Council Members

Mr Max Taylor - Chair of Council - to July 2013

Mr Taylor was formerly Deputy Chairman of Insurance Broker Aon UK. Prior to joining Aon in January 2001, he completed a three year term as Chairman of Lloyd’s, the Insurance Market. Having begun his insurance broking career with Willis Faber and Dumas in 1970, an association that lasted until his election to Lloyd’s in 1998, he subsequently held a number of prominent industry posts including Chairman of the Lloyd’s Insurance Brokers’ Committee, President of the Insurance Institute of London, and Chairman of The European Federation of Intermediary Associations. Mr Taylor is Chairman of the Mutsui-Sumitomo Insurance London companies, a Director of the Financial Services Compensation Scheme and a Director of Qatar Insurance Services. He joined the University Council in 1999, subsequently becoming a member of the Finance Committee and took up the appointment Chairman of Council at the beginning of 2007.

Mr Dudley Eustace - Vice-Chair of Council - to Dec 2013

Mr Eustace has held prominent financial positions in multinational companies including Treasurer for Alcan Aluminium in Canada, Finance Director for BAe Systems and Finance Director for Philips Electronics where he was also Vice-Chairman. He has also undertaken various Board roles including Chairman of Smith & Nephew, Vice-Chairman of Hagemeyer and Royal KPM, Chairman of The Nielson Company (VNU Group) and until April 2010, Chairman of Aegon. He is also currently a member of the European Advisory Council for N M Rothschild & Sons. Mr Eustace is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants and a Freeman of the Worshipful Company of Chartered Accountants.

Professor Sir Christopher Snowden – President & Vice-Chancellor - Ex-officio member

Professor Snowden has been Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey since July 2005. He is a distinguished engineer with wide experience of the microwave and semiconductor industry. Prior to his appointment at Surrey, Professor Snowden was Chief Executive Officer of Filtronic ICS. He has also held a personal Chair of Microwave Engineering at the University of Leeds and was Head of Leeds School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering from 1995-98. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society (2005), the Royal Academy of Engineering (2000), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (1996), the Institution of Electrical Engineers (1992) and the City and Guilds Institute (2005). He is a member of Council of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and is Chairman of HERO Ltd.

Professor Gill Nicholls - Vice-President & Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Academic Affairs - Ex-officio member

Professor Nicholls is responsible for innovation in teaching and learning, quality enhancement, quality assurance, and the student experience.  A graduate of the University of London, Gill has held the posts of Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Academic) at Salford University; Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Student Experience) at Durham University, and Director of King’s Institute of Learning and Teaching (KILT) at King’s College University of London.  Prior to joining King’s, Gill was Professor of Education at Surrey University, where she was responsible for the Centre for Professional and Work Related Education Research.  Amongst others she is a member of the All-Party Parliamentary University Group, Chair of the HEA National DVC/PVC Network for Teaching and Learning and Chair of the Leadership Foundation National DVC/PVC Network.

Professor Stephen Williamson - Vice President & Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Research & Innovation - Ex-officio member

Professor Williamson is a graduate of the Department of Electrical Engineering at Imperial College.  He has spent most of his career in universities, punctuated by a spell as Technical Director of Brook Compton from 1997-2000.  In his academic career,  he has held posts at Aberdeen,  Imperial College,  Cambridge and Manchester,  moving to his current post at the University of Surrey in February 2009.

Mr Thomas Chambers - University Treasurer to January 2015 - Ex-officio member

President, Students' Union

David Halls is the 2012/13 President of The University of Surrey Students’ Union, in his second term as an elected sabbatical officer of the Students’ Union; having served as Vice President Welfare in 2011/12.  He graduated from Surrey in 2011 with First Class Honours in BSc Business Management, including an industrial placement year as a business analyst with the Walt Disney Company.  During the course of his studies, he served on the Students’ Union Sports Executive Committee and was Sports Editor for Barefacts (now The Stag) newspaper. He was Chairman of the Ultimate Club for four years, winning the USSU Sports Executive Trophy in 2011, as well as being awarded University Colours. He currently serves on the University Coordinators Committee for the UK Ultimate Association, as the representative for South East England.

Professor David Allen - Elected member to Dec 2013

Professor Allen has a well recognised background in management, film and print media.  He joined Surrey as Dean of the Faculty of Management and Law in 2010, having previously occupied a number of senior strategic roles at IE Business School, Madrid.  He is Visiting Professor and part-time Professor at Boston University, City University New York and the University of New Orleans.  His main research and publication area is strategic corporate social responsibility.

Professor Jonathan Seville - Elected member to December 2014

Professor Seville is Dean of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Surrey. He has degrees in Chemical Engineering from the Universities of Cambridge and Surrey and has held visiting appointments at the University of British Columbia and the Technical University of Denmark. He is a Chartered Engineer, a Fellow of the Institution of Chemical Engineers and a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering. Before moving to Surrey, he was Dean of Engineering at the University of Warwick and for 10 years the head of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham, where he established the UK’s first research centre in Formulation Engineering (awarded a Queen’s Anniversary Prize in 2011) and co-founded the Positron Imaging Centre, which has pioneered the use of positron-emitting radioactive tracers in engineering studies. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the Elsevier journal Powder Technology, the leading international journal for the study of granular materials.

Dr John Forrest - Co-opted member to Jan 2014

Dr Forrest is Chairman of a number of companies in the technology and IT sectors in Europe and the USA and works with the banking and investment sector on development capital, mergers and acquisitions. He was the founder and first chief executive of the communications company, NTL. He has acted as an advisor to the European Commission on technology and has served on many UK Government committees, including being the founder chairman of the UK Government Spectrum Management Advisory Board. He took a major role in the evolution of the Royal Academy of Engineering, including a period as Senior Vice-President. He took up his appointment as a Pro-Chancellor at the beginning of 2006.

Mr Ashley Herman - Co-opted member to Dec 2013

Mr Herman trained with Brian Way’s Theatre Centre and commenced his career as Assistant Stage Manager at the Wimbledon Theatre, the Royal Ballet and the Theatre Royal Drury Lane.  In 1981 he launched: Applause Ltd., which became one of the UK’s leading theatre sales, marketing and production companies.  In 1989 he launched Theatre Direct International in New York for Cameron Mackintosh, which replicated Applause in the USA.   He then led a merger and acquisition with First Call, a UK ticket and box office service company, achieving full LSE listing. Over the last 20 years Ashley Herman has produced, co-produced or instigated funding for over 30 West End and several Broadway shows including Moby Dick, The Sound of Music, The Truman Capote Talk Show, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Living Room and Fame.  In 2000 he formed a new company, Encore, specialising in the sale and promotion of West End Theatre.  Mr Herman is also Chairman of the Guildford School of Acting.  

Mr David McNulty - Co-opted member to Dec 2015

Mr McNulty became Chief Executive of Surrey County Council in 2009.  Prior to this he held posts as Chief Executive, Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council,  Executive Director, Education & Lifelong Learning, Walsall Metropolitan Borough Council and Deputy Director of Education, Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council.  His track record is one of transformational change.  He has written a well received book on lifelong learning.   As well as being a member of Council, he also chairs the University's Audit Committee.  His membership continues the connection between the University and Surrey County Council.  

Mr Iain Robertson - Co-opted member to Dec 2015

Mr Robertson is an experienced Chairman, Non-executive Director and Chief Executive of technology businesses.  He has extensive international expertise together with substantial experience of both public and venture backed businesses.  He graduated from Christ Church, Oxford and began his working life at The Plessey Company Limited where he spent fourteen years.  Since then he has held senior executive positions including Director and General Manager for Marconi Quest and Chief Executive of York Group.  His Chairman posts have included Fotech Solutions Ltd, Oxsensis Ltd and Intense Photonics Ltd.  Mr Robertson also sits on the University's Finance Committee and is Chair of the Commercial Affairs Committee.

Ms Sue Ryle - Chair of Academic Assembly - ex-officio to January 2014

Ms Ryle joined the University of Surrey in 1995 having spent 21 years in the NHS.  She is a Registered Nurse and qualified teacher with 38 years of experience in health care and nurse education.  Her current remit is quality assurance in education and she works closely with both university and practice colleagues, as well as the professional bodies, regarding the quality of the student experience.  She was elected as Chair of the Academic Assembly from 26 January 2012 for a term of two years.

Mr Keith Taylor - Co-opted member to Dec 2013

Mr Taylor graduated from the University of Exeter with a BA Combined Honours in Economics and Statistics.  During the course of a 36 year business career,  he held various senior management and consultancy positions,  working with large multinational companies,  mainly in the IT field.  Since 1983,  Mr Taylor has served as a Guildford Borough Councillor with various positions of responsibility, including several years as Chairman of the Finance Sub-Committee under the previous Council structure.   He was Mayor or Guildford in 2004-5,  after taking early retirement from business.   Since 2007, he has been Chairman of the GBC Planning Committee.   In June 2009, he was elected as a Surrey County Councillor.   He has also since served on the SCC Schools & Learning Select Committee.  

Ms Anne Watts - Co-opted member to Dec 2015

Anne Watts was appointed as Chair of the Appointments Commission from 1st April 2007 to 31st March 2011.  She is currently Chair of the Independent Panel on race equality for the NHS and for the last 2 years was the employer’s representative on the steering group for the new Commission for Equality and Human Rights.  For over 25 years she has been a leading figure in diversity,  recruitment and workplace development issues, with a strong track record across private, public and voluntary sectors.  Anne has also held executive roles relating to workforce and diversity in Business in the Community, HSBC and NatWest Bank.  She currently serves on the boards of Greater London Enterprise, Opportunity Now,  Race for Opportunity and the Open University and was an Equal Opportunities Commissioner from 1989 to 1995.  She is a member of the School Teachers Review Body;  a Trustee of the Eve Appeal,  for gynaecological cancer;  and Vice-Patron of Working Families and Thatu,  supporting community self-help schemes in South Africa.

Professor Lord Robert Winston - Co-opted member to Aug 2014

Lord Winston, Professor of Science and Society and Emeritus Professor of Fertility Studies at Imperial College, runs a research programme in the Institute of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, on improvements in transgenic technology in animal models, with a long-term aim of improving human transplantation.  He has around 300 scientific publications in peer-review journals on reproduction and embryology. He is also Chancellor of Sheffield Hallam University, Chairman of the Royal College of Music, and was voted "Peer of the Year" by his fellow Parliamentarians in June 2008 for his expertise and work on the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.