Former lawyer Nicola Dandridge has been named as the first chief executive of new public body the Office for Students, which is due to become the regulator for the higher-education sector from April next year.
Dandridge will join OfS chairman Sir Michael Barber at the new body, which will replace the Higher Education Funding Council for England and the Office for Fair Access,
Dandridge is currently chief executive of Universities UK, a sector organisation that supports higher education institutions by working directly with the government, the private sector, professions and sector agencies.
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Prior to joining UUK in 2009, Dandridge was chief executive of higher-education agency the Equality Challenge Unit. Before that she was a lawyer working in private practice.
Education secretary Justine Greening said Dandridge had knowledge and experience that was key for the important new role.
“The OfS will replace an outdated regulatory system with a framework that can truly respond to the challenges of our 21st Century and ensure the university system meets the needs of the students,” she said.
Greening also announced that six current HEFC board members had been recruited to new roles at the OfS, while further board members were being recruited for.
The transferring board members are: Martin Coleman, David Palfreyman, Steve West, Carl Lygo, Gurpreet Dehal, and Kate Lander.