Bristol University’s governing Council has a new Chair. He is Jim Foulds, who has been Vice-Chair since 2004 and Chair of the Personnel and Staff Development Committee since 1998. He is also one of the University’s four Pro-Chancellors and so can deputise for its Chancellor, The Right Honourable the Baroness Hale of Richmond. He succeeds Dr Moger Woolley, who has served with distinction in the role since 1997.
Mr Foulds, who has lived in the Bristol area for over 30 years, worked for 25 years in various management roles for DRG plc, the Bristol-based international manufacturing and trading group. He eventually became Group Personnel Director, with responsibilities in more than 20 countries worldwide.
He has also served in the Royal Army Educational Corps, worked in the steel industry and held senior positions in the Chemical Industries Association.
Mr Foulds has worked closely with trade unions, politicians and civil servants, and has led employers in many important national and local negotiations in a variety of sectors and countries. He has chaired numerous UK and international committees on social affairs, and represented the European Chemical Industries in social affairs debates in Brussels.
He is a Board member of the Universities and Colleges Employers Association and chairs the Higher Education Forum for Safety and Health, a tripartite body involving employers, unions and the HSE. An enthusiast in the pursuit of good health and safety and equal opportunities, he recently chaired a working party which published guidance on the avoidance of stress in the workplace.
Mr Foulds has been responsible for numerous training and education initiatives in industry, including directing an NVQ-awarding body. He has also had many articles published in professional publications and spoken on employment issues in a variety of settings in the UK and internationally.
A past President of the Scottish Association for Science Education and Board member of the Chemical Industries Education Centre at the University of York, he has played a prominent role in the public understanding of science and taken a particular interest in science education in primary and secondary schools.
He has been Chair of Governors at Mary Elton Primary School in Clevedon and served for a number of years as a governor of Gordano Comprehensive School.
Mr Foulds said: “I regard Bristol University as one of the jewels in the crown of higher education and I feel deeply honoured to be selected as Chairman of its governing body.
“It is a daunting challenge, given that the University is a complex organisation with a budget of some £300 million, over 16,000 students, more than 5,500 staff and about 370 buildings. Fortunately, the other 31 members of University Council are all highly committed and the institution is blessed with a superb workforce and some of the most talented students anywhere in the world. Furthermore, its executive leadership is in the hands of one of the UK’s most capable and visionary vice-chancellors.
“I shall do my very best to follow in Moger Woolley’s distinguished footsteps and help the University make the most of the wonderful opportunities ahead.”
Mr Foulds qualified in management studies at the Royal College of Science and Technology, the Scottish College of Commerce and Strathclyde University. He is married with two sons and two grandchildren.