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Jim Andrews appointed as new Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary
Posted on behalf of: Communications
Last updated: Thursday, 15 May 2025
The University has appointed Jim Andrews as the new Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary. He will join the University on 15 September 2025.
With over 20 years’ experience in senior executive and board level roles in Higher Education and the NHS, Jim’s expertise includes service transformation, cultural and infrastructure development and governance.
Jim is currently at the University of Bedfordshire, supporting the institution through a significant period of transformation and change. Before this, he was Chief Operating Officer at Bournemouth University for 14 years, where he led a number of professional services teams. Jim also led the University’s transformation programmes including the development and delivery of its £300m estates vision, major developments in digital technology and infrastructure, and significant cultural change aligned to the institution’s strategic plans.
Having started his career in human resource management in NHS Trusts, Jim worked in the Department of Health’s Modernisation Agency, supporting NHS Improvement aligned to the 2000 NHS Plan. From there he joined Bedfordshire Heartlands Primary Care NHS Trust, focusing on organisational turnaround and financial recovery. Jim then joined Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust as Executive Director of Strategy and Organisational Development.
Jim is a Chartered Director and Fellow of the Institute of Directors and a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development. He has been a member of a number of external boards as a Non-Executive Director, including the Dorset Local Enterprise Partnership, the Great South-West Partnership, Dorset Integrated Care Board and the Board of the UK Campus of Memorial University, Newfoundland.
Jim said: “I am excited to be joining the University as its new Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary and look forward to meeting colleagues and students from across the institution, as well as the wider region. I aim to build on the incredible work that already takes place at the University and contribute to the successful delivery of the Sussex 2035 strategy.”
Professor Sasha Roseneil, Vice-Chancellor, said: “I am very much looking forward to welcoming Jim to Sussex in the autumn. He brings a wealth of experience in higher education operations and strategic transformation which will be invaluable as we embark on realising the ambitions and vision of Sussex 2035, and as we seek efficiencies and greater agility and resilience in the current challenging financial context. I would also like to say a personal thank you to Emma Potts for supporting us so superbly as Interim Chief Operating Officer and University Secretary since early 2024.”