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 first term as Deputy Chair and second 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. He is a director of Crossword Cybersecurity plc.
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 Software Negotiations & 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, a Non-Executive Director for the NHS England Workforce Training and Education Committee. An Advisory Panel Member for the Home Team Academy of Singapore and most recently he was appointed as an Independent Panel Member on the Advisory Assessment Panel for the Recruitment of members to NHS Bodies.
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.
Liz White
Independent Governor
Appointed as an Independent Governor in February 2024, Liz is currently the Director of Library Partnerships at the British Library and is passionate about the power of reading and libraries to change lives. She is an inclusive and agile leader who specialises in developing trusted strategic partnerships at local, national and international level. She has served on the board of both Libraries Connected and the Chartered Management Institute and is currently Secretary for the IFLA Public Libraries Section, the global voice for public libraries.
Liz’s senior leadership experience includes strategy development, engagement and digital transformation. Highlights include the “Living Knowledge Network” partnership of 1000 public libraries (reaching more than 750 000 per annum) and LibraryOn, a new digital platform for public libraries and a £1m+ grant scheme. Liz has an MBA from Imperial College Business School and a PG Dip. in Digital Leadership from Warwick Business School.
