Welcome
Ashley Wheaton BA (Hons) HonRICS Hon FCABE
Vice Chancellor
Ashley joined CEM, as it then was, as Principal in 2013 and has led the institution through many significant milestones over more than ten years, including becoming UCEM and securing full independence and achieving indefinite taught degree awarding powers. He became the institution’s first Vice Chancellor in December 2023. He is passionate about the transformative power of education and is proud to lead the University of the Built Environment – as it strives to become the centre of excellence for built environment education (and the world’s most sustainable university).
University of the Built Environment is the leading provider of vocational higher education and is the largest provider of built environment apprenticeships in the country, with some 2,500 apprentices currently studying with us across 700 employers. Ashley is particularly passionate about sustainability and has put this at the heart of the institution’s core purpose, setting out the clear ambition to embed its principles throughout the whole institution.
Ashley spent six years as a Non-Executive Director of BRE Group, four years as a Trustee and Deputy Chair at Jisc, and six years as a Member of the GuildHE Executive. In summer 2025 he was appointed as Chair of Cycling UK. He is also a member of the CMI’s Regulation and Compliance Committee. Ashley was awarded Honorary RICS membership in 2023 and an Honorary Fellowship of CABE in 2025.
Ashley holds a BA (Hons) in Economics from the University of London and previously held senior roles as Director of Global Learning Services for Microsoft, and Chief Executive Officer of InfoBasis Ltd, a global Talent Management software company.
The Executive
Jane has over 25 years’ experience working in senior roles within higher education, including leading the development of Professional Services Teams, and Academic Quality. In her current role as Deputy Vice Chancellor Jane is responsible for governance at the University, and has oversight for regulatory compliance, data and legal services.
Jane is the University Secretary to the Board of Trustees and its sub-committees, which involves providing guidance to Trustees on best practice in Corporate and Charity Governance, ensuring the Boards and sub-committees fulfil their governance requirements, and the recruitment and induction of trustees. As University Secretary Jane is responsible for the updating of University of the Built Environment’s Charter, Bye-Laws and Regulations and management of the institution’s policies on risks and public benefit. Jane also has oversight for the delivery of University of the Built Environment Graduation ceremonies and for relationships with the institution’s Honorary Community.
Outside of University of the Built Environment, Jane is an External Member of the Audit Committee of Walbrook Institute London (formerly LIBF).
Stephen has responsibility for all aspects of business development, including marketing, employer engagement, international development and professional training. He also leads on new product development, identifying opportunities for the University to expand its range of programmes to meet demand from the built environment industry. He has also been heavily involved in the growth of the institution’s apprenticeship provision over the last ten years. Stephen joined the then CEM in 2011 and has twelve years’ experience of further education from previous roles. He is also a trustee of the Built Environment Schools Trust and a Non-Executive Director of Propertymark Qualifications.
Stephen studied Modern Languages at Oxford University and completed an MBA by distance learning with the Open University.
Wendy provides leadership for the student-facing departments at University of the Built Environment, which include the University’s academic provision, digital campus, student experience and academic performance.
Wendy has worked in higher education leadership and management for over two decades, and joined the institution in 2016. Wendy has worked in a range of providers and therefore brings experience of higher education in universities, further education and small and specialist providers Wendy is passionate about vocational education and is deeply committed to expanding access to industry-relevant learning opportunities that extend beyond traditional academic models. Wendy ensures a strong focus on supporting flexible, work-integrated programmes that meet students where they are, and equip them with skills, knowledge and experiences that are directly aligned to the demands of the built environment sector.
Wendy is also Independent Director/Trustee of the Office of the Independent Adjudicator for Higher Education (OIA); an appointment she has held since 2017. As Independent Director at the OIA, Wendy is afforded the opportunity to blend her professional and personal values of honesty, fairness, integrity and quality to shape educational practices that uphold the highest standards of fairness and accountability within higher education.
David joined the then UCEM in 2024 as the Chief Operating Officer, reporting to the Vice Chancellor.
David is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) and has extensive business leadership experience gained in the further and higher education sectors.
Prior to joining the institution, David spent almost 6 years as Chief Operating & Compliance Officer at NCG (a national group of further education colleges) based in Newcastle. Before that, David was employed at Sunderland University for over 13 years, ending his time with the University as the Director of Continuous Improvement, Change & Compliance. Prior to this David worked for KPMG delivering audits and financial management consultancy assignments again within the higher and further education sector.
Outside of work David is passionate about every person having access to educational opportunities and to this end has been on a number of boards including being the Chair of an access to HE charity.
Aled Williams brings three decades of experience working in higher education, having held senior roles at UCEM, University of Salford, LJMU and the Higher Education Academy. With substantial leadership experience in Built Environment education, he has led innovative developments across academia and industry, shaping both institutional strategy and sector-wide initiatives.
As a member of the Executive Team, Aled leads strategic engagement with industry, education, and the wider community. He focuses on building impactful partnerships, influencing national policy, and driving educational innovation to support a more sustainable built environment sector.
Aled supports and interacts with a broad range of stakeholders to actively influence (and be influenced by) our communities, helping to inform both institutional direction and national policy and practice. He is widely connected across the sector and actively contributes to national forums and collaborative initiatives.
His work with bodies such as the Construction Leadership Council (CLC), Construction Industry Council (CIC), and the Council of Heads of the Built Environment (CHOBE) contributes to sector wide strategies, events, reports and toolkits that enhance learning and workforce development across the built environment sector.
His leadership philosophy centres on collaboration, with a strong commitment to creating real-world impact for learners, employers, and education providers.
External leadership roles include:
- Chair, CIC Education & Future Skills Committee
- Chair, Council of Heads of the Built Environment
- Board Member, Supply Chain Sustainability School
- Member, CLC People & Skills Network and Chair of the Routes into Industry Group
- Member, Construction Skills Delivery Group (cross-government collaboration)
- Member, the Edge, Built Environment Think Tank
Board of trustees
Peter is a Chartered Surveyor and a salaried full time Surveyor Member of the Upper Tribunal (Lands Chamber). He has over 20 years’ experience in regulation, standards, and governance.
He was a Trustee of LionHeart, the surveyors’ benevolent charity, for seven years, and Chair of the Board for six years until summer 2024.
Among other roles, he has served on RICS Governing Council, RICS Conduct and Appeals Committee, ICAEW Disciplinary Committee, Local Authority Standards Committees, and as a school governor for 15 years.
Peter was awarded an OBE in June 2024 for services to the profession of Chartered Surveyors and in 2024 received the RICS Lifetime Achievement Award.
Peter’s connection with University of the Built Environment began 20 years ago with a Diploma in Arbitration. He was made an Honorary Fellow in 2020 before being appointed as a Trustee in 2024 and as Chair of the Board from 1 February 2025. He sits on the Nominations and Governance Committee, the Finance Committee, Remuneration Committee and the Property Working Group.
Nick Braisby is an experienced, senior university leader with a proven track record of successful delivery of strategic and organisational change combined with sector leading educational outcomes. He now holds consultancy, advisory and non-executive roles across the higher education and health and social care sectors. Nick was Vice-Chancellor of Buckinghamshire New University from December 2018 to February 2025. He joined Bucks as Deputy Vice-Chancellor in September 2017 from the University of West London where he had held the role of Pro Vice-Chancellor since 2013.
Nick is a Chartered Psychologist and Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society. He has held posts at London South Bank University, the University of Winchester, the Open University and London Guildhall University. Nick studied Natural Sciences at the University of Cambridge and then read for a PhD in Cognitive Science at the University of Edinburgh. He obtained a British Academy postdoctoral research fellowship held at the London School of Economics. Nick was appointed to the Board of Trustees in November 2020 and took on the Vice Chair role in April 2025. He chairs the Nominations and Governance Committee and sits on the Finance Committee, Remuneration Committee and Academic Assurance Committee.
Chrystal has been in the real estate sector for over a decade and is currently the Estate Surveyor at David Lloyd Leisure looking after an international property portfolio in the UK and 8 other European countries. She previously worked on the Government Properties Agency contract at BNP Paribas managing flagship central London government offices.
Chrystal studied at the then UCEM and in 2021 and 2022 was awarded a CertHE in Surveying Practice and a DipHE in Estate Management respectively. She has been committed to innovating the industry particularly from a Diversity, Equality & Inclusivity standpoint, and continues to help shape a dynamic landscape for a brighter, more inclusive future for Real Estate by taking part in various ethnic minority focused activities, most recently mentoring individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds starting their careers in Real Estate.
Chrystal joined the institution as a Board Apprentice in November 2023.
Christopher has almost 20 years’ experience in higher education and is currently Principal and CEO of Bird College. In this role Christopher is responsible for the overall effectiveness of the academic provision at the College; the formulation and delivery of the College’s academic and corporate strategies; and for working with external partners to enhance the College’s brand and reach. Christopher sits on the Board of Directors of Bird College and the Board of Trustees of the Doreen Bird Foundation.
Christopher started his career in higher education as a law lecturer at BPP University. During his time there, he became a senior lecturer and took on module and programme management, eventually joining the University’s executive team as Dean of Academic Quality. He led almost a dozen successful external regulatory visits and wrote BPP University’s successful permanent degree-awarding powers application, the first in the country. Following his tenure at BPP University, Christopher was appointed to the executive team of Ravensbourne University London as University Secretary and Director of Strategic Delivery where he was responsible for governance, academic quality, and strategy and change management. During Christopher’s time at Ravensbourne, the University more than doubled in size, largely through internationalisation, tripled in revenue and went from loss-making to surpluses of over 10% per annum.
In addition to his Trustee role at University of the Built Environment, Christopher also sat on the Board of the University College of Osteopathy, where he was Chair of the Nominations Committee. He is an External Observer for the Council of the Inns of Court and a member of the Strategic Advisory Group (Governance) at AdvanceHE. He regularly speaks at conferences held by the QAA, OIA and specialist networks such as the Academic Registrars Council.
Christopher holds an LLB (Hons) from the University of Kent, graduated from the Bar Vocational Course from the University of Law and has been called to the Bar of the Honourable Society of the Middle Temple. Christopher further holds a PGCert in the Management of International Higher Education, an LLM in Corporate Governance and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute. Christopher joined the Board of the institute in December 2017 and is Chair of the Audit Committee.
Adam is an apprentice at Colliers and is completing the Chartered Surveyor Programme with University of the Built Environment. Colliers is a real estate services and investment management company. Adam, as the institution’s Student Trustee, is also an observer on the Remuneration Committee and the Honorary Degrees Panel.
Lucy is currently a Director of several small property businesses ranging from holiday lets to commercial grade II listed buildings in Wiltshire. She studied at the then UCEM from 2018-2020, graduating with an MSc in Construction and Real Estate and was nominated for an Alumni Award in 2021 for her career to date. In 2023 she was awarded an Associate Fellowship of the university. Lucy started her property career in 2016 with limited knowledge and now runs four of her own businesses and is keen to encourage others into the sector who might never have been in property before. Lucy was appointed as a University of the Built Environment Board Apprentice in November 2023.
With over 17 years of experience in the UK health and education sector, Jyotveer Singh Gill has established himself as a dynamic leader in digital transformation. As the Associate Director of Education Technology and Web Development at Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, Jyotveer oversees three mission-critical technology departments to deliver Oxford’s world-class services.
Jyotveer played a pivotal role in the strategic delivery of Oxford Saïd Online, a new venture providing accessible and affordable programmes to global learners and leaders while maintaining the premium Oxford experience. He spearheaded the technical implementation, including enrolment, registration, payment, and digital certification capabilities for B2C and B2B clients.
In recognition of his significant contributions to the UK digital sector, Jyotveer was featured as one of the top 100 Asian Stars in UK Technology in 2024. Additionally, he received the Next CIO 2024 Award from CIO Online, highlighting him as one of the next generation of top technology leaders in the UK.
Jyotveer is also a mentor, advisor, and social entrepreneur who is passionate about leveraging technology for social good. His initiatives aim to improve access to education and address the digital divide, integrating essential social justice principles into product development to support people and the planet.
He holds qualifications from Kingston, Cambridge and Oxford Universities and is a Fellow of the Oxford Interfaith Forum – a global interfaith academic network which connects Oxford scholars with academia, professionals, and policymakers.
Jyotveer was appointed as a University of the Built Environment Trustee in September 2024. He is Vice Chair of the Academic Assurance Committee and sits on the Audit Committee.
Jon Hubert is a lifelong learner, via industry and academia, over four decades on two continents.
Jon left school with 2 ‘A’ Levels and worked in the private sector for 26 years, providing technical training and support services in the IT sector. He embarked on a career change in 2008, enrolling at the University of West London (UWL) to read for a degree in Architectural Technology. Graduating with a First, UWL invited Jon to learn and teach as a contract lecturer in the built environment; that induction led to a role at the then UCEM, beginning 2015.
Jon has held various teaching positions at University of the Built Environment, from Programme Leader for Building Surveying and now Building Control, to managing the delivery of student project modules at both UG and PG. Alongside these duties, Jon continues his pursuit of knowledge by means of a PhD programme at the University of Portsmouth on the evaluation of building performance.
Jon was appointed as University of the Built Environment Staff Trustee in January 2023 and also sits on the Academic Assurance Committee.
Dr Liz Marr was Pro-Vice-Chancellor: Students at The Open University until April 2023. She has around thirty years of experience in teaching and learning in UK higher education with particular interest in social justice and social mobility. She is passionate about opening opportunity for all who wish to participate in learning, both formally and informally, personally mentoring many people on their leadership journeys.
She was a member of the Milton Keynes College board for over ten years, serving as Vice Chair for most of those. She was also, for 8 years, a member of the Supervisory Board of the European Association of Distance Teaching Universities, serving two terms as Vice President and one term as President. She received the 2023 Milton Keynes Women Leaders award for Skills Education and Training and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Universities Association for Lifelong Learning. She is currently a Fellow at the Centre for Online and Distance Education at the University of London. Liz was appointed as a University of the Built Enviornment Trustee in March 2025. She is Chair of Academic Assurance Committee and a member of the Audit Committee.
Nick is a Brand and Marcoms specialist who spent the early part of his career at creative agencies, including co-founding and running Siren, a creative agency, for 11 years. Moving client-side, Nick was Global Head of Marketing and Communications at Knight Frank before moving to SEGRO where he was Director of Marketing and Communications for 10 years. He now consults as a fractional CMO. He has an MBA from Bayes Business School, is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and a Patron of Real Estate Balance. Nick joined the University of the Built Environment Board of Trustees in June 2024. He serves on the Nominations & Governance Committee, is Chair of the Built Environment Award Panel and is the University of the Built Environment Trustee Director of UCEM Asia Ltd.
Michelle has over 25 years’ experience in higher education and is currently Deputy Vice-Chancellor and Provost at Plymouth Marjon University. In this role Michelle leads on academic strategy including teaching and learning and research and knowledge exchange. Michelle has held posts at Solent University, York St John University, Edge Hill and the University of Liverpool. Michelle remains research active with an interest in young people’s well-being; she studied human movement science at the University of Liverpool and then completed a PhD at Liverpool John Moores University. Michelle engages in a range of networks and has successfully bid for grant funding. Michelle was appointed to the University of the Built Environment Board of Trustees in September 2022. She is Vice Chair of the Audit Committee, a member of the Nominations & Governance Committee and became Lead Trustee for EDI in 2024.
Ros is currently on the Board of Sanctuary Housing Group, Homes England and a Trustee of Re-Form Heritage (a heritage regeneration charity). She is Chair of the Architectural Heritage Fund and Leeds Castle Foundation. Her previous non-executive roles include Senior Independent Director at U+I PLC, NED at Quintain Estates and Development PLC, Black Country Housing Association, and Thurrock Thames Gateway Development Corporation. Ros held a number of senior roles in property, regeneration and heritage during her executive career, including Director of Property at Network Rail, CEO of The Prince’s Regeneration Trust and Regenco and most recently of the National Lottery Heritage Fund. Ros is a qualified solicitor and holds an MBA. Ros was awarded an OBE in the 2016 and a CBE in 2020 for services to heritage, holds honorary degrees from Staffordshire and Keele Universities and was the 2016 University of the Built Environment (then UCEM) Property Award winner. Ros was appointed as a University of the Built Environment trustee in December 2023. She sits on the Finance Committee, Audit Committee and Property Working Group.
Ben is a Consultant at WSP where he provides Employer’s Agent and Quantity Surveying services to a number of development clients across the North East of England. Day to day, Ben is a regular in the affordable housing space, acting as the key lead on several multi-million pound developments, passionate about ensuring mutually beneficial partnerships, whilst driving the much-needed social change developments can bring about. Ben is also a great champion for making the most of lessons learnt, striving to demonstrate continuous improvement from project to project. With over 5 years in the field, Ben first began his career as an apprentice at WSP, and during his tenure has studied with the then UCEM towards various qualifications. Ben holds ARICS chartership recently completed his final year of a BSc (Hons) Degree in Quantity Surveying, with the view to achieving full MRICS chartership shortly after. As part of being a University of the Built Environment Student Trustee, Ben also sits on the Academic Review Committee and is a student observer on the Honorary Degrees Panel.
Dominic is the Group Property Director of Next Plc. Previously he was a Director of Land Securities Plc. He is a member of the RICS and has held Trustee positions in the Charitable and Education sectors. Dominic was appointed as a University of the Built Environment Trustee in November 2021. He is Vice Chair of the Finance Committee and Chair of Property Working Group.
Jules is a practising solicitor with over 30 years’ experience in employment law and matters of governance and compliance. Jules has significant experience as a school governor and was a member of the governing body of North London Collegiate School, Chair of Personnel and Enterprises Committees and subsequently Chair of NLCS Dubai. Jules has a degree in law from the University of Essex and a Masters degree in Law from Oxford University. Jules was appointed to the University of the Built Enviornment Board of Trustees in September 2024. She is Vice Chair of the Nominations & Governance Committee and is the Lead Trustee for Safeguarding.
Gareth is Head of Policy and Inward Investment at Thames Valley Chamber of Commerce (TVCC), the region’s only Accredited Chamber. He is part of the TVCC Senior Management Team. In this capacity Gareth has supported the delivery of foreign direct investment into the region, working in partnership with the Department for Business and Trade (DBT). He is a development planning, project management, policy and inward investment specialist who holds dual qualifications to the RICS (P&D) and RTPI. Gareth actively supports the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), serving on both their nationwide Policy and Expert Planning Panels.
Previously, experience has included working on a wide range of international projects. He was resident in-country as Director of Planning & technical lead, overseeing all planning content into the programme management of a comprehensive $50bn+; 180,000 major housing units & 383 infrastructure project in North Africa; economic feasbility studies for Enterprise Zone schemes in Egypt and Kazakhstan; preparation of a Provincial Structure Plan in Iraq, as well as securing an additional three commissions. Earlier work includes a range a projects for the world aid agencies funded projects.
Gareth holds qualifications from Oxford Brookes, University of Wales, College Cardiff and completed his DipSurv at the University of Reading/RICS. He also holds a Certificate in Green Buildings from the University of Tennessee, USA and has previously acted as a qualified NVQ Assessor, supporting RICS candidates seeking membership to the RTPI.
Gareth was appointed to the University of the Built Environment Board of Trustees in July 2022 and serves on the Finance Committee.
Graeme is a Chartered Accountant and has a portfolio of part time CFO, non-executive and board advisory roles. From 2010 to 2021, he was a full time CFO for four private equity backed companies including The Property Software Group, which Zoopla acquired in 2016 for £75m. Prior to that, he worked in senior finance roles with companies ranging from a start-up to FTSE 100 companies including 3i and Thomson Reuters.
Graeme qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 1995 and has a BSc (Hons) in Maths and Business Studies from the University of Warwick. He has lived and worked in Australia, Hong Kong and the USA. He lives in London with his wife, two daughters and black labrador.
Graeme was appointed as an Independent Trustee of University of the Built Environment in March 2023 and chairs the Finance Committee and Remuneration Committee.
Charlotte is University of the Built Environment’s Outreach and Inclusion Lead and is responsible for managing, delivering and evaluating all activities within the institution’s Widening Participation Strategy. Charlotte started her career working as a political aid for members of the Houses of Commons and Lords before switching to higher education. Since her first role at Bournemouth University, she has also worked at Brunel University, Royal Holloway University of London, the Activate Learning FE college group and the University of Oxford in a range of roles including peer learning, research, student transition and outreach. She joined the University in May 2022 and became Staff Trustee in summer 2024.
