New Year – New Chief Operating Officer

The University of Northampton is proud to announce that on 17 January 2023, Becky Bradshaw will take on the role of Chief Operating Officer (COO).

She succeeds Deputy Vice Chancellor Professor Shân Wareing – who stepped into the COO role on an interim basis following the retirement of Terry Neville.

The COO will work with the Vice Chancellor and wider leadership team to develop the new university strategy and is responsible for leading the University’s professional services, balancing the effective operational delivery of core university functions with regulatory and legal compliance, cultural transformation and people centric decision making.

Vice Chancellor Professor Anne-Marie Kilday said: “Becky’s track record of creating and leading purposeful, cross-institutional teams that deliver successful outcomes for UON made her the strongest candidate in a very competitive recruitment process. Her dedication to this University, the colleagues she works with, and the impact of professional services on a positive experience for students is undeniable.

“I’m greatly looking forward to Becky taking the reins as the Chief Operating Officer as we develop a strategy with students at the heart of decision-making, and building the University’s most important external relationships.”

Becky has worked in the higher education sector for over 20 years – beginning her career as an administrator in the corporate training team at what was then the University College Northampton in 2001. She went on to progress through a number of roles, developing her professional discipline in health, safety and risk management.

She has served as UON’s Executive Director of Estates & Campus Services since 2018, having led the operationalisation of the Waterside Campus. Most recently, Becky directed UON’s strategic response to the Coronavirus pandemic, liaising with local authorities and health organisations as part of a coordinated task force for the county.

She is passionate about the creation of an inclusive environment for students and staff and the influence of professional services on student outcomes, alongside sustainability and environmental improvement, and currently leads development of both the University’s Sustainability and Estates strategies. Becky represents the University on several regeneration boards, is the current Secretary of the Association of University Directors of Estates (AUDE), an Independent Governor at Northampton College, and has recently joined The Core at the Corby Cube as a trustee.