Governance Conference 2026: Governing and Leading Transformation

Esther Roberton

Esther Roberton is an expert in civic, corporate and constitutional governance. She has spent a lifetime in public service, recently elected as Chair of Court at University of Dundee. Before that Interim Chair of NHS Lothian, Chair of NHS24 and a Non-Executive Director of the Scottish Government. In 2017 she was asked to Chair the Independent Review of Legal Services Regulation for the Scottish Government and was a Press Complaints Commissioner from 2007 to 2014. In the 1990s, Esther was Coordinator of the Scottish Constitutional Convention whose 1995 publication ‘Scotland's Parliament, Scotland's Right’ provided the route map for devolution.

Professor Jane Harrington

Professor Jane Harrington has been a senior leader in HE for the last 22 years and for the last 6 years as Vice Chancellor and CEO of the university of Greenwich. Prior to that she was Deputy Vice Chancellor and Provost at the university of the West of England. Jane is currently leading with Professor Georgina Randsley de Moura the merger of the University of Greenwich and the University of Kent to create a multi university group. Jane’s teaching and research interests have been focussed on access and inclusivity and employment studies. Jane is passionate about collaboration and partnerships and is proud of the role that the University of Greenwich has played in TNE.

Catherine Sykes MBE

Catherine is Vice Principal Governance & Compliance at Hull College and a National Leader of Governance with the Department for Education. At Hull College, she played a key role in leading the institution out of intervention while enhancing the effectiveness of its board. In her role as Chair of the AoC Governance Professionals regional network, alongside her wider national contributions to governance development, Catherine offers a broad sector perspective, strong regulatory understanding, and a continuous improvement approach to board evaluation and review.

Anne Frost

Anne currently serves in multiple senior board roles, including Chair of The Sandwell Colleges, Chair of Council at Lincoln Bishop University, Vice Chair of Nacro, and Deputy Chair of the National Residential Landlords Association. Recent governance experience also includes Trustee of AQA and former Chair of a multi academy trust.

Paul Woodgates

Deputy Chair of the Board and Chair of the Audit, Finance and Risk Committee

Paul is a member of Advance HE's Board and chairs the Steering Group that has guided the development of its revised Governance Effectiveness Framework.

Dr Sophie Carney

Principal Consultant for Higher Education Appointments

Prior to joining Peridot, Sophie worked in further and higher education, and students’ unions, as an academic and in professional services roles. An AHRC Scholar, Sophie gained her PhD in the study of early modern royal cultures and was the Senior Caird Fellow at Royal Museums Greenwich.

Drew Richardson-Walsh

Partner

Drew previously worked in further and higher education leadership for over 10 years before joining Peridot Partners in 2017. He has led multiple senior leadership and board recruitment campaigns for colleges, universities, academy trusts and skills-focused organisations.