The Senior Leadership Team, led by the President, is responsible for the overall strategic management, development and promotion of the University.
Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein CBE FREng – President of City, University of London
Professor Sir Anthony Finkelstein joined City, University of London as the University’s President in June 2021.
Anthony joined City from his position as the Government’s Chief Scientific Adviser for National Security, which he had held since 2015. During that time, Anthony’s research was based at The Alan Turing Institute and he held a Chair in Software Systems Engineering at University College London (UCL). Prior to this, he was Dean of the UCL Faculty of Engineering Sciences and Head of UCL Computer Science. His scientific work is in the broad area of systems engineering.
Contact the President
Senior Leadership Team
The Senior Leadership Team, led by the President, is responsible for the overall strategic management, development and promotion of the University.
Professor Elisabeth Hill – Deputy President and Provost
The Deputy President & Provost is Deputy Chair of SLT.
Professor Elisabeth Hill has been appointed to role of Deputy President & Provost at City St George's.
Professor Hill joined legacy City as Deputy President in September 2022. She has responsibility for shaping and delivering the Strategic Transformation Programme to enable the realisation of City’s vision and strategic plan (2022-30). Elisabeth is the senior lead for delivery of the requirements and benefits of the merger.
Elisabeth was previously Deputy Warden at Goldsmiths, University of London. She held this role since 2017 and the role of Pro-Warden (Learning, Teaching and Enhancement) since 2015.
Professor Elisabeth Hill's biography
Contact Elisabeth: Roseann McBride; Executive Assistant
Professor Juliet John – Vice-President (Education)
Professor Juliet John is responsible for the strategic leadership of all teaching and learning activities.
This includes leading in developing the educational experience and wider engagement of students to ensure a first-class student experience for our diverse student community.
Prior to her appointment, Juliet was the Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences.
Professor Juliet John's biography
Contact Juliet: Parveen Sodhi; Executive Assistant
Professor Susannah Quinsee – Vice-President (Digital and Student Experience)
Professor Susannah Quinsee is responsible for the strategic leadership of the digital offer and wider student experience.
This includes leading improvements to our educational approaches together with our need for a Digital Vision to support a transformed student experience.
Professor Susannah Quinsee's biography
Contact Susannah: Parveen Sodhi; Executive Assistant
Dr Sionade Robinson – Vice-President (Enterprise, Engagement and Employability)
Dr Sionade Robinson is responsible for strategic leadership of all activities relating to enterprise, engagement and employability across the University.
This includes a particular focus on enhancing and developing and strategic relationships with external partners and other organisations.
Dr Sionade Robinson's biography
Contact Sionade: Hemma Dowlutta; Executive Assistant
Professor Jon Friedland - Vice-President (Research & Innovation)
Professor Jon Friedland is responsible for strategic leadership of all activities relating to Research and Innovation across the University.
This includes developing a research environment and culture that enables highly impactful research, as well as working with external partners and other organisations.
Professor Jon Friedland's biography
Professor Jessica Jones Nielsen - Assistant Vice-President (Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI))
Professor Jones Nielsen joined City, University of London in March 2013 as a Reader in Psychology and serves as Assistant Vice-President (EDI).
She earned her PhD in Counselling Psychology from the University of Florida in 2010, researching treatment adherence among Hispanic primary care patients. After postdoctoral clinical training at Duke University, she spent two years as a Research Associate at Imperial College London before joining City.
Professor André Spicer – Executive Dean, The Bayes Business School
Professor André Spicer is Executive Dean of the Bayes Business School as well as Professor of Organizational Behaviour.
Prior to his appointment André was Head of Faculty of Management at Bayes Business School.
Professor André Spicer's biography
Contact André: Jenny Williams; Executive Assistant
Professor Richard Ashcroft – Executive Dean, The City Law School
Professor Richard Ashcroft was appointed Executive Dean of The City Law School in December 2022.
He joined The City Law School in September 2019 as Deputy Dean and Professor of Bioethics. He is the University’s lead for sustainability as well as being the University’s neurodiversity champion.
He is an expert on biomedical research ethics and public health ethics, with more than 200 publications in these fields.
Professor Richard Ashcroft's biography
Contact Richard: Melanie Goinden; Executive Assistant
Professor Debra Salmon – Executive Dean, School of Health & Psychological Sciences
[In post until March 2025]
Professor Debra Salmon is the Executive Dean of the School of Health & Psychological Sciences.
For the last twelve years Debra has undertaken a significant number of leadership and management roles shaping the future of health care professional education. She is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and an active member of the Council of Deans.
Professor Debra Salmon's biography
Contact Debra: Ana Lanchin; Executive Assistant
School of Health & Psychological Sciences
Professor Rachel Allen - Executive Dean of (St George's) School of Health & Medical Sciences
[In post until March 2025]
Professor Rachel Allen has been appointed Executive Dean of St George's School of Health & Medical Sciences, which will operate jointly with the School of Health & Psychological Sciences (City) until a unified School is formed.
Rachel currently directs the Institute of Medical, Biomedical and Allied Health Education at St George’s, having joined in 2007 to focus on innate immune receptors in disease. She earned her D.Phil in Immunology from Oxford and later held a postdoctoral position at Cambridge, supported by a Beit Memorial Fellowship.
Her work at St George’s spans research in innate immunity, postgraduate education, and capacity building. She serves on various committees, including the MS Society Research Strategy Committee and several institutional boards.
Professor Rachel Allen's biography
Contact Rachel: Xinyue Zhao; Executive Assistant
Professor Rajkumar Roy – Executive Dean, School of Science & Technology
Professor Rajkumar Roy is the Executive Dean of the School of Science & Technology and is leading on the development of City’s STEM Digital Academy.
Prior to his appointment, Raj was Director of Manufacturing at Cranfield University. He is a fellow of the International Academy for Production Engineers, the Institute of Engineering Designers and the Higher Education Academy.
Professor Rajkumar Roy's biography
Contact Rajkumar: Gabrielle To; Executive Assistant
School of Science & Technology
Professor Anna Whitelock – Executive Dean, School of Communication & Creativity
Professor Anna Whitelock is the Executive Dean of the School of Communication & Creativity (from 1st August 2022). Prior to her appointment she was Dean of the School of Arts and Social Sciences on an interim basis.
She is also Professor of the History of Monarchy at City, University of London and Director of the Centre for the Study of Modern Monarchy as well as the Principal Investigator on a major AHRC project: The Visible Crown: Queen Elizabeth II in the Caribbean: 1952-present.
Professor Anna Whitelock's biography
Contact Anna: Susanna Fabbri; Executive Assistant
School of Communication & Creativity
Professor Charles Lees – Executive Dean, School of Policy & Global Affairs
Professor Charles Lees joined City on 1 August 2022.
He was previously a Professor of Government as well as Dean (People and Resources) in the College of Business, Government and Law at Flinders University, Australia.
Professor Charles Lees's biography
Contact Charles: Elena Panteli Poulli; Executive Assistant
School of Policy & Global Affairs
Helen Watson – Chief Operating Officer
Helen joined City’s Senior Leadership Team as Chief Operating Officer in February 2022.
Helen came back to City after five years at Goldsmiths University of London, where she was Chief Operating Officer and Registrar and Secretary. Before that she worked for six years at the University of Oxford where she was Director of Planning and Resource Allocation, Head of the Council Secretariat and a Fellow of Exeter College.
Helen worked previously at City, from 2001-2010. She held a variety of roles including Head of Administration for the School of Allied Health Sciences and Deputy Academic Registrar; she also set up and lead City's Strategy and Planning Unit. Helen read music at Exeter College, Oxford and has a Masters in Higher and Professional Education from the Institute of Education.
Helen is an elected member of the Executive of the Association of Heads of University Administration (AHUA). She was previously on the Board of the Higher Education Strategic Planners Association (HESPA).
Contact Helen: Laurel Melsom; Executive Assistant.
Matthew Swales – Chief Financial Officer
Matthew Swales joined City St George's as Chief Financial Officer in January 2024, bringing extensive knowledge and experience.
Previously, Matthew was Director of Finance at UCL from 2015, where he led key projects like the merger with the Institute of Education, the creation of a Professional Services Hub, and UCL’s debut public debt offering – the first sustainability bond in the sector. He also led a reset of the university’s investment strategy.
Before UCL, he was Group Head of Finance at London Business School and worked on tax planning for London 2012. He began his career at Deloitte’s.
Contact Matthew: Laurel Melsom; Executive Assistant
Mary Luckiram – Director of Human Resources
Mary Luckiram became Director of Human Resources in August 2011, overseeing all HR functions, including Equality, Diversity, and Health and Safety. Before this, she spent 11 years as Director of HR at St George's, University of London, where she led the HR team.
She has also worked at the University of Bristol and held various public sector roles.
Since August 2014, Mary has served on City's Council. She is a member of the National Executive of Universities HR and currently chairs the UHR Conference Committee.
Contact Mary: Hemma Dowlutta; Executive Assistant