Senior Summit Speakers

Andrew Cooper is Head of Programmes for Employee Wellbeing in Aneurin Bevan University Health Board in NHS Wales. He is also Development Director for the Healthcare People Management Association’s (HPMA) ‘Avoiding Harm’ programme in the UK. He holds an honorary research role with the University of Plymouth and is leading a programme of research exploring the impact of the disciplinary process on individuals and organisations. He is also lead editor of ‘Under Investigation: Transforming Disciplinary Practice in the Workplace’, published by Bristol University Press. With a background in healthcare improvement and innovation, he has held senior communications roles across the private, public and voluntary sectors and is Fellow of the Chartered Institute for Public Relations for his contribution to healthcare communications.

Clarity White has been working at the University of California, Berkeley since 2017 and serves as the Director of Library Human Resources since August 2025. She is currently leading a divisional classification and pay equity review in a division with representation from nine different unions. White's experience includes over 20 years in higher education,15 in HR. Her background includes various HR leadership roles supporting units such as Student Affairs, College of Business, and College of Humanities. She has led a team providing HR support to thousands of employees across multiple departments. Her core expertise includes employee and labor relations, organizational development, and fostering collaborative work environments. While in the Netherlands, she completed a Master’s degree in Human Resources at the Rijksuniversity of Groningen, having previously earned Bachelor's degrees in Business Management and German. She has a deep commitment to Higher Education and International Education. Clarity has been deeply involved with the CUPA-HR association for the last 10 years serving on both a Regional board and the Board of Directors. She is known for her inclusive approach, strong communication skills, and her ability to navigate complex environments with a growth mindset.

Colin started as CEO & Principal of Leeds City College Group in September 2015. In 2019 the Leeds City College Group changed its name to Luminate Education Group. The group includes: Leeds City College, Keighley College, Harrogate College, Leeds Conservatoire, University Centre Leeds and Leeds Sixth Form College. Leeds Conservatoire is the only HEI in the country that is an owned subsidiary of an FE corporation, and therefore the only HEI in the public sector. Colin retired from the Luminate CEO role in December 2025. Before moving to Leeds, Colin was Principal of Barnsley College and before that, Vice Principal at Newcastle College. Colin was also a part time Ofsted inspector for several years and was a National Leader of Further Education working for the national FE Commissioner up to December 2025.

Heidi Fraser‑Krauss is the CEO of Jisc, a position she has held for the past four years. Jisc is the UK’s not‑for‑profit membership organisation providing universities and colleges with shared data, digital, and infrastructure services. Before joining Jisc, Heidi held senior executive roles at the Universities of Sheffield and York, leading major corporate and digital services portfolios. She is also a governor at York College and a board member of Géant, the organisation responsible for developing pan‑European digital infrastructure for research and education.

Jane Tidswell is a passionate advocate for enhancing the employee experience within higher education. As Higher Education Director at People Insight, she leads the organisation’s strategy for the sector, working in close partnership with universities to turn sharper listening into smarter action. Jane now works with 80+ universities across the UK, supporting institutions to understand what truly shapes the lived experience of academic and professional services staff, and to use evidence based insight to drive meaningful and sustainable change. Alongside People Insight’s specialists, she has helped develop sector benchmarks, identify emerging workforce trends, and celebrate excellence through initiatives such as the Inspire HE rankings, which recognise universities creating outstanding employee experiences. Deeply committed to the sector, Jane works closely with partners including UCEA and the UHR community to share learning and support collective progress on the people challenges facing higher education. Her work centres on helping institutions listen well, act with integrity, and build local capability so staff voice genuinely shapes the people strategy and informs organisational decision making.

Dr. Josh Mackey was named Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer in October 2025 and is responsible for leading IU’s HR strategy, talent acquisition, leadership development, organizational design, compensation and benefits, employee relations, and people across all IU campuses. Mackey holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and a master’s and Ed.D. degrees in educational leadership. With over 25 years of experience in higher education HR, Mackey has served on multiple state and national higher education HR boards and committees. He is the current chair of the national board of directors for the College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR), the leading organization for higher education HR professionals. Mackey joined IU from Northern Arizona University, where he served as Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer from 2018 to 2025. While at NAU, he led the transformation of its HR organization, including developing university-wide HR programs that fostered a productive and engaged workforce. Under his leadership, HR evolved into a strategic partner in support of NAU’s mission and priorities with a modern shared-services model. He also led a multi-year effort to redefine the NAU workplace model to support flexibility, employee retention, and clear expectations based on extensive stakeholder feedback.

Juliette is a Chartered Occupational Psychologist and CEO of Real World Group. She is passionate about how day-to-day leadership behaviour transforms performance, motivation and wellbeing in teams. She is the author of numerous articles and book chapters on leadership, teamworking, leading effective change, diversity & inclusion and behaviour vs. personality. Juliette has helped create Real World Group’s individual, team and cultural assessments of Engaging Leadership, based on uniquely proven research involving tens of thousands of people globally. She consults up to Board level with organisations worldwide. Juliette has served as co-Chair of the Thought and Action Steering Group of the UK government-sponsored Engage For Success and on the editorial committee of the International Congress on Leadership, Management and Governance. She was voted as one of the top 10 Most Influential Thinkers in HR by HR Magazine in the UK. She is currently undertaking a doctorate exploring effective leadership of hybrid teams.

Leatham joined Oracle in 2021 having enjoyed a successful career in public service that spans over 30 years with roles as Programme Director: Orbis (shared service between East Sussex, Surrey and Brighton and Hove City Council) HR Director, East Sussex County Council, Surrey County Council and Head of Contracts at Kent County Council. Leatham also ran his award-winning agency ‘The Mindful HR Centre’ and was Executive Director of the Public Service People Management Association and a PPMA National Policy Board member for over 20 years. Leatham created and facilitates PPMA’s award winning talent development programmes which has now supported over 350 aspiring public sector leaders. Leatham has received numerous awards for his work in the field of business transformation including HRO’s HR International Influencer; HRO’s European HRD; PPMA HRD and The Guardian’s Public Servant Award for Innovation in HR 7 OD.   Leatham’s real passion lies in creating opportunities to highlight the breadth and depth of youth talent in organisations and supporting them to gain in confidence and self-belief and enabling people to be in the driving seat of their wellbeing. Leatham is a life long follower of Kate Bush and lives in Shoreham – by – Sea with his partner and they share a house with their whippet Luca.

Dr Marcelle Moncrieffe-Newman was appointed Chief People Officer at City St George's, University of London, in February 2025. Prior to this role, she served as Group Chief People, Culture, and Communications Officer at Commercial Services Group. Her career includes the notable positions of Chief People Officer at the City of London Corporation, Group Chief People Officer at London South Bank University, as well as Head of Human Resources at the BBC. Marcelle also contributes as a Non-Executive Director for the North London NHS Foundation Trust, where she chairs the People and Culture Committee. She has extensive expertise in people management, developing inclusive cultures, and leading transformational change.

Smita is Relationship Partner for Shakespeare Martineau’s education clients and advises on strategic, regulatory, constitutional, governance and student matters. Her approach is best summed up by Chambers & Partners as providing “timely, sound and considered advice, informed by a deep understanding of the political and commercial considerations, as well as a strictly legal view.." Smita has been recognised in Legal 500, and Chambers and Partners, as a leading individual in Education. She holds honorary doctorates from the Universities of Warwick and Lincoln and an honorary fellowship from University of Worcester for her services to higher education

Dr Steph Harris is currently the Director of Policy at Universities UK (UUK), the representative body for UK universities where she has worked for 8 years. The focus of Steph’s career has been higher education policy and influencing, first as an SU sabbatical officer then as a Policy Officer to the Vice-Chancellor at Bath Spa University and finally at UUK. Steph is a current trustee at Bristol Students’ Union