Professor Gavin Brooks BPharm, PhD, MRPharmS, FAHA, PFHEA

Gavin has over 40 years of experience in the higher education and health sectors, including almost 20 years of senior executive-level leadership within different higher education institutions. He has considerable experience in leading and delivering transformational change programmes, including strategy development, establishing and restructuring academic and professional support service departments, digital technology programmes, and governance reviews.

Gavin originally qualified as a Pharmacist and, following his PhD, established an international research profile in the areas of cardiovascular research and cell cycle control. He joined the University of Reading in 1999 where he founded and became the inaugural Head of the School of Pharmacy. He remained at the University of Reading for 21 years, and held a number of key strategic leadership positions, including Head of two academic schools, Dean of Faculty, Pro-Vice-Chancellor (Teaching and Learning), and Deputy Vice-Chancellor.

Until April 2022, Gavin was Provost and Deputy Vice-Chancellor at Buckinghamshire New University (BNU), where he had overall responsibility for the day-to-day operation of all academic aspects of the University, across all of its campuses, and had direct line management responsibility for 11 senior leaders in different areas of the University.

Currently, he's a Senior Advisor for Huron Consulting Group, an Independent Consultant and Specialist in Higher Education and Skills, and College Principal External Examiner for Royal Holloway University of London. He is also a Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.

Gavin joined the Board of Governors in July 2025.