Board of Directors

Keith Bissett Chair of the Coventry University London Campus Board of Directors

Keith is the Chair of the Coventry University London Campus (CULC) Board of Directors, supporting the campus’s development as an independent entity within the Coventry University Education Group.

He is also a Pro-Chancellor at Coventry University and previously served as Chair of the Board of Governors. Keith first joined the University’s Audit Committee as a co-opted member in 2007, joined the main Board of Governors in 2010, chaired the HR Committee from 2010–2015, became Deputy Chair in 2015, and then took on the role of Chair in 2018 helping guide the University through delivery of an ambitious corporate plan and the challenges of the pandemic period.

Alongside his university roles, Keith is retained as a Board Advisor to Bourton Group and has more than 35 years’ consultancy experience across the UK and the United States. He has extensive experience in organisational change and operational improvement, delivering Lean Six Sigma training and leadership development across the public sector and industries including housing, aerospace and defence, FMCG, oil and gas, and engineering.

Keith also chairs fundraising for a new Maggie’s Centre in Coventry, working in partnership with University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust to help deliver a new £7m cancer support centre for the West Midlands. He has also contributed to public service locally, including nine years on the Warwickshire Advisory Committee for Magistrates (2001–2010), supporting work on recruitment and disciplinary matters for the Warwickshire bench.

Professor Socrates Karidis Director

Professor Socrates Karidis joined Coventry University Group in 2017 and was appointed Pro-Vice-Chancellor and CEO of Coventry University London in September 2020 after having served as Deputy and acting Chief Executive Officer.

Socrates holds a PhD in Economics from Clark University (Massachusetts, USA). He joined the Faculty of Economics at Bentley University in Boston in 1998 where he spent eight years as a Lecturer, Assistant Professor and Director of the Economics and Finance Learning Centre.

Upon his relocation to Greece, he joined the Business College Athens and went on to become Head of the Business School. In 2013, Socrates joined Leeds Beckett University and later that year he moved to the University of Bedfordshire Business School with the responsibility to develop the Economics provision. Following the successful development and launch of a number of Economics courses, Socrates became Head of Law and Finance and served on a number of committees including the Business School’s Executive Group and the University’s Strategic Planning Group.

Socrates has published in the areas of Foreign Direct Investment, economically induced migration, institutional trust, public finance and economic policy. He has participated in a number of conferences, workshops and other events as presenter, discussant or panel member and has a number of PhD completions and examinations.

Professor John Latham CBE Director

John is Vice-Chancellor and CEO of the Coventry University Group.

He is a double graduate of the University and has a background in information technology and telecommunications. Previously he worked for a number of private sector organisations including JHP Group, Jaguar Cars and BT (which included a period as a sponsored Research Fellow). In 2015, John was awarded an Honorary Lifetime Fellowship of the British Computer Society for his services to the IT industry. John remains active in the IT space, currently as an advisor to TechnologyOne an Australian based software provider and also Chair of the Universities UK/JISC Enterprise Licencing Strategy Group.

John has throughout his career held high-profile roles at regional, national and European levels promoting innovation, technology and economic development. Including spending periods of time working in in France, Spain, Portugal and Germany and being a long-term advisor to the European Commission.

Additionally, John has held several Ministerial appointments in the UK and overseas. Currently he is a Non-Executive Board Member for the Department of Business and Trade in the UK, a Non-Executive Director for Qualification Wales an arms-length body of the Welsh Government, an Advisory Panel Member for the Home Team Academy of Singapore and most recently he was appointed Chair of the Midlands Enterprise Universities (MEU).

Additionally, John is a Director of the University Alliance mission group of universities, and a Member for the Integrated Care Partnership (ICP) for the Coventry and Warwickshire Integrated Care System.

Finally, John is an Extraordinary Professor in the area of enterprise and entrepreneurship at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, where in 2019 he additionally received an Honorary Doctorate for his services to UK Higher Education. In the same year he was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours with a CBE for his Services to Higher Education.

Professor Ian Dunn Director

Ian supports the Vice-Chancellor overseeing the academic work of the Group. He works closely with the Vice-Provosts and Deputy Vice-Chancellors for Education, Curriculum, Research and Enterprise to ensure that Coventry remains known for the quality of its academic work and wide access provision.

Ian has a long history of working at Coventry. He has been part of the senior team since 2010 and has been a substantial part of the major developments of the Group. He would always cite the development of Coventry campuses around the UK and globally, ensuring that Coventry is known as a wide access HE partner to many places.

Ian is a member of the QAA Academic Degree Powers committee, was until recently chair of the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship, is deeply engaged in the governance of schools and has multiple other trusteeships.

Professor Mohamed Loutfi MBE Director

Professor Loutfi is currently President and Vice-Chancellor of the British University in Egypt. Prior to this, he held the post of the Vice-Chancellor’s Special Envoy at Coventry University. Throughout his career, he held a number of leadership roles as the Pro-Vice-Chancellor of Cardiff Metropolitan University and at the University of Sunderland, UK.

He has multiple international roles of responsibilities; he is an Ambassador (former council member) at the Observatory of Magna Charta Univeristatum of Fundamental University Values and Rights in Bologna, Vice-President of the Board of the Arab European Leadership Network in Higher Education ARELEN and was the first in Europe to take part in a global education think tank set up by the Ministry of Education in China to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and start-up education. He also worked with the Leadership Foundation for Higher Education as an International Associate and a member of the Reference Group for the Global Leadership Programme for Higher Education.

Professor Loutfi is responsible for instigating and coordinating partnerships with over 25 different countries, some at governmental level. Projects have included building partnerships with universities in different countries and enhancing institutional cooperation in learning, teaching and enterprise, as well as delivering programmes for university leaders to implement national higher education reform and internationalisation strategies.

He worked on many EU projects for Higher Education Reforms and on Accreditation and Quality Assurance in Ukraine, Russia, Jordan, Lebanon and Egypt. In addition, he worked with the Ministries of Higher Education in Lebanon, Egypt, Libya, Tunisia, and Morocco to develop a framework for building capacity for leadership in Higher Education through European experiences in this field.

Professor Loutfi holds a BSc in Economics and Political Science, an MSc in Information Technology and a PhD in Systems Thinking, his research involves Modelling and Simulation of Social Systems, Non-linear, Dynamic Feedback Systems. A Professor of Internationalisation from Cardiff Metropolitan University, a visiting Professor at Coventry University – UK, and a visiting Professor of Innovation and Globalisation at Eurasia University – China. He was also awarded by the University of Sunderland an Honorary Doctorate of Education in 2023 for his career achievement and outstanding commitment to education. Prof. Loutfi has 30 years of experience in Higher Education with extensive experience in universities’ leadership and management. awarded by the University of Sunderland an Honorary Doctorate of Education in 2023 for his career achievement and outstanding commitment to education.

Shirley Atkinson Director

Emerita Professor Shirley Atkinson OBE is the former Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of the University of Sunderland. She led the University through a period of growth with the expansion of operations in Sunderland, London and overseas, including a new School of Nursing and a new medical school.

Throughout her career she has held senior executive roles both within and outside of the Education sector. She has a wealth of experience in non-executive roles both at national and regional level. She was awarded an OBE in 2019 for services to higher education including widening access and participation.

Ian Davidson FCA Director

Ian Davidson is a Chartered Accountant and experienced executive and non-executive director with extensive leadership experience in finance, corporate strategy, and business transformation across a range of sectors including engineering services, automotive services, and pharmaceutical distribution. Over a career spanning more than three decades he has held senior leadership positions in both UK and international organisations, guiding businesses through periods of significant change, restructuring and strategic development.

Ian is a graduate of Manchester University and qualified as a Chartered Accountant with Deloitte in Birmingham.

He spent 16 years with AAH plc and its parent company Celesio AG, one of Europe’s largest pharmaceutical wholesale groups with turnover exceeding £3bn and owner of Lloydspharmacy. During this time Ian held a number of senior roles across both the UK and Germany, gaining broad experience in group finance, international operations, and corporate development.

In 2008 Ian joined Auto Windscreens, one of the UK’s leading vehicle glass replacement companies. He introduced measures which restored profitability and ultimately enabled the successful sale of the business.

Ian then joined GSH Group plc becoming Executive Chairman in 2010. GSH was a facilities management and technical engineering business with turnover of around £200m and a long history of family ownership.

He led a restructuring and strategic repositioning of the business, managing cash flow pressures while maintaining the confidence of shareholders, customers and banking partners. Under his leadership the group expanded internationally, including establishing operations in India and developing cross-border service capability. In 2015 the UK and European operations were successfully sold to ISS, delivering significant value to shareholders and enabling the group to focus on its remaining international activities.

Subsequently Ian has focused on non-executive and advisory work. He was a Governor of Coventry University from 2016 – 2025 and deputy chair of its Audit and Risk Committee. He is also a Pro Vice Chancellor of the university. Alongside this he has undertaken a variety of consultancy roles, advising business owners on establishing, developing and growing their companies.

Through these roles Ian brings deep experience in finance, governance, corporate restructuring and strategic leadership, combined with a strong track record of guiding organisations through complex operational and financial challenges.

Adekemi Adebajo Director

Adekemi Adebajo is an Independent Member of the Board of Governors and a senior investment professional with extensive experience in pension risk transfer (PRT), asset transitions, and investment operations.

Adekemi is a Transaction Director at Legal & General Asset Management (L&G Asset Management), where she has overall responsibility for coordinating L&G’s activities associated with the onboarding of new Pension Risk Transfer (PRT) business. She also leads and delivers projects focused on enhancing and improving the firm’s PRT onboarding processes.

She joined L&G in January 2015 from Capita Employee Benefits, where she was Head of Asset Transfers and was responsible for building and managing a specialist asset transfer team. Prior to this, Adekemi worked at KPMG and Willis Towers Watson as an Investment Consultant, managing transitions on behalf of clients and conducting research into transition managers and custodians. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Transition Manager at the Royal Bank of Scotland.

Adekemi holds a BA (Ed) in English from the University of Lagos and an MBA from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She also holds the Investment Administration Qualification (IAQ) and the Investment Management Certificate (IMC).

Within Legal & General, Adekemi is an active member of the Culture & Ethnicity Network, which promotes diversity and inclusion across the organisation. She helps to run an annual Insight Week, partnering with schools and charities to provide students from diverse backgrounds with exposure to careers in investment management. She also leads the L&G Prayer Group and collaborates with colleagues to deliver the annual Carol Service.

In addition to her Board of Governors role, Adekemi serves as a member of the Global Committee and the Governance and Nominations Committee.

Professor Geoff Layer Director

Geoff Layer has worked for over 40 years in higher education. Prior to becoming the longest serving Vice Chancellor of the University of Wolverhampton, Geoff was Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) at Bradford University having moved there from Sheffield Hallam University and Bedfordshire. He is now working on strategic developments for Coventry University.

Throughout his academic career, he has researched and developed access and inclusion issues and has been a member of the Advance HE Board, Chair of the HE Sector’s EDI Committee and Chair of the SLC Stakeholder Forum. He also led the Disabled Student Sector Leadership Group between 2015 & 2018 on behalf of Universities UK and the DfE. In 2019 the Universities Minister appointed him as Chair of the Disabled Students Commission (2019 to 2023) with a brief to challenge the sector to enhance the Disabled Student experience. The Commission produced the Disabled Student Commitment based on disabled student feedback and engagement. In 2021, the Disabilities Minister appointed him as Disability Access Ambassador for Universities. He was also the Chair of the SLC Disabled Student Special Interest Group. He was a member of the QAA Committee for Degree Awarding powers for 8 years and many other sector committees focusing on learning and teaching and widening participation.

He has always been active in the regions where he has worked including being a member of the West Yorkshire Learning and Skills Council, member of the Black Country Local Enterprise Board and Vice President of the Black Country Chamber of Commerce.

He became Chair of the Board at Fircroft Residential Adult Education College in 2021 and is also the Vice Chair of the Workers Education Association. He is an Honorary Fellow of Leeds College of Music and a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

He is a passionate Sunderland fan and plays cricket for Sheffield Collegiate Cricket Club.

Dr Hany Wells Director

With over 26 years of experience in senior academic leadership, Dr Hany Wells has established a strong record of strategic impact in learning and teaching enhancement, curriculum transformation, quality assurance, internationalisation, and academic governance across complex and diverse higher education institutions.

As Academic Dean at Coventry University London, Hany provides strategic and operational leadership for a large, multidisciplinary academic portfolio, leading institution-wide initiatives that promote an inclusive, high-performing, and digitally agile academic culture. Through evidence-based leadership and collaborative change management, Hany has delivered measurable improvements in student experience, graduate outcomes, curriculum design, and staff engagement.

A National Teaching Fellow and Principal Fellow of Advance HE, Hany is committed to advancing sector-leading practice in pedagogy, academic leadership, and educational innovation. Hany’s current scholarly interests focus on the strategic application of artificial intelligence in learning and assessment, the development of learning frameworks, and enhancing engagement to meet the demands of a globalised, technology-driven higher education landscape.

Previously, as Associate Dean for Student Experience and Quality Assurance, Hany led transformational initiatives that strengthened academic delivery and student support across diverse learner populations. Hany currently contribute to institutional governance as a member of the Campus Executive and as Chair of the Education Committee and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Council, ensuring institutional values are embedded in practice.

Hany holds a PhD in Project Management, with research examining the role of project management methodologies in determining project success and failure. This scholarly foundation informs an outcome-focused, evidence-informed, and impact-driven leadership approach.

Passionate about shaping the future of higher education, Hany champions inclusive, innovative, and future-facing educational strategies, with a clear vision for institutional transformation that ensures excellence, equity, and global relevance for students, staff, and society.