About University Centre Leeds
University Centre Leeds is a member of Luminate Education Group in. The wider group consists of Harrogate College, Keighley College, Leeds City College and Leeds Conservatoire. More information on Luminate Education Group can be found through the button below.
Find out moreThe Board of Governors
University Centre Leeds Board was established in 2022 as part of the Luminate Education Group governance structure. The objective of the board is to have oversight of the operation of University Centre Leeds and compliance with the Office for Students (OfS) conditions of registration on behalf of the Luminate Group Board. It works closely with Group Board and the Group’s other Boards and Committees to deliver Group priorities. The University Centre Leeds Board Terms of Reference can be found through the button below.
Aisha is a teacher who has worked extensively with disadvantaged, alienated and vulnerable people, and works with children with SEND. Aisha has taught in a variety of educational settings across West Yorkshire and has experience teaching a range of subjects including English, Maths and ESOL.
Aisha is a co-opted member of the Keighley College Board and University Centre Leeds Board.
Allison is the elected SU HE Officer for 2024/25. She is a student on the HE Sport and Health course.
Allison serves as student member on the University Centre Leeds Board.
Brian has 20 years’ experience working in the apprenticeships sector and is currently the Director of Apprenticeships at the University of Huddersfield. In that role he is responsible for the strategic direction and oversight of the university’s apprenticeships provision, and he successfully led the university to achieve ‘Outstanding’ during its recent Ofsted inspection. Earlier roles include Head of Apprenticeships at the University of York where he established the higher and degree apprenticeships provision, and Head of Apprentice Engagement at BPP University.
Brian is a co-opted member on the University Centre Leeds Board.
Charlotte is Head of Department for STEM HE at the University Centre Leeds. She previously served as staff governor at her former employer and was keen to use this experience in her role on the University Centre Leeds Board to offer informed perspectives on developmental, quality, and financial matters crucial to the University Centre’s success. Charlotte is passionate about empowering both students and staff and committed to upholding the collective responsibility and decision-making principles integral to the board's functioning to drive meaningful change.
Charlotte is the staff elected member on the University Centre Leeds Board.
Colin was appointed as Principal and CEO of Leeds City College in 2015 before the change to become Luminate Education Group. Prior to moving to Leeds, Colin was Principal of Barnsley College for seven years where he steered the college to an Ofsted rating of outstanding. He has worked in the further education sector for over 35 years; his background is as a teacher and manager in Skills for Life and provision for students with disabilities or learning difficulties. He has also worked as a part-time inspector for Ofsted and the Adult Learning Inspectorate.
Colin was awarded an OBE for services to further education in the Queen’s 2015 New Year Honours list.
As Group CEO Colin is a governor of the Luminate Education Group (Group Board) and sits on each board within the group’s governance structure; he is also a member of the Finance Committee, Governance & Nominations Committee and Property Strategy Committee.
Javaad is a multi-award winning director and writer. He is Manchester based, but Bradford built. As an artist he has worked nationally and internationally. Mostly in theatre, where he is increasingly known as a pioneer of a new kind of contemporary use of technology in theatre, but also for screen and digital media. Before moving into the creative sector, he was a youth and community worker, working in some of the most deprived neighbourhoods in England. He is recognized as a leading voice in the relationship between emerging practice in digital art and theatre; as well as theatre’s relationship to questions of diversity and social justice. He also writes about cultural policy and international politics for newspapers like The Stage and The Guardian. As Artistic Director of a producing company his job is to create a compelling and palpable vision; to make difficult and complex ideas touchable and tastable. Then, it’s about putting together the kind of international partnerships, systems and income streams that can realize that vision. All his career, from being a youth worker, through experimental theatre, journalism and film making has really been about taking great ideas, that seem impossible and making them not just real but as impactful, high quality and sustainable as possible.
Javaad is a co-opted member of the University Centre Leeds Board.
June has over 25 years’ experience in UK Higher Education, with more than half of this in senior academic leadership roles in UK universities and colleges. She is based in Bradford and is a marketing strategy coach working with SMEs and marketing professionals. June also works with HE institutions worldwide on projects ranging from collaborative academic partnerships, degree awarding powers, and curriculum design and development. She is passionate about ensuring curriculum is current and applied and that students are encouraged to achieve their potential. She currently teaches on DBA courses in Dubai and the Government’s Help to Grow programme for SMEs at Brunel University.
June is a Chartered Marketer and Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM). She has been a board member of CIM since 2016 and held the role Chair of the Chartered Institute of Marketing for over two years until January 2024. She has held marketing management positions in a range of industries ranging from clothing and textiles through to engineering plastics and retail.
June is a co-opted member of the University Centre Leeds Board.
Katie is a Strategic Business Account Manager for Crown Commercial Service (CCS), an Executive Agency and Trading Fund of the Cabinet Office. Katie works with local authorities, universities and education providers, supporting these organisations to better extract value from their commercial and procurement activity.
Prior to this Katie worked at the University of Bradford, managing the UK & EU Student Recruitment Team, leading on strategies linked to student recruitment, access and participation, as well as partnership and project management.
Katie has also worked in a number of careers and employability roles within the public and private sectors, managing a diverse range of business stakeholder partnerships across the West Yorkshire area.
Katie has previously held a position on the board of New College Bradford, part of the New Collaborative Learning Trust.
Katie is a co-opted member of the University Centre Leeds Board.
Mark has spent over 35 years in senior roles in Marketing, Communications and Customer Relationship Management in a variety of high-profile private and public sector organisations worldwide.
In his early years he was Marketing Director for Principality Building Society in Wales and Head of Customer Management for Royal & Sun Alliance (responsible for leading Customer Management for the launch of MORETH>N), before running his own international Customer Management consultancy, helping over 30 companies worldwide to develop effective customer management practices.
He was instrumental in setting up Confused.com, before taking up a senior interim management career with organisations such as Open University, Royal Bank of Scotland Plc, Yell Group Plc, British Airways and Barnardos.
He joined the Higher Education sector in 2009 and has been in senior Marketing, Communications and Student Recruitment Director roles for City University London, the University of West London, University of Bradford, Swansea University, and the University of Law. In May 2022 he was appointed to the University Executive Team as Director of Marketing, Communications and Recruitment for ARU (Anglia Ruskin University).
He is Chair of CASE Europe Universities Marketing Forum and is a campaigner for equality, diversity and inclusion, being an ambassador for AWLO (African Women in Leadership Organisation) and the White Ribbon campaign. He was previously on the Advisory Board for Bradford Literature Festival, Board member of Bradford UNESCO City of Film.
Mark is a governor of Luminate Education Group (Group Board) and Chair of the University Centre Leeds Board.
Rod is a finance professional with many years' experience in a variety of industries. He was most recently Deputy Finance Director at the University of York, and has also had spells with Heinz, the UK Financial Controller and National Power, among others. Rod has wide experience of business issues at strategic and operational levels.
Rod is a co-opted member of the University Centre Leeds Board and Group Finance Committee.
Board Recruitment
Taking on a governance role is a hugely rewarding experience, allowing you to use your personal expertise and skills to help shape the future of our region and improve the prospects of our young people.
Governors are recruited from all sections of the community and applications are always welcomed from people of all cultural backgrounds.
If you are proud of your community, passionate about the future of the region, and want to utilise your valuable experience by contributing in a governance role, please get in touch. Email Melanie Halstead, director of governance.
Want to know more?
To find out more about governance at the Luminate Education Group, or to express your interest in a governance role, please contact Melanie Halstead, director of governance, by email at melanie.halstead@luminate.ac.uk.
