The University Executive Board (UEB) was established in November 2013. Led by the Vice-Chancellor, it’s the senior decision-making group of the University, with corporate responsibility for managing the business of the institution. The UEB meets every 2 weeks to discuss strategy, policy and resourcing matters.

The UEB works in partnership with the Board of Governors to determine the character, identity and strategic direction of the University. It also advises the Vice-Chancellor on all decisions and actions necessary for the conduct of the University and for the achievement of its objectives.

Our Board Appointees, alongside the Executive Deans from our 5 Faculties and the London Campus Principal, are members of UEB.

Professor Graham Galbraith, Vice-Chancellor, University of Portsmouth

Professor Graham Galbraith CBE

Vice-Chancellor

Professor Graham Galbraith CBE joined the University in 2013 as Vice-Chancellor and in this role is our Chief Executive and Chief Academic Officer. He is also the Chief Accountable Officer to the Office for Students that currently regulates UK Universities.

It's our Vice-Chancellor's job to deliver our University Mission and Strategic Plan by providing a world leading student experience alongside internationally-recognised research and innovation solutions that engage with business and respond to the needs of society.

Professor Galbraith shapes the strategic direction of the University in partnership with the Board of Governors, manages key senior staff including the Board Appointees, Chairs the University Executive Board and leads the development of the key delivery plans which underpin the achievement of the University Strategy. He is also a full member of the Board of Governors.

Passionate about the transformative power of higher education, Professor Galbraith's experience, entrepreneurial outlook and track record of academic achievement provide the leadership necessary for the future success of the University.

Email: vice-chancellor@port.ac.uk

Executive Assistant: shani.thirlwell@port.ac.uk

Tel: 023 9284 3191

Professor Sherria Hoskins, Executive Dean - Faculty of Science and Health

Professor Sherria Hoskins

Provost

The Provost has strategic responsibility for academic leadership and oversight across a wide range of University matters, ensuring that Portsmouth continues to achieve and reach the goals set out in its Vision. This includes academic strategic and financial planning, leading on staffing issues such as workload planning and promotion criteria and staffing structures.

Sherria joined us in 1999 after working at the University of Surrey as a Lecturer.  She initially trained and worked at the University of Plymouth, where she gained her PhD in Psychology and went on to become a Senior Research Fellow.

A Principal Fellow of Advance HE, Sherria was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship in 2013 for her contribution to teaching and learning.  She was previously Head of Psychology, then Executive Dean (Science and Health) and led the Medical School Delivery Group.

Her research interests are in understanding learning behaviour and achievement, specifically how learning contexts impact resilience. She led Growing Learners, a group of education research psychologists dedicated to helping teachers create supportive learning environments and develop effective learning strategies in young people, and two multi University OfS funded projects exploring attainment gaps and learning gain in HE.

Executive Assistant: claire.coffin@port.ac.uk

Tel: 023 9284 3395

Read more about Sherria's career and research

Anne Murphy profile headshot

Professor Anne Murphy

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education)

Anne joined us in March 2021 as Executive Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences. She was appointed to the role of DVC Education in November 2023.  She is responsible for the strategic leadership of all educational matters and oversight across a wide range of University matters ensuring the provision of an excellent education and experience for students. Anne previously worked at the University of Hertfordshire where she was the Dean of the School of Humanities. Her first career was in the City trading interest rate and foreign exchange derivatives. 

Her research focuses on early modern financial markets and investment behaviour, and the organisation and management of the 18th-century Bank of England. Anne has published extensively on financial, social and economic history. She won the Economic History Society’s first monograph prize in 2010 for her monograph ‘The Origins of English Financial Markets: investment and speculation before the South Sea Bubble'. Her most recent book is 'Virtuous Bankers: a day in the life of the eighteenth-century Bank of England.'

Email : anne.murphy@port.ac.uk 

Executive Assistant : prenita.jonson@port.ac.uk
Telephone: 023 9284 3397

Chris Chang profile headshot

Chris Chang

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement and Student Life)

Chris is responsible for providing strategic leadership in the development and implementation of an ambitious Global Engagement strategy for the University, for extending our global partnerships and reach to make our high-quality brand of education even more accessible worldwide. He has responsibility for UOP Global, the Department of Student Academic Administration, and Academic Partnerships. He is also the strategic lead for student support, health and wellbeing as well as for Equality Diversity and Inclusion.

Before joining the University in September 2016, Chris was Pro Vice-Chancellor Corporate Marketing, International and Development Services at Anglia Ruskin University. He has over 30 years’ experience in the higher education sector and a background as a lawyer. He qualified as a barrister in 1986 and began his career working as an advocate and solicitor at the High Court of Malaya, advising large corporate clients.

Email: chris.chang@port.ac.uk

Executive assistant email: shirley.boff@port.ac.uk

Telephone: 023 9284 3398

Jeremy Howells profile headshot

Professor Jeremy Howells

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research, Innovation and External Relations)

Jeremy was appointed to the role of DVC Research, Innovation and External Relations in October 2022. He is responsible for providing strategic leadership in the development and implementation of the University’s Research and Innovation Strategy. Jeremy is a leading international researcher in innovation and knowledge exchange. Jeremy is a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS) and a Visiting Fellow at Kellogg College, University of Oxford. Jeremy has held senior positions at Kent, Southampton and Manchester universities.

Whilst at the University of Manchester, he was also the Executive Director of the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) Centre for Research in Innovation and Competition (CRIC) and the Manchester Institute of Innovation Research (MIoIR) at the Alliance Manchester Business School where he also held the Eddie Davies Chair of Entrepreneurship and Innovation. Jeremy has undertaken research for the ESRC and other UKRI Research Councils, as well as the European Commission, OECD, the UN, the World Bank and UK and international government departments and agencies.

Email: jeremy.howells@port.ac.uk

Executive assistant email: prenita.jonson@port.ac.uk

Telephone: 023 9284 3397

Fiona Hnatow

Fiona Hnatow

Chief People Officer – The University of Portsmouth
 
As Chief People Officer at the University of Portsmouth Fiona is responsible for leading the delivery of our People Strategy 2030 which supports our underlying principle of educating and transforming lives, while driving a culture of excellence where all our people can achieve great things. As a member of the University Executive Board Fiona makes a significant contribution to the strategic direction of the University together with leading a large HR Function with a portfolio including Pay and Reward, EDI, People and Organisational Development, People Operations and Business Partnering.

Prior to joining the University of Portsmouth as Chief People Officer, Fiona was the Director of Human Resources at St Mary’s University, Twickenham.  Fiona has also worked in strategic and operational HR leadership roles both in the UK and overseas at Transport for London, the City of London Corporation, Surrey County Council, Pearson plc, WWF-UK and Unilever UK and Ireland.

Email: fiona.hnatow@port.ac.uk

Executive Assistant: lucy.leighton-smith@port.ac.uk

Claire Dunning

Claire Dunning

Executive Director – Corporate Governance

Claire leads our work in corporate governance and oversees the governance processes of the University and its subsidiary companies.  She is also responsible for student complaints, risk management and business continuity, information governance, procurement, internal audit, insurance and all legal and contracting services.  Claire is a qualified solicitor and holds a masters in corporate governance.

Before joining the University of Portsmouth Claire worked as a commercial lawyer within a FTSE 250 company

Email: claire.dunning@port.ac.uk

Executive Assistant: julie.reynolds@port.ac.uk

Tel: 023 9284 3199

Chief Financial Officer Mary White

Mary White

Chief Financial Officer

Mary is currently the Chief Financial Officer at Royal Holloway, University of London, a role she has held since April 2020. Prior to joining Royal Holloway, Mary previously worked at the University of Southampton for 22 years in various roles across the University including Director of Finance – Operations and Finance Director of the University of Southampton Science Park.

Mary obtained a Master of Business Administration from Oxford Brookes University in 2006 and is a Fellow member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. Mary is actively involved in the British Universities Finance Directors Group and is the chair of the Financial Reporting Group

Dominic Page

Dr Dominic Page

Executive Dean - Faculty of Business and Law

Dominic joins us from his current role as the Head of the Business School at the University of Gloucestershire, having previously served as Head of the South Wales Business School. Prior to moving to South Wales Dominic had spent seven years at the University of the West of England in various roles.

Executive Assistant: lisa.blake@port.ac.uk

Tel: 02392 844058

Trevor Keeble profile headshot

Professor Trevor Keeble

Executive Dean – Faculty of Creative and Cultural Industries

Trevor leads the teaching, research and innovation of the University’s broad portfolio of creative and performing arts, film and media, and creative technology disciplines.

A graduate of the Royal College of Art, Trevor was previously Executive Dean – Learning, Teaching & Research at the University for the Creative Arts, and Associate Dean (Academic) for Art, Design & Architecture at Kingston University, London.

Read more about Trevor's career and research

Richard Thelwell - Interim Executive Dean, Faculty of Science and Health

Professor Richard Thelwell

Interim Executive Dean – Faculty of Science and Health

Having joined the School in September 2000, Richard became Head of School in August 2009 and was awarded a Personal Chair in Applied Sport Psychology in June, 2017. Richard is a Registered Practitioner Psychologist with the Health and Care Professions Council, and a Chartered Psychologist of the British Psychological Society. Further to this, he was awarded a British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences Fellowship in recognition of his contribution to sport and exercise science in the UK. In addition to his Education and Research activities, Richard has a wealth of practitioner experience across a range of professional sporting organisations and governing bodies and has, and continues to serve, on varying national/international professional body committees.

Richard's primary research interests focus on the psychology of performance and behaviour change. However, he also holds a vested interest in practitioner development that saw him lead the development of the BASES HCPC approved Sport and Exercise Psychology Accreditation Route. 

Read more about Richard's career and research

Professor Djamel Ait-Boudaoud, Executive Dean - Faculty of Technology

Professor Djamel Ait-Boudaoud

Executive Dean – Faculty of Technology

Djamel joined the University in 2010 from the University of Central Lancashire, where he was head of the School of Computing, Engineering and Physical Sciences.

Both a Chartered Engineer (CEng) and a fellow of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (FIET), his research interests include the problems of optimisation with applications in 3D computer vision, and video standards.

Stephen Corbett, Interim Dean, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Professor Stephen Corbett

Interim Dean – Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences

Steve joined the University in August 2014, having previously worked in the Further Education sector. He has led multiple national and international projects focused on the continued development of education professionals. In 2020 his work across Further and Higher Education sectors led to him being awarded an Advance HE National Teaching Fellowship, and he went on to become Chair in Professional Development and Learning in 2023.

His research focuses on educational leadership development, specifically how educational leadership development can enable effectiveness in facilitating high-quality education environments. This work led him to author the first set of Professional Standards for Further Education Leaders in England, published by the Education and Training Foundation.

Terms of reference

The University Executive Board takes a leading role in developing and implementing University Strategy and shaping the culture of the University to promote delivery. The Board ensures that decision making is informed by our external context and that risk is managed effectively.

To see a full copy of our Terms of Reference, please email corporate-governance@port.ac.uk.