University leader announces retirement

One of the most admired senior figures in the UK’s higher education sector has announced his decision to retire once he has completed 40 years of service within the university sector next summer.

Professor Graham Henderson, Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Teesside University in North East England is to step down from his role next August, bringing to an end a highly successful term of office which has seen Teesside achieve widespread national acclaim and win numerous awards for its progress as one of Britain’s best regarded modern universities – leading the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation & Skills, Dr Vince Cable MP, to describe Teesside University as 'Britain’s best for working with business'.

In recognition of his contribution, Professor Henderson was awarded a CBE in 2011 for his 'outstanding services to local and national higher education'.

Professor Henderson joined the University in February 1999 as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic & Development) with responsibility for a wide portfolio of activities related to the university’s academic portfolio, learning and teaching and quality and standards, and was then appointed as Vice-Chancellor of the University in April 2003.

Throughout his 40-year career within the sector Professor Henderson has carried out a number of national roles within the higher education sector including as a member of the Boards of Universities UK, the University Alliance, Million+, the Universities Vocational Awards Council (UVAC) and the National Centre for Universities and Business, and he has also served on a range of policy and strategy groups within the Higher Education Funding Council for England, Universities UK and the Leadership Foundation for HE.

Closer to home, and in line with his University’s role as a catalyst for the economic, social and cultural development of the Tees Valley and wider North East, Professor Henderson has held non-executive Board level positions within the NE Chamber of Commerce (NECC), the NE CBI, the NE Regional Assembly, the NE Learning and Skills Council, the NE Public Health Board and the Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) – Tees Valley Unlimited (and its predecessors). He also chaired the region’s NE Higher Skills Network (NEHSN) and the regional STEM Board.

In 2012, he was appointed to serve as a Queen’s representative as Deputy Lieutenant for North Yorkshire.

His 12-year tenure as Vice-Chancellor at Teesside makes him the longest-serving head of the institution in its rich, 85 year history. Under his leadership, the university’s campus has been extensively enhanced through almost £200 million of new investment, student numbers grew from only 12,000 in 2003 to more than 30,000 students in 2011 and in 2010 Teesside became the first modern university ever to be awarded the highly prestigious ‘UK University of the Year’ award by the Times Higher Education (THE). Then, in February of this year, Professor Henderson received the coveted ‘Queen’s Anniversary Prize’ for the University’s 'world class excellence in Higher Education' from Her Majesty the Queen at Buckingham Palace.

In announcing his retirement, Professor Henderson said: 'I cannot even begin to put into words how proud I am of what I have achieved throughout my career – while doing a job that I have absolutely loved – and it has been an absolute privilege and an honour to have been given the opportunity to lead the University through what has probably been the most exciting and successful period of its development, when we have achieved more than probably any of us could ever have ever dreamed possible.

'Between now and next August we will be busy finishing off a number of big projects after which I believe the University will be able to (briefly) pause, draw breath and reflect upon where it would like to go next before launching another new and, I’m sure, exciting development ‘push’. But, the next year will also be a time when we will be seeking to position the University to take advantage of the exciting opportunities that the future will inevitably present, so that I can leave the University feeling upbeat and optimistic about its future. 'The University has achieved so much during my time here, and I cannot even begin to put into words how much I have loved being part of that success… it has been a wonderful experience and I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.'

Chairman of the University’s Board of Governors and CEO of the BE Group Alastair MacColl added: 'Graham has been a unique and outstanding Vice-Chancellor. He has led our University with flair and distinction. Under his leadership the University has made enormous progress and will continue to do so until his retirement in approximately one year. The process of replacing Graham has already started and Graham will work with the board and his formidably strong management team, to make sure it's a seamless transition. Until then it is very much business as usual.'

Professor Henderson CBE DL retires to spend more time with his wife Joan and their family and to continue to fulfil myriad voluntary roles both in the region and nationally in the areas of education, enterprise & skills, sport and the arts.

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