Clare Marchant DBE is Vice-Chancellor at the University of Gloucestershire. She holds what currently looks like to be a unique position in UK Higher Education being a female Vice-Chancellor who has also come from a non-academic route, and one of the topics we discuss in the episode is the opening up of the Vice-Chancellor role to a more diverse community, and why this is important in leading the sector into the future.

Clare also talks about the vital role of connectivity in leading an institution – with students, with staff and with the surrounding regional community – as well as the role of digital. We also discuss how she balances drive and ambition for the University with the practical reality of prioritisation, and she additionally reflects upon the changing shape of the Higher Education sector, and the potential for greater collaboration and partnership.

This mini-series is kindly sponsored by PACT Solutions, which helps universities achieve their ambitions through digital transformation — specialising in the student journey, student records, data & reporting, AI and change management.