Strategy, Finance and Resources Committee
This Committee is responsible for considering matters relating to the detailed development of University Group strategy and the determination of large scale and reputationally sensitive capital developments.
It determines matters in respect of the financial affairs of the University, including ensuring the solvency of the University and safeguarding its assets, approving the financial strategy, approving annual operating plans and budgets which reflect the Corporate Plan, ensuring that funds are used in accordance with the Funding Council's Financial Memorandum and approving the annual accounts.
It is also responsible for the oversight of the strategic management of the University's land and buildings. It approves and keeps under review the University's Estates Strategy, ensuring that space and property requirements are identified to fulfil the objectives of the Corporate Plan and provides a planned programme of maintenance.
Strategy, Finance and Resources Committee - Constitution and Terms of Reference
Vacancy
We are currently inviting expressions of interest for governor vacancies across the Board of Governors and its Committees. This committee currently has a vacancy for the role of Governor, and we are particularly keen to hear from individuals with expertise in Digital infrastructure and/ or Physical estates.
You can view further information including a role description and details of how to enquire.
Helen Nixseaman
Chair of the Strategy, Finance and Resources Committee and Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors
Currently in their second term as Deputy Chair and third term as a Governor, Helen was appointed in September 2017. Prior to this Helen was an external co-opted member. Helen is a Chartered Accountant with expertise in risk management and internal controls, with a career that has included being a risk assurance partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Helen has an MA in Natural Sciences and an MSc in Biochemical Engineering.
Helen is also Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors and a member of the Governance and Nominations Committee, People Committee, Remuneration Committee and the Education Committee.
Nick Sale
Chair of the Board of Governors
Appointed as an Independent Governor in September 2018, Nick became Deputy Chair of the Board of Governors and Pro-Chancellor in September 2020, before being appointed as Chair in September 2021. An experienced business leader and company director who worked as a chief operating officer in the automotive industry until early in 2018, Nick has a successful track record working throughout the world in Professional Services for both IT and Engineering Companies. More recently Nick has worked as an advisor and Non-Executive Director to both UK and International Technology Companies and is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the Institute of Engineering and Technology.
Nick is also Chair of the Board of Governors and Governance and Nominations Committee and a member of the People Committee, Remuneration Committee and the Research Committee.
Dr David Secher
Independent member of the Board of Governors
David Secher is an independent consultant in the areas of research commercialisation, intellectual property and technology transfer, in the UK and internationally. Assignments include work in Thailand, Saudi Arabia, Japan, South America, Africa, and Europe. He is based in Cambridge University, where he is a Life Fellow of Gonville & Caius College.
In 2002, together with Lita Nelsen of MIT, he founded Praxis (now PraxisAuril), the leading UK knowledge exchange organisation. He served as chairman or as a director until 2014 and is now Patron. For his contributions to “creating environments that favour enterprise, specialising in the practical aspects of commercialising the results of academic research”, he was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise Promotion in 2007.
Previous roles include Senior Bursar, Gonville & Caius College; CEO of the N8 Research Partnership; Director of Research Services, Cambridge University; Director of Drug Development, Cancer Research Campaign; Director of Monoclonal Therapeutics, Celltech Ltd.; and Tenured Group Leader, Medical Research Council Laboratory of Molecular Biology. As a consultant, he has advised universities, governments and individuals on commercialisation of intellectual property, as well as acting as a non-executive director of technology and investment companies.
David graduated from the Cambridge University (Churchill College) with first class honours in biochemistry. His PhD work at the MRC Laboratory of Molecular Biology was with César Milstein (Nobel Prize-winner for discovery of monoclonal antibodies). Together with Derek Burke, he made and patented the first monoclonal antibody to human interferon.
David is also Chair of the Enterprise and Innovation Committee and a member of the Board of Governors and Research Committee.
John Latham CBE
Executive Member (Vice-Chancellor)
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.
Peter Reynolds
Independent member of the Board of Governors
Peter, first appointed to the Board of Governors as an independent member of the Board of Governors in September 2020, is a marketing and sales specialist with over 30 years’ experience in consumer goods and professional services in national and international leadership roles. He was previously a board governor of Instructus (a charity that supports apprenticeships and other workplace learning) and Chair of The Institute of Paralegals.
Peter’s international know-how comes from 15 years living and working overseas. Based in Bangkok for seven years, he worked across the whole of Asia helping companies create and implement growth strategies. On moving to Switzerland, he led the EMEA sales function for a large US consultancy.
Peter is active in his local community, being a committee member of drama and folk music groups. Peter is also a member of the Board of Governors and Chair of Global Committee.
Sam Cannicott
Independent governor
Sam is an experienced senior civil servant, adept at leading complex infrastructure and policy programmes, focused on the implications of rapid technological advancement. With a deep understanding of the UK’s higher education system, having worked within it, advising vice chancellors, and working with institutions to develop their strategies.
Sam is currently a Director, Artificial Intelligence, at the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology, leading delivery of the Prime Minister’s AI Opportunities Action Plan, with a focus on building-out the country’s AI infrastructure, supporting AI for Science, and improving the wider investment environment.
He has previously worked for the New Zealand Government, where he worked on data policy, advising ministers on how to use sensitive data ethically and safely.
Hiten Patel
Independent Governor
Hiten is a Governance & Risk Director with an international technology organisation. He has extensive leadership and global experience from over twenty years of non-executive board appointments, providing strategic, commercial, organisational, financial and technological direction. These roles have occurred across various institutions and charities, including education, professional membership, social housing, regulated, not-for-profit and the third sector. Hiten provides a strong corporate governance, strategic and regulatory lens to issues considered by the Board, directors, and management. Hiten has served as Chair, Trustee, Governing Board Member, Chair of Audit & Risk and Chair of Finance Committees during this time.
His executive experience includes corporations within Financial Services, Technology Vendors, Education Services and The National Trust. He has extensive experience leading, managing and delivering transformational business and digital change. These roles have been with large international companies, covering different countries, cultures, and complexities, including local, regional & government regulations. Skills and competencies provided by Hiten include governance, legal, compliance, people & culture, IT (digital & cybersecurity), QI (quality improvement), outsourcing, services, finance, audit & risk management.
He is an Advisory Board Member at the Housing Ombudsman, and member of its Audit & Risk Assurance Committee. Hiten is also a Board Member at The Pioneer Housing and Community Group, and member of its Audit & Assurance Committee.
Steve Haywood
Independent Governor
Steve started in the automotive industry after leaving school at the age of 16 and taking up a Technical Apprenticeship with Triumph Motors, part of the group which is now Jaguar Land Rover (JLR). The majority of Steve’s career was with JLR, progressing through numerous roles to eventually playing a key role in many of JLR's new model launches.
Three years of leading Value Leadership for JLR gave great knowledge and understanding of the financial drivers in the business of value management and efficiency improvement. In 2010, Steve left JLR to set up his own consultancy business and developed a portfolio of client activity helping businesses such as Healy Cars, Lotus Engineering, Proton Motor Company and a number of Tier 1 companies in their business development and product development delivery. Over the next seven years, Steve worked for Ricardo plc and Tata Technologies before retiring from full time employment in 2020 and returning to his consultancy business, through which he is currently supporting Norton Motorcycles in the UK.
