List of members
The composition of the University of Westminster Court of Governors is set out in the Articles of Association.
The following are Governors (Directors) of the University as of 1 September 2024.
Professor Lynne Berry CBE
Chair/Independent Governor
Lynne is Chair of the Human Tissue Authority, the regulator for human tissue and organs and is a Trustee of Welsh National Opera. She is a visiting professor in the Centre for Charity Effectiveness, City, University of London. She has chaired a number of bodies including Sustrans, Breast Cancer Now, CPAG, Glandŵr Cymru and the Commission on the Voluntary Sector and Ageing. She was also deputy chair of the Canal and River Trust and a NED at Cambridge University Hospitals FT. She has held several chief executive posts including the General Social Care Council, Equal Opportunities Commission, Charity Commission, Family Action and RVS and held a number of government advisory posts. She has received several awards, including a CBE and an OBE, and a number of honorary degrees and fellowships. Her commitment to Westminster is long-standing: she was both a part-time postgraduate student and a lecturer at the former Polytechnic of Central London (now the University of Westminster).
Thomas Toumazis MBE
Deputy Chair/Independent Governor
Tom graduated from London South Bank University with a Higher National Diploma in Business Studies. He has worked in the media and entertainment industry since 1983. He has experience running small and large businesses, from start-ups to businesses employing over 7,500 people. Tom has worked for a number of leading media companies, including ITV, Bauer Radio (formally Emap), The Walt Disney Company, Endemol, Yahoo and Mecom plc. He is now a portfolio director, investor and advisor, focused on technology, media and the arts. He is a Non-Executive Director of the Performing Rights Society for Music, Directors UK, Chair of Product Earth, Global Senior Advisor TMT at AlixPartners as well as a Trustee for the NSPCC.
Divanshu Airan
Student Governor
Divanshu is a dedicated and passionate individual committed to making a significant impact in higher education. With a Master's degree in Corporate Finance Law, his academic achievements reflect his deep interest in the intersection of law and finance. Throughout his academic journey at the University, Divanshu actively participated in various roles, including serving as the Vice President of Welfare at UWSU. In this role, he implemented numerous initiatives to support student wellbeing, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to enhancing the student experience. As an advocate with experience practicing criminal law in India, Divanshu brings a unique perspective to his new role. Now, as the President of the Students' Union and an appointed governor, he is poised to continue his advocacy for student welfare and contribute significantly to the University community. His dedication, vision, and diverse experience make him an invaluable asset to the institution.
John Ball
Independent Governor
John was a post-graduate student at the University of Westminster in the early 2000s, reading for a Masters degree while working for London Underground. Over the following decade, John held various senior executive roles with London Underground focusing on strategy and asset management. Following a stint as a charity CEO, in 2018 John took up is present position as Chief Executive at the Church of England Pensions Board. In this role, he is responsible for leading the stewardship of more than £3 billion of assets on behalf of 44,000 pension scheme members, and overseeing the Board’s charitable activities which include housing for 2,400 retirees. John is engaged in pensions policy matters and has been appointed to the Pensions and Lifetime Savings Association’s Policy Board. He is also an experienced non-executive, including having been a trustee of a higher education college, and a trustee and Audit Committee chair for one of the largest YMCA charities. John is delighted to be able to return to and serve the University as an Independent Governor.
Andrea Bertone
Independent Governor
Andrea Bertone is a business leader with expertise in scaling startups, business turnarounds, and digital marketplaces across digital media, EdTech, and healthcare. He serves as a Non-Executive Director on the boards of Oviva, a leader in digital health, and StudySmarter, a top learning platform. He also runs an advisory business focused on startup growth and optimisation. Previously, he was Group CEO of Future Group, a leading European tech education platform, and helped scale OpenClassrooms fivefold to nearly €100M as Chief Revenue Officer. Earlier in his career, he held executive operating roles in the classified, media, and digital sectors across Europe and the US, including 15 years at Monster.com, where he led its European expansion as President/CEO, making it one of the most recognised Internet consumer brands. Andrea began his career at Deloitte after earning a First-Class Honours Degree in Business Administration and Economics from Turin University.
Professor Peter Bonfield, OBE, FREng, FIET, FICE, FIOM3, FCGI, FCIOB, HonFIStructE, HonFCABE
Ex-officio Governor
Peter is Vice-Chancellor and President of the University. He has responsibility for directing all University activities and developments and is Chair of the University Executive Board and Academic Council. He also has statutory reporting duties on behalf of the University to the Office for Students. Peter is Chair of IOSH, Vice-Chair of London Higher, a member of the Board of UK Active and a former President of the Institution of Engineering and Technology.
Caron Bradshaw OBE
Independent Governor
Caron trained as a Barrister after completing her LLB (Hons) at University of Westminster. She is currently the Chief Executive of Charity Finance Group, a Non-executive director of the Lending Standards Board, Trustee of the Wollstonecraft Society and member of the Finance and Risk Committee of the British Asian Trust. She has held positions as chair and trustee and has served the risk, finance and audit committees of a variety of charities. Caron has received a number of awards, including Charity Principal of the Year at the Charity Times Awards and Woman of the Year (non-CCAB) at the Women in Finance and Accountancy Awards. She was awarded an OBE in the New Year’s Honours list 2021, for her services to charity.
Chidambar Dhapatkar
Student Governor
Chidambar Dhapatkar is a dedicated and resourceful individual with a background in commerce and a growing passion for entrepreneurship. He earned his bachelor’s degree in commerce and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in entrepreneurship, driven by a desire to explore new ideas and contribute meaningfully to the business world. With 3.5 years of hands-on experience, Chidambar has worked across various roles in sales and marketing, eventually stepping into a leadership position as a Senior Manager. This journey has given him valuable insights into project management and team collaboration.
Now serving as the Vice President of Postgraduate Education for the Students’ Union, Chidambar is committed to advocating for the needs of postgraduate students. His focus is on enhancing the academic experience and providing support for his peers during their studies. Chidambar’s blend of academic knowledge, professional experience, and a genuine commitment to student welfare reflects his dedication to making a positive impact within the University community.
Jessica Figueras
Independent Governor
Jessica is a strategist working with government and regulated industries on cyber security, digital trust and the role of tech in civil society. She has published extensive research on the application of emerging technologies across government, telecoms, media and other regulated industries, including that which informed ground-breaking new online safety legislation in the UK. She is the co-founder of CxB (Cyber Governance for Boards), a non-profit network that supports boards and non-executive directors to strengthen oversight of cyber security. Previously she was Vice Chair and a Founding Trustee at the UK Cyber Security Council, and chief executive of Pionen, a cyber security firm working with government and critical national infrastructure. She was also Chair of Trustees at NCT, the UK’s largest charity for parents.
Steve Ford
Colleague Governor
Steve Ford is Professional Services’ elected governor and is also the Deputy Director of Estates (Facilities and Operations) at the University of Westminster, having previously served as the Campus Services Manager for the West End campuses since 2017. Steve has developed an extensive range of property management experience over the years, particularly around facilities management and capital investment project delivery. Steve co-founded and developed Alpha Contract Solutions Ltd, a project management company that specialised in commercial building maintenance and refurbishments and, worked as a Facilities Manager at Hertfordshire County Council between 2012–2017.
Sean Griffiths
Colleague Governor
Sean is Professor of Architecture at the University of Westminster and also a practicing architect and artist. He undertook his post graduate studies at the Polytechnic of Central London (now University of Westminster) before setting up the architectural practice, Fashion Architecture Taste (FAT) which went on to represent the UK at the 2014 Venice Architecture Biennale. Sean has previously been appointed Visiting Professor of Architectural Design at Yale University and Visiting Professor of Architecture at ABK Stuttgart. Sean is also an activist around social and environmental issues and is currently the UCU rep for Architecture and Cities.
Naleena Gururani
Independent Governor
Naleena is strategic HR thought leader with an execution mindset to deliver and operationalise a company’s people strategy, coupled with resilience to drive results. She has an incredibly successful track record in building people’s agenda for growth organisations, making them fit for purpose and re-energising them to invest, acquire or expand. In her current role as Chief People Officer at Hyperoptic, Naleena is scaling the HR division as the company scales new heights in its growth journey by establishing best practice across culture transformation, talent acquisition, organisational capability review, organisational culture and talent management. She previously served as Global HR Director at Lebara and Head Talent Acquisition for Infosys. She has held various board positions and is currently a Non-Executive Director and Chair of Remuneration and Nominations Committee with VIVID housing. She is also a board member for Connect HR – a global network of people professionals.
Terrance James
Independent Governor
Terrance James is a Chartered Engineer and senior executive with over 30 years’ experience in the built environment across higher education, housing, health, and local government. As Managing Director of Buxton Development Partnership Ltd, he has led major development, regeneration, and housing programmes, combining strategic planning with a strong commitment to community-led outcomes. He has held senior estates and resource management roles in the NHS and higher education sectors and has served in non-executive roles in housing and youth work. A co-founder of three housing associations, including Croydon People’s Housing Association and Lewisham Homes, he has contributed to delivering over 35,000 homes across London and shaping long-term neighbourhood renewal strategies. Currently, he leads work on construction education and skills development in higher education, focusing on curriculum innovation and industry engagement. He is passionate about sustainability, inclusive education, and strategic resource planning, and brings these focuses to his role in shaping the University’s infrastructure strategy and its engagement with local communities and industry.
Dr Sal Jarvis
Ex-officio Governor
Sal is Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education). She has responsibility for the strategic leadership of all aspects of learning and teaching at the University, including academic professional development, student partnership and portfolio development. She chairs the University Teaching Committee, Portfolio Planning Committee and co-chairs the University’s Student Voice Forum with the President of the Student Union. Sal’s background is in primary education, with expertise in Inclusion, and she joined Higher Education as a Teacher Educator. She is a governor, and Chair of the School Development Board, at a 4-19 School for pupils with physiological and neurological impairments. Sal is a Non-Executive Director of the Tavistock and Portman NHS Trust, with a particular focus on education.
Jameela Khan, FCCA
Independent Governor
Jameela is an experienced finance and corporate resources director. She is a qualified accountant with over 25 years’ experience of working in organisations with a social cause. She has worked as a senior consultant for NHS and as an executive director in several national and international charities, including GambleAware, Livability, Refuge, HelpAge International, Coeliac UK and others. Jameela runs her own strategic consultancy business, and she brings extensive financial insight and experience in the fields of corporate law, governance, income generation, business planning and change management.
Charlotte Morgan
Independent Governor
Charlotte is a Chartered Accountant and Corporate Treasurer. She is non-executive director and Audit Committee Chair of SMBC Bank International plc and Union Bank of India (UK) Ltd. She has served as Vice President of the Association of Corporate Treasurers and as a non-executive director of FCE Bank plc (Ford Credit). During her executive career she was Head of Corporate Treasury and Tax at Standard Chartered plc, amongst other senior finance roles. She is a trustee and Chair of the Finance Committee at the London Sinfonietta Orchestra, and Chair of Second Movement Opera. She has served as a trustee at the Oxford School of Drama and as a school governor and Finance Committee member with the Methodist schools group.
Jane Robson
Independent Governor
Jane is an entrepreneur, business advisor to a range of digital, retail and manufacturing businesses. Her career has been spent living in Asia and Europe pioneering retail supply chains, and developing diverse, regional strategy and teams. She has successfully founded, merged and sold several business entities including two design and sourcing companies and a women’s fashion brand. Jane holds a number of non-executive roles in the charity and business sector, with focus on education, startups, and those operating in the green economy. She recently completed the Cambridge University Institute of Sustainability Leadership, and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Manchester Metropolitan University.
Henryetta Simpson
Colleague Governor
Henryetta is Academic Council’s nominee to the Court of Governors. She is the College Senior Tutor for Westminster Business School. She undertook postgraduate studies, Business Information Technology MSc, at the University of Westminster. Prior to this, she worked in the European Head Office of Toshiba Corporation. Henryetta has been an academic representative on several university groups which currently include the Information Governance Advisory Group and the Student Success Board.
Shehma Shabbir
Independent Governor
Shehma is a commercially astute finance professional with over a decade of experience gained in private and public sector roles. She is an Assistant Director at UK Government Investments, a role she has held since 2022, and is part of a team responsible for ensuring the effective governance and stewardship of Government arm’s length bodies and advising His Majesty's Government on major corporate finance matters. Shehma began her career in Corporate Banking at Lloyds Banking Group in 2009 and has worked in various roles including debt restructuring, mid-market lending, and finance business partnering. She joined the Civil Service in 2018 and worked at the Cabinet Office in Strategic Finance. She moved to the Corporate Finance Advisory team in the Department for Transport in 2020. Shehma graduated from Brunel University in 2009 with a Distinction in a Masters degree in International Money, Finance and Investment.
Meeting dates
2023–24: 4 October 2023; 29 November 2023; 13 March 2024; 22 May 2024; 17 July 2024
2024-25: 2 October 2024; 27 November 2024; 12 March 2025; 21 May 2025; 16 July 2025
Inclusion statement
Read the Court of Governors inclusion statement.
Effectiveness reviews
In May 2019 the Court commissioned an external and independent review of the effectiveness of the Court and its committees. The report on their findings was reported to the meeting of the Court in October 2019 and governors agreed on an implementation plan to address the recommendations in November 2019.