Hugh Jones is a knowledgeable and engaging senior HE leader with skills and experience in a wide variety of HE settings.
Hugh has over twenty years’ experience supporting higher education, both as a leader of unitary professional services across a whole institution and within academic services. He has been Chief Operating Officer at Cardiff University and Registrar and Secretary at Goldsmiths, University of London, in both of which roles he was Secretary to the governing body. As Academic Registrar, Hugh has led the academic administration at St George’s, University of London; and has led teams spanning the breadth of academic and strategic planning support at City University London. Hugh’s career started at the University of London itself.
Hugh has led transformational change within higher education professional support services, reshaping services to meet changing institutional needs and to meet ever growing service demands and expectations from students and academic colleagues. Specific experience includes:
- Service re-organisation and improvement; appointment of senior staff
- Improving employee engagement
- Development of quality assurance systems, and successful QAA visits
- Governance changes, including charter and statute changes
- Specification, procurement and oversight for implementation of IT systems
- Negotiating, introducing, managing and ending on good terms collaborative provision arrangements, including trans-national education
- Institutional strategic collaborations
- Shared service strategy and development
- Developing successful bids and proposals to funding councils
- Successful negotiation with Trades’ Unions
- Strategic planning and strategic response to changed circumstances
- Strategic sponsorship for institutional infrastructure projects (estates and IT)
Hugh graduated from the London School of Economics in Philosophy, and has an MA from the Institute of Education, University of London in Higher and Professional Education. He is a Fellow of the Association of University Administrators.
Here’s what clients have to say:
"I encountered Hugh Jones whilst part of an organisational development project at another university. Taking up my current post at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, Hugh seemed the perfect person to call on for some coaching whilst I was establishing a new professional service department. In keeping with a life spent in higher education administration, I found Hugh’s knowledge both broad and deep. What was particularly valuable to me, however, was the creativity of his thinking. Without knowing the conservatoire sector in detail, he was able to offer me suggestions and solve problems in imaginative and effective ways fit for a specialist institution. Hugh is a wonderful person to work with: his gravitas is delightfully undercut by a mischievous sense of humour. I hope to work with him again soon."
Julie Crofts, Director of Student and Academic Services, RADA
"We were delighted with the review Hugh conducted for us. His consistently positive approach, keen analytical skills and excellent communication of his findings and recommendations meant that the wide range of stakeholders he engaged with fully bought into the review and recommendations. We can now move forward with a shared understanding of the issues and the necessary direction of travel."
Professor Dorothy Miell, Vice-Principal, University of Edinburgh
"Hugh worked with us on a project we were undertaking for a Russell Group university, helping us to understand the culture and context in which we were working, and bringing to bear his sector expertise and knowledge. We found his thoughts and inputs most useful, and would certainly work with him again."
Matt Fairweather, Matthew Fairweather Design Consultants
"Hugh has given us detailed and valuable advice on setting up a strategic planning unit at UCL. He demonstrated an excellent understanding of our needs, the work was carried out in an efficient and timely manner, and the outputs exceeded my expectations."
Rex Knight, Vice-Provost (Operations), UCL
"Capital Law engaged Hugh in February 2014 to assist with a specific HE project and would gladly do so again in the future. His encyclopaedic knowledge of HE, infectious enthusiasm and collegiate approach make him a stand-out choice."
Christopher Nott, Managing Partner.