Senior Executive Sponsors
Each network has a Senior Executive Sponsor who is a senior member of staff at the University. As well as being an active advocate for the network, Senior Executive Sponsors use their connections and knowledge to support the network and to develop their understanding and awareness of how behaviours, policies, and practices impact on the lived experiences of people within the University. This helps to ensure that different experiences and perspectives are considered in high-level discussion and decision-making.
Hear from our Senior Executive Sponsors about why they have taken on the role, and what they hope to achieve.
I’m really proud to be the Senior Executive Sponsor for the Apprentice Staff Network. I’ve had the chance to support and develop a number of apprenticeship schemes across the University over the years, and it’s been a brilliant way to recruit and train some fantastic colleagues. I’m keen to work with the Network to understand how we can best support and expand our apprenticeship offering. We have a great opportunity to deliver on our civic mission and grow our reputation as an excellent employer in the region.
I am delighted to become the Senior Executive Sponsor for the Disability and Wellbeing Network (DAWN). It is incredibly important that we all feel able to bring our whole selves into work and have the right support and understanding to enable us to thrive at work. I hope to support the Network in its mission to raise the visibility and understanding of the challenges that disabled members of our University community experience, and to work together to find solutions that are impactful.
I am delighted to be the Senior Executive Sponsor for the Global Majority Staff Network (GMSN). I recognise the incredibly important role the Network plays in supporting racially minoritised staff and their input into the University’s commitment to racial-equity and anti-racism. By taking on this position, I hope to build on the work I have done around ring-fencing PGR scholarships for Black and Mixed Black students and the “Barriers to Black Academia” initiatives by using my role to listen to and amplify the voices of colleagues within the GMSN, with the aim of removing the systemic barriers in place in Higher Education and improving the experience of racially minoritised staff at the University.
I am delighted to take on the role of Senior Executive Sponsor for the Neurodiversity Staff Network. I appreciate the vital role that the Network plays in supporting the neurodiversity of our staff and addressing the day-to-day challenges that our neurodivergent colleagues face. In undertaking this role, I hope to increase awareness and understanding of neurodiversity among my peers, and ensure that neurodivergent voices are heard, understood and responded to effectively.
I am delighted to have been asked to act as Senior Executive Sponsor for the Parents and Carers Staff Network. We all are coming to terms with what it means to be a good parent. As a Dad of neurodiverse children, it is especially important to show care whilst applying correction. It makes us learn what good behaviours are…and try to role model. You’d hope that makes us better managers…But being part of this Network is also about helping others and accessing vital information – it plays a key role in establishing a dialogue for a more inclusive approach to parenting.
It is a privilege to be supporting the newly-formed Women's Staff Network. As a Senior Executive Sponsor, I hope my personal and professional experiences will better shape their future success in the context of our University’s commitment to gender equality. In addition, in my role as Chair of the Swan Implementation Group, I will engage members of the Network to champion their needs, with a focus on intersectionality, so that members can thrive in a globally competitive industry and become an inspiration to others like them.