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Leeds Beckett University announces two new Pro Vice Chancellors
The two strategic roles will help to realise the university’s ambitions to make a positive and decisive difference to people, organisations and communities through excellent education and research.
Dr David Ashton will be the Pro Vice Chancellor for University Recruitment and Global Partnerships.
David will lead Leeds Beckett’s student recruitment strategy, supporting the university’s determination to become sector-leading in equality, diversity, and inclusion.
This includes building on the university’s strengths in widening access and inclusion. Leeds Beckett is already recognised for providing the benefits of a quality education to a strong cross-section of its local and regional population, an increasing number of mature students, people from backgrounds with no history of higher education, and a growing international student cohort.
David is currently Deputy Principal at Royal Holloway, University of London, where he leads the professional services. He is executive lead for student recruitment and for environmental sustainability.
David previously held leadership roles at the University of Surrey, Kingston University and the University of Reading in a career which has also seen him work in Japan and pursue an academic interest in provincial administration in England and the Tudor system of justice.
He is a trustee and non-executive director of JISC, the UK’s digital agency for lifelong learning and research and has previously held non-exec and trustee positions at the Universities and Colleges Admission Service (UCAS), among others.
Dr David Ashton said:
“I am delighted to be appointed Pro Vice Chancellor for University Recruitment and Global Partnerships at Leeds Beckett University.
“The university has a strong reputation locally and globally, with a diverse set of students from both its local community and around 140 countries across the world.
“I look forward to working with new colleagues to deliver the university’s inspiring and innovative new strategy.”
Professor Silke Machold will join LBU as the Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation.
Silke will lead and develop Leeds Beckett’s research strategy following the publication of the REF 2021 results, where 53% of our submission was rated 3* and 4* and therefore considered internationally excellent or world-leading.
She will provide leadership to the university’s research community, supporting colleagues to implement the new research and enterprise strategy, promoting good practice and stimulating innovation.
Silke is currently the Dean of Research and Professor of Corporate Governance at the University of Wolverhampton. Silke leads on the University of Wolverhampton’s research and innovation strategy, which focuses on challenge-driven research, building research communities and research-inspired learning.
Silke has also been a Visiting Professor at D’Annunzio University of Chieti-Pescara, Italy, and the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik, Lebanon.
The first in her family to attend university, Silke is committed to supporting research and academic opportunities for people from a diverse range of backgrounds.
Silke is a Fellow of the European Academy of Management, where she previously served as Vice-President for Governance. Her research on board processes and behaviours and feminist perspectives on corporate governance, are widely published. She also has extensive experience in editorial roles on journals, including editing the International Journal of Business Governance and Ethics.
Professor Silke Machold said:
“I am very excited to start my new role as Pro Vice Chancellor for Research and Innovation at Leeds Beckett University.
The university has a strong research community, and I look forward to collaborating with them to make a real impact locally and globally, and to deliver high quality research-inspired learning.”
Vice Chancellor of Leeds Beckett University, Professor Peter Slee, said:
“David and Silke are very exciting appointments. They will help us achieve our ambition to be recognised as an inclusive anchor organisation for the Leeds City Region, an outstanding university that supports our diverse student community to achieve excellent outcomes, and one that generates research that improves lives and addresses our society’s most pressing challenges.
“Leeds Beckett is delighted to welcome David and Silke in the coming months and I look forward to working with them.”
In this article
Professor Peter Slee
Professor Peter Slee joined Leeds Beckett University as Vice Chancellor in September 2015. Peter was educated at the University of Reading, gained his PhD in Modern History from the University of Cambridge and was a postdoctoral fellow at Manchester and Durham. He is a Fellow of the Royal Historical Society, Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an award-winning author, teacher and trainer.
Peter joined Leeds Beckett from the University of Huddersfield where he had been Deputy Vice Chancellor since 2010. He has held a number of senior roles in higher education management at Northumbria, Durham and Aston universities and at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) where he was Head of Education Policy.
