Lincoln Bishop University (LBU) is located in the heart of historic Lincoln. Founded in 1862 as a Church of England teacher training college for women, it gained university status in 2012 and is part of the Cathedrals Group of universities. LBU has around 300 staff and 2,300 students spread across five academic programme portfolios studying at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. LBU is committed to widening participation in higher education, with 64% of current students being first-generation and 37% identifying as disabled. In the NSS 2024, LBU was ranked 1st in the UK for Student Voice, Academic Support, Learning Opportunities, Assessment and Feedback and Learning Resources.
Context.
With the imminent departure of LBU’s interim Vice Chancellor, the Council was seeking a permanent replacement to lead the organisation through its next phase of transformation. Over the past year, the interim VC and executive leadership team led the university through a period of financial recovery and cross-institutional improvements to ensure the future sustainability of the institution. The new VC would take a lead on the development and implementation of LBU’s next institutional strategy, delivering sustainable growth, maintaining an excellent student experience and raising the reputation of the university across the sectors and communities it serves.
Having partnered with LBU on the successful appointment of multiple governing council members, including the Chair of Council, which strengthened the expertise and diversity of the council membership through gender, ethnic, disability and LGBTQ representation, LBU invited Peridot Partners to support them once again in engaging their next Vice Chancellor.
Brief.
Following comprehensive briefings with all stakeholders, including the Council and executive and senior leaders, it became very apparent that it would be essential that the new Vice Chancellor had significant experience in driving positive change and efficiencies in the best interests of students and staff through senior or executive leadership roles within a relevant education setting. They must be committed to continuing the transformation programme already underway and be skilled in empowering their staff teams across the faculty and professional services to lead effective change in their areas.
Candidates would need to demonstrate a visible and approachable leadership style and bring a strong understanding of academic portfolio development, apprenticeships, external partnerships and stakeholder engagement — and research and knowledge exchange activities within a UK higher education setting or equivalent. It was essential that candidates could align their own personal and professional values with LBU’s mission as a university with a strong social purpose and public service ethos.
Process.
We led a national search to identify candidates with the relevant experience, skills and motivations, engaging with higher education Pro Vice-Chancellors, Deputy Vice Chancellors and Provosts across a range of institutions, as well as executive leaders from similar education organisations, including further education providers with significant higher education and apprenticeship portfolios.
Following a thorough and inclusive search, application and selection process, LBU selected six candidates to interview at the first stage, with applicants representing gender, age and ethnic diversity and bringing leadership experience from across the further and higher education sectors.
Three candidates were invited to the final stage interview, which included stakeholder panels, a presentation and a psychometric assessment.
Outcome.
The selection panel was delighted to appoint an incredibly experienced executive leader who brought experience and insight of leadership across higher, further and adult education and had been leading an adult education college of comparable size for almost a decade.
The new VC brought significant experience of organisational transformation and strategy development, including oversight of a merger and significant growth in provision and standards. An academic by training and with a strong alignment to the ethos and mission of LBU, the new VC had a breadth of sector knowledge that would benefit LBU’s ambitions to grow provision across apprenticeships, partnerships and online delivery.
“Thank you very much to the Higher Education team at Peridot Partners, who we partnered with again on the appointment of our Vice Chancellor. Having supported us previously with both governance and leadership appointments, our consultants brought a knowledge and understanding of LBU that was a great benefit to supporting a seamless and robust search and selection process.
They led a smooth and transparent process from start to finish, ensuring they engaged a diverse and talented pool of candidates who met the Council’s brief, including those operating at DVC and Provost level. They provided excellent management of the selection process and supported us to design a comprehensive programme of assessment for the candidates.
We are delighted to have made a successful appointment, and our next Vice Chancellor brings a wealth of relevant executive leadership experience and a passion for LBU’s values and mission, which will support us on our continued journey of transformation and growth.
It has been a pleasure to work with Peridot Partners, and I would highly recommend them to any higher education institution seeking a client- and candidate-centred, values-led approach to recruitment that offers great value for money.”
Chair of Council, Lincoln Bishop University
“With deep understanding of the position and its priorities, Peridot Partners provided expert insight and support at each and every stage of the recruitment and selection process. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Dr Sophie Carney and Drew Richardson-Walsh for their informed guidance and support throughout the selection process.”
Appointed candidate and new Vice Chancellor, Lincoln Bishop University
Dr Sophie Carney is our Principal Consultant for Higher Education Appointments in our Education Practice. With her extensive experience within the HE sector and passion for working with organisations that have a strong social mission, Sophie can support you to recruit outstanding leaders and non-executive directors who are committed to improving every student’s experience and ensuring the best outcomes for all.
