Dean
Laureate Vocational Saudi Arabia
Total years of experience :38 years, 5 Months
Leading on the strategic and operational delivery of the mission, vision and goals of the institute.
Implementing an ongoing business growth plan to drive student’s enrolments and retention.
Developing education strategies including a fit for purpose curriculum, innovative learning and teaching and effective quality assurance practices driving quality improvement.
Developing a strategy including budget and performance measures to review the progress of the institute.
Attracting, recruiting, developing and retaining the human resource capital.
Develop strategic partnerships with key local organizations to advance the Institute.
Communicating the institute’s message of success effectively to internal and external stakeholders.
Key achievements
Stabilising an underperforming college of excellence evidenced through improvements across a range of KPIs including student enrolments (200 - 900 = 400%), student retention (+4%), students attendance (+7%) and student achievement (100% success on Diploma programmes and 92% graduate employment).
Increased revenue due to improved enrolments.
Grade 2 Good at Saudi Skills Standards Internal Review with five areas graded outstanding.
KPMG contract compliance rating of 98%.
Creation of multiple strategic industry partnerships.
Partner in the creation of the National Training Centre for Facilities and Hospitality Management with Saudi Aramco.
Successful increase and resourcing of the range of majors offered.
Increased employment and retention of an international staff of c75.
Education consultancy focussing on:
• Developing people
• Reviewing and refreshing services / established ways of doing things
• Merger / Acquisition / Federation support
• Special projects
• Interim senior management
Trading includes:
Supporting the federation ambitions of West Suffolk College and Cambridge Regional College
Auditing of curriculum planning and commercial courses at West Highland College
Delivering webinars through the Learning Curve Group on college regionalisation
Project management of new campus fit out aligned to curriculum needs at North East Scotland College
External audit for Wylie Bisset of college merger arrangements at Prior Purseglove College
Creating and quality assuring learning and teaching materials for Colleges of Excellence (Interserve) in Saudi Arabia through Central College Nottingham
Creating an outline leadership programme for new college managers for Colleges Development Network
Executive authority for the Academic, Corporate, Financial, Estate and Human Resources Management of the College.
Direct responsibility for operating budget of c£12m.
Member of the Board of Management and several its committees including Finance and General Purposes, Building and Staffing and presenting timely and accurate information to these committees as appropriate.
Representing the College effectively within the Moray and wider Highlands and Islands communities including Community Planning Partnership, Moray Economic Partnership and Elgin BID.
Leading a review of the college’s approach to apprenticeships and redesigning an approach to Food and Drink Manufacturing education and training.
With other Academic Partner Principals and senior staff of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI) refreshing the UHI strategic plan and within that process advising on options around possible merger within the partnership.
Membership of the newly formed North East Scotland College Senior Management Team.
Leading the development, implementation and monitoring of a range of new regional strategies post-merger to include:
•Student Services/Support Strategy
•Library/Learning Centre Strategy
•IT/ICT Strategy
•Learning Resource Strategy
•Learner Engagement Strategy
Direct responsibility for budget of c£14m including an outsourced IT contract valued at c£5m.
Leading on several strategic IT projects including the North East Scotland Shared Data Centre with the Robert Gordon University and the University of Aberdeen and delivering Bring Your Own Device for students whilst at the same time reducing the College’s hardware estate to generate c£500k of savings from its IT outsourced contract. Both these projects led to improved student outcomes, in the case of BYOD an increase in attainment of c2% for those students participating.
Carrying out the Options Appraisal (appraising merger, federation and the status quo) on behalf of the Boards of Management of Aberdeen College and Banff and Buchan College and making a recommendation for merger which was accepted.
Leading a wide range of professional front facing Student Support Services across the College to include:
guidance
careers
funding
admissions
volunteering
work placement
learning support
libraries / resource centres
IT centres and online Assessment Centres
Services recognised at two Education Scotland reviews (Ofsted equivalent in Scotland) as effective.
Direct budget responsibility of c£17m.
Leading on the College’s approaches to self-evaluation and having this recognised as best practice through Education Scotland review and specific Aspect Task reporting.
Curriculum leadership and management of the College’s Multi Media Centre encompassing Television, Radio and Sound Production, also Special Programmes and achieving successful Performance Indicators across this range of provision.
Responsibility for College arrangements for Safeguarding.
Creation of an Enterprise Strategy for the College.
Curriculum Management and Quality Assurance at both non-advanced and advanced levels of a wide range of programme areas including:
• Health Care, Social Care
• Childcare and Education
• Hospitality
• Retail
• Hairdressing
• Beauty and Complementary Therapies
• Accountancy and Finance
• Legal Services
• Human Resource Management
Curriculum Management and Quality Assurance at both non-advanced and advanced levels of a wide range of programme areas including:
• Sport and Recreation
• Sports Science
• Leisure Management and Business Studies
• Hospitality
• Travel and Tourism
• Business Administration
• Public / Uniformed Services
• Accountancy
• Management and Marketing
• Health and Safety
• Legal Studies
• Work-based NVQ programmes with Licensed Retail Industry, Meat Processing Industry and Hairdressing Industry.
Curriculum Management and Quality Assurance of a range of vocational courses including:
• Hospitality
• Travel and Tourism
• Consumer Studies
Teaching a range of Hospitality Managemet subjects.