Leadership team: Faculty Executive Board
Source: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/faculties/ese/about/leadership/ Parent: https://www.exeter.ac.uk/about/sitemap/
Menu
Leadership team: Faculty Executive Board
The Faculty Executive Board (FEB) manages our strategic priorities, policies and targets. FEB is chaired by our Pro-Vice Chancellor and is comprised of Deputy Pro Vice Chancellors, Associate Pro Vice Chancellors, Head of Departments and Professional Service Partners (HR, Finance and Global Engagement).
Pro Vice Chancellor and Deputy Pro Vice Chancellors
[### Professor Alexandra Gerbasi
Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean](#modal1link)
Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean
Professor Alexandra Gerbasi
Alex Gerbasi’s research focuses on positive and negative network ties within the workplace. She joined Exeter University in 2017 and has held several leadership positions before joining the Faculty as Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Business School.
Email: Caroline Haughian (Executive Officer) C.Haughian2@exeter.ac.uk\ Email: Debbie Ironside-Smith (Senior Executive Assistant)D.Ironside-Smith@exeter.ac.uk\ Email: A.Gerbasi@exeter.ac.uk
Close
[### Professor Steve Wood
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Business School](#modal0link)
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Dean of the Business School
Professor Steve Wood
In January 2025, Professor Steve Wood joined University of Exeter in the role of Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor and Dean of University of Exeter Business School. In Summer 2024, Steve concluded a five-year term as Dean of Surrey Business School, University of Surrey where he led significant improvement in teaching, research, and staff engagement metrics as well as driving performance in international rankings. He has wide-ranging experience of academic leadership, including AACSB and AMBA accreditation, Research Excellence Framework (REF) submission and developing business school strategy. He was previously Surrey Business School’s Director of Research, School REF lead, as well as Head of the Department of Marketing. Earlier in his academic career, Steve was Reader in Strategy, University of Southampton.
Email: Ophelia Lindley (Senior Executive Assistant) O.B.Lindley@exeter.ac.uk\ Email: S.Wood6@exeter.ac.uk
Steve's profile | Business School website
Close
[### Professor David Hosken
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor](#modal2link)
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor
Professor David Hosken
Dave Hosken is an evolutionary biologist researching sexual phenotypes, particularly those associated with sexual selection and sexual conflict. He joined Exeter University in 2004 and was previously the Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Cornwall, where he is based.
Email: Justine Cole (Executive Assistant), j.cole3@exeter.ac.uk\ Email: D.J.Hosken@exeter.ac.uk
Close
[### Professor Nick Stone
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor](#modal3link)
Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor
Professor Nick Stone
Nick Stone develops novel light-based diagnostic tools to probe the disease-specific molecular composition of cells and tissues. Before joining Exeter in 2012, he spent 20 years in the NHS as a Consultant Medical Physicist.
Email: Chee Wong (Senior Executive Assistant) S.C.Wong@exeter.ac.uk\ Email: n.stone@exeter.ac.uk
Close
Associate Pro Vice Chancellors
[### Professor Nicky King
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Education](#modal4link)
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Education
Professor Nicky King
Nicky King is passionate about interdisciplinary science education at Exeter and beyond. She champions compassionate leadership in education, innovative pedagogy and use of technology. Nicky is the chair of the Society for Natural Sciences and Principal Fellow of the HEA.
Email: Justine Cole (Executive Assistant) j.cole3@exeter.ac.uk\ Email: N.C.King@exeter.ac.uk
Nicky's profile | About Studying in the Faculty
Close
[### Professor Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Impact](#modal5link)
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Impact
Professor Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen
Saeema Ahmed-Kristensen's research focuses on design engineering including the impact and integration of digital technologies on: creativity and cognition, data and knowledge structuring, data-driven design process to customise products and quantifying and predicting user experiences.
Email: ESE-APVC-RI@exeter.ac.uk
Saeema's profile |Research in the Faculty
Close
[### Professor Angus Buckling
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Impact](#modal33link)
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Research and Impact
Professor Angus Buckling
Angus works on the evolutionary ecology of microbes, primarily by studying evolution in real-time in controlled environments (experimental evolution). His research interests range from developing and testing general evolutionary ecology theory, to more applied issues (evolution of virulence, antimicrobials, biomethane production, heavy metal bioremediation).
Email: ESE-APVC-RI@exeter.ac.uk
Angus's profile |Research in the Faculty
Close
[### Professor Stuart Bearhop
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Global Engagement](#modal6link)
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Global Engagement
Professor Stuart Bearhop
Stu Bearhop is an ecologist with a range of interests mainly related to migration and foraging ecology of vertebrates. He is a member of the Ecology and Conservation research group. He joined the University of Exeter in 2007 and is a senior fellow of the HEA.
Email: S.Bearhop@exeter.ac.uk
Stuart's profile | About Global Partnerships
Close
[### Professor Konstantinos Chalvatzis
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Business Engagement and Innovation](#modal8link)
Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor, Business Engagement and Innovation
Professor Konstantinos Chalvatzis
Konstantinos Chalvatzis has joined the Faculty of Environment, Science and Economy in 2024 as the Faculty Pro-Vice Chancellor for Business Engagement and Innovation.
Email: Jayne Cooksley (Executive Assistant to Prof. Konstantinos Chalvatzis) J.E.Cooksley@exeter.ac.uk\ Email: k.chalvatzis@exeter.ac.uk
Close
Heads of Departments
[### Professor James Scourse
Head of Department - Earth and Environmental Sciences](#modal9link)
Head of Department - Earth and Environmental Sciences
Professor James Scourse
James Scourse, Head of Department and Professor of Earth System Sciences, moved to the University of Exeter in 2017 after more than three decades at The School of Ocean Sciences at Bangor University (North Wales). He is a marine geologist and leads a research group using both sedimentary and biological archives to understand mechanisms and feedback responses in the Earth’s climate system.
Email: J.Scourse@exeter.ac.uk
James' profile |Earth and Environmental Sciences website
Close
[### Professor Ben Raymond
Head of Department - Ecology and Conservation](#modal10link)
Head of Department - Ecology and Conservation
Professor Ben Raymond
Ben is an experimental evolutionary ecologist who works with insects, plants, bacterial pathogens and symbionts.
Email: HoD-CEC-Cornwall@exeter.ac.uk
Ben's profile | Ecology and Conservation website
Close
[### Professor Ion Sucala
Head of Department - Engineering](#modal11link)
Head of Department - Engineering
Professor Ion Sucala
Ion is currently the Chair of the Research, Innovation and Knowledge Transfer committee at Engineering Professors' Council (epc.ac.uk) and a Senior Fellow of The Higher Education Academy. Ion holds a PhD in Industrial Engineering from Technical University of Cluj-Napoca (Romania) and a PhD in Social Science from University of Glasgow (UK). His research interests are focused on modelling & simulation, digital twinning and optimisation of manufacturing and supply chain processes, technology innovation, and engineering education.
Email: i.sucala@exeter.ac.uk
Ion's profile | Engineering website
Close
[### Professor Nicola Thomas
Head of Department - Geography](#modal12link)
Head of Department - Geography
Professor Nicola Thomas
Nicola Thomas is Professor of Historical and Cultural Geography. She has developed a body of work around craft geographies, situating contemporary and 20th-century craft practice within the broader creative economy.
Email: nicola.j.thomas@exeter.ac.uk
Nicola's profile | Geography website
Close
[### Professor Mat Collins
Head of Department - Mathematics and Statistics](#modal13link)
Head of Department - Mathematics and Statistics
Professor Mat Collins
Mat’s interests are in physical aspects of climate variability and change. He uses complex numerical models to understand features of the climate system such as El Niño, tropical rainfall patterns and extremes on time scales from seasons to centuries. He holds the Joint Chair Met Office Chair in Climate Change.
Email: M.Collins@exeter.ac.uk
Mat's profile |Mathematics and Statistics website
Close
[### Professor Francesca Palombo
Head of Department - Physics and Astronomy](#modal14link)
Professor Francesca Palombo
Francesca's research is highly interdisciplinary, crossing boundaries between physics, chemistry, biology, and medicine. She is internationally recognised for her research on development of Brillouin Light Scattering (BLS) spectroscopy applied in biomedical sciences, and is co-founder of the BioBrillouin network (an international network established in 2017).
Email: F.Palombo@exeter.ac.uk
Francesca's profile |Physics and Astronomy website
Close
[### Professor Loukas Balafoutas
Head of Department - Economics (Business School)](#modal15link)
Head of Department - Economics (Business School)
Professor Loukas Balafoutas
Loukas' research interests include experimental and behavioural economics; social and economic inclusion; and asymmetric information and credence goods.
Email: L.Balafoutas@exeter.ac.uk
Loukas' profile |Economics website
Close
[### Professor Vicky Kiosse
Head of Department - Finance and Accounting (Business School)](#modal30link)
Head of Department - Finance and Accounting (Business School)
Professor Vicky Kiosse
Vicky Kiosse is Deputy Head of the Finance & Accounting department. She is an internationally recognised expert on pensions and her research spans the areas of capital market-based accounting research, corporate finance and ESG.
Email:P.Kiosse@exeter.ac.uk
Vicky's profile |Finance and Accounting website
Close
[### Professor David Dose
Interim Head of Department - Management (Business School)](#modal17link)
Interim Head of Department - Management (Business School)
Professor David Dose
Interim Head of Department, Management.
Email: D.B.Dose@exeter.ac.uk
David's profile | Management website
Close
[### Professor Andrew Howes
Head of Department - Computer Science](#modal18link)
Head of Department - Computer Science
Professor Andrew Howes
Andrew's background is in computational cognitive science and he has previously held academic appointments in computer science, psychology and business. His research focus is on human-AI collaboration and in how the next generation of artificial intelligence technologies can be engineered so as to work with people.
Email: A.Howes2@exeter.ac.uk
Andrew's profile |Computer Science website
Close
[### Professor Camille Bonneaud
Director of the Environment and Sustainability Institute](#modal19link)
Director of the Environment and Sustainability Institute
Professor Camille Bonneaud
Camille's research focuses on the evolutionary ecology of host-pathogen interactions in natural populations, mainly of birds. She is particularly interested in understanding how emerging infectious pathogens jump into new host species and how they subsequently adapt to these novel host environments, as well as how host resistance/tolerance evolves.
Email: esidirector@exeter.ac.uk
Camille's profile | Environment and Sustainability Institute website
Close
[### Professor Peter Cox
Director of the Global Systems Institute](#modal21link)
Director of the Global Systems Institute
Professor Peter Cox
Peter is a professor of climate system dynamics and was a lead author on the last three Assessment Reports of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
Email: P.M.Cox@exeter.ac.uk
Peter's profile | Global Systems Institute website
Close
[### Professor Jon Blount
Faculty Director of Postgraduate Research](#modal23link)
Faculty Director of Postgraduate Research
Professor Jon Blount
Jon's research focusses on studies of mechanism and function in animal ecology. He has three main interests: behavioural and evolutionary ecology of animal signalling; nutrition ecology; and oxidative stress and the biology of ageing. Much of his work focuses on basic research, but he is also interested in how an understanding of mechanism and function can help tackle applied questions in conservation biology.
Email:j.d.blount@exeter.ac.uk
Close
ESE Professional Services Leadership
[### James Hutchinson
Director of Faculty Operations](#modal32link)
Director of Faculty Operations
James Hutchinson
James Hutchinson is the Director of Faculty Operations and works closely with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean, the Faculty Executive Board and the Professional Services teams to ensure the operational delivery of the Faculty’s business plan.
Email: Debbie Ironside Smith (Senior Executive Assistant) d.ironside-smith@exeter.ac.uk\ Email: j.r.a.hutchinson@exeter.ac.uk
Close
[### Matt Davey
Director of Global Operations](#modal22link)
Director of Global Operations
Matt Davey
Matt is the Director of Global Operations and works closely with the Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean, the Faculty Executive Board and the Professional Services teams to ensure the operational delivery of the Faculty’s business plan.
*Email: m.l.davey@exeter.ac.uk \ Email: Debbie Ironside-Smith (Senior Executive Assistant) D.Ironside-Smith@exeter.ac.uk*
Close
[### Lizzie Caughey
Deputy Director of Faculty Operations (job share with Matt Davey)](#modal34link)
Deputy Director of Faculty Operations
Lizzie Caughey
Email: Ophelia Lindley (Senior Executive Assistant)O.B.Lindley@exeter.ac.uk\ Email: l.caughey@exeter.ac.uk
Close
[### Caroline Haughian
Faculty Executive Officer](#modal27link)
Faculty Executive Officer
Caroline Haughian
Email: c.haughian2@exeter.ac.uk
Close
[### Debbie Ironside-Smith
Senior Executive Assistant](#modal25link)
Senior Executive Assistant
Debbie Ironside-Smith
Email: d.ironside-smith@exeter.ac.uk
Close
ESE Business Partners
[### Ruth Thorne
Strategic Marketing Partner](#modal31link)
Strategic Marketing Partner
Ruth Thorne
Email:r.tyrer@exeter.ac.uk
Close
[### Siobhan White
Head of Finance](#modal28link)
Head of Finance
Siobhan White
Email: s.white3@exeter.ac.uk
Close
[### Andy Farquhar
Senior Planning Officer](#modal29link)
Senior Planning Officer
Andy Farquhar
Email: A.Farquhar@exeter.ac.uk
Close
[### Natalie Burgess
Senior HR Business Partner](#modal35link)
Senior HR Business Partner
Natalie Burgess
Email: N.Burgess@exeter.ac.uk
Close