University Executive Team
Professor Mark Simpson
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive
Professor Simpson is Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive at Teesside University. He graduated from Teesside University with a degree in Politics and a PhD in Criminology. He has written and researched in the fields of Youth Crime, Criminal Justice and Drug Use. Professor Simpson was previously Dean of the School of Social Sciences, Business & Law, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching) and then Deputy Vice-Chancellor.
Professor Mark Simpson has an international reputation and is known for his work in educational digital transformation. He is a regular keynote speaker at international learning and teaching conferences and was awarded Adobe’s Digital Literacy Thought Leader. He is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA) and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (FRSA).
Professor Mark Simpson is Chair of the MFC Foundation.
| Name | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Steve Cummings | Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Knowledge Exchange) | Vice-Chancellor’s Office |
| Professor Jonathan Eaton | Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching) | Vice-Chancellor’s Office |
| Professor Chrisina Jayne | Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement & Partnerships) | Vice-Chancellor’s Office |
| Dr Andrew Bingham | Dean | School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies Teesside University International Business School |
| Dr Ann French | Dean | School of Health & Life Sciences |
| Dr Laura Sillars | Dean | Culture & Creativity |
| Director | MIMA | |
| Dr Matthew Watson | Dean | School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law School of Arts & Creative Industries |
Malcolm Page
Chief Operating Officer
Equality & Diversity Champion (Disability)
Malcolm moved to Teesside University in 2013 from his position as Executive Director of Commercial and Corporate Services at Sunderland City Council.
He has previously worked as Deputy Chief Executive at the Regional Development Agency, One North East - also holding roles at the Agency including Assistant Chief Executive (Resources) and Executive Director of Corporate Resources. He is a fully qualified accountant with an MBA.
Malcolm brings with him considerable strategic, corporate and resource management experience and a strong track record of operating and delivering at Board level. He also has significant experience in managing large and complex budgets and in the development and delivery of regeneration and property activities, alongside wide ranging exposure to both innovation and the commercial environment.
| Name | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Juliet Amos | Executive Director | Human Resources |
| Jo Burgess | Director | Professional Apprenticeships |
| Jack Clare | Director | Student Recruitment & Marketing |
| Helen Cutting | Executive Director | Legal Services & University Secretary |
| Julie Flaws | Director | Finance |
| Mike Gettings | Director | IT & Digital Services |
| Philip Ratcliff | Director | Human Resources |
| Darren Vipond | Director | Campus Services |
| Amanda Wright | Director | Business Change, Improvement and Projects |
Professor Steve Cummings
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research & Knowledge Exchange)
Professor Stephen Cummings is responsible for Teesside’s research and knowledge exchange portfolio, prior to taking up this role he was Dean of the School of Science & Engineering from 2016, Dean of the School of Health & Life Sciences from 2019 and Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Innovation from 2021.
He holds a personal Chair in Microbiology and has researched and published extensively on the microbial ecology in a number of environments and disease states, including, bioremediation of contaminated soils, cystic fibrosis and infections of preterm infants.
He is currently chair of the UK2070 Commission’s Teesside Taskforce and a director of Teesside University Enterprise and Innovation (TUEI) venture. Previously he was a member of the Council of Governors for the South Tees Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.
| Name | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Vacancy | Director | Research & Enterprise Office |
Professor Jonathan Eaton
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching)
Equality & Diversity Champion (Faith & Belief)
Professor Jonathan Eaton provides strategic leadership for the University’s learning, teaching and academic quality agenda. He leads the development and implementation of evidence-informed educational strategy, ensuring that the University remains responsive to emerging opportunities and challenges in UK and global higher education.
Prior to joining Teesside in 2026, he served as Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning & Teaching) at the University of Cumbria and was previously Director of Student Learning & Academic Registry at Teesside University. In this role he was instrumental in the implementation of Teesside University’s award-wining Future Facing Learning.
A recognised leader in higher education, Professor Eaton has extensive experience in curriculum innovation, digital transformation, student engagement and educational enhancement. He has driven major institutional change programmes and led several externally funded projects focused on the skills landscape, digital learning and pedagogic innovation.
Professor Eaton is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE, a Senior Fellow of the Staff and Educational Development Association (SEDA), a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, and an Associate Fellow of the Royal Historical Society. He previously served on the Council of the Cathedrals Group of Universities and chaired the Executive Committee of the Uni Connect Hub for Cumbria. Professor Eaton is a frequent speaker at national and international higher education conferences. His work is driven by an unswerving commitment to the power of education to transform lives and communities.
| Name | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Simon Hood | Assistant Director | Academic Development |
| Rosie Jones | Director | Student & Library Services |
Professor Chrisina Jayne
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Global Engagement & Partnerships)
Equality & Diversity Champion (Gender)
Professor Chrisina Jayne brings over 25 years of experience in UK higher education, with an established track record in academic leadership, curriculum innovation, and enhancing student success. Her academic background is rooted in applied mathematics and computing science, and her research centres on artificial intelligence, machine learning, and neural networks.
She has authored more than 80 peer-reviewed publications and has held a number of senior international positions within the neural networks research community.
Professor Jayne is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, a Chartered IT Professional, and a Fellow of the British Computer Society. She was also awarded a UK National Teaching Fellowship in recognition of her excellence and leadership in learning and teaching.
| Name | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|
| George Hunt | Director | Department of International Development |
Juliet Amos
Executive Director (Human Resources)
Equality & Diversity Champion (LGBTQ+)
Juliet Amos joined Teesside University in 2006 having previously worked at Northumbria University as Assistant Human Resources Director. Juliet is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development.
Juliet leads the human resources strategy and management at the University including staff planning and reviews, reward and recognition initiatives, the HR Advisory function, occupational health and safety and all equality and diversity work relating to staff. She is also responsible for the provision of staffing information to inform Executive decision making and the statistical returns to the Higher Education Statistical Agency.
Helen Cutting
Executive Director (Legal & Governance Services and University Secretary)
Equality & Diversity Champion (Ethnic & Cultural Diversity)
Helen joined Teesside University in June 2017 as the Executive Director of Legal and Governance Services & University Secretary. Helen is a qualified lawyer and prior to joining Teesside, was Director of Legal and Governance at University of Sunderland where she worked for over 12 years, having worked in private practice before that. Helen’s current role requires her to have oversight of the University’s legal and regulatory compliance, including information governance and safeguarding, as well as leading on the modernisation of the University’s governance practices and is an active Member of the University Executive Team.
Helen provides the support to the University’s Board of Governors to enable them to effectively discharge their responsibilities as governors and trustees of the University. She is also company secretary for the University’s subsidiary companies.