University Executive Team
Professor Paul Croney OBE
Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive
Professor Paul Croney OBE is Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive of Teesside University. He has worked in four universities and held a succession of leadership roles over a thirty-year career in higher education, including the Director of Sheffield Business School, the Dean of Newcastle Business School, and the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Northumbria University.
Professor Croney is a board member of Universities UK and the University Alliance and director of several Teesside University group ventures.
An academic scholar in the field of management and business education, Professor Croney has embedded an entrepreneurial outlook at Teesside University, leading with authenticity and ambition. His dedication to transforming lives and economies through education was recognised with an OBE for services to higher education and economic regeneration in 2021.
| Name | Title | Department/School |
|---|---|---|
| Professor Mark Simpson | Deputy Vice-Chancellor | Vice-Chancellor’s Office |
| Dr Jo Heaton-Marriott | Executive Director | Communications & Development |
| Professor Steve Cummings | Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and Knowledge Exchange) | Vice-Chancellor’s Office |
| Dr Warren Harrison | Pro Vice-Chancellor (International) | Vice-Chancellor’s Office |
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Emma Adcock | Director | TU Online |
| Juliet Amos | Executive Director | Human Resources |
| Jo Burgess | Director | Apprenticeships |
| Helen Cutting | Executive Director | Legal Services & University Secretary |
| Julie Flaws | Director | Finance |
| Mike Gettings | Director | IT & Digital Services |
| Dave Hudson | Director | Student Recruitment & Marketing |
| Philip Ratcliff | Director | Human Resources |
| Darren Vipond | Director | Campus Services |
| Amanda Wright | Director | Business Change, Improvement and Projects |
Professor Mark Simpson
Deputy Vice-Chancellor
Equality & Diversity Champion (Ethnic and Cultural Diversity)
Professor Mark Simpson 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, youth justice and drug use. He was a director of the British Society of Criminology for over nine years. Holding numerous roles within the University, he was previously Dean of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law.
He has a national reputation for teaching & learning and is a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of the Arts (FRSA). Mark is a Local Ambassador for the Prince’s Trust.
| Name | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|
| Dr Andrew Bingham | Dean | Teesside University International Business School |
| Dr Ann French | Acting Dean | School of Health & Life Sciences |
| Professor Chrisina Jayne | Dean | School of Computing, Engineering & Digital Technologies |
| Rosie Jones | Director | Student & Library Services |
| Dr Laura Sillars | Dean | Culture & Creativity |
| Dr Nicola Watchman-Smith | Director | Student Learning & Academic Registry |
| Dr Matthew Watson | Acting Dean | School of Social Sciences, Humanities & Law School of Arts & Creative Industries |
Professor Steve Cummings
Pro Vice-Chancellor (Research and 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Stephanie Bales | Director | Research & Enterprise Office |
Dr Warren Harrison
Pro Vice-Chancellor (International)
Equality & Diversity Champion (Faith and Belief)
Warren joined Teesside University as a Senior Lecturer in 2002, following a career in film and television. Alongside his teaching, he developed a range of industry and educational partnerships with some of the UK’s largest media companies to develop the digital capability of SME’s and freelancers in the northeast region. Warren’s practice-based research is concerned with aspects of the working-class cultural history of Teesside.
In 2018, Warren was appointed as Associate Dean (International) for the Business School. He expanded both international student recruitment and Transnational Education, playing a key role in the development of partnerships in the Czech Republic, Italy, Singapore, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, and Uzbekistan.
Prior to his appointment as Pro Vice-Chancellor, he was appointed as the Dean of Teesside University International Business School in 2020.
| Name | Title | Department |
|---|---|---|
| George Hunt | Director | Department of International Development |
Juliet Amos
Executive Director (Human Resources)
Equality & Diversity Champion (LGBT+)
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 (Gender)
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.
Dr Jo Heaton-Marriott
Executive Director (Communications & Development)
Jo joined Teesside University in 2018, having previously been Director of Communications and Engagement at the University of Central Lancashire. She holds a PhD in Microbiology from Lancaster University and began her career in science communications and public engagement, developing and delivering a range of award-winning events and initiatives.
Jo leads on all aspects of communications, including the University’s public affairs activity. She is also responsible for stakeholder development, fundraising and corporate social responsibility, prioritising the growth of community partnerships that deliver mutual benefit for the locale, region and beyond. Jo and her team also provide strategic insight and policy advice to senior colleagues.
