinary Education and he served as President of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2014-2015, the governing body for the veterinary profession in the United Kingdom.
Other Interests Held | Position |
---|---|
LBIC [аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Subsidiary] | Director |
аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø (Hong Kong) Ltd [аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Subsidiary] | Director |
аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Developments Ltd [аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Subsidiary] | Director |
Animal Care Trust [аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø] | Trustee - ex-officio |
SEDRIC, Wellcome Trust | Board Member |
Soulsby Foundation for One Health | Trustee |
Veterinary Schools Council | Chair |
AAVMC Board of Directors | Member |
RCVS Education Committee | Member |
RCVS Mind Matters Group | Member |
University of London, Collegiate Council | Member |
University of London, Estates Committee | Member |
Institute of Zoology, Independent Scientific Advisory Board | Member |
Quadram Institute Bioscience, Science and Impact Advisory Committee | Member |
Quadram Institute Bioscience, Food Safety Innovation Board | Member |
Secretary to the Council - Mr I Darker
![аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø Council (Secretary to the Council) Mr Ian Darker](/Media/Default/About/Governance,%20Policy%20and%20Legal/Council/ian-darker.jpg)
Ian Darker - Secretary to Council and Chief Operating Officer
As Secretary to Council, Ian advises the Chairman and Principal on governance issues, helping to ensure the College remains compliant with relevant legal and professional frameworks. He also assists Council in setting the strategic objectives of the College.
Ian graduated from the University of Hull in 1986 and has a postgraduate diploma in HR Management from Sheffield Hallam University.
After a period in administration at the University of Hertfordshire, he began his career in HR in the retail sector before moving back into higher education in 1998. He worked at the London School of Economics before returning to the University of Hertfordshire in 2004. He joined the аÄÃÅÁùºÏ²Ê¹ÙÍø as Director of HR and became COO in 2014.
As COO, Ian supports the Principal in the operational management of the College and works with the Vice-Principals to help deliver the strategic aims of the three Mission Groups: Learning & the Student Experience; Research & Innovation; Clinical Services. He provides leadership to the Professional Services Management Team and works closely with the Director of Finance.
Other Interests Held | Position |
---|---|
None held |